An Ohio man accused of murder devised an “elaborate plan” to frame another man who was initially arrested in the killing and held for more than a week, authorities in Indiana said.
Nigel Thomas, 34, was taken into custody Friday on charges that he fatally stabbed a woman identified as 35-year-old Wilma Robertson, the Jefferson County, Indiana, prosecutor’s office said in a news release Monday.
Robertson, of Hanover, Indiana, was found dead during a welfare check of her home on April 14. Additional details about her death or a possible motive in the killing were not immediately available.
According to the release, Thomas — also known as “Nati Bang” — allegedly created multiple social media accounts under the name of a Kentucky man, Shawn Bailey, and used those profiles to send messages to the victim’s family.
Those messages showed Bailey, of Louisville, admitting to the murder, according to the statement.
Bailey, 33, was arrested on a murder charge on April 15 but released 10 days later after authorities uncovered DNA evidence that excluded him as a suspect, according to the statement.
“The criminal justice system is ultimately a search for the truth, Jefferson County Prosecutor David Sutter said in a statement. “Multiple agencies across three states worked tirelessly in their pursuit of all investigative leads to uncover the crimes of Nigel Thomas and clear Shawn Bailey.”
Efforts to reach Bailey on Tuesday were unsuccessful.
Jail records show Thomas is being held in Butler County, Ohio. It was not immediately clear if he has a lawyer to speak on his behalf.
The prosecutor’s office said a hearing will be scheduled in Jefferson Circuit Court after Bailey is brought to Indiana.