On the quiet afternoon of October 18, 1975, in the small town of Sutherland, Nebraska, a horrific crime unfolded that would shatter the community. Florence Marie Kellie, a 10-year-old White female, was at home alone when her next-door neighbor, 29-year-old Erwin Charles Simants, entered the residence. Simants, who had been drinking earlier in the day, sexually assaulted the young girl and then fatally shot her with a. 22-caliber rifle.
This brutal act was only the beginning of a cascade of violence that would claim the lives of five other members of her family.
As Florence's family members returned home one by one, they were met by Simants, who systematically shot and killed them. Her grandparents, James and Audrey Kellie, her father, David Kellie, and her younger siblings, 7-year-old Deanna and 5-year-old Daniel, all fell victim to Simants' rampage. After the murders, Simants left a note at his sister's house, where he was staying, that read, "I am sorry to all it is the best way out do not crie. "
The following morning, on October 19, 1975, Erwin Charles Simants was arrested for the murders of the six Kellie family members. He confessed to the crimes and was charged with six counts of first-degree murder. During his trial, Simants' defense argued that he was insane at the time of the killings. He was initially convicted and sentenced to death, but this verdict was later overturned on appeal. In a subsequent trial, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity and was committed to a state psychiatric hospital. Simants remained institutionalized for the remainder of his life and died in a Lincoln hospital in 2023.
