Dallas Leon Kellis, a 76-year-old man from Aberdeen, North Carolina, passed away on July 20, 2016, at his residence. He was born on October 21, 1939, in Montgomery County, North Carolina, and worked as a machine operator for over 20 years at JP Stevens. Kellis was a member of Flint Hill Baptist Church in Robbins, NC, and enjoyed working outdoors caring for his home and lawn.
The circumstances surrounding Kellis's death were unusual and tragic.
His wife, Margaret Francis Kellis, 81 years old at the time, was charged with his murder. According to reports, Dallas Kellis was found dead inside his home with two gunshot wounds. Margaret Kellis called 911 and gave a rambling account of what happened, claiming she had gone to McDonald's to get her husband a ham sandwich and found him unresponsive when she returned.
Margaret Kellis was arrested and charged with one count of felony murder and one count of felony forgery and uttering. She was held in the Moore County Detention Center under no bond, and her first court appearance was scheduled for November 7 in Moore County Superior Court. The case gained national media attention due to the unusual nature of the crime and the age of the suspect.
In June 2019, Margaret Kellis was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to seven to nine and a half years in prison. The case highlighted the complexities and challenges of dealing with elderly suspects in criminal cases.
This tragic incident left the community in shock and raised questions about the circumstances leading up to Dallas Kellis's death and the mental state of his wife at the time of the incident.
