... I think with the dramatic conditions in Dermot's home-life, an ultra-strict father, and views that totally opposed everything that Dermot believed and wanted out of life, that he may have had conflicts with his father for years and deep pain. Dermot's family's views in his mind were so diametrically opposed, to the life he wanted to live....
... The horrifying thought of Dermot's jacket, shoes, and barefoot prints at the river haunts me to this day, and will stay with me for the rest of my life. The rifle found under the ice adds to the pain. I think Dermot most likely passed away in the river, and that his death was probably a suicide. ....
Interesting possibility. I would have to ask if the rifle found was known to belong to Dermot or to another family member? If not, it would definitely point to the possibility of another person being involved.
A difficult home life could lead to a boy committing suicide, but it more often would lead to him staying away from home, and turning to others, even strangers for recognition and support.
If he wanted to commit suicide, why would he take his clothes off and walk around barefoot in January? And if he shot himself with a rifle, how could he possibly have put it in the water afterward? And how would his body disappear?
The rifle found under the ice was believed to be Dermot's, with only one reported difference. It's telescope was missing and authorities believed that it had fallen in the water.
The weather conditions that day were at or close to negative wind chills. I believe -10 to -15 below. We have calculated the distance that Dermot traveled from his home at Point Lookout to the spot were the Vermillion and Illinois rivers meet. This is where Dermot's boots and Jacket were found, along with bare feet in the snow. The prints extended 20 feet or so out to the river bank but there were no return prints. Dermot's clothes were found a day later after he vanished, the rifle, three days later which divers found. A barge went through at the end of the week and the remaining cold temperatures prompted searchers to call off the search.
The water currents are very strong in some places at the river. The removal of the clothes, hastens the drowning process. Studies show that when people often commit suicide by drowning in a bathtub or river, they often always remove their shoes and if a jacket is present, take that off as well. It is possible that Dermot shot himself at the rivers' edge, fell in, and was swept away by a strong undertow.
Dermot walked about two miles in bone-chilling temperatures, and those close to the case estimated that he had to walk a good 20-30 minutes. The other possibility is that hypothermia set in. This is when people who are not dressed for the bitter cold are outside for periods of time and in their mind they begin to overheat, and will engage in a process known as "Paradoxical Undressing" Feeling overheated, they will take off their clothes, losing a sense of being cold and their bodies go numb. Their mind can experience hallucination when a person has hypothermia. Eventually the person loses all blood circulation and they fall asleep and die.
Dermot by the reports on his case had been despondent, likely for a very long time. He was very introverted, interested in emotional, philosophical things. He was also inwardly rebellious and confused to the values demanded by his home life and reenforced by the school and the church.
People say he didn't say much, but was an empathetic listener. His father was forceful and demanding, a former World War II veteran and prominent lawyer, who was hot tempered. I was told by someone close to the case that Dermot's Dad once attacked one of his law partners. This was an extremely success driven family, with what seemed to be positive results from the other children. Two of Dermot's sisters became physicians.
A poster who claimed that her Mother was Dermot's brother posted back in 2010. She said that Dermot's Dad was going through a job loss and that the marriage was failing and sometimes abusive. I also found out that back in 1946, the Kelly's lost an infant daughter. Dermot's Dad ran for Attorney General in the 1950's. Don't know the results of the election. He also took a polygraph test showing that he truthfully opposed legalized gambling in the county. In 1971, Dermot was sent about 90 miles away for weeks, for some medical treatment. I believe this treatment was conformity therapy. If Dermot had needed conventional help or care, why would he be sent 90 miles away for three weeks? Unless the "treatment?" was something controversial, which he could not get back home in Ogelsby
Dermot loved music, reading, and the Hippie Movement. A reson for the medical "treatment" could be that Dermot disclosed or was found out by his father that he was gay." And this would push Mr. Kelly to the breaking point of not being able to deal with an issue like that. Remember, Dermot's Dad was born in 1912. He was 60 years old when Dermot left home and there is just no way possible that I could see any way those two could ever get along. In a terrible fate, Dermot's Dad excluded him from his obituary. Even in the one published story about Dermot almost three years after he disappeared, everything is from the father's viewpoint. He treated Dermot in an objective, cold kind of way.
"I should have taken more time to understand THE BOY. I was too busy being a layer. Too busy to listen." His father is saying the things that he wants people to hear, but it doesn't seem to be heartfelt. More dutiful and purposeful, the military man and attorney in him looking for evidence. However, if someone referrers to their missing son as "The Boy," this indicates the father saw a deep personality or character flaw. The only thing on which I agree with Dermot's father is that Dermot was very upset about inequalities and hypocrisy in society and reached a point where he couldn't take it anymore. If Dermot was sent to some conforming therapy clinic for being gay, a strict taboo back in 1972 that's not love, that's control.
Google "Conforming Therapy." The most controversial forms began in the 50's lasting until the mid 70's These poor kids were given drugs and shock-treatment to "correct" the behavior. I looked up research and found that many of the people who participated in these programs were driven to suicide, or had such severe emotional pain that they never recovered for the rest of their lives.
You've got a loving, introverted, sensitive kid like Dermot who was always willing to listen and help. He would help kids with their homework even doing it for them. He was a great listener, a humanitarian. His Dad said Dermot would never say what he was thinking. But I don't think Dad listened. Dermot's language and emotions speak VOLUMES!
There's just something about him. I know that Dermot's Mother was very kind and loving. In her obituary, it said her first thoughts were always for her family. She listen Dermot as a survivor. I believe that she could not bring herself to talk about the river evidence. I don't want that kind of negative closure either. It's too painful! It's easier to think emotionally that Dermot ran away to join the Hippie Movement, going around helping people, shinning shoes, vending hot dogs. Dermot, unlike the per-determined life demanded by his family, didn't care about money fame, and power. His quests were freedom, peace, compassion, and love.
May Peace Be With You Dermot.
Satch
PS. For new members to the case this is Charlie Project's info on Dermot. (Doe Network's info is gone
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/k/kelly_dermot.html
And a great article from a reporter whom I contacted about Dermot's case. Sadly, we share the suicide theory as most probably cause:
http://mywebtimes.com/archives/ottawa/display.php?id=449448
