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Irish Times
3 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Who is the American drifter questioned over Michael Gaine's murder?
Kerry farmer Michael Gaine's disappearance on March 20th was first treated as a missing person's case. Soon, though, it was upgraded to a murder investigation as gardaí explored multiple lines of inquiry in their attempts to find a body. Partial human remains were found on May 16th and subsequently confirmed to be those of Gaine. The discovery shone a new, disturbing light on the case. The 56-year-old had been dismembered, with his body parts deposited into the silage pit on his farm . One line of inquiry involved Michael Kelley, an American who lived and worked on Gaine's 1,000-acre farm for the past three years. READ MORE Kelley has identified himself to the media and confirmed he was arrested and questioned in relation to Gaine's murder. He was released without charge. So, who is he and what was he doing in Kerry? How did he come to live and work on the Gaine farm? And why is he giving interviews? Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
Irish Times
6 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Who is Michael Kelley, the man questioned over the murder of Michael Gaine?
It is a drizzly morning in Tralee and few people seem to be paying much attention to the tall, bearded man in rain gear. He is making his way across The Square in the Co Kerry town, just another person going about their business on another grey Irish day. The man is Michael Kelley (53), a US army veteran from Maine, a northeastern state, but now resident in Tralee. He is, to date, the only man to have been questioned about the murder of Kerry farmer Mike Gaine (56) whose dismembered remains were found two weeks ago at his farm outside Kenmare, two months after he went missing. READ MORE Kelley, standing 6ft tall and lean and muscular, is firm but polite when approached by The Irish Times and other media, saying he will not be doing any other interviews beyond what he has told The Irish Daily Mirror some days earlier. He confirms that his reported comments are correct and that he was arrested by gardaí for questioning about Gaine's murder. He denied any involvement in the killing during nine interviews over 24 hours of questioning by gardaí. [ American man Michael Kelley (53) confirms he was suspect arrested for questioning about Michael Gaine Opens in new window ] Kelley has alleged he is being framed for the crime by criminals. 'There may be elements that want to string me up – people who have an interest in organised crime – people who are involved in organised crime,' he has said. He is calm and relaxed. He says he has been playing traditional Irish music, having been photographed playing the flute with a local busker some days earlier. Michael Kelley busking on the streets of Tralee, Co Kerry. Photograph: Domnick Walsh/Eye Focus As he agrees to pose for a photograph, he jokes that he will have to 'start charging $10 for pictures'. Little is known about Kelley, who has become the suspect in an investigation into Gaine's gruesome murder. Kelley, whose ancestors are understood to be from east Galway, grew up in a rural part of the US, outside the small village of Swanville, which has a population of about 1,500 and is in Waldo County in central Maine, about a two-hour drive northeast of Portland, the state's capital and largest city. He was born on July 27th, 1971, the second child born to New Yorkers Patrick and Janice Kelley, who moved to Maine in 1967 with Janice's son, Damon, from her first marriage. The family settled on a five-acre holding at Upper Oak Hill Road in Swanville. [ Michael Gaine case: Investigators believe most human remains at farm have been recovered Opens in new window ] Janice Kelley had lived in the East Village in New York with her first husband and she stayed there after their marriage ended, becoming acquainted with many of the folk musicians on the coffee shop circuit and some of the leading figures in the 1960s counterculture scene before they became famous. She participated in the famous 1963 March on Washington, where she heard Martin Luther King make his famous 'I Have a Dream' speech. This was to inform her political thinking in later life, when she became an ardent Democrat strongly opposed to Republican Donald Trump. Michael Kelley and his mother Janice in 2018 posted on Facebook She and her husband set up a small business where she would design houses and he, a skilled carpenter, would build them. She taught her children an appreciation of nature and growing their own food. Janice and Patrick Kelley divorced in 1974, and she moved with the children to Washington, Maine, but returned to Swanville in 1981, where she opened a second-hand store where people could buy music and jewellery as well as rock crystals and gemstones from around the world. What role or influence Janice Kelley's politics and philosophy had on her son Michael is unclear, but in 1991, aged just 19, he found himself in the US army on a military base in Germany, where, when not on sentry duty, he watched as the first Gulf war unfolded in Kuwait and Iraq. Kelley told the Irish Daily Mirror he never killed anyone when in the army and became a