A Man Was Accused of Murder. Now, Prosecutors Say They've Found Evidence of a Chilling Plot to Frame Him

After initially arresting a man in connection with the murder of an Indiana woman, authorities say he was framed and have charged another suspect with the killing.

Police initially arrested Shawn Bailey in connection with the April 14 murder of Wilma Robertson, 35, who was found stabbed to death in her home in Hanover, Ind., according to the Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office.

But a subsequent DNA analysis excluded Bailey, 33, of Louisville, Kent., as a suspect. He was released and the charges were dropped.

Prosecutors said the investigation led police to Nigel Thomas, 34, who they allege not only killed Robertson but also staged an “elaborate plan” to frame Bailey.

“Thomas fabricated evidence to incriminate Shawn Bailey, including the creation of multiple social media accounts in Bailey’s name,” the prosecutor’s office said. “Thomas then used those accounts to send out messages to relatives of Robertson purporting to be Bailey admitting to the murder.”

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Thomas, an Ohio resident, was arrested and charged with murder. It is not immediately clear if he has retained an attorney or entered a plea.

“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.”

According to a GoFundMe, Robertson was the mother of two young children.