NEWS 25 - WEHT: Evansville, Henderson, Owensboro-Checkered Past of Man Deputies Say Murdered Step-Daughter

Checkered Past of Man Deputies Say Murdered Step-Daughter

story by Courtney Fischer

SPENCER CO., IN - The Spencer County man deputies say murdered his step-daughter is in court Thursday. NEWS 25 is there as friends and family gather, mourning Alexis Osterle's death. Deputies say Ryan Shelby slit her throat--her body was found in the family's back yard.

NEWS 25 digs through Shelby's past and learns he's no stranger to deputies.

The Oesterle/Shelby family has made at least 10 911 calls in the past year. The reports are filled with tension, all of them over family issues.

"Her and him didn't get along," says one of Alexis's friends. "She just always said she never liked him really."

The man who originally called deputies about his missing step-daughter is now charged with her murder... an officer on each side, Ryan Shelby gets escorted to the Spencer County court house. Head down, he refused to answer questions.

The Spencer County prosecutory says Shelby faces 45 to 65 years behind bars if convicted.

"Of course there are more severe penalties like the death penalty in some circumstances. We don't know at this point if this would be one of those cases or not," says Prosecutor Dan Wilkinson.

NEWS 25 learns Ryan and his wife Jessica Shelby--the mother of Alexis Oesterle--are no strangers to the Spencer County Sheriff's Department. In the last year, they've called 911 at least ten times, many of those calls over custody battles. The two have a child together--Alexis's sister.

In August, a dispatcher advised Jessica Shelby to get a protective order against her husband after it appears he went missing with their daughter. Dispatch records show Ryan Shelby had "a history of keeping his children from the mother."

Two of Ryan Shelby's family members work at South Spencer High School. The principal says he's known Ryan for years and never had any problems with him.

"It's a good family," says Principal Bob Combs. "It's just a tragedy that this happened, but it's a good family. I just feel for all of them."

Friends tell us Jessica Shelby is in Rockport tonight, unable to return to her home. The crime scene is still strung with yellow tape.

Ryan Shelby is behind bars with no bail. Formal charges come down later this month.

posted by Ian Connor

SPENCER CO., IN - NEWS 25 was in Rockport, IN Thursday morning as the man suspected of killing his 15-year-old stepdaughter appeared in court.

The Spencer County Prosecutor's Office told us 32-year-old Ryan L. Shelby appeared in Spencer Circuit Court on preliminary charges of murder in the death of 15-year-old Alexis Oesterle.  They said Circuit Court Judge Don Dartt ordered Shelby be held without bond in the Spencer County Jail until his next scheduled court appearance.  The Prosecutor's Office said Shelby is scheduled to be back in court on November 19th for an initial hearing.

Authorities arrested Shelby on Wednesday, two days after the body of Alexis was found behind a shed in her own backyard. They said the preliminary cause of her death was "loss of blood from a wound in the neck area."

We have been following this case closely and will have more details about the murder investigation on NEWS 25 at 4:30 and news25.us.

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