Suvechha Sarkar
The evening of April 29, 1989, was supposed to be a night of celebration in the Pelley house since it was Robert Jeffrey Pelley’s prom night. However, everything changed the following day when his father, Rev. Robert Lee Pelley, AKA Bob, his stepmother, Dawn Marie Hayes Pelley, and his stepsisters, Janel Marie and Jolene Meghan Pelley, were found brutally killed inside their home. The horrific crime left their family members and the community of Indiana completely shocked. CBS’ ’48 Hours: Live to Tell: Murder on Prom Night’ recounts the details of the murders and how it was followed by more than a decade-long pursuit of justice. It also features interviews with officials and their loved ones.
Jeff Pelley’s Prom Night Turned Deadly When His Family Was Killed
Robert Jeffrey Pelley, AKA Jeff, was born in December 1971 to Rev. Robert Lee, AKA Bob, and Ava Joyce Armstrong Pelley. He was raised alongside his younger sister, Jacque. In 1985, Bob married Dawn Marie Hayes Pelley. The latter was a mother to three daughters, the oldest being Jessica (from a different relationship), then Janel Marie, and Jolene Meghan. Bob became the minister of Oliver Church in Lakeville, Indiana, and the family began living in the adjacent house to the church. Everything was going perfectly when the family’s life turned upside down on April 29, 1989. Robert was a senior at LaVille High School, and it was his prom night. The house was buzzing with excitement as many students who were going to the prom came to their house to show Bob their dresses.
However, by 5:30 pm, no visitors could enter the house. They found the house locked with the curtains drawn. The following day, Jessica’s friend, Stephanie, dropped by, but when she found the doors locked, she ran to the congregation at the church. They had a master key, and when they entered, they were shocked to discover Bob, Dawn, Janel, and Jolene shot dead. As officials arrived and began their investigation, they learned from their neighbors that it was unusual for the Pelley family to keep their doors and windows closed. When Jeff was questioned, he claimed he was at the prom and had left before 5 pm. However, witnesses contradicted the statement by informing them that his car was present outside after 5 pm. Jeff’s prom date further noted he had reached his friend’s house at 5:30 pm without wearing a tux.
Jeff Pelley Was Arrested When the Case Reopened More Than a Decade Later
Jeff’s date informed the police that he seemed troubled and claimed that he felt something bad had happened to his family. However, he denied having any involvement. Furthermore, Jeff wasn’t allowed to attend the prom and the after-party without Bob due to getting caught during a burglary. Although officials discovered a motive, there was no murder weapon, and a lack of evidence. Hence, the prosecutors could not charge Jeff with the murders. The case eventually went cold until 2002, when detectives reopened it. The survivor, Jessica, now known as Jessi Toronjo, informed the police about her suspicions regarding Bob.
However, detectives quickly dismissed it since no weapon was found at the scene, eliminating the possibility of Bob’s suicide. Jessi then reportedly highlighted her doubts regarding Jeff as he was quite short-tempered and violent. She added that before leaving the home for a sleepover that day, she had seen a bow and a shotgun on the rack. However, investigators only found the bow at the crime scene in 1989. By 2002, Jeff was living in Florida, working at a computer business, and had a wife and a son. The new prosecutors on the case reportedly felt there was enough evidence to charge Jeff. Hence, he was arrested in August 2002 and charged with four counts of first-degree murder.
Jeff Pelley is Serving His Sentence at an Indiana Prison Facility Today
The trial of Robert Jeffrey Pelley began on July 11, 2006. Although there was a lack of physical evidence, the prosecutors built a case around Jeff’s motive, which was his anger over being grounded and denied access to prom activities. During the trial, the prosecution reportedly presented all the circumstantial evidence and the timeline of Jeff’s presence at the home on the day of the murder. They reportedly pointed out that he killed his family out of anger and resentment and used his father’s 20-gauge shotgun. The prosecution further presented a tight timeline of 5 – 5:20 pm, during which the family was killed. Furthermore, they put forth testimonies from Jessi, Jeff’s stepsister.
On the other hand, the defense emphasized that there was a lack of evidence since there were no fingerprints, DNA, or a murder weapon. Additionally, they reportedly argued that the timeline of 20 minutes was too short for Jeff to have killed his family, disposed of the murder weapon, cleaned up, and then arrived at the prom undetected. After deliberation, on July 21, 2006, the jury finally found him guilty on all four counts of murder. Ultimately, Jeff was sentenced to 160 years in prison on October 17, 2006. It included 40 years in prison for each count of the murder, which was to be served consecutively.
In April 2008, Jeff had appealed in court, and his conviction was overturned on several procedural grounds. However, he was still kept in custody. In February 2009, the Indiana Supreme Court upheld his conviction, rejecting any challenges based on a speedy-trial argument. A few years later, his defense team filed a post-conviction relief motion, leading to a 4-day hearing in March 2022. However, on April 28, 2024, the St. Joseph Superior Court denied Jeff’s request for a retrial. As of writing, he is serving his sentence at Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, Indiana. According to the records, Jeff’s earliest possible release date is January 2082.
Read More: Jessi Toronjo: Where is the Survivor Now?
