Prison guard hired hit man to kill lover’s husband in Clovis. He’s agreed to plea deal
A former state correctional officer has pleaded no contest to solicitation of murder after police say he hired a hit man to kill his lover’s husband.
Miguel Angel Corona, a 34-year-old decorated Army veteran, accepted responsibility for his role in the failed plot to murder Christopher Schmall of Clovis in 2021.
Schmall and his wife were in the process of getting a divorce when police stumbled upon the plan.
Corona’s attorney Linden Lindahl said Tuesday that Corona did the right thing by admitting to police that he paid Bradley Costill, his ex-felon neighbor, $8,500 to shoot Schmall.
Had it not been for Corona, Lindahl said, Clovis police would not have known Schmall was a target for murder.
“There was no indication this plan even existed until he cooperated with police,” Lindahl said. “He volunteered it.”
Clovis police respond to kidnap call
The plan began to unravel quickly in the fall of 2021 when Corona’s girlfriend saw him drive off in a car with Costill. A short time later, the girlfriend said she saw two “sketchy characters” follow them, Lindahl said.
“She was in a state of panic because she believed Corona was being kidnapped,” Lindahl said.
She called 911 and Clovis police responded. Officers found Costill and Corona and stopped their vehicle, Lindahl said.
“And at one point, Corona says, ‘let me tell you what’s going on’ and proceeds to describe the purported agreement between himself and Costill,” Lindahl said.
They were arrested and charged. Corona faced a charge of conspiring to commit a crime and solicitation of murder. Costill was charged with six felonies, including conspiring to commit a crime, possession of a firearm by a felon and being prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Costill pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm or ammunition and the remaining charges were dropped. He was sentenced in August to three years of probation.
Corona agreed to plead no contest to the solicitation of murder charge, and the conspiring charge was dropped. He is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 8 in Department 32 and faces up to nine years in prison.
