A Denver man was sentenced to 40 years in prison Friday for a murder-for-hire plot against his wife while he was in jail.

Yaury Hill, 34, pleaded guilty Feb. 6 for trying to convince his roommate to kill his wife in a letter Hill sent while he was in the Arapahoe County Jail on Oct. 21, 2024, according to a Friday news release from the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

The letter detailed his wife’s address, schedule and other personal information as well as a promise of cash payment upon completion of what Hill described as “taking out the trash,” according to the release. At that time, Hill’s wife had multiple standing protection orders and had been a victim of domestic abuse.

Prosecutors also believed that the plot may have been to try and stop his wife from testifying against him in his criminal cases, according to the release.

“This was a calculated plan,” said 18th Judicial District Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Cole Plummer in the release. “The defendant tried to disguise a murder plot inside what looked like an ordinary jail note, using coded references to construction and taking out the trash to mask his true intent. It didn’t take long for investigators to see through it and identify exactly who he was targeting.”

While writing the letter, Hill listed his cellmate’s name as the sender, a disguise investigators quickly debunked after they found his cellmate did not speak English, according to the release. It also contained a quote from “Harry Potter,” which Hill’s wife said he enjoyed and quoted regularly.

The letter was intercepted by Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office personnel before it was sent, according to the release.

District Judge Jacob Edson presided over the case.