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.
-
Comedy TV director James Burrows dies at 85
James Burrows, who helped create volumes of laughter as director of more than a thousand episodes of such classic television comedies as “Cheers,” “Taxi,” “Friends” and “Will & Grace,” died Friday. He was 85.
US beats Australia 2-0 to advance to World Cup knockout round
The U.S. national soccer team advanced to the knockout round at the World Cup despite the absence of injured forward Christian Pulisic, beating Australia 2-0 on Friday.
Ballard independent campaign fined for late donation reports
Greg Ballard said Friday that his campaign was fined $450 by the Indiana Election Division for submitting two donation reports past their deadline.
Pleasant start to the weekend, more storms expected for Sunday
Another rain chance to monitor as we go into the late portions of the weekend. Partly cloudy skies are in place. Low temperatures in the upper 50s.
