A Vancouver man in custody at the Clark County Jail now faces additional charges for allegedly attempting to hire another inmate to kill a witness.
Raymond J. Femling, 32, made a first appearance in Clark County Superior Court on Friday to face allegations of criminal solicitation, intimidating a witness and conspiracy. Femling is one of three men accused of luring a man to a Vancouver home before assaulting and robbing him Dec. 26. He’s charged with first-degree kidnapping, first-degree robbery, second-degree assault and second-degree theft in that case.
One co-defendant, Scott William Thomas, a 25-year-old transient, has already been sentenced in the case. A third co-defendant, Jason E. Stinson, 31, of Vancouver is also in custody awaiting trial.
According to court records, all three men are suspected of helping to lure the victim, James Braithwaite, to a residence in the Image neighborhood because they assumed he was a “snitch.” Stinson invited Braithwaite over, and when he arrived, Femling and Thomas repeatedly punched and kicked him, according to court documents.
Femling allegedly then burned Braithwaite’s arm with a methamphetamine pipe, which caused second-degree burns. Stinson retrieved a pillowcase and rope, and the men threatened to kill him, court documents said. They eventually let him go but again threatened to kill him if he “talked to anybody,” and Stinson followed him home “to keep him in fear,” court records say.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed with the new charges, between May 22 and May 26, Femling talked with and agreed to pay another inmate to “make sure (Braithwaite) doesn’t show up for court” to testify against him. He offered to pay the man with two motorcycles and a pickup valued at approximately $90,000. Femling reportedly recruited the inmate to kill Braithwaite because he was scheduled to be released from jail soon and isn’t from the local area.
Femling allegedly drew the inmate a detailed map of where Braithwaite was last known to reside and supplied him with Braithwaite’s name and birthdate. He apparently gave the man detailed descriptions of the motorcycles and pickup, as well as directions on how to collect them, court records said.
The inmate told police he understood that Femling “wanted me to kill him, to have him dead,” the affidavit says.
During Friday’s hearing, Judge Scott Collier found probable cause against Femling for the new allegations, including first-degree criminal solicitation to commit murder, Deputy Prosecutor James Smith said.
Femling is being held in the Clark County Jail in lieu of $400,000 bail.
He is scheduled to be arraigned on the new charges Wednesday.
