Authorities have revealed two murdered Colombian priests contracted their own killers after one was diagnosed with a terminal illness, reported local media Tuesday.
Rafael Reatiga and Richard Píffano Laguado were found shot dead in the Bogota area January 26, last year.
Investigators initially thought the pair were victims of a violent robbery, but a series of intercepted phone calls revealed a connection between the priests and their killers.
It is believed the two were intimate friends who allegedly formed a death pact when Reatiga was diagnosed with AIDS.
According to the Washington Post, the holy men planned on throwing themselves off a bridge but couldn’t bring themselves to do it. Instead they paid $8,500 to professional killers.
According to authorities, the priests drove to a discreet location with the assassins, who then shot them and exited the car.
Two of the four gunmen have been caught and appeared before a judge Tuesday.