conscientious objector when he saw the horror of the 'Highway of Death', when hundreds of Iraqi troops were killed at night in February 1991 by American war planes as they retreated from Kuwait. What Kelley did after he quit the US army is unclear. He seems to have kept a low profile for more than a decade. On April 6th, 2006, he married Karen Harden in Northport, Maine. The couple divorced on June 23rd, 2014. On December 22nd, 2009, he found himself the subject of critical comments from Judge Donald G Alexander of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court after he appealed a decision by Judge Michael Westcott of Maine District Court over the custody of his two daughters. The judge's criticisms are outlined in a detailed eight-page published judgment . Michael Gaine, whose remains were found earlier this month, more than two months after the 56-year-old sheep farmer was last spotted in a supermarket in Kenmare Kelley had been in a romantic relationship with a woman called Alicia Snow, and they had two daughters. After they separated Kelley brought a parental-rights action over his right of access to the children, who were living with their mother, a qualified nurse. Initially the relationship between the separated couple was cordial but Kelley later claimed that Snow had breached the court order, which ruled that the children could live with her, when she took them on a visit out of state to Chicago, Illinois, to their grandfather without Kelley's consent. Judge Westcott found for Snow in the initial hearing. Kelley appealed it to the state supreme court, where he represented himself. He called his wife, Karen, as a witness. After hearing testimony from both sides, including Snow and her father, Judge Alexander affirmed the earlier court order. He said that Kelley's allegations and fears that Snow intended to move out of the state with the children were 'unfounded'. He concluded that Kelley's ability to determine fact from fiction was 'questionable', and that both Kelley's testimony and that of his wife was 'untrustworthy'. Undated photograph of Michael Kelley posted in October 2017 on the Facebook page of a relative. He said Kelley was an inflexible parent 'who makes false allegations that Snow is a witch and that she practises witchcraft on the children', while he also found that Kelley refused 'to take responsibility for his role in this conflict'. It suited Kelley to be living off the grid as he wanted to be under the radar — A local in Kenmare Judge Alexander agreed with Judge Westcott when he 'specifically stated why it did not find the testimony of Kelley and wife to be credible, including the unsupported allegations that Snow is casting spells on the children and an unwillingness to take responsibility for conflicts.' Attempts by The Irish Times to contact Alicia Snow and her attorney Thomas F Shehan proved unsuccessful, but Kelley did confirm to the Irish Daily Mirror that he had lost custody of his children, now adults with whom he is in contact, after falsely claiming their mother was a witch. Kelley says he arrived in Ireland seven years ago. From inquiries by The Irish Times, it appears he first surfaced in Kenmare about six years ago, squatting on a boat while working for a man harvesting kelp in Kenmare Bay. Garda forensics specialists at Michael Gaine's farm at Carrig East near Kenmare where partial human remains were discovered. Photograph: Domnick Walsh/Eye Focus When that job ended, he reportedly lived in a shed in Templenoe, a village about eight kilometres along the Ring of Kerry route west of Kenmare, before taking up residence three km away in Scully's Wood near Dromquinna. There, he lived in a tent and reportedly used survivalist skills to live off wildlife. It was while he was there that he met Mike Gaine. 'Mike was out shooting deer with a friend in Scully's Wood when they came across Kelley,' says one local. 'It was around 2022 and Mike offered him the use of his old, abandoned family farmhouse at Carrig East in return for doing jobs around the farm and Kelley agreed.' Gaine's farm at Carrig East is about seven kilometres from Kenmare, near Moll's Gap, the scenic spot popular with tourists. 'Kelley used to earn his keep working for Mike, feeding the animals and such like. They used to go hunting together – it was a very informal, loose arrangement, there was no lease, no contract – it suited Kelley to be living off the grid as he wanted to be under the radar,' says the local. 'There was no electricity in the farmhouse, but that didn't seem to bother him – he was rarely in town – Mike used to drive him every so often in to Aldi or Lidl to do his shopping, but beyond that he never hung around, never went into pubs. 'He was just this very reclusive American drifter.' Kelley told the Irish Daily Mirror that he applied for asylum when he first arrived in Ireland but had been refused. Garda sources confirmed he was served with deportation order four weeks ago, though he remains living in Tralee. 'I've asked for an ombudsman to review my asylum but that's gone nowhere,' he said. 'I'm not surprised – I may have a claim to Irish citizenship based on the standing laws of this country based on my ancestry ... [but] I don't see that they are going to deport me in the middle of this case.'
