Regional News
Disappearance of Neb. woman becomes homicide case
Published Sunday, February 07, 2010 at 06:23 PM
Anne Marie Kelley
BEATRICE, Neb. (AP) -- The 2008 disappearance of a Filley woman has become a homicide investigation, with her husband as a key suspect, the Gage County attorney said.

Randall Ritnour disclosed the turn in the Anne Marie Kelley case during a hearing Thursday in Gage County District Court.

"We believe she might be dead," Ritnour said.

Kelley was last seen the morning of April 15, 2008. Her vehicle, a gray 1991 Plymouth Voyager with Nebraska registration 3-A8045, is also missing.

Ritnour said authorities have been investigating William Kelley for some time, but had been keeping that secret. It came out in court because Kelley was seeking the return of items seized as evidence, including vehicles and a fishing boat.

Kelley is in the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution on unrelated charges. He was sentenced in June to 16-to-20 years for child abuse and weapons violations.

A message left Sunday for his attorney was not immediately returned.

On the morning of her disappearance, Anne Marie Kelley dropped the couple's four children off at school and showed up for her job with a cleaning service at Southeast Community College, according to an affidavit in the case.

At 9:43 a.m., she called her employer to say there was a problem with her children at school. About 10 minutes later, she called the school. Court records indicate that was the last contact anyone had with Kelley.

William Kelley reported his wife missing that evening and, court documents say, just after midnight he reported finding a note and her cell phone on a pillow in their bedroom. The details of the note have not been released.

Investigators recently talked with William Kelley's former co-workers at Filley Custom Powder Coating. Court documents indicate one worker said Kelley had made comments about killing his wife.

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