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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the release, Thomas \u2014 also known as “Nati Bang” \u2014 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\u2019s family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those messages showed Bailey, of Louisville, admitting to the murder, according to the statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe criminal justice system is ultimately a search for the truth, Jefferson County Prosecutor David Sutter said in a statement. \u201cMultiple agencies across three states worked tirelessly in their pursuit of all investigative leads to uncover the crimes of Nigel Thomas and clear Shawn Bailey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Efforts to reach Bailey on Tuesday were unsuccessful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The prosecutor\u2019s office said a hearing will be scheduled in Jefferson Circuit Court after Bailey is brought to Indiana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n