In the early morning hours of November 18, 2021, the life of 30-year-old Brandi Rael, a female resident of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was tragically cut short. Responding to reports of gunfire at the Copper Ridge Apartments on Tramway Blvd. N.E., police initially found no evidence of a disturbance. It wasn't until approximately 7:40 AM that officers discovered Rael deceased inside her white Toyota Corolla in the apartment complex's parking lot. She had been shot multiple times.
A mother of two young children, her death marked the city's 101st homicide of the year.
The investigation into Brandi Rael’s murder led authorities to identify Michael Kelly, her 29-year-old ex-boyfriend, as the primary suspect. Investigators utilized surveillance footage from a nearby property which captured Kelly entering the passenger side of Rael's vehicle. The footage showed him exiting the car, interacting with Rael from the outside, and then firing several shots into the vehicle. Neighbors reported hearing screams around the time of the gunshots. Further investigation revealed a history of domestic disputes between the couple. Detectives also found fentanyl pills in both Rael's car and the apartment Kelly had been staying in, with some reports suggesting a dispute over drug sales and money.
After a warrant was issued for his arrest on a charge of an open count of murder in June 2022, Michael Kelly fled the Albuquerque area. He was eventually tracked down and apprehended in Covington, Louisiana, on November 30, 2022, by the U.S. Marshals Service and a local fugitive task force. Kelly was then extradited back to New Mexico to face legal proceedings. Ballistic evidence played a crucial role in the case against him, as the firearm used in Rael's murder was linked to at least ten other shooting incidents in the Albuquerque area. In February 2024, Michael Kelly appeared in court and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and tampering with evidence. As a result of his plea agreement, he is facing a sentence of 21 years in prison.
