In a grim series of events that unfolded in Oklahoma, the life of William Henry Kelsey Jr. was cut short in a double murder tied to a plot of betrayal and greed. The story began with a plan allegedly orchestrated by Michael Dale St. Clair to murder his own uncle, Ronnie Lee St. Clair. For this violent task, Michael hired William Henry Kelsey Jr.
On a fateful day in May 1991, the two men, armed with a rifle and a handgun, forced their way into Ronnie St. Clair's home.
Their objective was to seize a sum of $20,000 in cash they believed Ronnie possessed, reportedly for a cocaine transaction. After beating him until he revealed the location of the money, they forced him outside to a storage building where he had cocaine hidden. The violence escalated as they drove Ronnie to a gas processing station. There, Kelsey allegedly fired multiple shots into Ronnie, ending his life.
The conspiracy took another dark turn the following day. Michael St. Clair, after informing his other uncle, Raymond, that he knew the identity of Ronnie's killer, arranged a meeting with Kelsey. At this meeting, instead of the expected payment for the murder, Kelsey was met with a fatal betrayal. Michael St. Clair opened fire, shooting Kelsey multiple times and ensuring his death with a final shot behind the ear. This act was seemingly to silence the man he had hired, severing the last link to his uncle's murder.
The investigation into the double homicide led to the conviction of Michael Dale St. Clair for the murders of both his uncle, Ronnie St. Clair, and William Henry Kelsey Jr. in July of 1991. However, the saga did not end there. While awaiting final sentencing, St. Clair managed to escape from a jail in Durant, Oklahoma, with another inmate, embarking on a multi-state crime spree that included more killings before he was ultimately recaptured.
