The wife of a Keithville man murdered in his home on Sunday was arrested for the killing today following her husband's funeral, said Sheriff Steve Prator.

Ernest Luttrell was laid to rest this afternoon during a graveside service in Shreveport. Shortly afterward, Bobbie Loretta Luttrell, 70, was arrested by sheriff's deputies for first-degree murder.

Mrs. Luttrell was taken to the Caddo Sheriff's Criminal Investigations Division. She will be booked into Caddo Correctional Center and held without bond.

Mrs. Luttrell told detectives on Sunday that she arrived home from church to find her husband dead, his truck missing, and several firearms gone from their home. But detectives say Mrs. Luttrell arranged for her husband's murder by hiring a hit man, Erick Crain, with the help of a family friend, Tina VanMoerkerque. Crain and VanMoerkerque were arrested earlier this week as part of the investigation and are currently in jail on first-degree murder charges.

According to detectives, Mr. Luttrell had promised a large sum of money to one of Mrs. Luttrell's family members. When Mr. Luttrell changed his mind, Mrs. Luttrell plotted with VanMoerkerque to have him killed so she could sell his property and still provide the money to the family member.

Mrs. Luttrell asked VanMoerkerque to find someone to kill her husband and said she would pay that person $1,000. VanMoerkerque asked Crain on Saturday to do the job, and he agreed.

Detectives say Mrs. Luttrell planned the murder and robbery with the help of VanMoerkerque. Mrs. Luttrell left for church at an unusually early hour on Sunday and contacted VanMoerkerque once she was away from the house. VanMoerkerque dropped Crain off at the house and left him there to carry out the robbery and murder.
Mrs. Luttrell has been in Arkansas with family since the killing was reported to authorities. She returned today for Mr. Luttrell's funeral.