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Yahoo
Nonprofit launches campaign to help keep Kansas City walkers, bikers safe
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — There's a new campaign to help keep you safe as you walk or bike. It's called Look Out for KC. Its goal is to significantly reduce the number of pedestrians and cyclists killed in crashes in Kansas City. Memorial Day travel expected to break 20-year record Independence Boulevard Christian Church sits right on Independence Avenue, which safety advocates say is one of the most dangerous streets in the city. According to city leaders, there have been three deaths, nine serious injuries and almost 40 crashes on Independence Avenue in the last 18 months. Pastor Mindy Fugarino said cars often drive above the speed limit and don't see members heading to church. 'The crosswalk is painted, but most people aren't seeing that and we did have somebody last year who did get hit,' she said. On Monday, local nonprofit BikeWalkKC launched its campaign to help reduce the number of pedestrians who are struck. Part of the money for the campaign comes from a grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation. The campaign will include sidewalk decals and billboards across the city. 'Far too often, when we hear about these crashes, it's kind of just a story, a blip, and it goes away,' said Michael Kelley with BikeWalkKC. 'But the fact of the matter is, these are our neighbors, these are our family members that we are losing to something that we know we can prevent.' One of those decals will go at 86th Terrace and Troost Avenue, where Asia Dunmore's mother Michelle was . She said their family has never been the same. See the latest headlines in Kansas City and across Kansas, Missouri 'My hope is first that everyone begins to pay more attention when driving. People drive a little safer, put their phones down and try not to evade capture,' Dunmore said. 'If something happens, own up to it.' . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Park View OZ REIT Announces Revenue Growth in Annual Earnings Report
BOSTON, May 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Park View OZ REIT (Stock Symbol: PVOZ), the only qualified opportunity fund with publicly traded stock, announced its annual earnings for the 2024 fiscal year. Park View OZ REIT's earnings report for 2024 shows strong positive momentum. Revenue grew by 1500% in 2024 as compared to 2023. Moreover, the loss per share declined by approximately 85% in 2024 to $0.47 per share from $3.06 a share in 2023. The improved results were largely attributable to having more assets in service during the 2024 fiscal year. 'We remain highly encouraged by the sustained momentum across our business, supported by strong leasing activity and robust demand trends,' says Michael Kelley, CEO of Park View OZ REIT. 'Our properties continue to demonstrate that they are highly appealing to renters, which is reflected in our rental income. This performance underscores the quality of our assets, the resilience of our markets, and the effectiveness of our strategic approach to asset management and tenant engagement.' The fund remains focused on opportunities that deliver both profitability and meaningful community development. The properties acquired are not only delivering financial returns but also enhancing the overall value and vitality of the area in which they're located. To access the complete 2024 Annual Report, including financial statements and project highlights, visit About Park View OZ REITPark View OZ REIT (PVOZ) is the only Qualified Opportunity Fund (QOF) to offer freely tradable shares of stock. We give all investors access to powerful opportunity zone tax incentives and provide the flexibility needed to create a myriad of tax-efficient wealth management strategies. The proceeds of this offering will be invested in opportunity zone properties throughout the U.S. Our unique structure is highly advantageous for investors with capital gains, facilitating compound tax-efficient growth. For more information about the company, visit Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements The information discussed in this press release includes 'forward looking statements' within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included herein concerning, among other things, changes to exchange rates and their impact on the Company, planned capital expenditures, future cash flows and borrowings, pursuit of potential acquisition opportunities, our financial position, business strategy and other plans and objectives for future operations, are forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve certain assumptions, risks and uncertainties and are not (and should not be considered to be) guarantees of future performance. Refer to our risk factors set forth in our reports filed on Edgar. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement made here. Media Contact:Grace Andersongrace@ in to access your portfolio
