Guilty for the murders of Dawn, Bob, Janel and Jolene Pelley. Detectives in Lakeville, Indiana, say 17-year-old Jeff Pelley was willing to kill his family to make his 1989 prom night perfect. A gruesome Indiana murder in 1989 is finally solved. Jeff Pelley is a married guy and has a son, but their identities are unknown as of now. Jeff-the-hypothetical-murderer isn't going to be inviting people to spend additional time at the house just minutes before Jeff-the-hypothetical-murderer is planning to annihilate his family. CounterClock Season 3 is investigating the 1989 Pelley family murders in Indiana. The Pelley family was a religious group whom went to church every Sunday. His younger sister Jacque was born in 1976. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. This wasn't just a national news headline, a cold case, or a true crime show. Actually, Dawn was Jacque's stepmother. SOUTH BEND For 32 years since his father, stepmother and two . Emergency services received a call from a distressed Jeffrey MacDonald reporting a stabbing in his home. February 17, 1970 Fort Bragg, North Carolina 3 members of the MacDonald family are found dead WARNING: THE PHOTOS ACCOMPANYING THIS ARTICLE ARE EXTREMELY GRAPHIC AND INVOLVE CHILDREN. Jessi will hold a book signing at the Mishawaka Barnes and Noble on Saturday, May 4, at 1 p.m. Pastor Bob Pelley, his wife Dawn, and her daughters, Janel, eight, and Jolene, six, were found murdered at their home on April 30, 1989 in rural Lakeville, Indiana. "The family and close friends of Dawn, Janel, and Jolene Pelley believe that Jeff is exactly where he belongs serving out his life behind bars," the statement reads in part. Jessi Toronjo: I felt a sense of justice when I heard the verdict was guilty. Jeff Pelley, seated between his grandparents, was questioned by St. Joseph's County Detective John Botich the day after his family was found. 2005). The prevailing legal opinion is that a 17-year-old Jeff Pelley shot and killed his father, his. CounterClock Season 4 is investigating the 2003 death of 17-year-old John Welles in Arcadia, Florida. She had two stepsisters named Janel and Jolene. The Prom Night Murders. Churchgoers went to the . Sometimes Robert goes by various nicknames including Jeff J Pelley, Jeff Pelley, Robert Jeffrey Pelley, Robert Jeffery Pelley and Robert J . I wanted to read about people and ended up with a book that was more about legal points and an alternative, but weak theory about who might have really killed the family. EP12: The Prom Night Killer. Robert Pelley family murders. In an effort to unify the family, Bob and Dawn adopted one another's children. 2003), but the Indiana Supreme Court accepted transfer and, on June 14, 2005, reversed in part and affirmed in part, State v. Pelley, 828 N.E.2d 915 (Ind. However, church member Beatrice Roush, 66, said she babysat frequently for the . INFAMOUS: Prom Night Murders. In his basement were the huddled, blood-soaked bodies of his wife and daughters, executed by shotgun at close range. Furthermore, Jeff came from normal family background, consisting of seven people, his father, Robert Pelley, stepmother . About Author: Rakshya Acharya . The South Bend Tribune: Jeff Pelley sentenced in Fraud case; The South Bend Tribune: Pelley still a suspect in '89 slayings, by Kevin Boughal; The Daily Journal (Franklin, IN): Murder Case Reopened; The South Bend Tribune: Pelley arrested, by Linda Mullen; Tampa Bay Times: Son arrested in '89 slaying of dad, 3 family members, by Brady Dennis The secrets hidden in the victim's rural community prove to be the toughest and . The Pelley family was killed due to Jeff's rage at being grounded by his father. Last Friday, after deliberating for 31 hours, five men and seven women decided 34-year-old Jeffrey Pelley, a former resident of Lakeville, Ind., murdered his father, stepmother and two stepsisters in 1989. I would spend the next 30 years fighting, crawling, and clawing my way through the darkness. On appeal, this court affirmed the trial court s order quashing the subpoena, State v. Pelley, 800 N.E.2d 630 (Ind. Pelley was convicted of killing his father, stepmother and two stepsisters on prom . A gruesome Indiana murder in 1989 is finally solved. There are multiple indications that Jeff was allowed to go to prom and the additional events afterwards. In May 1989, Martin was interviewed by a newspaper about the Pelley murders. The Troubled Childhood Of Jeff Pelley Born on Dec. 10, 1971, Robert Jeffrey Pelley came from a religious stock. Jeff Pelley is a married guy and has a son, but their identities are unknown as of now. Jeff-the-hypothetical-murderer isn't going to be inviting people to spend additional time at the house just minutes before Jeff-the-hypothetical-murderer is planning to annihilate his family. 