Ottawa man found guilty in Will County of 2nd murder-for-hire plot

An Ottawa man was convicted Thursday of soliciting another Will County jail inmate to kill a mother, her child and two detectives who investigated allegations that he sexually assaulted the child.

The twisted events that led to two juries finding Christian Shepherd, 44, guilty of recruiting inmates to carry out his murder plot began in 2010.

That year, Shepherd, a former school bus driver, was jailed after two Crest Hill police detectives launched an investigation that resulted in him facing charges of criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a child.

While in jail, Shepherd solicited an inmate to kill the child, the child’s mother and the two detectives in exchange for money, prosecutors said. The inmate instead informed the police of Shepherd’s plans and wore a wire in another investigation that led to Shepherd facing a charge of solicitation of murder for hire.

Undeterred, Shepherd then recruited a second inmate to kill the same people, prosecutors said. However, this time he wanted the first inmate dead as well. Shepherd gave that second inmate money and signed over a vehicle to him in exchange for carrying out his plans.

However, the second inmate also informed police of Shepherd’s murder-for-hire scheme.

Last year, a jury found Shepherd guilty of soliciting the second inmate to commit murder. He was sentenced to serve 76 years in prison for that crime.

On Thursday, a jury found Shepherd also was guilty of soliciting the first inmate to commit murder. He’s scheduled for sentencing Oct. 5.

Shepherd has not yet gone to trial on the criminal sexual assault charge that landed him in jail in the first place.

Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow has called Shepherd a “soulless predator.”