LAWRENCEBURG, Tenn. – A man has pleaded "no contest" in connection with the cold case murder-for-hire death of his wife.
Phillip Rigling, 76, entered the plea this week in the death of Joann Rigling, who was shot and killed at the couple's market in June 1992.
Under the plea, he "admitted no guilt" and was sentenced to 10 years in jail. However, due to his age and failing health, he will only be required to serve one year at the Lawrence County Detention Center. He is scheduled to surrender himself on February 1.
Rigling was arrested in August 2010 after being inducted on criminal responsibility for first degree murder, felony murder, and aggravated robbery. Police said Rigling orchestrated the plot to kill his wife, who was shot in the head during an apparent robbery at Phil's One Stop on June 19, 1992.
Jimmy Dale Hogan and Tammy Smith were arrested and later convicted in connection with the murder. Hogan's first trial in 1997 ended in a hung jury; but he was convicted in a second trial later that year. Smith entered a "best interest" plea of second degree murder, and has since been released.
Hogan was later granted a new trial, due to ineffective counsel. During the course of preparing for his new murder trial, investigators received new information about Rigling's involvement after naming Curtis Staggs as the triggerman.
Investigators said Rigling offered several people, including Staggs, $50,000 to kill his wife. As a partial payment, money was taken from the market.
Staggs was found guilty of first-degree murder in June. He was sentenced to life for the murder conviction and twelve years on the robbery count, with the sentences to run consecutively. He is appealing the conviction.
Hogan has already served 16 of his 20 years for the robbery charges in this crime. Because of his testimony to the state, he will be released in four years
Past Stories:
(Lawrenceburg Now contributed to this report.)
