Sentencing In Tritt Plot

A Tennessee man who plotted to have Travis Tritt killed was sentenced to 35 years in prison, federal prosecutors said June 13th.

Parley Drew Hardman was convicted in 2003 for soliciting the murder of his ex-wife. He was never prosecuted for a similar solicitation involving Tritt.

Hardman was behind bars when he contacted a fellow inmate, Marvin Droznek, to kill his ex-wife after a bitter divorce. He balked at Droznek’s asking price, according to The Tennessean, but settled on having his wife’s legs broken so she could never dance again, and to have her dog killed.

Droznek went to the police instead and an attack on Hardman’s wife was staged. The ex-husband was told that his wife was hit so hard that a 2″-by-4″ board was splintered, according to the paper. In response, Hardman called on the hit man to kill Tritt because Hardman believed the country singer had mistreated one of his friends.

Hardman was arrested after the meeting and charged with two counts of soliciting federal crimes of violence. Tritt expressed shock after hearing the news.

Hardman was convicted last year on a separate plan to murder an assistant U.S. attorney and two assistants.