On November 17, 1984, the body of 42-year-old Ursula Houser was discovered in an alleyway near Highland Avenue and D Street in San Bernardino, California. The circumstances surrounding her death were both tragic and horrifying. Ursula had been shot twice from behind with a .357 magnum revolver. After being shot, her body was dragged approximately 35 feet to a more concealed location.
The perpetrator then proceeded to sexually assault her corpse, a heinous act that added to the brutality of the crime.
The investigation into Ursula Houser's murder quickly linked her death to another murder that had occurred just a day earlier. On November 16, 1984, Sonia Reed, a 25-year-old woman, was found dead in a cemetery in San Bernardino. Like Ursula, Sonia had been shot with a .357 magnum revolver and had been sexually assaulted. The similarities in the cases, including the use of the same weapon and the nature of the assaults, led investigators to believe they were dealing with a serial killer.
The breakthrough in the case came on November 25, 1984, when 11-year-old Daniel Osentkowski was fatally shot while trying to protect his cousin from being abducted by a man in Riverside, California. The suspect, later identified as Horace Edward Kelly, was apprehended that evening. Kelly, a 25-year-old security guard, was found with a recently fired .357 magnum revolver in his vehicle. Ballistics tests confirmed that the bullets used in the murders of Ursula Houser and Sonia Reed matched those from Kelly's gun.
Horace Edward Kelly was subsequently charged with multiple counts of murder, rape, and attempted rape. In 1986, he was convicted and sentenced to death for the murders of Ursula Houser, Sonia Reed, and Daniel Osentkowski. Kelly's trial revealed the extent of his crimes, including the brutal nature of the assaults and the calculated manner in which he carried out the murders. Despite various appeals and legal challenges, Kelly remained on death row, with his case becoming a notable example of the complexities and challenges in prosecuting serial killers.
