Man who escaped custody sentenced for killing woman while she was housesitting for relatives

LAPEER, Mich. (TCN) -- A man who escaped from custody while being transported from Montana to Michigan will spend the rest of his life behind bars for killing a woman at her relatives’ home.

The Michigan Attorney General’s Office announced that a judge sentenced 44-year-old Chadwick Mobley on April 15 to life in prison without the possibility of parole in connection with the death of Andrea Eilber. Mobley previously pleaded no contest in February to first-degree murder, felony murder, and felony firearm.

According to prosecutors, in 2011, Mobley shot Eilber in the head. WJRT-TV reports that the victim was housesitting for her aunt and uncle at the time. Eilber’s boyfriend, Kenneth Grondin, was reportedly convicted of first-degree murder, but the case was reopened in 2022. With the help of advanced DNA testing, prosecutors said investigators linked Mobley to the crime.

The court of appeals reportedly overturned Grondin’s conviction due to a form error, and he is awaiting a new trial. Mobley allegedly has no connection to Grondin.

According to the attorney general’s office, Mobley, who was living in Utah, fled his home after Michigan State Police questioned him. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department later arrested him in Montana.

The Sanders County Sheriff’s Office said that on July 9, 2023, while officials transported Mobley from Montana to Michigan, he escaped his handcuffs and ankle shackles when they stopped at a Plains Town Pump gas station. The Sanders County Sheriff’s Office told residents in the area to lock their doors and cars and to be on the lookout for Mobley. The Sanders County Sheriff’s Office and Plains Police later located and apprehended him.

At the defendant’s sentencing, Eilber’s aunt reportedly said, "At least this plea will hopefully get you out of society so you can never hurt anyone else’s loved one."

According to WJRT, Mobley apologized and said he had "no words that could bring them solace."

In a statement, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said, "My thoughts remain with Andrea’s family, friends, and community. I hope this outcome brings some measure of solace and healing to those who loved her."

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