A southeast Missouri jury has cleared a man of charges that he played a role in a foiled murder-for-hire plot.

The (Poplar Bluff) Daily American Republic reports a Stoddard County jury on Tuesday acquitted 34-year-old Christopher Hicks of charges of attempted murder, arson, armed criminal action and burglary.

Hicks and wife Brandi Hicks were accused of being hired by former pastor Donald Lafferty to burn down Lafferty's Bloomfield-area home in 2013 to kill Lafferty's wife. Mildred Lafferty awoke, escaped and later divorced Lafferty.

Lafferty was sentenced in March to 50 years in prison for attempted murder and other charges. He's free on bond while appealing. Lafferty also was convicted of defrauding his mother of $86,000.

Brandi Hicks testified against her husband and will serve a seven-year prison sentence.

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