Identified! AR - El Dorado, Whitehall Motel, WhtFem 18-21, 81UFAR, Jul'91 #4 - Kelly from VA

[Alleykins]

RIP Kelly.

I find it interesting that for several of the alias's that she used, she actually used her real first name. Her real first name was staring us in the face this whole time.

I noticed that, too.

 

[Daphne1972]

Finally!!

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The story of El Dorado Jane Doe has been actively investigated since 1991 when an unidentified woman was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend on July 10. For three decades, many have wondered who was murdered at the Whitehall Motel that year.

Nearly thirty-one years later, numerous law enforcement investigators and genealogy experts have discovered El Dorado Jane Doe’s true identity. Investigators identified the women as Kelly, whose last name is being withheld to keep privacy for her family.

The discovery of Kelly’s identity was made possible after genealogy experts, Yolanda McClary, Jean Grier and Michael Leclerc worked closely with Captain Cathy Phillips to pull together and test pieces of DNA.

Numerous law enforcement who worked this case discovered she was not the same person as who her identification card described her as. The victim used multiple aliases such as; Cheryl Wick, Mercedes, Kelly Carr, Sharon Wiley and several other as she moved state to state.

In 2004, Cathy Phillips a detective with The El Dorado Police Department at that time, began researching the case. New web sites and facilities became available around this time, such as Namus and the Doe Network.

Discussions Phillips had with Kermit Channell from Arkansas State Crime Lab and Prosecutor, Jeff Rogers, left them feeling like all avenues had been exhausted.

The only evidence investigators had at that time were fingerprints and photographs, as time progressed they were able to get help and look into DNA.

In 2018, a Crime Scene Investigator and Genealogy Researcher named Yolanda McClary along with her team of Genealogist, Jean Grier and Michael Leclerc, approached local law enforcement to help identify Jane Doe. After numerous search efforts and DNA profile work, Yolanda and her team were the driving force that gave El Dorado Jane Doe her identity.

Genealogy records reveal El Dorado Jane Doe’s true identity

EL DORADO, Ark. (KTVE/KARD)– The story of El Dorado Jane Doe has been actively investigated since 1991 when an unidentified woman was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend on July 10. For three…

www.myarklamiss.com

 

[Stargazer42]

How would her paternal relatives know all of this information about her entire childhood etc? Especially if her father never knew she existed?

It sounds like Kelly's maternal aunt met with Yolanda, and gave her all of the background info. The paternal relatives have welcomed Kelly into their family history, but they didn't know she existed until DNA testing connected them.

 

[coco]

I noticed that, too.

Even the last name was very similar to one of her aliases!

 

[mp_1989]

Even the last name was very similar to one of her aliases!

I thought we didn't get a last name

 

[Susikatze]

Yes, something must have happened that turned Brendas life around completely. The article says during her first years of marriage, she had a good job. Why does it later say she never worked and only relied on men to pay her bills?

<modsnip>

Anyhow, this should be mainly Kellys story but her moms trauma was responsible that poor Kelly never really had a chance. I wish we could get to the root of her trauma. I do not buy the "spoiled rich girl" story. Something must have happened at some point.

Jmoo

 

[scruffydog]

How would her paternal relatives know all of this information about her entire childhood etc? Especially if her father never knew she existed?

I have a problem with how the author is relaying the story. For someone who heard this information second or third hand..... and someone who never walked in Kellys mothers or families shoes..... when pointing a finger there are three pointing back.

I'm glad she has been identified.

Sleep peacefully Kelly.

I agree completely

 

[maybelline123]

I thought we didn't get a last name

Me too. The thought of it being similar to an alias reallllly makes me wonder how close I might have come during all the hours I spent on the various alias name rabbit holes I excavated over all these years while trying to help Kelly find her home.

Whatever her surname is, I hope the family will soon adjust to the news enough to feel okay letting us all know.

Perhaps if they check out all the love Sherri Jarvis has received after being fully identified they'll feel better. And Marcia King, another beautiful girl many wished they could help identify.

I don't know abt other social media but nobody I've seen post here on Kelly's pages has expressed "judgement" regarding Kelly nor her life choices.

I've always thought of her as about my age and sure enough she was just 3 years younger than me. When she was in Dallas, so was I, and I was occasionally taking risky chances in the party scene.

I've always and will always wonder if I ever saw her out and about in Dallas but didn't know it.

Sure, I've ended up surviving to at least appear outwardly to be "old and boring" but sometimes I look back and am astounded at the dangerous situations young me strode recklessly into behind a front of false bravado. I've always thought that if Kelly had survived her youth, she would surely identify with me on that now!

