NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Accused killer Perry March told a fellow jail inmate that if his in-laws were dead, his chances of beating a murder rap for his wife's death would go from 40 to 90 percent.

To accomplish that goal, March hatched a jailhouse plot with inmate Russell Farris in 2005 to kill the parents of his missing wife, Janet March, while he awaited trial for her death. But March did not know that Farris was recording their conversations at the behest of authorities.

On Monday, jurors in March's second-degree murder trial listened to audio tapes in which Farris and March mapped out the plot to kill Larry and Carolyn Levine.

While the two plotted, March was awaiting trial on charges of second-degree murder, evidence tampering and abuse of a corpse relating to the death of Janet March, who was last seen Aug. 15, 1996.

March told authorities that his 33-year-old wife stormed out of their West Nashville home that evening with her bags packed after an argument. She was never seen again, and her body has not been found.

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Prosecutors contend March killed her in a rage and buried her body after she told him she wanted a divorce.

Farris, 29, told jurors Sunday that, as soon as March arrived at the Davidson County special management unit in September 2005, he began talking about killing his in-laws, with whom he was battling for custody of his two children, Samson and Tzipora.

Farris testified that he never intended to carry out the murders, but played along after March promised to pay his bond.

"I was trying to make Perry feel comfortable with me," testified Farris, whose tattoos were visible under the sleeves of his jailhouse oranges. "I was going to tell Perry whatever he wanted to hear for him to make my bond."

But it wasn't until Oct. 6 that Farris, who was in custody on charges of attempted murder and robbery, began recording the conversations for authorities.

The two agreed that once Farris was released, he would communicate with Perry through his father, Col. Arthur Wayne March, under the code name "Bobby Givings." They also decided that they would refer to killing the Levines as "buying a BMW."

In the recordings, which span eight hours over two days, Farris assured March that he was a "pro," and promised him he would make sure his children were not present when the murders occurred.

"I'll find their patterns and you know, I'm just gonna have to time it right," Farris, who spoke of using wigs, gold teeth and baseball caps to conceal his identity.

"Be thinking in your head about trying to structure all the motives, like trying to make it look like a robbery," March told Farris through an air shaft that connected the two adjacent cells.

In turn, March promised Farris that the two would start a new life in Mexico, where March had lived with his children and his father before he returned to the United States in August 2005 to face the murder charges.

"Perry, all I want is a place for me, for my dog, you know, and I want, I guess, my mom to come down there too," Farris told him.

"You're preaching to the choir, I'm a hundred percent down this road," March said in the tape.

But defense lawyers claim Farris took advantage of March by playing on his emotions.

"The Levines got your kids, and man, I can't imagine how that feels," Farris said. "If my worse enemy had my dog I would go nuts, Perry."

"You tried to inflame him and pull him into this deal?" defense attorney William Massey asked Farris. "You told him he couldn't beat his murder rap with the Levines here?"

"This was his deal, it wasn't my story," Farris said. "I was playing a role."

March was convicted in June 2006 of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder stemming from the plot. His father testified against him in exchange for an 18-month sentence in federal court. He originally faced up to 20 years for his role in the scheme.

Jurors also learned of his father's involvement in the plot as a "supportive agent" who would greet Farris in Mexico after he had killed the Levines.

Col. March assured Farris that he would reimburse his expenses once he arrived in Mexico, where the high life awaited him.

"The sky is blue, the beer is cold and the women are hot. What more do you need?" the 78-year-old retired army veteran joked over the phone.

Col. March kept his part of the bargain and on Oct. 27, 2005, he went to meet Farris at the Guadalajara International Airport after Farris called to inform him that "everything was done."

Instead, he was greeted by an FBI agent, who told him that "Bobby Givings" had been detained by immigration authorities.

"He turned pale," FBI special agent Kenneth Sena testified Monday morning. "He was cooperative, but he was physical shaken. I gave him a second to sit down and catch his breath."

A few weeks later, the Mexican government deported Col. March to the United States, where he was arrested on conspiracy charges.