Marcia Kelly

Marcia Kelly
Born Marcia Gayle Kelly
(1970-12-21) December 21, 1970
Citizenship United States
Occupation Respiratory Therapist
Height 5 ft 5 in (165 cm)
Weight 160 lb (73 kg)
Criminal charge Capital murder (October 26, 2005)
Criminal penalty Life Without Parole
Criminal status In Prison
Children Shaina Sepulvado (Accomplice)
Motive Financial Gain
Conviction(s) Capital murder (August 4, 2006)
Comments Mariticide - Murder for hire
Details
Date October 23, 2005
Country United States
State(s) Texas
Location(s) Cushing, Nacogdoches County
Killed James Kelly (husband)
Date apprehended
 October 26, 2005
Imprisoned at Skyview (SV) Psychiatric Facility, Rusk, TX 75785[1]

Marcia Gayle Kelly (born December 21, 1970) is a convicted American female murderer serving life without parole for orchestrating the murder of her husband James. She is incarcerated at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), Skyview (SV) Unit in Rusk, Texas.

Crime

On October 23, 2005, truck driver James Kelly was shot to death in his home in Cushing, Texas. Initially, his stepdaughter Shaina Sepulvado and her friends Dallas Christian and Colton Weir were the prime suspects. All three were later charged in Kelly's death.

When interviewed, however, Kelly's widow, Marcia, was implicated in his death. Weir said that Sepulvado and Kelly had orchestrated the plot to have the victim murdered, and that Weir had been promised a vehicle as payment for committing the crime.

In a police statement, Kelly admitted that she overheard some of the juveniles make statements about wanting to kill her husband, but did not admit to offering them anything to kill her husband.[2]

On October 26, 2005, Marcia Kelly was charged with capital murder.

Trial

On July 31, 2006, Kelly's murder trial began. At the trial, prosecutors presented the jury with what they believed to be the motive. Kelly had a $100,000 life insurance policy on her husband. Prosecutors also stated that the couple argued on how to punish Sepulvado when she was unruly. Other testimony was presented at the trial from men who claimed Kelly had also solicited them to kill her husband.[3][4]

Kelly did not testify in her own defense, but Sepulvado took the stand to defend her mother. Sepulvado testified that she was responsible for the murder and that her mother was not involved. Sepulvado said that James Kelly had been beating and molesting her. Marcia Kelly was convicted of capital murder.

Aftermath

Following her conviction, Kelly was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. While the capital murder charge could have allowed for a death sentence, the Nacogdoches County district attorney had not sought the death penalty against her.

As of 2017, Kelly is imprisoned at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Skyview Unit in Rusk, Texas, under TDCJ Number: 01381826.[1]

Colton Weir and Shaina Sepulvado were each convicted of the capital murder of James Kelly at separate trials in Nacogdoches County, Texas. They were initially sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, but an appeals court ruled that Sepulvado was entitled to a new sentence in December 2014; the next month, Sepulvado was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole.[5]

Dallas Christian pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 40 years on June 23, 2008. Two other males, Billy Loftin and Gary Batchelor, were convicted of lesser charges of tampering with evidence, in connection with James Kelly's death.

Marcia Kelly's conviction was affirmed by the Twelfth District Court of Appeals on January 23, 2008. Kelly maintains her innocence and is further appealing her conviction.

Weir and Sepulvado will each become eligible on October 24, 2045.

In the media

Marcia's case was featured on the Oxygen Network series Snapped in March 2011; the program contained testimony from Kelly and Sepulvado.[6]

The case also appeared on the Investigation Discovery series Redrum in 2013, the episode contained statements from Sepulvado and Weir.[7] Investigation Discovery re-visited the case in the 2014 Fatal Vows: Murder by Proxy, Season 3, Episode 4, aired: November 29, 2014.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 "Texas Department of Criminal Justice Offender Search". Offender.tdcj.texas.gov. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  2. ↑ CERVANTES, JESSICA (August 3, 2006). "Day Two of a Murder for Hire Trial". KTRE-TV. Raycom Media. Retrieved March 29, 2018. But, the jury was excused when the third witness came into the courtroom. James Mings is Colton Weir's uncle. Colton Weir is the teenager accused of actually shooting Kelly.
  3. ↑ BOUDREAUX, TYESHA (June 23, 2008). "Christian pleads guilty". The Daily Sentinel. Nacogdoches, TX: Southern Newspapers Inc. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  4. ↑ McCOLLUM, DONNA (April 12, 2007). "Guilty Verdict Returned In Capital Murder Trial". KTRE News Staff. Raycom Media. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Nacogdoches woman convicted in murder-for-hire plot gets life with option of parole". KTRE News Staff. NACOGDOCHES, TX: Raycom Media. January 21, 2015. Retrieved March 29, 2018. Shaina Sepulvado, 25, appeared in ... District Court Wednesday. She was only given two options - life with the possibility of parole and life without the possibility of parole.
  6. ↑ "Snapped 801: Marcia Kelly". Oxygen Official Site. March 17, 2011. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Twisted Ties | Redrum". Investigationdiscovery.com. February 19, 2013. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Fatal Vows | Watch Full Episodes & More! - Investigation Discovery". Investigationdiscovery.com. Discovery Communications, LLC. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
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