OLATHE — Johnson County prosecutors said a 49-year-old Gardner man tried to hire a hit man to kill his former wife. Rheuben Clifford Johnson III was charged in Johnson County District Court with solicitation to commit first-degree murder. Johnson and his former wife were divorced in January. The Olathe News reports that it’s not the first time Johnson appeared in court. Six years ago, he was charged in Johnson County District Court with abusing a pet monkey. Earlier than that, a Johnson County judge ordered him to remove a 200-pound cougar from the Olathe city limits. Last year, Johnson County prosecutors filed a civil case against Johnson for violating the Kansas Consumer Protection Act in connection with his bee-keeping and pest removal business.
Thursday, May 31, 10 a.m.
