Sammy Shafer Jr., 36, of Madison County, IL is facing with two counts first-degree murder and two counts solicitation of murder-for-hire

Portia Rowland, 32, was shot to death allegedly, by Gary Johnson, 45, while she was  warming up her car outside her home in Madison County around 6am on Jan 21

Sarah Shafer, 34, who was in a relationship with the victim was going through a divorce with estranged husband Sammy Shafer Jr

Authorities accused Sarah’s husband Shafer Jr, of paying the hit team of paid $10,000 to Johnson and his driver Marty Shaw, 33, to assassinate Rowland, his estranged wife’s girlfriend

Shaw and his cousin Johnson allegedly, have admitted to their roles in the crime and receiving the cash payment from Shafer Jr after

Trigger man Gary Johnson is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of being in possession of a weapon

Charges are pending for Marty Shaw who was not in court on Tuesday

Authorities in Madison County, IL, believe Sammy Shafer Jr, [photo], paid $10,000 to the hit team of Gary Johnson and Marty Shaw, to kill Portia Rowland, his estranged wife’s girlfriend, on Jan 21. He’s charged with two counts first-degree murder and two counts solicitation/murder-for-hire

A spurned husband has been arrested by after being accused by authorities in Madison County, Illinois, of hiring a shooter to murder his estranged wife’s girlfriend in her driveway. 
Portia Rowland, 32, was allegedly shot to death by paid assassin Gary Johnson while she was  warming up her car outside her home around 6am on January 21. 
Responding officers found Rowland lying near her garage and suffering from gunshot wounds. Cops believe the estranged husband of the victim’s girlfriend had her assassinated in a murder-for-hire plot.
Sarah Shafer, 34, who was in a relationship with the victim Portia Rowland was going through a divorce with estranged husband Sammy Shafer Jr.
Madison County State’s Attorney Thomas Haine described the incident as a ‘calculated and cold hearted murder-for-hire scheme based on a personal grievance.’
Accused of paying According to court documents 36, paid $10,000 to Gary Johnson, 45, and his driver Marty Shaw, 33, to execute the hit. Both men allegedly, have admitted to their roles in the crime.
Subsequently, Sarah’s husband, Sammy Shafer Jr. has charged with two charges of first-degree murder and two counts of solicitation of murder-for-hire.

Portia Rowland, [photo], was shot to death allegedly, by Gary Johnson while she was warming up her car outside her home on Olive Street in Madison County at around 6am on Jan. 21

Johnson the shooter who was also in court on Tuesday is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of being in possession of a weapon. 
Charges are pending for Shaw who who was not in court because he is still being held in the St. Louis County Jail, but court documents show that Shaw has admitted to taking money from the Shafer Jr and going to a casino after the shooting. 
‘Driver confessed to being hired by Defendant to kill Victim. Driver then contacts shooter and they go to Victim’s residence. Shooter waits outside for Victim to come out and then shoot Victim. Shooter then runs to where Driver is waiting. 

Sarah Shafer [left] who was in a relationship with the victim Portia Rowland, [right], was going through a divorce with estranged husband Sammy Shafer when her ex, allegedly, called a hit on Rowland

‘They then drive to Shooter’s residence where Shooter changes his clothes and they go to the casino. Driver also admits to then seeing Defendant the next day and being paid $10,000 for the murder.
‘Driver took $3,500 and gave $6,500 to Shooter. Shooter also admitted to being hired by Driver’s boss (Defendant) to do a murder and to shooting Victim.’
Johnson’s court documents also state that he has admitted to killing Rowland and fleeing the scene with Shaw. 

Shafer Jr. allegedly, paid Marty Shaw [left], and Gary Johnson, [right], $10,000 for the hit. Trigger man Johnson is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of being in possession of a weapon

Sammy Shafer reportedly, was in the process of divorcing Sarah who was in a same-sex relationship with the victim Portia Rowland. 
Sarah claims her husband once threatened that if she wouldn’t be with him he would ‘do anything in his power to keep the kids away’ from her. 
Shafer owns multiple businesses in the Caseyville area, including a bar called the Caseyville Bridge Inn and S. Shafer Excavating, which he operates with his father, Sammy Shafer Sr.
According to court documents Marty Shaw, who is Shafer’s employee, admitted that his boss hired him to kill Rowland. Investigators said Shafer paid $10,000 to Shaw for Rowland’s murder the very next day. Shaw then drove Johnson, his cousin, to the scene where Johnson shot and killed Rowland. After the job Shaw took $3,500 and gave $6,500 to Johnson.

Gary Johnson’s [photo], also state that he has admitted to killing Rowland and fleeing the scene with Shaw. According to court docs. Shaw admitted to taking money from the Shafer and going to a casino after committing the crime

Sammy and Sarah Shafer got married in 2013 and share their three children aged 14, 12 and seven, but Sammy had filed divorce in 2023.   
While state officials have asked for Shafer Jr to be jailed throughout the trial, his attorney, Scott Rosenblum has instead pushed for the detention hearing to be moved to the first week of February to allow him more time to review the evidence.
Shafer Jr’s detention hearing will be on February 5 and Johnson’s preliminary is scheduled a couple of days later on February 7.