The Kelly Family (serial killers)

The Kelly Family were a family of serial killers who operated near a Kansas town called Oak City between September and December 1887. The family consisted of William Kelly (55); his wife Kate; his son Bill, also called 'Billy' (20) and daughter, Kit (18). Originally from Pennsylvania, the family is believed to have murdered 11 wealthy travelers, akin to the Bloody Benders a decade earlier. Vigilantes hunted down and killed the fleeing family in order to make an example of them. William confessed to all of the family's crimes before being hanged from a tree. Move to Kansas: According to 55-year-old William Kelly's confession, he and his family moved from the Pennsylvania mountains to Kansas in 1869. They moved around in different places along the southern border until eventually settling in No Man's Land, around 25 miles away from Beaver, Oklahoma. Initially dealing with cattle, the Kellys soon opened a tavern, where they house fellow cattlers and travelers. Although illiterate, they were regarded as an ordinary working family, with nobody harboring any suspicion towards them. Discovery of crimes: In the span of a few months, a number of people had disappeared mysteriously along the road leading to the Kelly tavern. Despite this, nobody suspected the family of doing anything until around December 1887, when the occupants suddenly left the house without notifying anybody. A short while after, a traveller from St. Louis named S. T. Gregg, who had visited the tavern before, decided to stop by and check the house. Upon entry, a foul stench overtook him, coming from a hidden cellar underneath the house. The bodies of three men, already in an advanced state of decomposition, were discovered, as well as a trap door under the tavern's floor. Gregg immediately notified authorities of the matter. Shortly after, search parties came pouring into the house, one of them being led by a cowboy named "Texy". While digging around the barn in search of any other corpses, the men's attention was drawn to some loosened dirt to the left of the barn door. When dug up, a body with a broken skull was discovered, evidently murdered with an axe. Further digging revealed seven other bodies, two of them being of women. Although a majority of the victims were decomposed beyond recognition, three of them were identified from their clothing: Jim Coven, a cattleman whose business spanned in the area and in Texas; J. T. Taylor, a missing wealthy drummer from Chicago and a Texan merchant named Johnson An old rusty axe with human flesh on its blade, presumed to be the murder weapon, was also located. Search, capture and execution- There are two broadly accepted accounts of the Kellys' fates, but each of them end in their eventual demise: Version one: Soon after the discoveries, information from Beaver came that all four of the Kelly Family had passed through town a few days ago, en route to New Mexico. It was noted that they were driving a span of several horses, and appeared to have a lot of money on them. A posse of 20 men was quickly organized, and the family's trail led to Palo Duro Creek, from where it appeared that their route had changed towards Wheeler, Texas. After a while, the posse caught up with them, and engaged in a two-hour long chase. Eventually, Kate Kelly's horse tripped and she fell to the ground, breaking her neck in the process. She was left behind, and half and hour later, the vigilantes caught up with Bill and Kit, but William managed to escape. Upon capture, Kit began pleading for mercy, only to be told off by her brother for being as being as complicit in the murders as he was. Two ropes were procured and the duo were prepared to be hanged on a nearby tree. Moments before they were hanged, Kit whispered to Bill if she should tell them everything, only for her brother to curse at the posse and encourage them to 'find out for themselves'. Subsequently, both were left hanging on the tree. The vigilantes then chased after William, whose horse left behind a trail because it was shod only in the front. They eventually caught up with him, and after firing two shots at the fugitive, he gave up, stopped and dismounted from his horse. The group quickly surrounded him, and the leader allowed the criminal to confess all of his sins. William proceeded to explain their family history, but claimed to have moved towards Texas because of the crimes in the area, denying taking part in the killings. Dissatisfied, he was quickly hanged for a bit before being lowered down and asked to confess. Finally he did, telling that all of the family members had taken part, where the money was stored and that they had killed 9 men and 2 women. The elder Kelly was then stripped of all his belongings, including a gold watch belonging to J. T. Taylor, and was left to hang. Version two: A second story was told by Charles Duncan (or Green), a cattleman from Wichita, retold from a friend who had been present at the scene. According to Duncan, a party of seven were on the Kellys' trail, tracking them to a partially-protected ravine before deciding to camp for the night. One of the men, Metcalf, noticed that there was a dugout with a wagon in it, and notified the others present to build a fire, while he went with the intention to inquire about the fugitives. At about a 100 meters from the dugout, he was fired upon, and Metcalf immediately ducked to the ground. The shot caught the attention of the vigilantes, who immediately circled the dugout with their horses, while Metcalf was retrieving his. Upon his return, he devised a plan in which 3 of the men had to dig a hole in the dugout in order to entrap the Kellys. This proved successful, but one of the men was so badly injured that he passed away from his wounds. Using their wagon, which was full of hay, the men lit it on fire and pushed it down the dugout, engulfing the Kellys' wagon in flames. The vigilantes set up in firing positions, and observed as Kate Kelly exited the house. She came out with her clothes on fire and swearing, brandishing a revolver in one hand. In a matter of minutes, she was shot down by the cowboys. Moments later, Bill came out. He, his hair and slouch hat were on fire, his arm broken in two places, and with a revolver in the other. However, he refused to shoot, much to the pleasure of the cowboys. Right after him, his father William appeared with both his hands up, begging for mercy. He took the revolver from Bill and asked for the vigilantes to come tie them up, begging for his life in the process. William answered every question asked of him, telling that Kit had died back at their house some weeks ago, and Kate wished to leave the premises. In contrast, his son Bill refused to budge, denouncing his father as a coward and asking of the men to kill him first for his cowardice. Displeased by his behavior, the vigilantes tied a rope around his neck, with the other end tied to a saddle. The horse was scared off and began galloping away, with Bill unable to get the rope off, but still cursing the men until he eventually suffocated. While the men were enjoying that sight, William slipped away and got on a horse, successfully escaping. When they noticed his absence, the vigilantes chased after him, captured him, forced him to confess, and after he did so, left him to hang on a tree. Modus operandi: When a traveller would come by at the Kellys' tavern, they would first ascertain if they were wealthy. If confirmed, either William or Bill, or sometimes Kit, would engage the client in conversation, while Kate prepared the meal. The victim's chair would always be positioned at the trap door, and when a signal was given, the door would spring open, with the victim either dying from the fall or being disposed off later on with the axe. Connection to the Benders: According to a news report from contemporary media, an unnamed man from Kansas City, who had investigated the notorious Bender Family's house and the rumors of their deaths numerous times, claimed that the Kellys were in fact the Benders. The man further elaborated that all the stories of the latter's capture were made up, supposedly by a group of Confederates, who have also helped the Benders dispose of the murdered victims' horses and wagons. He pointed out that both families' modus operandi, family unit numbers and other evidences proved that they are one in the same.