Holland family murders, summer kelly Dillian Daley and Marissa Meyer
'In One Night, We Lost Three Generations': A Young Woman, Her Children, And Her Mother Are All Killed In A Family Massacre
Who was responsible for the murder of a young mother, her children, and her mother? Investigators determined that the murderer was not a stranger – he was a relative.
On March 26, 2000, a surprising discovery broke the serene predawn stillness that blanketed the village of Corydon, Indiana.
Officers from the Harrison County Sheriff's Department responded to a request for a wellness check from Kelly Holland, who worked the nighttime shift at a nearby distribution center. He informed them that he had been unable to contact anyone by phone.
The remains of Holland's wife, Summer, 22, his two children, Dillian, 4, and Marissa, 3, and his mother-in-law, Donna Daley, 49, were discovered inside the residence.
Summer and Donna were fatally shot in the head by a.9mm handgun. The youngsters were killed in a house fire that sheriffs decided was caused deliberately. They perished as a result of smoke inhalation.
"We discovered a small child wedged between a bed and a wall. "There were claw marks on the wall where he attempted to flee," Gary Gilley, a retired Harrison County Sheriff's Department deputy, explained on "Family Massacre," a new Oxygen series premiering Fridays at 9 p.m./8 p.m.
Kelly Holland returned home while authorities worked the crime site. When he was informed of the homicides, he collapsed to the ground and cried out, investigators recounted. He had been married to Summer for less than a year.
"Three generations were lost in one night," Summer's sister Dorinda Arndt-Riley explained. "I was taken aback. Summer has no adversaries... Who could do such a thing?"
Officers investigated several early leads. Summer had filed a report about obnoxious neighbors who were shooting firearms at her house, but the neighbors had a solid alibi and were dismissed as suspects. Summer's ex-boyfriend was also exonerated.
As with any killing involving a wife, Kelly Holland had to be considered a main suspect as well. "He was going to be closely watched," said Det. Roy Weisman, a retired deputy sheriff from Harrison County.
Because it was found that an accelerant was used in the tragic fire, police requested that Kelly provide the clothing he was wearing when he arrived at the scene for study. He accepted and informed police that he lacked firearms and had no access to them. His alibi of being at work at the time of the crime was verified.
With nothing on Kelly's record save a traffic ticket, investigators shifted their emphasis to other prospective leads and possibilities, describing him as "extremely pleasant," "clean-cut," and "soft-spoken."
However, a phone call from one of Kelly's fellow Kentucky National Guardsmen redirected attention on Summer's spouse. The Guardsman admitted to investigators that he had lent Kelly a.9mm weapon two days prior to the murders. The gun used in the homicides had the same caliber. Kelly stated that he need it due to the presence of wild dogs in his neighborhood.
Officials began investigating Kelly's alibi for being at work when it was revealed that he lied about having access to a pistol. Kelly's labor, it was established during this second search, would have enabled him to sneak out unseen.
When traces of accelerant were discovered on Kelly's clothing, the evidence against him grew stronger. He attempted to justify this by claiming he obtained gas in order to burn trash.
Kelly was found to be deceitful each time he was asked a question about the homicides after agreeing to a polygraph test. Kelly stated during an interview with officials that he had said everything he was going to say.
While travelling with sheriffs, he advised them to pull over and he would inform them of the crime. He stated that he and Summer, despite being newlyweds, were experiencing difficulties. He'd returned home with the gun and intended to commit suicide.
Kelly admitted that he did not intend to shoot his wife and had no recollection of shooting his mother-in-law. He admitted starting the fire but reasoned that someone would notice the flames and smoke in time to contact the police and fire department.
What happened to the murder weapon? Kelly stated that he discarded it in the Ohio River.
Kelly Holland was caught five days after the dead of his family members were discovered. He was charged with four killings and attempted arson.
Kelly's trial began on April 17, 2001. "Not a single tear escaped that man's eyes," Arndt-Riley explained to producers.
Kelly ultimately pleaded guilty to life in prison without the possibility of parole in exchange for the death penalty not being sought against him. "As part of his plea agreement, he was forced to present a narrative of the murders," the Louisville-Courier Journal stated. He stated that his mental illness, in combination with financial and marital problems, "had thrown him into an anxious emotional condition." At first, he stated, he hoped to renew his four-month marriage that evening."
According to Grace Schneider, a reporter for the Louisville-Courier Journal, the judge essentially ignored Kelly's accounts.
"He appeared enraged that Kelly Holland was not telling the truth," she explained to producers. "He believes that when he obtained a gun, he intended to murder his wife. He asserts that your actions that night are essential, and you will be held accountable."
Kelly Holland is presently incarcerated in Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, Indiana, serving a life sentence without parole.
The victims' families are still grieving. "When he walked out of the courtroom, I felt no regret," Summer's sister explained. "He just had this lifeless, flat expression on his face. I stared him in the eyes and said, 'I do not forgive you.'"
The Holland family massacre is a heinous act that even seasoned law enforcement professionals struggle to comprehend.
"It was the most heinous conduct I've ever observed," Gilley stated.