In the autumn of 2017, the lives of a young couple in Columbia, South Carolina, came to a tragic end in what was determined to be a murder-suicide. On the morning of September 30, 2017, Richland County Sheriff's deputies responded to a call at the Varia at Oakcrest apartment complex on Oakcrest Drive. Upon arrival, they discovered the bodies of 26-year-old Kentrell A. Kelly and 21-year-old Kristi L. Bell.
Both individuals were found unresponsive inside an apartment, each having sustained a single gunshot wound to the head.
Subsequent investigations by the Richland County Coroner's Office and the Sheriff's Department revealed the sequence of events. Authorities concluded that Kentrell Kelly shot and killed Kristi Bell, who was the mother of his daughter, before taking his own life at the scene. The incident left the community and their families in mourning. At the time of the initial investigation, law enforcement was still working to determine the exact circumstances and motive that led to the fatal shooting.
The case, being a murder-suicide, concluded with the deaths of both the victim and the perpetrator. Consequently, there were no arrests made or suspects sought in connection with the deaths of Kristi Bell and Kentrell Kelly. The investigation was closed following the determination of the events by the authorities.
