Man suspected of killing missing Calif. co-worker claims he was framed

SAN JOSE -- As the search continued Monday for a man police believe was murdered, the suspect arrested in his possible homicide claims he was drugged and framed, reports CBS San Francisco.

Kyle Myrick, 28, was last seen Friday at the motorcycle shop where he works. Family and friends conducted several searches and police arrested Myrick's 39-year-old co-worker, Steve Hlebo, over the weekend.

Investigators said they found evidence of a crime at the shop where the two worked together, but no body, and that Hlebo's recovered pickup truck may have been used to commit it.

But in a jailhouse interview with CBS San Francisco, Hlebo professed his innocence. He said he believes his co-workers have been drugging his coffee and that he is the victim of an elaborate frame-up.

"I feel I'm being framed here," he said. "And I know that sounds so cliché, but there's a lot that's going on behind the scenes here."

He told the station he had nothing to do with Myrick's disappearance, who police believe he murdered.

"I really have nothing against him, so I wouldn't do anything to him," explained Hlebo. "I also want to state that I hope he's OK."

When asked why he thought he was being drugged, Hlebo replied: "I couldn't sleep for two days straight. I had horrible insomnia. And it just kept getting worse and worse."

Hlebo said he has no proof of the drugging but claimed it simply didn't make sense that he would kill a co-worker with whom he had no problems.

He also denied any history of mental illness.

"This is not me," he said. "I don't know if you know this, but there are some bad dudes in here. Murderers. And I'm not one of them."