17 years ago, four members of the Pelley family, seen above, were brutally murdered in their home. Pelley's parents were shot with a shotgun in April 1989. This is his disturbing story. Both widows, Bob had brought his son Jeff Pelley and daughter Jacque Pelley into the marriage, while Dawn had three daughters, Jessie, Janel, and Jolene. Ct. App. June 8, 2007 -- It was 1989, a festive spring weekend in rural Lakeville, Ind., for 17-year-old Jeff Pelley, a minister's son who was taking . Even Jeff Pelley, the accused, wasn't thoroughly explored as a person. Jeff Pelley was suspect number 1 The cops were instantly suspicious of Jeff. State of Indiana Essay. He was convicted of the murders in 2006. My family's killer was . The Crime Scene (just south of South Bend). Furthermore, his birthplace is Indiana, the United States of America, and he is an American by nationality. (just south of South Bend). From upper left: Jeff Pelley in 2006; the Pelley family (the four victims are in front); the Olive Branch parsonage. Jeff Pelley with his attorneys Alan Baum, left, and Andre Gammage, right in July 2006. Prom Night Murders: Convicted killer Jeff Pelley seeks new trial Watch on Pelley's stepsister, Jessica, wrote a memoir in 2019 called " I Am Jessica " describing how she was bullied by Jeff after her widowed mother, Dawn, married Bob Pelley. Investigative journalist Delia D'Ambra sets out to re-examine the facts of the case that led to Jeff Pelley's conviction and follow leads that connect the victims to unsolved crimes in South Florida. Who's Connected to the Case? Frank Schaffer: The jury came back with guilty on all four counts against Jeff Pelley. On the morning of April 30, locals and neighbors were worried when the Pelleys did not show up at church. Jessica Pelley, 9, was at a friend's house for a sleepover. Questioning Jeff Pelley. SOUTH BEND In a 2006 trial where Jeff Pelley was convicted of murdering his father, stepmother and two stepsisters on his prom night in the family's Lakeville home, jurors were told that a pair of blue jeans was found in the washing machine at the Pelley house and that the jeans had been washed.. As he seeks a new trial in the case, Pelley's attorneys claim prosecutors lied to the jury . Jessie, 9, was at a friend's house, while Jaques, 14, was visiting a friend from college, and Jeff, 17, was at prom. Martin was 16 at the time, and . Jeff, the son of Robert Pelley, is now 34 and has been living in Florida with his wife. They knocked This is Jeff Pelley . April 29, 1989, was prom in Lakeville, Indiana. Portions of the VHS tape were inaudible, but in her in-person testimony Tuesday, Beehler vividly recalled the conversation she had with Rob Pelley a few days before his murder. In April 1989, Pelley and his wife, Dawn, were shot and killed in their home along with the two daughters in front, Jolene, 6, and Janel, 8. Jessi Toronjo Released a Book About Her Experience . The Pelley Family (Prom Night Murders). Parishioners discovered the four bodies when Bob Pelley and his family did not show up for services that morning. Jeffrey Pelley celebrates his birthday every year on 10 December. DISCRETION IS ADVISED. SPONSORED LINKS When I was nine, I went to a sleepover at a friend's house for the weekend. Now, Indiana University law school's Wrongful Conviction Clinic, "Counterclock" podcast, and the "Justice for . My passion for photography began in 2015, when I would apprentice . June 8, 2007 -- It was 1989, a festive spring weekend in rural Lakeville, Ind., for 17-year-old Jeff Pelley, a minister's son who was taking . When the Pelley family was found massacred in their Indiana home 32 years ago in what was later dubbed "The Prom Night Murders," many pointed their fingers at their teenage son, Jeff Pelley, who is. The case has finally been solved, and Jeff Pelley (top row, center) is now serving 160 years in prison for the crime. The parsonage at the Olive Branch United Brethren Church in Lakeville, where Jeff Pelley allegedly killed four members of his family in 1989. Phil had five sons- Pierre, Danny, Paul, David and Martin- whom all were roughly around Jeff's age. However, we know that Jeff Pelley went on a Prom Night date with his girlfriend, Darla, on Saturday, April 29, 1989.Soon after the crime, Jeff was sentenced to a 160-year prison sentence. Jeff Pelley was born on 10 December 1971 to Pastor Bob Pelley and his first wife Ava, a.k.a. His father and mother Ava had met at Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Ohio in the 1960s. Pelley, who was 17 at the time of the crimes, now faces up to 260 years in prison. Pelley did not participate in the interlocutory appeal. Jeff Pelley would not be charged in the murders until 2002 when a cold case squad linked him to the four murders. More than 30 years later, former Indiana State Police Detective. In 1989, a shocking tragedy shattered an otherwise peaceful small Indiana community. His father, Robert, a minister, had married Dawn, who had three children of her own Jessica, Janel, and Jolene. Jeff told investigators he left before 5 p.m., but witnesses testified they saw Jeff's car parked outside the Pelley home after that. Two members of Reverend Robert "Bob" Pelley's church, the Olive Branch Church, discovered the Pelley