GREENVILLE, North Carolina (WTVD) -- Police in North Carolina have arrested a man who they say tried to hire someone to kill his wife.
Greenville police told local media outlets that 35-year-old James Edward Smith is charged with solicitation to commit first-degree murder.
He is being held in the Pitt County jail under a $1 million bond. He appeared in court on Monday. It's not known whether he has an attorney.
According to police, they received a call Sunday from someone who reported a man whom he met through mutual acquaintances had tried to hire him to kill his wife.
A prosecutor said in court that the man was equipped with a recording device when he and Smith talked in detail about his plot.
Investigators said they are still working to determine a motive.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Greenville man accused of trying to hire someone to kill his wife
WTVD

WTVD
James Edward Smith (Pitt County Sheriff's Office via WCTI)
Copyright © 2021 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.