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Franklin College left her part time job at the Franklin Wal-mart Super Center around 11:00pm.
Only one person saw her alive after that time, her killer.
She had just begun her college life by receiving an academic scholarship to go to the private
college she wanted, for so long. How wonderful, we as parents thought, Kelly could still live at
home, go to college to be an accountant, and have her whole life ahead of her.
Kelly always made us laugh. She was the bright, bubbly and so much fun to be around teenager
with a solid head placed firmly on her shoulders. That smile. Her smile could brighten the room
the moment she walked in.
Kelly’s car was found less than 3 miles from where she had just left work. The car had
everything in it as it should, keys in the ignition, her purse in the seat, even her headlights were
still on when police were called to the scene. Everything was there, except Kelly.
A massive search began for Kelly. There were search team coordinators and friends and even
complete strangers helping explore our rural countryside. There were more people searching
than we could ever have counted. Hundreds or more. The search lasted for days.
I was a half a world away. It took me over 40 hours to get home, traveling the long way around
the globe from Singapore through Germany, then New York.
Kelly was never the one not to call if she was to be even a little late and she always came home
on time. Because of this, the police treated this as suspicious from the moment they arrived on
scene.
Kelly was missing for four days until she was found about 60 miles away in Southern Indiana.
She had been strangled with parts of her clothing, raped and left in a ditch.
A very kind and compassionate Police Chief of Franklin, Harry Furrer told us the details. To this
day, we thank Harry for his compassion.
Kelly’s funeral brought more people to our little church than Connie and I have ever seen. We
were instantly exposed to all the media attention, and there was plenty.
It was during this time that the Triton Central High School Marching Tiger Band was going to
Regional Contest. Kelly had been a member of the marching color guard last year. Sadness was
felt by the band. A large prayer circle before the contest and after that, the show was dedicated
in memory to Kelly. When they won, there wasn't many dry eyes around.
Six weeks went by, and very few leads did the police have. The reward money for information
reached $10,000.00. We feel the reward money motivated someone to call the special
information hot line with the tip that mattered. An arrest was made after six weeks. The monster
that murdered our daughter had been caught.
Two and ½ years later, we went to a trial that lasted over 4 weeks, where the murderer was
convicted. The Prosecutor showed beyond any doubt with an overwhelming amount of
evidence, as well as with DNA evidence of 1 in 12 TRILLION that the police had the right man.
The jury returned with a guilty verdict and we then went right into the sentence phase.
It was during the sentence phase that Connie and I learned about the Indiana Criminal Code
pertaining to cases where the State seeks Life without Parole or Capital Punishment and that it
is up to the Judge as to allow impact statements from the Victims’ family and friends. Past
practice was NOT to allow impact statements.
Most Judges did not want to risk an appeal based on a case from the 1970’s when the State did
allow impact statements, but it really turned into a sideshow and the State Court of Appeals sent
back a case for sentencing.
Connie and I were kept silent and were not allowed to make statements as to the full impact of
this crime towards Kelly and towards us as survivors. Connie and I sat stone faced, emotionless
and silent. This was a pain received not by the monster who murdered our precious Kelly, but by
the State of Indiana itself.
At first, We did not know what to do, the law had to be changed. Victims deserve the right to give
impact statements. In fact, in any other crime in Indiana, victims have that right.
Finally, after two years of going through the Indiana General Assembly, House Bill 1012, passed
the House by a vote of 99-0 and the Senate by a vote of 50 – 0, all in favor of passing “Kelly’s
Bill”.
In 2002, the Governor of the State of Indiana, the Honorable Frank O'Bannon signed the bill into
law. The bill gives victim’s the right to give impact statements.
We will always remember Kelly and have devoted our efforts into helping others who will be in
the same type of horrific situation we have gone though. We miss you Kelly everyday, every
minute and every second.
We have and will always continue to go to court for the entire appeals process. We have not
missed one court or appeal hearing. If you have been through this, you understand fully.
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