Will County judge sentences former Ottawa bus driver in murder-for-hire case

A former school bus driver was sentenced Tuesday to 74 years in prison in a murder-for-hire plot, in which he attempted to hire a fellow inmate to murder a victim he was charged with sexually assaulting, as well as others.

Christian Shepherd, 44, of Ottawa was found guilty Sept. 14 by a Will County jury on four counts of solicitation of murder for hire.

In May 2010, Shepherd was in custody on a charge of criminal sexual assault when he tried to hire another inmate to murder the victim he was charged with sexually assaulting, the victim’s mother, and two detectives.

Shepherd gave the inmate a map to the residence of two of his intended victims, as well as a taunting statement for the inmate to read to one of the intended victims, according to the Will County state’s attorney’s office.

The inmate Shepherd purported to hire, however, turned the documents over to police and ultimately wore a wire, allowing the police to record Shepherd on tape planning the murders.

After being charged in this case, Shepherd then went on to hire a second inmate to kill the initial potential victims as well as the first hitman. That inmate also informed police about Shepherd’s plans, according to the state’s attorney’s office.

Earlier this year, Shepherd was sentenced to 76 years in prison for solicitation of murder for hire and solicitation of murder, in the case involving the second hitman.

Shepherd was found guilty in that matter in November 2022.

Shepherd is serving his sentence in the other murder-for-hire case. The 74-year sentence imposed by Will County Circuit Judge David Carlson on Tuesday in the first murder-for-hire case will be served consecutively to the 76-year sentence in the second murder-for-hire plot, according to the state’s attorney’s office.

Shepherd will receive 143 days credit in this case for time served. The sentences will be served at 85 percent, according to the state’s attorney’s office.

Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow commended assistant state’s attorneys Christine Vukmir and Colleen Griffin, victim witness advocate Kelly Sullivan, IT specialists Albert Bailey and Robert Valiska, administrative assistant Janet Skiniotes, and detectives from the Will County Sheriff’s Department for their work on the case.

“Shepherd is a coward without a soul who tried to hire others to kill for him while behind bars in a failed attempt to silence potential witnesses and save his own skin,” Glasgow said.