Chad Andrew Larsen - Repeat Sex Offender - Hired Murder of His Victim

Chad Andrew Larsen, 30, was sentenced Tuesday to 25 years to life in prison for soliciting the murder of a 16-year-old girl who was poised to testify against him in a statutory rape case.

The ruling came after Judge Timothy Cissna rejected a motion by Larsen's attorney to recuse the Humboldt County District Attorney's Office from the case because of a campaign advertisement. Cissna said that while parts of the commercial were inaccurate, it “had no effect whatsoever on the judgment in the case.”

Deputy District Attorney Kelly Neel said that the sentence was “a long time coming.”

”Now I get to call the victim and her mother and tell them it's over,” Neel said. “I think they can take comfort in the fact that the justice system held Mr. Larsen accountable for his actions.”

Neither the victim nor her family was in court for the ruling, but Neel said that she would call them with the news.

In addressing the court, Larsen said the advertisement would put his life at risk in prison.

”I'm going to be killed now,” he said. “I need to go to a mental asylum or something.”

Larsen was arrested on the rape charge two years ago and later attempted to arrange for the murder of his victim who, at the time, was poised to testify against him at trial. Larsen was convicted of the statutory rape charge in April 2010.

Larsen's plan was to have the girl drugged and then buried in a trough at his ranch. Hislop said Larsen initially attempted to get his cellmate to do the job, but he didn't want any part of it. Larsen also enlisted the help of his father Dennis, who later went to police and entered into a plea deal. He received probation.

Larsen did find an inmate who he thought would take the job in exchange for $5,000 and a used car. The inmate instead went to the district attorney's office and told them that he was concerned for the well-being of the girl.

That's when the investigation really began to move forward, Hislop said.

”He came forward with notes and maps from Larsen that showed detailed directions on what to do with the body,” Hislop said. “At that point, we said, 'If we don't do something, he's going to get this girl killed.'”

Investigators put a wire on the inmate who turned informant, and had him walk out the front door to make it seem like he was being released from jail.

”We knew it would be on us if he disappeared,” Hislop said, adding that a team of officers kept close tabs on the inmate while he walked to a nearby restaurant to call Larsen's father. Once contact was made to establish that the murder plot was a go, the operation took off.

Investigators were able to track a pair of shovels, which were to be used to bury the girl, that Larsen's father bought at Pierson Building Center in Eureka with his credit card. They then followed Dennis Larsen to the ranch, where he arranged with an undercover agent -- who he thought was the released inmate -- to drop off the shovels and $500 as a down payment in the mail box. Dennis Larsen later went to police.

Hislop said that was sufficient evidence to get a search warrant for the ranch, where investigators seized more material that pointed to the conspiracy.

”Chad has no cause and effect,” Hislop said. “He thinks that everything will just go away.”

In court Tuesday, Chad Larsen said he did not receive a fair trial.

”I watched so many lies go through this court,” he said. “It's ridiculous.”

Chad Larsen said that his attorneys failed to bring evidence to the court that proved the girl was lying in her testimony. Larsen said that he did have sex with the victim -- twice.

”I made a very stupid mistake,” Chad Larsen said before being escorted back to jail. “Was it bad judgment? Yes. Did I have criminal intent? No.”

Cissna said that the facts he was disputing did not change the fact that a person's life was in danger.

”If it were up to Mr. Larsen, his victim would be dead right now,” Cissna said, adding an additional nine years in prison for Larsen's prior record and violation of his parole.

Chad Larsen had faced four years in prison under his original charge of statutory rape. He was already on probation for having unlawful sex with a minor when he was arrested for the second offense of having unlawful sex with a minor two years ago.

Neel said that she is not surprised at the ruling, and is glad the case is over.

”I believe Mr. Larsen has earned and deserves every single day he has been sentenced,” Neel said. “The victim was a 16-year-old kid, and this is something that will impact her life forever.”

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte

"On average most sex offenders are never caught again for a new sex offense, after five years, between 10 and 15 percent of sex offenders are detected, often convicted, of committing a new sex offense. If you follow them for ten years the rates go up somewhat, if you follow them as long as we’ve been able to follow them, which is about 20 years, the rates go up to somewhere between 30 to 40 percent of the total sample will eventually be caught for a new sex offense."

Dr. R. Karl Hansen