Bob Bashara ordered to stand trial - KMSP-TV

Bob Bashara has been ordered to stand trial in the alleged murder-for-hire scheme involving Joe Gentz, the man charged with killing Bashara's wife.

On the stand at Bashara's preliminary exam Tuesday was star witness Steve Tibaudo, the man who says Bashara paid him $2,000 to find a hit man to kill Gentz in jail.  However, he also testified Bashara first approached him last summer about killing a woman.

"He said he needed to have a tenant taken care of.  And I said, 'What do you mean?'  And he said, 'I would like to have her either T-boned or run over,'" Tibaudo testified.  "'Do you know anybody that can take care of this for me?'"

He said that was toward the end of last summer when Bashara came to his appliance store and said he needed to get rid of a female tenant.  Months later after Jane Bashara was murdered, Tibaudo went to police.  That same day, a store employee testified Bashara came to Steve's Furniture looking for Tibaudo.

"What I remember, he said, 'I hope Steve wouldn't throw me under the bus because I wouldn't do that to him.'"

The prosecutor repeated what Bashara allegedly said.

"I hope Steve doesn't throw me under the bus because I wouldn't do that to him."

"He said, 'Can you believe what they're trying to do to me,'" the employee added.

Fast forward to June.  Tibaudo testified Bashara started calling him again, so he called investigators.  They wired him up, and he met with Bashara three different days to discuss killing Joe Gentz in jail.

"When he was whispering in your ear, what was he talking about?" one of the prosecutors asked.

"He was talking about this is my life.  I got to get this done."

The audio recordings were played throughout the hearing, though they were muffled and hard to hear.

"He said, 'If you're wearing a wire, just shoot me now,'" said Tibaudo.

Tibaudo told him it's against his religion to wear a wire.  He's Sicilian.  He said he quoted Bashara a price of $20,000 to get the job done and was paid $2,000 at another meeting on June 25.

"As a matter of fact, there was like five months to the date that they found Jane's body."

Tibaudo got emotional on the stand before continuing.

"He gave me $2,000 in hundred dollar bills.  I believe he needed it done ASAP, like within two weeks."

"Did he say why?" asked a prosecutor.

"Something about Joe having a competency hearing.  If they find him competent, then that's his life.  His life's over.  He's done.  He's finished."

You could hear on the recording Tibaudo promising to help him out, but defense attorney David Griem said it was Tibaudo that suggested Bashara have Gentz killed.

"I'd ask the court to dismiss the case."

Bashara was bound over for trial.  His next court date is July 31.