Crime & Safety

Bashara Charged with Murder, Conspiracy

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced five charges early Wednesday against Bob Bashara in the strangulation death of his wife, Jane Bashara, whose body was found in the back of an SUV in Detroit.

Bob Bashara will be arraigned on several charges next week in the strangulation death of his wife Jane Bashara following an investigation spanning multiple states and nearly 300 witnesses. 

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced several charges early Wednesday against Bashara. She was surrounded by more than a dozen people from various agencies who helped in the investigation and without, Worthy said, charges never would have resulted. 

The charges include: 

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  • first degree murder
  • conspiracy to commit first degree murder
  • solicitation to commit murder
  • suborning of perjury during a capital trial
  • witness intimidation
  • obstruction of justice

Bashara is currently serving a prison sentence on a second, related case involving his former handyman, Joe Gentz, whom he tried to have killed while in jail to prevent him from testifying. Bashara is currently being housed in Manistee in Oaks Correctional Facility.

He will be brought from prison to Wayne County's 36th District Court next week to make his first appearance on the charges announced Wednesday.

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Prosecutor Kym Worthy said the case took one year and three months to file charges because of its complexity. The investigation spanned seven states, including Michigan, Iowa, Kentucky, Illinois, Florida, Oregon and Texas, she said.

It also involves nearly 300 witnesses, many , and a variety of tips that were tracked down by investigators. Additionally, Worthy said there were more than 5,000 pages of documents that had to be reviewed during the investigation. 

Worthy described Gentz as a "strong witness" but not the only witness. She said there are many witnesses. Gentz agreed to testify against others if additional charges came forth as part of his plea agreement in his own case. He turned himself into police in the days after Jane's body was found, saying her husband hired him to kill her for money. He is serving a 17 to 28 year prison sentence. 

The investigation began in January 2012 when Jane Bashara's body was found in the back of her SUV in a Detroit residential alley near 7 Mile and Hoover, which is approximately 20 minutes north/northwest of her home in Grosse Pointe Park. 

Bob Bashara was named a "person of interest" in the days after her body was found and as the investigation evolved, Gentz was charged with murder and conspiracy in March 2012. Then, three months later on the five month anniversary of Jane's death, Bob Bashara was arrested outside a prominent Grosse Pointe Park restaurant for hiring a hitman to kill Gentz while he was housed in jail awaiting trial and going through psychological evaluations to determine his competency to stand trial. 

Jane Bashara was a marketing executive who volunteered much of her free time in the community. The couple was well known within the Pointes and were recognized several years ago by the Grosse Pointe Public School board for dedication to volunteering. Her violent death was unsettling to a small community where everyone knows each other. 

RELATED: Kym Worthy Announces Murder Charge for Bob Bashara.

Bashara faces mandatory life in prison on the first degree murder charge; up to life on each the conspiracy, solicitation and suborning counts; 15 years for witness intimidation; and five years for obstruction of justice.

Worthy provided general examples during the 20 minute press conference in her office Wednesday. Among them, she said, Bashara tried to get at least one witness to move out of state so investigators could not talk to him or her. 

She declined to answer specific questions about where the crime happened, whether any DNA evidence is part of the case and Bob Bashara's motive to kill his wife. 

Worthy was surrounded by more than a dozen individuals Wednesday whom without she said the charges never would have happened. Worthy had each person introduce themselves and identify the agency with which they are associated. Among the group were representatives of the Grosse Pointe Park Public Safety Department, Michigan State Poice, FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, Detroit Police and the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.

Additionally, Worthy said the investigation involved other law enforcement agencies including Chicago, the Cook County Prosecutor's Office, Livonia and Roseville police departments, Fort Lauderdale Police, the Michigan Department of Corrections and one publication, the Lexington Post.

In discussing the length of time it took to file charges, Worthy said waiting until all of the information is in order is the more responsible and efficient way to handle such cases. It prevents time delays during the actual prosecution and trial phase of the case, which is a waste of time and money for everyone, including witnesses. 

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