Girlfriend of man accused of Mille Lacs murder arrested for aiding the crime

KATHIO TOWNSHIP — The girlfriend of Bradley Weyaus, who was charged with murder after human remains were found near Mille Lacs Lake, was herself arrested Thursday, March 23, for helping him commit the crime.

Alexis Marion Elling, 21, of Rochester, was charged with felony aiding an offender as an accomplice after the fact.

Contributed / Mille Lacs County Sheriff

Weyaus was charged Thursday with second-degree murder, fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle, interference with a dead body or scene of death-concealing a body and evidence after highway workers clearing an area on Twilight Road near Mille Lacs Lake found human remains in a plastic storage container with bungee cords and tape.

According to court documents, law enforcement made contact Thursday with Elling and spoke to her regarding the homicide. She admitted to being in a relationship with Weyaus and had been involved with the events around the victim, Rodney Pendegayosh Jr., 25, of Isle.

On Friday afternoon, Mille Lacs County Sheriff Kyle Burton announced the body found in the plastic storage container was officially identified as Pendegayosh.

Elling told investigators Weyaus had told her that he had killed Pendegayosh and Pendegayosh’s body was in the storage container. However, she said she did not assist in placing the body in the container, which she said was already loaded and sealed when she was made aware of it. She did admit a fake fingernail found inside the storage container belonged to her.

Elling said she helped remove the container from a residence on Main Street in Isle knowing Pendegayosh’s body was inside, placing it in a vehicle and then driving it to a residence in Wahkon, where it was unloaded. She also said she took a long gun case with a shotgun inside, which was later sold for drugs, from the Isle residence.

Weyaus and Elling are scheduled to make their initial appearance in Mille Lacs County District Court on April 4.

TIM SPEIER, staff writer, can be reached on Twitter @timmy2thyme , call 218-855-5859 or email tim.speier@brainerddispatch.com .