in 1965, elledge robbed a western union office in albuquerque, new mexico. during this robbery, he also kidnapped a female attendant. he was sentenced to prison in santa fe, new mexico and, after his parole, he wound up in seattle, washington, where he killed motel manager bertha lush in 1974 by beating her to death with a ball-peen hammer in an argument over his bill. while in prison for that crime, he got paroled three times, the last of which happened in august 1995.