Michael Gaine suspect rejects theory he used a chainsaw to chop up remains
The suspect in the murder of farmer Michael Gaine says it is 'preposterous' to suggest he used a chainsaw to dismember his remains.
This paper has now spoken at length to former US soldier Michael Kelley, 53, who last week admitted to us he was arrested by Gardaí on suspicion of the murder.
Mr Gaine's suspected dismembered remains were discovered in slurry which was spread on his farmland in Kenmare, Co Kerry.
Speaking to this paper in a lengthy phone interview just before Gardaí confirmed the remains had been formally identified, Mr Kelley told us he completely rejects the Garda theory that he used a chainsaw, found on the farm, to chop up his remains.
Once again insisting his innocence, Mr Kelley, who is now residing in Tralee, also told us he has no intention of fleeing – and he will 'fight this one out no matter what.'
'The chainsaw thing is preposterous or they would have charged me. I mean Texas Chainsaw Massacre bulls**t? I mean please. Preposterous,' he said.
Mr Kelley, who is originally from Maine in the US, revealed to us that Gardaí showed him 'glossy photographs' of the chainsaw seized from Mr Gaine's land – and what he said to them when they did.
'They had colour glossy photos of the chainsaw. I said 'Where the f**k is the glossy photograph of anything having to do with Michael Gaine's body?' I didn't see it.
'This is a little card game that they're playing. Where's your evidence? Where's the macabre photo?' he said.
'They don't have it. They have nothing and if they did show me a colour glossy photo of the human remains they had I bet you I would have called bulls**t right there and said there's no way that those human remains could be his.'
Mr Kelley was speaking to us as we today reveal exclusive photos of him working on Mr Gaine's land during the massive Garda search for the popular farmer's remains. He can be seen working with an axe as officers conduct the investigation.
Speaking yesterday, the self-admitted suspect claims he is being used as a 'patsy' and that officers suspected him because he lived on the land.
'After 24 hours and one minute of him going missing they descended on the farm with helicopters and drones. It's unheard of.
"They have been sitting on human remains this whole time and not saying anything about it until all of a sudden they're accusing me of Michael Gaine's murder and they have not shown so much as his body. They're trying to say the remains are of Michael Gaine because they're trying to patsy me,' he said.
Mr Kelley told us that he has used the chainsaw in the past, but that Gardaí will not connect his DNA to the suspected crime.
'It's Michael Gaine's chainsaw. Yes [I used it before]. The whole thing is bunk and if there was anything to it they would've charged me,' he said.
'It's preposterous and if it was true they would have charged me. It's preposterous that they present this chainsaw as though it is somehow linked to the disappearance of Mr Gaine.'
Mr Kelley told us how he continued to reside on Mr Gaine's land for several weeks as officers combed the area looking for his remains – and how he believes, despite the discovery of remains, that Gardaí have 'no evidence.'
'I think you should just let the evidence speak for itself. I have not seen conclusive evidence. The guards did not present me with one iota of evidence that he is dead. Not one bit,' he claimed.
Asked if he was confident that Gardaí will not find his DNA in connection with the alleged crime he said: 'That's one of those questions that my solicitor would get into me answering so I don't want to go against his advice, he's like my doctor here.
'I did want to point out though that I don't know how long it takes to do a DNA test but in my opinion, probably not in more than a week.
'Now they reported that they searched those tanks seven weeks ago. So whatever evidence they've taken out of those tanks now they could've and should've been able to identify as belonging to Michael Gaine while I was still on the farm.
'So it seems to me as though if they actually had Michael Gaine's remains, that they would have told you – not about their belief system, that they believe this and they're satisfied that, they would have told you – we have DNA evidence confirming we have the remains of Michael Gaine.
'Have you heard that? I've not heard that. I've heard statements about their beliefs and with what they are so called satisfied and as far as I'm concerned that is their admission that they don't have evidence,' he claimed.
In a subsequent statement to this paper last night, Gardaí have since confirmed the human remains 'have been identified as being the remains of Michael Gaine'.
Speaking about the search, which he says he watched as he continued to work the land, Mr Kelley said he could not believe the scale of it.
'Listen to me, this guy was gone for 24 hours and one f***ing minute and all of a sudden there's a coast guard helicopter flying overhead. Now who have they ever done that for?
'Who is this guy? Who is this Michael Gaine that they would do this for him?' he said.
Mr Kelley refused to speak about what kind of a person Mr Gaine was or what his relationship was like with him – having previously told us he found the victim to be 'OK'. 'No I can't say anything about Michael Gaine,' he said, citing advice from his solicitor.
He did however tell us that he last saw Mr Gaine on the day before he disappeared. 'I don't want to make a mistake here. He went missing on the 19th, right? Is that not the correct date? The date he is alleged to have gone missing. I don't want to trip up here, I think it was the 19th,' he said.
'I believe the 20th was the search, I just can't f***ing remember. It is as reported – I saw him the day before the big search.'
Mr Kelley said he was speaking to us to clarify what he said were matters of fact and public record – but said certain questions, such as about his relationship with Mr Gaine, he was staying quiet about.
'I'm being told by a solicitor to shut up. That's his advice. There may be a very good reason especially as it appears the police are – and are trying to do a fit-up,' he claimed.
Mr Kelley also told us about working on Mr Gaine's farm and claimed the missing man had made him burn things in a pit.
'When I was at this farm and I was observing their searches – first they searched the tank, then I mentioned to them an area where Michael Gaine had dug a pit about six-feet deep and we had filled it with furniture and garbage.
'This was all being done under the cover of darkness for some reason and then he would have me light it for him as he would often burn garbage off,' he claimed.
'He had me light it for him and then he would cover it over the next day like it wasn't there. I told them where that was and they immediately dug it up.'
He also spoke of searches using metal detectors during the search – which he could not understand.
'And then they started going around with metal detectors everywhere. Again if you're looking for the fallen body of a man who's recently disappeared, I don't think that you need to search beneath the ground with metal detectors to come up with that body,' he said.
'He's not made out of metal. My deduction at that point was they must have found something in that tank which led them to conclude that there was more to find.'
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