A man is gunned down In the early hours of May 16, 1975, a sense of unease settled over the 200 block of 10th Street in Virginia Beach, Virginia, as the sound of gunshots pierced the night. Responding to a call at 12:05 a.m., police discovered 20-year-old Joseph J. Kelly suffering from a gunshot wound. A member of the U.S. Navy stationed at the Dam Neck Naval Base, the young man was rushed to Virginia Beach General Hospital, but his life could not be saved.
His death was later ruled a homicide by the Medical Examiner's Office.
Investigators learned that a distinctive vehicle was seen in the vicinity around the time of the shooting. Witnesses described it as a yellow 1972 or 1973 model Chevrolet with large whitewalls. The car was reportedly occupied by two Black males. Despite this lead, a motive for the shooting could not be determined, and the case grew cold over the years.
The murder of Joseph J. Kelly remains an unsolved case in the files of the Virginia Beach Police Department. Decades have passed since the promising life of the young sailor was cut short, yet there has been no public announcement of any arrests or the identification of any specific suspects in connection with his death. The two individuals seen in the yellow Chevrolet are believed to potentially hold information about the case, but their identities and connection to the incident remain a mystery.