family's gruesome murders the following morning, April 30, 1989, after the family failed to show. He grew up with his parents and a younger sister named Jacque. The pre-planned murder just doesn't make a lot of . Jessica Pelley, 9, was at a sleepover, Jacque Pelley was out of town, and 17-year-old Jeff was at the prom. While I was away, my entire family was murdered. The doors to the house were locked, and there were no signs of forced entry. SOUTH BEND For 32 years since his father, stepmother and two stepsisters were killed, and for 15 years since his conviction for the crime, Jeff Pelley has maintained his innocence. Pastor Robert "Bob" Lee Pelley and his wife, Dawn were doing the best they knew how blending their families. The Pelley family relocated to Cape Coral, Florida, in 1980, where Jeff's father, Bob, landed a job in computer programming. A family portrait from about 1988 shows the Robert Pelley family of Lakeville. It wasn't a murder-suicide at all, Jeff Pelley had killed his family just so he could have the perfect prom night. Our main focuses are Weddings, Engagements, Portraits, and Product Photography. The third day of the post-conviction relief evidentiary hearing for Jeff Pelley began at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday. A Survivor Jamie Collins Jessica Pelley, right, came home to police activity and learned her family was. However, On Sunday, April 30, 1989, the family did not show up in church and their neighbors noticed the cars were in the driveway. But at the Pelley home, Jeff's father, stepmother and 2 young step-sisters are dead. Jeff came from a big, blended family. Robert Pelley. Jeff also had a biological sister, Jacque. Host and investigative journalist Delia D'Ambra is re-examining the facts and evidence in the case and digging up new clues that have not been previously known. Scroll down for more information about us and to explore some of the work that we have done! About Author: There was no physical evidence presented at his trial . He said Pelley had talked about friction among the children in the new family, but declined to elaborate. Read more. Joy. The case was reopened four years ago, and after a six-day trial which included nearly 40 witnesses, jurors returned a guilty verdict after deliberating for 34 hours. Justice for Jeff Pelley. Standing in the back row, from left, are Jackqueline, then 14; Jeff Pelley, then 17; and Jessica, then 10. The Pelley family was killed due to Jeff's rage at being grounded by his father. , 50. They knew. Robert Pelley is 50 years old and was born on 12/10/1971. Ultimately this teen killer would be convicted of four counts of murder and sentenced to 160 years in prison, forty years for each murder. JUSTICE FOR JEFF A Voice For The Innocent TIMELINE Background April 29th, 1989: [Or perhaps sometime in the morning hours of April 30th] Rev. And, after a six-day trial, he was found guilty of the four separate murder charges against him and was convicted. Twitter; Email; Rakshya is a dedicated writer working with Celeb Hook. Seventeen years later, Jeff Pelley was convicted of the murders. Jacque Pelley is Jeff Pelley's sister. 1:04 SOUTH BEND In a 2006 trial where Jeff Pelley was convicted of murdering his father, stepmother and two stepsisters on his prom night in the family's Lakeville home, jurors were told that a. Reverend Robert Pelley, his wife Dawn, and Dawn's daughters Janel and Jolene were shot at close range with a shotgun. Previous to Robert's current city of Cape Coral, FL, Robert Pelley lived in Tarpon Springs FL, Fort Myers FL and Dade City FL. Helpful. Authorities believe that Jeff Pelley killed his family after an argument over the prom, and the case continues to evolve in courts even in 2020. And a case that to this day, has family members squaring off on opposite sides of the fight. The Pelleys had three other children. They knocked From upper left: Jeff Pelley in 2006; the Pelley family (the four victims are in front); the Olive Branch parsonage. My name is Jeff Pelley. Jeff Pelley attended the LaVille High School prom on the night of Saturday, April 29, 1989. Bob Pelley, his wife Dawn and two of their children were gunned down in their home in Lakeville, Indiana. My fianc Natalie and I are photographers from the New Jersey/Philadelphia area. His mother's name was Ava Pelley, and his father's name was Pastor Bob . 10 of 20: Trial Phase - Part 1. He was born in 1971, and he is currently 50 years old. South Bend Tribune. On April 30, 1989, Pastor Robert Pelley didn't show up for church at Olive Branch UB in Lakeville, Ind. Eventually, two men went next door to the parsonage. In July 2006, Jeff Pelley was found guilty on all four counts of murder. Jeff, 17, and Jackie, 14, were Mr. Pelley's children from his first marriage. Indiana Court of Appeals. However, we know that Jeff Pelley went on a Prom Night date with his girlfriend, Darla, on Saturday, April 29, 1989.Soon after the crime, Jeff was sentenced to a 160-year prison sentence. There are multiple indications that Jeff was allowed to go to prom and the additional events afterwards. An avid follower of pop culture and current events she is also an outlooker of the latest trends in fashion . Jeff must have known that a shotgun would be quite loud, even from indoors. Jeff Pelley was convicted of the murder of four . Much-admired pastor Robert L. Pelley was found slain in his home. