(THORNDALE)  The wife of a murder for hire victim, Denise Rummel, was arrested today (Friday) by Milam County Authorities. Rummel was arrested in Thorndale at the school district where she is employed as a secretary.  Milam County Sheriff Charlie West and Deputy Jay Beathard executed the warrant issued by Bell County JP G. W. Ivey charging capital murder in the death of her husband Glenn “Rocky” Rummel, formerly of Cameron. 

Ms. Rummel is the third person to be arrested in the contract killing of Rummel.  Machell Day was convicted this week of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison for her role in the crime.  Billie Joe Parrick, the state’s key witness in the Day trial, had admitted to being the trigger man who shot Rummel in the back of the head with a .38 caliber revolver.  Parrick testified this week that Rummel’s wife wanted her husband dead to collect $321,000 in insurance money.   Prosecutors believe Rummel’s wife enlisted the help of her best friend, Ms. Day, who at the time was working for and having an affair with Parrick.  In testimony during Day’s trial this week, Parrick said he lied to Ms. Day about killing someone and being a Navy SEAL in an effort to impress her.   He was then enlisted as the contract killer.  The three together, lured Rummel to a remote site near Temple where Parrick, posing as a real estate agent, shot and killed Rummel.  Parrick had testified that he collected $1,000 up front but fled the state before collecting the balance of a $10,000 agreement to kill Rummel.  He and Ms. Day were living in Nebraska when Parrick was arrested in February of 2001.  Ms. Day moved back to Austin and was arrested in August of last year. 

After Day’s conviction Thursday, prosecutor Mark Kimball said the state will not rest until everyone responsible for Rocky Rummel’s death is brought to justice.  Prosecutor Nelson Barns said Thursday it has taken 1337 days for him to stand before the jury.  He said the scope of his rifle only has one target at a time.  And said, quote, “We will not rest, and we will not sleep.”

Denise Rummel was arrested this morning.  She was arraigned before Precinct 4 JP Martin Hobbs who set bond at $750,000.  She was then transported directly to the Bell County Jail.