SHELBYVILLE, Ind. — Robert Mason Elliott, 28, of Shelbyville, was sentenced to more than 43 years in prison. Elliott pleaded guilty to two counts of murder for hire, witness tampering, illegally possessing a firearm, and producing and distributing child sexual abuse material.
(NOTE: Click here to report child abuse and neglect to the Indiana Department of Child Services.)
According to court documents, Elliott met the victim in 2017 when she was 16 years old. He was later charged with domestic battery involving the girl. Elliott was barred from having contact with the victim, but later tried to bring her heroin.
Elliott was then charged with dealing narcotics, and police discovered he had produced and distributed child sex abuse material of the girl through Facebook.
While in jail on those charges, Elliott called his mother and told her to hire a member of the Hells Angels motorcycle club to kill or severely injure the girl so she could not testify against him.
Elliott's mother then hired the member of Hells Angels and paid him $500 to hurt the girl. Police intercepted the calls and texts between Elliott's mother and the Hells Angels, and the plan failed.
Elliott then tried to hire inmates in the Shelby County Jail, offering them $5,000 each to kill the girl, her mother and another person. Instead, the inmates told authorities, and the murder-for-hire plot was stopped.
On May 7, 2019, Elliott was indicted in federal court for child exploitation and illegal firearm possession. While in Marion and Henderson County jails on those charges, Elliott was able to get a phone number for a "cartel hitman." Elliott used letters, calls and texts to hire a person he believed to be the cartel hitman to kill the girl and her mother.
Elliott is accused of offering the "hitman" heavy duty equipment, a motorcycle, and military-grade weapons, including shoulder-launched multipurpose assault weapons and M203 grenade launchers for the murders. Elliott conspired with his grandfather to provide the items to the "hitman" — who was actually an undercover federal agent.
Federal agents raided Elliott's grandfather's home and recovered a motorcycle and at least 20 firearms, including several assault rifles, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
In June 2022, Elliott pleaded guilty to two counts of murder for hire, two counts of witness tampering, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Elliott further said in a plea agreement that he had produced and distributed child sex abuse material.
“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.
Elliott was sentenced to 520 months in prison.