Kate Kelly and the Kelly Family Murders
Overview
Kate Kelly was an alleged American serial killer who operated with her husband, William Kelly, and their two children, Bill and Kit Kelly, during the final months of 1887. The family lived in an isolated and largely lawless region commonly called No Man's Land, an unsettled strip of territory that later became part of the Oklahoma Panhandle. Near the small community of Oak City, the Kellys maintained a ranch and roadside tavern where cattlemen, merchants, salesmen and other travelers could obtain food or spend the night.
Kate was not described as a lone murderer. She was accused of participating in a family operation that reportedly robbed and killed travelers between approximately August and December 1887. Eleven bodies were ultimately associated with the property. William Kelly later allegedly confessed that all four members of the family were involved and that their victims consisted of nine men and two women.
The Kelly Family
The family consisted of William Kelly, who was approximately 55 years old; his wife, Kate Kelly; their 20-year-old son, Bill, sometimes called Billy; and their 18-year-old daughter, Kit. William reportedly said that the family had originally lived in the mountains of Pennsylvania before moving west in 1869. They traveled through communities near the southern Kansas border before settling in the remote frontier country near Oak City.
The Kellys initially raised cattle and appeared to be an ordinary, hardworking frontier family. Their property stood near a road used by people traveling through the sparsely populated region. Because settlements were widely separated and law enforcement was limited, travelers often depended on isolated ranches and taverns for meals, directions, shelter and protection. The Kellys were therefore in an ideal position to observe passing strangers, determine whether they carried money or valuable merchandise and attack them without attracting immediate attention.
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