Anyway, peace to the forever Beautiful Kelly and her family. If any of Kelly's folks see this, I hope you find comfort in knowing so many here felt close to her in a way over the years as we tried to assist! She wasn't forgotten. ️

 

[Gameman]

I give so many props to the people who tried to make the Blevins connection, even if didn't make sense on paper. I honestly thought it was beating a dead horse. I hope this post is allowed, as Kelly's last name was not Blevins anyway, and it is known that she is part of the Wood family. It's just truly crazy how it came together, and we don't even know the full story.

 

[GatorFL]

A great solved ruined by a terrible reveal. RIP Kelly.

 

[Susikatze]

<modsnip>
DLL has been identified by DNA as her father a long time ago, before they figured out the maternal side (no wonder, endogamy sucks), it is even somewhere on this thread.

 

[Alleykins]

Okay, now I'm confused.
So it's confirmed Kelly descended from a Blevins? Why were we told the Blevins weren't related and were genetically ruled out? I recall their possible relationship was dismissed.
The resemblance of Kelly to all the pictures of the Blevins sisters posted here was uncanny, but we were told they weren't related because one of their descendants, was not a genetic match (paraphrasing from memory here).
I ask not because I'm nosy, but because the official team researching the Allenstown Middle Child has created a family tree of thousands of relatives that have been officially "ruled out", especially branches where there is a known crossover between her 2 common ancestors, who have been eliminated, and I want to know how reliable this data is. And because there is a ton of endogamy in the MC's line. A LOT. More distant in the recent generations, as recent as the millennials with distant cousins, but 200 years ago, it was first cousins.

 

[Susikatze]

SInce they say that Kelly went to an aunt of hers.. and that Kelly didn't have any male uncle.. i don't know...

I feel we are missing so much extra information and some things may not have been told to the author correctly. And an aunt does not have to mean a biological sister of the mother. Everything is so confusing.
I also feel this whole VA genealogy is a massive pot of endogamy for generations. The same names over and over but different persons. Either DNA got confused with naming DLL as father (but even in the wildest endogamy scenarios he would be the sharing 50% of Kellys DNA <modsnip> or something else is not correct here.

 

[Susikatze]

Could you please point me in the right direction re search terms? I can't find anything!.
If I'm reading this right then Kelly is related to the Blevins?

I cannot find the Blevins connection at all. But what do I know? I do not have access to all records and as I said, endogamy and NPE in family trees are tricky... so unless someone steps in and enlightens us all, i am fishing in the dark.

 

[Oakie]

I'm confused here, too, since I don't know whom those various initials refer to. I think most of us would need a family tree chart at this point.

I saw the various Blevins photos earlier in these threads, and couldn't imagine how Kelly could not be related to them. It did not occur to me, then, that the relationship might be paternal. But the facial resemblance is undeniable.

 

[WildhorseC]

I'm sure McAlphin's upset right now. He thought he could use his "information" on Kelly's death as a plea bargain. He's an absolute madman.

If I remember correctly he is out of prison. It seems like he was released maybe last year

 

[WildhorseC]

Well, I'm sure her name will come. There is an individual who has been convicted and sentenced to death in her murder. At the very least, I'd think Kelly's true identity would have to be officially appended to his case file for legal purposes and become part of the legal file.

Kelly, you tried your whole life to be the adult in your family by nature. The nurture you received by those who should have raised you made it impossible for you to enjoy your best life. I hope that now that you have been given back your name, and we some explanation of the context of tragedies which played such havoc with you and your stolen childhood, that your dignity is stronger today and that your angel wings are carrying you as high as you wish to fly. Rest well Kelly. Finally. You did not deserve any of this and your perserverance was amazing for one so young.

He pled guilty to 2nd degree murder and received 15 years & is out now. He served a total of 13 years.
There is another murderer w/same name but in i believe Ohio who was sentenced to death

 

[WildhorseC]

There was one brother in Brenda's (future) stepfather's obituary. Either way, the cousin from Alabama had no Blevins blood, so that would have limited potential fathers to ABW, his brothers, and their sons. I understand them not wanting to come forward with this family secret show. I just don't understand that initial blog post. It's like it was a member of the family trying to release the narrative. Also, it was all about Brenda being an awful human.

I figured it was probably Kelly’s sister that wrote it and had a lot of anger at her mom. I could understand her having all that anger if what was written was true & that’s probably the better stuff. There is probably much worse in the story but they stopped themselves from telling everything. Idk I see it as a person brenda hurt deeply with her actions & this sounds like a child crying for help like “look what she has done” “ look how she treated us” and finding out her sister passed probably brought all that anger back to the surface

 

[Gameman]

DLL has been identified by DNA as her father a long time ago, before they figured out the maternal side (no wonder, endogamy sucks), it is even somewhere on this thread.

Can you cite some sources? The only thing I knew of before this week was that Kelly descended from the Carters on the paternal side and NRW was NOT her father because his children and grandchildren were her cousins.
This week, we learned of Brenda, who is ABW's daughter, and we learned that Kelly's grandmother was a Blevins. I seriously get confused every time I think about it because Brenda is the center of the story now.