Jeffrey Bell Jr. (Washington County Sheriff’s Office).
An Indiana man has been discovered alive and well at his girlfriend’s house in the same county after allegedly pretending to be dead to avoid paying child support. Jeffrey Bell Jr., 51, was arrested on various charges, including false informing, after Indiana State Police investigators found him at his girlfriend’s residence. Bell had falsely claimed his death in April 2024 to evade his child support obligations.
Following a thorough investigation, Indiana State Police located Bell at his girlfriend’s house, contrary to his reported demise. Initially denying his true identity, Bell eventually confirmed his identity when positively identified. A court date was set for Jan. 23 at Washington County Circuit Court, where Bell was expected to appear virtually from out of state.
However, investigators discovered that Bell was still in Indiana and participating in the virtual court session from his girlfriend’s residence. Bell’s elaborate attempts to avoid paying child support through false claims and deceit have led to his arrest on multiple charges. The case remains ongoing as authorities gather more details about Bell’s actions and motivations.
Washington County Sheriff’s deputies went to the home to see if Bell was, indeed, in the state and not out-of-state, as he claimed, and “[i]nformation 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 was booked into Washington County Jail where he was held on $100,000 for the charge of false informing. He was also charged with three counts of failure to appear in court, one of which carried a $500 and two of which carried no bond.
Bell remains in custody. He is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 6 related to the contempt charge. A jury trial on the false informing charge is scheduled for May 13.
