Former School Bus Driver Sentenced to 76 Years in Murder for Hire Plot

Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced that Christian Shepherd, 44, of Ottawa, was sentenced recently to 76 years in prison by Circuit Judge David Carlson. Shepherd was sentenced to 39 years in prison for solicitation of murder for hire and 37 years for solicitation of murder, both Class X felonies, to be served consecutively. A jury found Shepherd guilty in November 2022.

Shepherd, a former school bus driver, was in custody on a charge of criminal sexual assault in May 2010 when he attempted to hire another inmate to murder the victim he was charged with sexually assaulting, the victim’s mother, and two detectives.

Shepherd gave the inmate a map to the residence of one of his intended victims, as well as a taunting statement for him to read to the intended victims. The inmate Shepherd purported to hire, however, turned the documents over to police and ultimately wore a wire, which allowed the police to record Shepherd on tape planning the murders. Shepherd then hired a second inmate to kill the initial potential victims, as well as the first hitman. That inmate also informed police about Shepherd’s plans.

“Shepherd is a soulless predator, who was willing to take the lives of five human beings in a heinous attempt to avoid accountability for his own abhorrent crimes,” Glasgow said. “We will never know what might have happened if both inmates Shepherd tried to hire had not miraculously come forward to the police. They were a divine intervention that derailed Shepherd’s plans for the slaughter of five people. His potential victims now live with a lost sense of safety and security from knowing they were targets in a murder plot. Shepherd is an insidious miscreant, who deserves every single day he will be spending in a cold, dark prison cell.”

Shepherd will receive credit for 4,625 days served. His sentence will be served at 85 percent. He also will serve three years of mandatory supervised release.

Glasgow commended Assistant State’s Attorneys Christine Vukmir and Colleen Griffin, Victim Witness Advocate Kelly Sullivan, IT Specialist Albert Bailey, and detectives from the Will County Sheriff’s Department for their dedication and perseverance in this case.