Rochester, MN Woman Charged with Aiding Offender in Mille Lacs Co. Homicide Case

Alexis Elling (Credit: Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office)

A Rochester, MN woman has been charged with aiding an individual accused of murdering a Mille Lacs County man.

21-year-old Alexis Elling faces one felony count of aiding an offender and acting as an accomplice after the fact. She is accused of aiding 21-year-old Bradley Weyaus of Isle in the murder of 25-year-old Rodney Pendegayosh Jr., whose body was found in a storage container earlier this week on the southwest shoreline of Mille Lacs Lake. His family had reported him missing the day before the body was found.

Court documents say Weyaus was seen in the area with an unusually heavy storage container bound with bungee cords and industrial tape, similar to one seen by highway workers a day later on March 21st. Weyaus was arrested after Mille Lacs County deputies spotted a vehicle similar to his driving near the crime scene. His charges include second-degree murder, fleeing a peace officer, and interfering at the scene of a crime.

During their investigation, law enforcement discovered a residence in Isle that they determined to be involved in the death and dismemberment of Pendegayosh. Portions of the interior carpet had been removed and located in a nearby dumpster. The victim’s identification card was found in trash bags, along with tools like a knife, rubber gloves, industrial tape, as well as empty boxes for shotgun shells.

Authorities say they were later made aware of Elling being involved in a relationship with Weyaus. According to court documents, Weyaus had requested a ride from Elling’s roommate and moved the storage container into the roommate’s vehicle. She drove Elling and Weyaus back to her residence in Wahkon, where the container was unloaded and left there.

After law enforcement made contact with Elling, she admitted she was in a relationship with Weyaus and had been involved with the incident. She said Weyaus told her he had killed Pendegayosh but said she did not help in putting the body in the container, which was already sealed before she was made aware of it.

Weyaus and Elling are both in custody at the Mille Lacs County Jail. Weyaus’s bail is set at $60,000 with conditions and $600,000 without conditions. His next court appearance is set for April 4th.