She Staged Her Girlfriend's Death as a Suicide — Until Police Uncovered the Truth By Nicole Acosta

An Illinois woman has learned her fate for killing her girlfriend and staging the woman’s death to look like a suicide.

Alexia Telles, 28, was sentenced by a judge to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in the 2023 death of Annissa Ellen-Williams, the Kendall County State’s Attorney’s Office announced in a press release shared on July 10.

Prosecutors said Telles was arrested and charged back in February 2023, after she arrived at a home in Oswego, Ill., with her girlfriend, Ellen-Williams. The victim had suffered a traumatic head wound and was later pronounced dead despite life-saving efforts by medical personnel.

An investigation revealed the couple had an argument while Ellen-Williams was driving, prosecutors said.

Evidence including forensic tests, digital records, and statements made by Telles led investigators to conclude that Telles intentionally killed Ellen-Williams and tried to stage it as a suicide, per the release.

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“These cases can be difficult to prosecute because only two people know exactly what occurred that fateful night,” Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis said in the release. “However, the investigative work done by law enforcement and the Coroner’s Office led to the successful prosecution of Telles for the murder of Ms. Ellen-Williams.”

Weis added, “This sentence ensures that justice is served, and the victim’s family does not have to endure the pain of a trial. Telles has accepted responsibility for the heartless act she committed against someone she professed to care so much for.”

Prosecutors said Telles will have to serve the entirety of her 30-year prison sentence. After completing the sentence, she will be subject to three years of mandatory supervised release.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.