SHELBYVILLE — A Shelbyville man will spend more than 43 years in prison after pleading guilty to two courts of murder for hire, witness tampering, illegally possessing a firearm and producing and distributing child sexual abuse material.
This story begins with Robert Mason Elliott, 28, meeting a 16-year-old girl in 2017.
Eventually, Elliott was charged with domestic battery involving the teen and later dealing narcotics and producing and distributing child sex abuse material of he girl, according to court documents.
While in jail on those charges, in February 2018, Elliott called his mother and told her to hire a hitman – specifically from the motorcycle club Hells Angels—to kill or injure the girl to stop her from testifying against him.
As his mother attempted to hire a member of Hells Angels, authorities stopped the plan, according to court documents.
After this, Elliott attempted to hire inmates within the Shelby County Jail by offering $5,000 to kill the girl and her mother, according to court documents. Multiple inmates told police of these discussions.
In May 2019, Elliott reached out to a “hitman” from the “cartel” and offered military-grade weapons, a motorcycle and more if he fulfilled the hit on the girl and her mother, according to court documents.
Little to Elliott’s knowledge – the “hitman” was an undercover federal agent.
In June, Elliott pleaded guilty and this week he was sentenced to 520 months in prison.
“The defendant’s heinous, violent crimes demonstrate an utter disrespect for the law or the value of human life,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.
-
Game 4: Thunder rally to top Pacers 111-104 and tie Finals
The Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from a 10-point, second-half deficit to beat the Indiana Pacers 111-104 on Friday night and tie the NBA Finals at two games apiece.
Silver Alert issued for missing 76-year-old from Warrick County
Debra Bone, 76, is described as a white female, 5 feet 7 inches tall, 172 pounds, with gray hair and green eyes.
IPS helps recent grads stay on track after graduation
The goal is to prevent “summer melt” — an all-too-common trend where college-bound students fail to enroll in the fall despite being accepted and planning to attend.
Deadly crash in Monroe County claims two lives
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office is investigating a fatal crash on Friday evening. Deputies responding to the scene found two cars that had crashed head-on.
