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Penn State Student Arrested on Murder Plot Charges

By Uwire
Published | Updated

A Penn State student was arrested June 11 in connection with allegedly plotting to kill a police informant, according to court documents.

From inside the Centre County Correctional Facility, Michael P. Alexander asked Penn State student Katongo Mulenga, 24, to hire a hit man to kill the police informant who helped land Alexander in jail on drug related charges, according to the criminal complaint.

A Zambia native, Mulenga is now charged with criminal conspiracy to commit murder and criminal use of communication facility, according to the criminal complaint.

Alexander is now charged with criminal solicitation to commit murder and criminal use of a communication facility, according to the criminal complaint.

A Centre County Correctional Facility inmate reported to authorities last March that Alexander, 29, "asked him if he knows of anyone for hire," according to the affidavit.

"The informant stated that as Alexander asked him, he held up to his hand to symbolize a pistol, then cocked his thumb," according to the affidavit.

Through written letters, Alexander communicated with an undercover state trooper known to him as "Jake" about hiring a hit man, police say.

"The letter talks about Alexander making arrangements to get the hit man a down payment," according to the affidavit.

In a letter, Alexander told "Jake" that it was "hard to collect anything from jail," so he provided "Jake" with his friend's information.

Alexander gave "Jake" Mulenga's contact information and wrote that Mulenga would pay him for the murder, according to the affidavit.

Penn State Spokesman Geoff Rushton reassured students that despite the recent arrest, University Park remains a safe campus and there is no need for concern among the general population.

Rushton said he was unsure if University police or officials were involved in the situation.

Mulenga was a boxer known to his friends and coaches as "K," and was studying crime, law and justice.

His mother, Maureen Mulenga is an academic counselor in the Liberal Arts College and could not be immediately reached for comment.

Kevin Cirilli is a UWire contributor and Collegian staff writer.