Naman Shrestha
In October 2003, James Kelly’s life suddenly came to a tragic end as he was fatally attacked in his house in Cushing, Texas. The incident shook the entire community to its core, while grief took over James’ loved ones. As the detectives investigated the gruesome crime, they uncovered a complicated murder-for-hire plot driven by financial motives. In the episode titled ‘The Mother of Betrayal’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Mother, May I Murder?,’ the primary focus is on the killing and the years-long investigation that ensued.
James Kelly Was a Devoted Husband and Doting Father
Frances Faye Tarver Bone, AKA Maw Maw, welcomed James Lee Kelly as their little bundle of joy on December 5, 1972, in Lufkin, Texas. Apart from his mother, James also had a supportive brother, Pat Kelly, a sister, Kassie Hogan, and a stepfather, David Bone. He was 19 years old when he met 21-year-old Marcia Mechell Kelly at a street race in their community in the early 1990s. According to the show, the latter was already a mother to her daughters, Shaina and Kaitlin, at the time, having given birth to them from her first marriage at 17. James and Marcia reportedly went on their first date sometime in 1993. As they got to know each other better, they got into a relationship. However, things weren’t always smooth with them as they had an on-again, off-again relationship over the years.
While Marcia had three daughters, Shaina, Kaitlin, and Jami Smith, from her past relationships, James was also a father to two sons, David and James Kelly, Jr., with a different partner. In 1995, James was ordered to serve time for violating his probation, as per ‘Snapped.’ Despite their situation, their bond didn’t hit a roadblock as they maintained a connection via letters. Marcia also faced a tragedy when she lost her mother and daughter, Kaitlin, to a house fire. After his release, James transitioned into the trucking business and also purchased a truck to expand it further. He and Marcia realized that they wished to spend their lives together, so they decided to share a roof with their respective children. Over a decade after they first got together, the pair tied the knot on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2003.
James Kelly Was Found Dead by His Stepfather
While James focused all his attention on growing his trucking company, Marcia worked as a respiratory therapist at a hospital. Over time, his business expanded into a multi-truck operation. At the same time, Marcia also opened her own part-time business, which provides rental services for kids’ bounce houses. Through the ups and downs of life, the pair came through and always had each other’s backs. He had built a fulfilling life for himself, Marcia, and the kids in Cushing, Texas. In his downtime, he enjoyed participating in drag racing and mud bogging.
Unfortunately, everything came crashing down on October 23, 2005. Marcia had left for her night shift at the hospital at 6 pm the previous evening, and James was home alone. Around 3 am that fateful morning, James asked Marcia to wake him up later in the morning, but when she couldn’t reach him, she called James’ stepfather, David Bone, and asked him to check on him. When David entered James’ residence, he made a shocking discovery and dialed 911. As the authorities entered the scene of the crime, 32-year-old James Kelly was found dead in his bed, with the cause of his death being a gunshot to his face. The detectives found no sign of forced entry or a struggle, as nothing seemed to be out of order.
Four Individuals Were Linked to James Kelly’s Murder
According to the documentary, investigators noted that Marcia appeared calm when they arrived, feeding her dogs before checking on the scene. It raised a few suspicions about Marcia, but she had a solid alibi as she was at her workplace at the time of the killing. Thus, the investigators began following up on other clues, including the fact that Shaina didn’t have a good relationship with her stepfather, James. Upon digging deeper into Shaina’s life, the detectives learned that she was in a relationship with a 23-year-old sex offender named Dallas Christian at the time. When Marcia was questioned about the whereabouts of Shaina, she claimed that her daughter was at a friend’s place the night of the murder.
Just a couple of weeks before the murder, Shaina had been arrested for assault after she got into a physical altercation with her mother, Marcia, on October 5, 2005. The police then tracked her down and located her with Dallas a few hours after the murder of James. As they were interviewed separately, Dallas told the detectives about another friend named Colton Weir. The day after, the investigators brought in Colton for questioning, and he claimed that Shaina had been looking for someone to kill her stepfather. He also told them that he was with Dallas and Shaina at River Bottom, from where they drove to James’ house together in Shaina’s car with a rifle. After reaching the Kelly residence, Colton was allegedly led to James’ bedroom by Shaina, after which he shot him in the face while he was asleep.
Another shocking revelation came to light when Dallas told the authorities that James’ wife, Marcia, was the actual mastermind behind the murderous plot. According to police reports and testimony, she offered $10,000, jet skis, 18-wheelers, and other items for James’ murder. On October 26, 2005, she was interrogated, but she continued to deny her involvement and emphasized her solid alibi. Upon going through the cell phone records, the police learned that Marcia and Shaina were in constant contact with each other in the hours leading up to the murder. Thus, all the involved parties, including Marcia, Shaina, Dallas, and Colton, were arrested and charged with capital murder.
Marcia, Shaina, Dallas, and Colton Are Currently Incarcerated at Separate Texas Prison Facilities
Several months later, on July 31, 2006, Marcia Kelly stood trial for orchestrating the murder of her husband, James. The prosecution claimed that the $100,000 life insurance policy and his other valuable possessions served as the motive. The defense, on the other hand, acknowledged that Marcia wished his death, but argued that she didn’t mean it. The defense also blamed Shaina, who took the stand and testified in her mother’s favor. In her testimony, Shaina alleged that James had molested her, an allegation that was never substantiated by investigators and played no role in the charges against him. However, on August 4, the jury returned with a guilty verdict after two hours of deliberation and convicted her of capital murder. Marcia was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
In the same year, Colton Weir was also found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. In April 2007, Shaina was convicted and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Meanwhile, Dallas Christian pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Since both Shaina and Colton were juveniles at the time of the murder, they appealed their sentences. As a result, they were then resentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. As of today, 54-year-old Marcia is serving her sentence at the William P. Hobby Unit in Marlin, Texas, while 36-year-old Shaina is incarcerated at Dr. Lane Murray Unit in Gatesville, Texas. As for 43-year-old Dallas and 36-year-old Colton, they are locked up at Beauford H. Jester III Unit in Richmond, Texas, and the Charles T. Terrell Unit in Rosharon, Texas.
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