Daughter Charged in Mom's Murder-for-Hire Plot

Harris County homicide detectives have uncovered a stunning development in the case of a Katy woman accused of trying to hire a hit man to kill her husband. Investigators now say the couple's teenager daughter also was in on the foiled plot.

Friday night sheriff's deputies booked Ashley Shamp, 18, into the Harris County Jail alongside her mother. Both she and Catherine Shamp, 38, are charged with solicitation of capital murder.

The younger Shamp said nothing and hid her face with her hair as investigators escorted her inside a sheriff's office building for questioning.

"We've uncovered new information since Catherine Shamp was arrested," said detective Cory Pool.

Catherine Shamp is accused of offering her daughter's ex-boyfriend $20,000 to kill her husband, David Shamp. Pool says witnesses told investigators Ashley Shamp was aware of and involved in the plot. They say she sent text messages to the alleged him man describing how much he would be paid.

"Originally, we knew she sent text messages arranging the meeting, we just weren't able to prove she actually knew what the meeting was going to be about, but evidently she did make comments indicating she knew what the meeting was going to be about," said Pool.

Prosecutors told a judge Friday that Catherine Shamp wanted the hit to look like the family had become victims of a home invasion.

"She talked about that if she was present she would allow herself to be beaten up so it would look like she wasn't involved," said Kari Allen, Harris County Assistant District Attorney.

The courtroom picture is far from the one seen on Catherine Shamp's public facebook page, where the family of five is photographed together. There's also a shot of Ashley posing with her twin nine-year-old brothers on prom night and a picture of Catherine Shamp with her arm around her husband's waist.

"He (David Shamp) was quite caught off guard. It was obvioous he didn't see it coming or hadn't expected it. There was no indication to him they were having that kind of a problem," said Pool.

Allen says Catherine Shamp agreed to pay her daughter's ex-boyfriend with money from her husband's life insurance policy, but sheriff's office investigators believe there was a stronger motive.

"Hate is all we can figure out at this point. Every indication is the mother had a whole lot of animosity toward her husband for one reason or another," said Pool.

Ashley Shamp's bond is set at $30,000. A judge raised Catherine Shamp's bond to $75,000 after prosecutors feared she's a flight risk. If she posts bond, she'll be required to wear an ankle monitor.