A Minnesota woman will not serve additional jail time for helping her boyfriend move a dismembered murder victim, authorities have confirmed. Alexis Marion Elling, 24, pleaded guilty to aiding an offender and accessory after the fact in connection with the 2023 death of Rodney Pendegayosh Jr.
Elling spent nearly a year in jail for assisting her boyfriend, 23-year-old Bradley Allen Weyaus Jr., in moving Pendegayosh’s body from a home in Isle, approximately 100 miles north of Minneapolis. Elling also helped dispose of a shotgun case associated with the crime.
Elling admitted to knowing her boyfriend had murdered Pendegayosh and that the victim’s body was inside the tote bag they were transporting. Prosecutors revealed that she kept track of the bag for two days. Authorities later recovered Pendegayosh’s body along a snowy road.
As part of a plea agreement, a judge decided to stay Elling’s 57-month sentence, provided she adheres to the terms of her probation, which includes not using alcohol or drugs. She was given credit for the 324 days she had already spent in jail, reports Law and Crime.
Weyaus was sentenced to 306 months—25 years and six months—in prison last month after pleading guilty to second-degree murder for Pendegayosh’s death.
In his sentencing memorandum, Weyaus’s attorney attributed his client’s actions to the trauma caused by his Native American heritage, suggesting that historical and generational trauma played a role in his behavior.
“Bradley Allen Weyaus Jr. was born into a life and legacy not of his own choosing,” his attorney wrote, describing how his client had faced instability, abuse, and addiction throughout his life. The attorney emphasized Weyaus’ struggles with depression, PTSD, and trauma-related distress, suggesting that these factors contributed to his involvement in the murder.
Authorities have stated that Elling and Weyaus believed Pendegayosh had provided a fatal mixture of fentanyl and meth to Elling’s brother. However, Sheriff Kyle Burton of Mille Lacs County described the crime as “truly bizarre.” Pendegayosh’s remains were discovered in March 2023 by a public works crew collecting garbage along a snowy highway.
The victim’s body was stuffed into a tote bag bound by bungee cords and tape. After a brief pursuit, Weyaus was captured and arrested. Evidence found in his vehicle, including a hacksaw, hammer, black tape, and a bloody carpet, pointed to the couple’s involvement in the crime. Surveillance footage showed them transporting the tote bag just days before the body was discovered.