In a quiet home in Gypsum, Colorado, a grim discovery brought a tragic story to light. Joseph Kelly Jr., a 50-year-old man, was found deceased after suffering two gunshot wounds to his head. The investigation into his death revealed a shocking suspect: his own 13-year-old son. For nearly a week, the young boy had lived in the house with his father's body, a secret kept within the walls of their shared residence.
The truth began to unravel when Joseph Kelly Jr.'s employer at Eagle County
Public Works grew concerned. The father had been absent from his job, with his son calling in each day to report that his father was ill. Suspicions arose, prompting a request for a wellness check at the Kelly home. When deputies from the Eagle County Sheriff's Office arrived, the 13-year-old son answered the door and admitted that his father was dead inside.
Investigators determined that Joseph Kelly Jr. had been shot with a. 22-caliber rifle. The coroner's report indicated that he had been deceased for approximately six days before his body was discovered in a small area off the kitchen. The decomposition of the body suggested a significant amount of time had passed since the fatal shots were fired.
In the wake of this harrowing event, the 13-year-old son was taken into custody and subsequently charged with first-degree murder. He was transported to the Mount View Youth Services Center in Jefferson County. While the immediate details of what led to the shooting remained under investigation, it was noted that law enforcement had a previous domestic case on record involving Joseph Kelly Jr. and his wife during their divorce. At the time of the incident, the son was living alone with his father.
