In the quiet borough of Kutztown, Pennsylvania, the life of 53-year-old William P. Kelly was tragically cut short on the evening of December 30, 2025. What began as a verbal argument within the walls of his West Walnut Street home escalated, culminating in a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Responding to a 911 call made by a woman who identified herself as the shooter and wife of the victim, police arrived to find Mr.
Kelly deceased in the dining room of the residence.
The subsequent investigation, a joint effort between the Kutztown Borough Police Department and Berks County Detectives, quickly led to the arrest of William's wife, 46-year-old Elizabeth L. McKenna. According to investigators, McKenna admitted to shooting her husband at close range following a heated argument during which she claimed he was antagonizing her. She stated that she retrieved a handgun from a safe in a second-floor bedroom before returning to the first floor and firing the fatal shot. A handgun was recovered at the scene.
A heart-wrenching detail of the incident was the presence of a 10-year-old child in an upstairs bedroom at the time of the shooting. Fortunately, the child was unharmed. In the aftermath, family members of William Kelly alleged a history of abuse, a claim that adds another layer of sorrow to the devastating event. A niece of the victim initiated a GoFundMe campaign to assist with funeral expenses, a testament to the community's support for the grieving family.
Elizabeth L. McKenna was taken into custody and has since been charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, and two counts of aggravated assault. She was transported to the Berks County Courthouse for processing and is awaiting arraignment. The case is now set to proceed through the legal system, leaving a family and community to grapple with the profound loss of William P. Kelly.
