Hutch's Jewelry murder: ‘I would have died for Marco'
The trial of the suspects charged with the murder-for-hire of Dan ‘Hutch' Hutchinson continued on Monday as one of the men who has already pleaded to planning to kill Hutch took the stand.
Darnell Larry testified on Tuesday in the trial of Marco Bisbikis and Roy Larry. When on the stand, he testified about his loyalty to his boss and friend – Bisbikis.
"I told you - I would have died for Marco," Larry said.
Larry and Angelo Raptoplous both worked at Marco's pot farm in Grass Lake when they thought Bisbikis was in trouble, he said they had to help him.
"Marco proceeded to tell me that he was on a list and that he hated snitches and that Daniel Hutchinson was testifying against him," Larry said.
Authorities allege that Marco told them he was with the mafia and stood to be indicted along with high-ranking mafia leaders on the east coast because Hutch and his wife, Marisa, were going to testify against them.
"These people sent $200,000 to Marco's firm - for the assassination of the Hutchinsons - the murder of the Hutchinsons," he said. "I was offered $50,000."
But it was all a lie. Prosecutors say Bisbikis wanted the Hutchinsons dead because he was helping them launder millions in cash from their jewelry store. As their attorney, Bisbikis had written himself into their will and trust. He stood to inherit a lot of money when they died.
Bisbikis allegedly told Larry to kill them but not rob them.
"The reason he didn't want it to be a robbery is because the jewelry that Mr. Hutchinson wore - if anyone took that jewelry it would have been noticed - we couldn't sell it," Larry said.
Darnell Larry's cousin, Roy Larry, is accused of shooting Hutchinson, a well-known Oak Park jeweler, on June 1, 2022. Hutchinson's attorney, Bisbikis, allegedly hired Darnell to commit the murder after authorities say he wrote himself into Hutchinson's will and trust.
Darnell testified that Marisa's survival was not part of the plan.
"Marco was pissed off. He was like what happened? Was you there?" Darnell said.
Darnell wasn't there. He had allegedly gotten his cousin involved to be the triggerman.
"That's when I found out Marissa was not dead," Darnell said. "He was definitely angry because they was supposed to be killed together."
Darnell said Bisbikis went into a panic as he was determined to finish the job.
"After the killing of Mr. Hutchinson, Marisa had to be killed," Darnell said. "He called her trying to get her to come somewhere for me to make sure she wouldn't leave that place and she refused to come."
Last week, Marisa testified she had hired a private investigator and knew Bisbikis was involved in her husband's death. Darnell says Angelo Raptoplous was trying to recruit someone to kill her because Darnell refused to do it.
"I told Angelo I was not going to do any harm to Mrs. Hutchinson or her daughter," Darnell said.
To avoid a life sentence, Darnell cut a deal with the prosecutor's office. Included in that deal was that he would testify – which gave defense attorneys a chance to try to shred his credibility.
"So you're a snitch," Bisbikis' attorney said. "A man is dead because of your client."
"I'm not a snitch," Darnell said.
"You make up stories - if you need to make a story to accomplish a goal or get where you want to be you make up a story," the attorney said.
"No sir that's incorrect. I lied because I was protecting Marco Bisbikis," Darnell said.
Court resumes at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
