Maria Kelly, a 66-year-old resident of San Diego, California, was tragically found dead on July 22, 2017, in her accounting office located on Camino Del Rio South. The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) homicide investigators determined that she had been shot once, and her body had been left in the office for two days before being discovered. The investigation revealed that Maria Kelly was killed by her daughter, Crystal Vasquez, 34, in what was later identified as a homicide-suicide.
On
July 20, 2017, Crystal Vasquez shot her mother, Maria Kelly, and left her body in the utility room of her office. The following day, Vasquez fraudulently cashed a check from her mother's bank account. When Maria Kelly's body was discovered on July 22, family members, including Vasquez, were alerted. Vasquez drove to the office but soon after arriving, she went into the restroom of a nearby business and took her own life with a single self-inflicted gunshot. The same handgun used in her suicide was confirmed to be the weapon used to kill Maria Kelly.
The SDPD's investigation included reviewing surveillance footage from the office, which captured Vasquez at the scene at the time of the murder. Initially, Vasquez was not suspected in her mother's death, but further investigation and evidence, including the fraudulent check and surveillance footage, led to the conclusion that she was responsible. The motive behind the murder appeared to be financial, as Vasquez had been embezzling money from her mother's business.
This tragic case shocked the local community and left the family devastated. Maria Kelly was remembered as a kind and helpful person who was always willing to assist others, while her daughter, despite her actions, was also described by family members as a good person who made a terrible decision. The case was closed following the confirmation of the homicide-suicide, and no further legal actions or litigations were pursued.