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Prom Night Murders: A Devoted American Family, their Troubled Son, and a Ghastly . It was claimed during his trial that Jeff had shot the family before driving to his prom date's house and then going on to the dance as if nothing had happened. 9 min read. Jessica was away at a. A night when multiple people were stopping by the house at ill-defined times. When the Pelley family initially moved from Florida to Indiana, Jeff stayed in touch with the Hawley boys, most notable, Martin. In 2006, Jeff's case went to court. They were married in 1970 and had Pelley in 1971. But it was Robert's 17-year-old son, Jeff Pelley, who had attended the LaVille High School prom the night before with friends and was now on rides at an amusement park near Chicago, who first perked their suspicions. Frank Schaffer : The witnesses saw when the car was at the . (ABC News).. A murder spree that took four lives was finally solved without the high-tech CSI or DNA evidence. When responding military police arrived to investigate they Now Jeff Pelley has been insisting that he is innocent since he was arrested and continues to fight through the court system in hope of getting . Jeff Pelley was found guilty in 2007 of killing most of his Lakeville-area family because he was grounded and couldn't go to the prom. The fourth day of the post-conviction relief evidentiary hearing for Jeff Pelley began around 11:15 a.m. Pelley was convicted of killing his father, stepmother and two stepsisters on prom night in . Pelley's sisters split While Delp testified on her brother's behalf Wednesday, other members of the Pelley family, including Jeff Pelley's surviving stepsister, Jessica Pelley, feel he is guilty of. It took nearly two decades for someone to be charged for the brutal shooting of the Pelley family with a shotgun. 9 people found this helpful. As a child, I was known as "Jessica Pelley.". The book was written by Toronjo . Eventually, two men went next door to the parsonage. Furthermore, Jeff came from normal family background, consisting of seven people, his father, Robert Pelley, stepmother . Early Life and Family of Jeffrey Pelley. Jeff knew that his dad was due to give a sermon in the morning. In April of 1989, the Olive Branch Church parsonage in Lakeville became a bloody crime scene. Investigators found Jeff Pelley, pictured in sunglasses at center, at the Great America amusement park in Illinois on Sunday, April 30. Detectives in Lakeville, Indiana say 17-year-old Jeff Pelley was willing to kill his family to make his 1989 prom night perfect. More than 30 years later, former Indiana State Police Detective . Jeff knew that his dad had an appointment at 5:30, just twenty minutes later, to go and take pictures of Jeff's ex-girlfriend. Jessica, 10, was Mrs. Pelley's daughter from her first marriage, as were Janel . Despite their appearance as a close-knit family, it would end up being Jeff Pelley, the 17-year-old son, who would be charged for the murders a little less than 20 years later. D'Ambra's podcast, which drops season three on Thursday, is a 20-episode look into the 1989 murders of the Pelley family in Lakeville, Indiana. The pre-planned murder just doesn't make a lot of . He was convicted of the murders in 2006. The author of "The Prom Night Murders" book, said someone "leaked" the story to me. The Pelley family included Robert Pelley, his wife Dawn, and their children. On April 30, 1989, Pastor Robert Pelley didn't show up for church at Olive Branch UB in Lakeville, Ind. Jeff Pelley and Jackie Pelley, 14, were Pelley's children from his first marriage, and 10-year-old Jessica, Janel and Jolene were Ms. Pelley's children. Jessi Pelley poses with her family. On April 30, 1989, police responded to a quadruple murder in a Lakeville, Indiana home. A family portrait from the late 1980's shows the Robert Pelley family of Lakeville, Ind. Now for the. Jessi Toronjo's whole family was killed by her stepbrother Jeff Pelley. So Parishioners of the church got keys to the house and when walking in the home it was a bloodbath. A gun that's never been found. The prosecutors believe her brother Jeff had killed them all as a result of an . . The Prom Night Murders: A Devoted American Family, their Troubled Son, and a Ghastly Crime (St. Martin's True Crime Library) - Kindle edition by Smith, Carlton. Jeff Pelley continues to serve a 160-year sentence for his crimes. In April 1989, Pelley and his wife, Dawn, were shot and killed in their home along with two daughters . It all started in April 1989. Jessi's mother married Robert Pelley, and Jessi, along with her two sisters, moved in with the Pelleys.