The Kelly Family (serial killers)
The Kelly Family | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Died | January 4, 1888 |
| Cause of death | Bill, Kit, and William were hanged by a posse. Kate broke her neck after falling off a horse. |
| Other names | "The Kelly Friends" "The Kelly Gang" |
| Convictions | Murder, Manslaughter, assault |
| Criminal penalty | None, died before they could be convicted |
| Details | |
| Victims | 11 |
Span of crimes | August – December 1887 |
| Country | United States |
| States | Oklahoma Panhandle ("No Man's Land"), later part of Oklahoma |
Date apprehended | January 4, 1888 |
The Kelly Family was an American family of serial killers who operated between August and December 1887 near a town called Oak City, just south of the Kansas state border in "No Man's Land", now the Oklahoma Panhandle. The family consisted of William Kelly (55); his wife Kate; his son Bill, also called 'Billy' (20) and daughter, Kit (18). Originally from Pennsylvania, the family is believed to have murdered 11 wealthy travelers, akin to the Bloody Benders a decade earlier.
Vigilantes hunted down and killed the fleeing family in order to make an example of them. William confessed to all of the family's crimes before being hanged from a tree.