After a preliminary hearing, San Diego Superior Court Judge Robert Kearney ruled there was indeed enough evidence for Lambesis to stand trial. Damning testimony came from multiple sources including a personal trainer who Lambesis first approached to carry out his plan.

According toCBS 8 , San Diego County Sheriff's Detective John Buckley testified he met with a personal trainer who told him that Lambesis had asked him to kill his wife and mother of three adopted children, Meggan Lambesis. The trainer explained that after turning down Lambesis' first request to assist with his plan; he reached out to police because "he didn't want to see an innocent person get murdered."

The trainer then worked with police to set up a sting operation with a fake hitman known as Red. As noted by San Diego's Reader's Eva Knott, Red appeared a convincing hitman, weathered and rugged, pierced ears and a long reddish beard that wagged when he talked.