13 WTHR - Indianapolis News |Indianapolis man accused in wife's murder-for-hire plot

Indianapolis man accused in wife's murder-for-hire plot

Jeremy Brilliant/Eyewitness News

Marion County - A nearly month-long undercover investigation has landed a man in jail and, police say, saved the life of his wife. The man is accused of attempting to hire a hit man to kill his wife. His motivation: insurance money.

Until a few days ago, 56-year-old Robert Quarles was living with his wife. He's now in jail accused of hiring someone to kill her.

"If you look at the probable cause, there's six meetings in there; recordings of everything from how to do it to do you have an alibi when it's done, do I get my money, very detailed, very specific," said Indianapolis Metropolitan Police investigator Lt. Dave Young.

SWAT officer arrested Quarles at 23rd and Keystone Saturday evening in the culmination of a month long investigation.

Quarles allegedly told a co-worker at Indy Towing several times that he wanted to have his wife killed. That employee introduced him to a man Quarles thought was a hit-man, but in reality was an undercover police officer.

According to the probable cause, an undercover officer asked: "Is there anything in particular you want done?"

Robert Quarles: "Just [expletive] take her out of this world."
Officer: "Doesn't matter how? ...you talk about strangling her or drowning her?"
Quarles: "I want it to look like an accident...'cause if she committed suicide, insurance policy doesn't cover suicide."
Officer: "How much money you getting?"
Quarles: "I think $20,000 worth."

Three weeks ago, Police say the intended victim ended up at the Community Hospital East ER complaining of "waves of nausea."

"He tried to poison her with Visine, a whole bottle of Visine, which has some toxic qualities," explained Lt. Young.

In a final conversation with the undercover officer, Quarles confirmed he wanted his wife dead.

Officer: "I got my hands on a gun..."
Quarles: "Get it done, buddy."
Officer: "All right. I'm gonna do it."
Quarles: "I just don't want to get caught in a trick-bag - oh, you had her knocked off."

Dale Camp, who worked with Quarles a few years ago when he drove a tow truck for Last Chance Wrecker, says he was stunned to hear about the arrest.

"He seemed all right to us, didn't seem to be that type of person," said Camp.

At one point in the conversation with the undercover officer, Quarles allegedly said he had "more work" for the hit man, indicating he wanted his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend killed.

Quarles thought he was the beneficiary of his wife's life insurance policy, but he wasn't. If she had died, her daughter from a previous marriage would have gotten all the money.