Prosecutors say Kocontes hired two inmates to get the letter to his ex-wife, have her sign it, then kill her.
One of the two inmates told the inmates’ lawyer, who notified the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. It led to the new charges.
On top of the murder for financial gain charge Kocontes already faces from Kanesaki’s death, he now faces two counts of solicitation to commit murder and one count of solicitation to bribe a witness.
He is due in court Thursday afternoon in Orange County and faces life in prison without parole from his prior charges.