From the files of a perfectly terrible plan gone to waste, an Indiana man who faked his own death to avoid paying child support was found by police at his girlfriend’s house after a months-long investigation.
51-year-old Jeffrey Bell Jr. of Washington County was found alive in the northern part of the county, according to a Facebook post by the Indiana State Police, after an investigation which got underway in April 2024.
A detective met with the recipient of the email that informed the child support office “that due to Mr. Bell’s death, a large amount of child support owed by Bell would go unpaid.”
The detective also learned that Bell was allegedly alive and living with his girlfriend. When the detective went to the residence he encountered a man who denied being Bell.
Despite the initial denial, the man was eventually identified as Jeffrey Bell Jr.
He was initially charged by the Washington County prosecutor with False Informing. He was then given a court date, which was set for last Thursday, January 23. But Bell was not in court in person.
During the court proceedings, officials believed that Bell was appearing from his girlfriend’s house, so they sent deputies out to investigate.
The Facebook post adds, “Washington County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded to the residence while the virtual meeting was ongoing.”
“Information gained at the house after the officer’s arrival confirmed Jeffrey Bell Jr. was inside the residence and not out of state, prompting presiding Judge Larry Medlock to order Bell taken into custody and transported immediately to his courtroom.”
Bell is being held in the Washington County Jail on a $100,000 bond for the False Informing charge and without bond for two of the Failure to Appear charges and the Contempt charge.