The Last Clue

Obsession, Murder and a Social Media Framing Gone Wrong

Smith Media Team

An innocent man spent nearly 10 days in jail after being framed for murder in an elaborate scheme involving fake social media accounts and staged video messages, Indiana authorities said.

Jefferson County officials said police found 35-year-old Wilma Gayle Robertson stabbed to death in her Hanover home on April 15. That same day, 33-year-old Shawn Bailey of Louisville was arrested after “confessing” via messages and a video appearing to show Robertson’s body—sent from accounts prosecutors now say were fake.

Investigators later cleared Bailey using DNA evidence and identified the actual suspect as 34-year-old Nigel Thomas of Oxford, Ohio, also known as “Nati Bang.” Authorities say Thomas created the fake accounts to frame Bailey and was arrested Friday. Charges against Bailey were dropped, and he was released.

Thomas is currently in custody in Ohio awaiting extradition. No motive or details on his relationship to Robertson have been released.

Robertson, a mother of two and certified nursing assistant, was remembered for her uplifting social media presence.