09/23/2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 23, 2026
Nigel “Nati Bang” Thomas Found Guilty of Murder and Obstruction of Justice Following
Jury Trial
Jefferson County, IN — Nigel Thomas (age 36) of Oxford, Ohio, was convicted of Murder and
Obstruction of Justice on September 22, 2026 following a weeklong jury trial in the
Jefferson Circuit Court.
The case was tried by Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney David Sutter and Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Mary Jean Stotts.
Thomas was charged with Murder, for the April 12, 2025, killing of Hanover, Indiana woman
Wilma Robertson, age 35. Thomas was also charged with Obstruction of Justice, Level 6
felony for creating fake social media profiles under the name Shawn Bailey, that he used to
frame him for the murder.
The investigation into Robertson's death began on April 14th after Robertson’s coworkers
were concerned when she did not show up to work. Coworkers and neighbors went to
Robertson’s residence and observed Robertson lying on the floor of the residence through
a window. Town of Hanover Police Officer Kyle Pence responded to the residence and
found Robertson deceased. Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Detective Yancy Denning and
Indiana State Police Crime Scene Investigators responded and processed the crime scene.
An autopsy of Wilma Robertson was performed at the direction of law enforcement and
Jefferson County Coroner Josh Webb. Coroner Webb testified at trial that Robertson had
sustained a 6 ½ inch deep stab wound to the back and her death was ruled a homicide.
The investigation initially focused on an individual, Shawn Bailey, who investigators learned had been in relationship with Robertson. An individual reported to law enforcement that
they had received a video sent by an account under the name Shawn Bailey. The message
included a video depicting Robertson's deceased body, with the Chris Brown Song
“Stutter” playing in the background. The video was sent along with a message further
implicating Shawn Bailey. Based on the information known to law enforcement at that time, a probable cause affidavit was submitted to the Court which then issued a warrant for
Shawn Bailey's arrest. Bailey was taken into custody in Louisville, Kentucky.
Following Bailey's arrest, Robertson’s cousin received messages from “Shawn Bailey”
accounts, prompting investigators to continue examining the digital evidence. The Indiana
State Police Technical Services Unit (TSU) assisted extensively with cellular and socialmedia analysis. ISP Detective Wade Heiny testified at trial that based on the records received the Shawn Bailey’s actual device had not been in the vicinity of the homicide, and
digital evidence showed the Facebook account under investigation had been accessed
from Oxford, Ohio while Bailey was incarcerated in Louisville.
Law enforcement identified Nigel Thomas as being connected to the social-media activity.
Thomas, an aspiring rapper, who goes by the stage-name “Nati Bang”, had written multiple
songs about Wilma Robertson.
ISP Digital Forensic Examiner, Chris Howell testified at trial regarding the phone extraction
data of Thomas and Robertson's devices. Exhibits were entered into evidence that showed
Thomas had sent hundreds of messages to Robertson that went unanswered, and that
Robertson had blocked multiple accounts associated with Thomas over a period of several
weeks.
Lab Analyst, Jade Prince, testified during trial, that the DNA testing completed by the
Indiana State Laboratory of the knife recovered from Robertson's residence, excluded
Bailey as a contributor to the DNA found on the knife. She initially found an unknown male’s
DNA on the knife and ran it through CODIS. A CODIS match to the DNA found on the knife
came back to Nigel Thomas.
Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Indiana State Police, Ohio Bureau of Criminal
Investigations, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Nigel Thomas was located in
Oxford, Ohio and arrested on April 25th, 2025. Indiana State Police Detective Joe May and
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Detective Yancy Denning conducted two separate
interviews with Nigel Thomas.
Thomas originally denied any involvement and repeatedly suggested that Shawn Bailey and
Wilma Robertson’s ex -husband were involved. Thomas told detectives multiple different
versions of how the stabbing occurred. Throughout his interviews, Thomas indicated that Wilma wanted him to kill her and that he could speak to her telepathically.
Indiana State Police obtained a search warrant for a DNA sample from Nigel Thomas,
which was then submitted to the Indiana State Laboratory upon collection for DNA
comparison. Nigel Thomas’ DNA was included as a contributor to the DNA found on the
knife, revealing the results showed it was 920 Octodecillion times more likely that the DNA
found on the knife handle originated from Nigel Thomas than from another unrelated
individual.
Thomas took the stand in his own defense and testified that he acted in self-defense and
also characterized the stabbing as an accident. He further indicated that he recorded a
song after her death entitled “Evil Soulmate”. The jury returned guilty verdicts for both
Murder and Obstruction after deliberating for approximately 1 ½ hours.
“I want to thank the members of this jury for dedicating their time and attention to this
case. They listened carefully to more than 20 witnesses, examined the evidence presented,
and paid close attention throughout the trial. Their role in our criminal justice system is
extremely important, and we appreciate their commitment to this case. We are grateful
that the jury returned guilty verdicts on both counts” said Prosecutor David Sutter.
This conviction would not have been made possible without the dedicated efforts from
multiple agencies and individuals stretching across multiple states. We would like to
express our gratitude to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Detective Yancy Denning, the
Indiana State Police, Detective Joe May, the Indiana State Police Technical Services Unit,
the ISP Crime Scene Investigators, the ISP Forensic Services Division, the ISP Drug
Enforcement Section, the Town of Hanover Police Department, the City of Oxford, Ohio
Police Department, Ohio BCI, the City of Hamilton, Ohio Police Department, Jefferson
County 911 / Central Dispatch, the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, the U.S. Marshals
Service, Jeffersonville Police Department, Louisville Metro Police Department, Microdome
Computer Inc., and Safe Passage, Inc.
Prosecutor Sutter also noted appreciation for the efforts of the staff at the Prosecutor’s
Office throughout preparation and trial. Specifically, Sutter thanked Victim Assistance
Coordinator Bailey Wolf, for all of her efforts to ensure a successful trial.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 26, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. in the Jefferson Circuit Court
