A North Myrtle Beach teen is charged with attempted murder after police said he wanted to pay someone to kill a Longs area teen.

Travis Dean Messer, 18, is charged with attempted murder, kidnapping and two counts of solicitation to commit a felony. He was booked and released from J. Reuben Long Detention Center on Friday after posting $20,000 bond.

Messer initially contacted an unidentified person offering to pay for the kidnapping of an 18-year-old from Longs in July, according to a North Myrtle Beach department of public safety incident report.

Over several days, Messer contacted the person turned confidential informant saying that he wanted to both kidnap and kill the other teen for “several hundred dollars,” the report said.

According to the police report, the victim and Messer are acquaintances and police did not say why Messer wanted to kidnap or kill the other teen

The person Messer tried to hire contacted police about 3:30 a.m. July 21.

On July 26, the victim and his father were notified and a local agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation was contacted.

Police retrieved all text messages sent by Messer to the person he tried to hire. Police said the incident remains under investigation.

Contact AMANDA KELLEY at 626-0381.