Boise man put on trial for soliciting murder of a child he abused. Jury’s verdict is in

A jury recently found a Boise man guilty of trying to solicit the kidnapping and murder of a child he sexually abused.

Byron Ely, 61, was convicted Friday on one felony count of criminal solicitation to commit a crime following a two-day jury trial last week in Ada County. Ely was indicted in July 2019 on one felony count of lewd conduct with a child under the age of 16, as he was accused of sexually abusing a child who, at the time, was 7 years old.

After the initial arrest, Ely faced another charge in March 2020 after authorities say he tried to solicit someone to kidnap and kill the child and her parents in hopes they could not testify against him, according to previous Statesman reporting.

During an arraignment hearing in March 2020, prosecutors said police were told of the attempted plot by someone whom Ely solicited for the abductions and killings. Ely reportedly offered the person two vehicles in exchange for killing the child and her parents. He pleaded not guilty to the charge in April 2020.

That solicitation for murder led to Ely’s trial last week, where a jury found him guilty. Ely was also found guilty on the lewd conduct charge during a trial last month. Ely faces a potential sentence of up to life in prison on the lewd conduct charge.

Ely still has one more pending case that is unresolved. Court records show Ely faces another felony charge of criminal solicitation to commit a crime, which was filed via complaint on Oct. 26. That case is set for a jury trial starting June 2 in Boise.

Ely — who is being held without bail at the Ada County Jail — is scheduled to be sentenced on the lewd conduct charge on May 11, and the solicitation charge on July 7.