Prosecutor - Danton too cowardly to kill agent himself

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. -- St. Louis Blues player Mike Danton was "too cowardly" to kill his agent himself, instead enlisting a teenage fan and occasional lover to do his bidding before the scheme unraveled, a federal prosecutor alleges.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Clark also expressed concern that Danton, if freed, could continue seeking to have agent David Frost killed.

In a sharply worded brief Tuesday seeking to keep Danton behind bars -- as has been the case since his arrest April 16 -- Clark alleged that Danton's other bids to have Frost slain could spawn more charges.

"His attempts to have Frost murdered on prior occasions evidence an ebb and flow of desire," Clark wrote. "If he is released, it is possible that he will again attempt to have Frost murdered, apparently depending on how his relationship with Frost fares in the future."

A federal judge could decide during a hearing today whether Danton gets released on bond.

Clark called Danton's flight risk "substantial," saying the athlete presumably has the cash to easily slip into his native Canada by crossing "what, for him, as a Canadian citizen, is practically an unrestricted border."

Danton's contract with the Blues expires next month, meaning his only real tie to the St. Louis area could vanish if he's not re-signed, Clark wrote.

"(Danton) must recognize, in the face of the indictment and other potential charges against him, that his professional hockey career will be over if he is convicted," Clark wrote. "While it is interesting to speculate whether or not he could continue his career if acquitted, in reality the evidence in this case is overwhelming."