Kriti Mehrotra
When 56-year-old devoted mother of 3 and professional nurse Kathleen Gail Kruse Seely was killed on September 9, 2001, it was the biggest news in the small town of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. However, the focus understandably shifted less than two days later with the 9/11 attacks, so her loved ones were inclined to share her story on ID’s ‘Twisted Love: If I Can’t Have You.’ It details every aspect of her homicide, including how fixation, jealousy, and possession can prove fatal at the hands of even the most unexpected individuals, as well as its ensuing aftermath.
Kathleen Seely Was Shot to Death at Her Workplace
A native of Denver, Colorado, Kathleen Seely was born on July 17, 1945, into a reportedly loving, supportive, and traditional household. She grew up as a family-oriented, devout Christian. According to her loved ones, she was also extremely kind, nurturing, as well as warm. It was no surprise when she chose to be a stay-at-home spouse and mother upon starting a family of her own. She had tied the knot with Stephen Austin in 1957, after which they welcomed three adorable children into the world: Mark Austin in 1969, Kevin Austin in 1970, and Abby Austin in 1972.
As per Kathleen’s kids in the show, she raised them in a traditional setting too – attending church three times a week, always remaining proper, and maintaining house rules. However, they claim she also gave them a sense of independence while teaching them right from wrong, which only grew once they relocated to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, for good in 1983. They did so to be closer to her elderly mother and to provide better job opportunities for Stephen. However, things changed around a decade later, as the relatively new empty nesters ended up separating. Their ensuing divorce was quick, sudden, yet amicable, enabling them both to move forward in their lives.
Kathleen had already graduated from North Idaho Community College with a Nursing degree (class of 1992) by that point, so she soon decided to get on her own two feet. She landed a position at Life Care Center of Coeur d’Alene in 1997, found love again with Stephen Seely, married him within months, and then joined North Idaho Behavioral Health in the late 1990s. It was from the latter youth facility that several 911 calls were made on the afternoon of September 9, 2001, only for 7 gunshots to be heard sometime later, at 2:39 pm. When officials breached the place after over 3 hours, they found Kathleen dead with 4 gunshot wounds, one each to the hand, chest, lower abdomen, and lower hip. According to her autopsy, the bullet to her hip was fatal as it ricocheted off her pelvis and severed an artery.
Kathleen Filed for Restraining Orders and Stalking Charges Months Ahead of Her Killing
When investigations into Kathleen’s case began, it came to light that she had been in frequent contact with authorities over the past few years due to a couple of significant personal troubles. The first revolved around her former co-worker from the Life Care Center nursing facility, Kenneth Sheldon, who had allegedly taken her kindness and friendship to mean something more. As per the show, he had reportedly come to believe that they were the perfect fit, so when she got romantically involved with Stephen Seely and then got engaged in a whirlwind, he decided to confess his feelings.
According to records, Kenneth allegedly surprised Kathleen and Stephen with his admission while they were on their way home from a grocery run, which escalated into a brawl between the two men. The nurse subsequently filed harassment and stalking charges against her co-worker, claiming he was making unwanted advances towards her, not only at their workplace but also outside. However, the case initially led nowhere because he allegedly convinced officials that they were in a secret relationship, which she was hiding out of fear of her fiancé. He then got personalized license plates in her name when she finally married Stephen, as a sort of rebellion, which could ultimately be considered potential evidence.
Although the nursing home changed Kathleen and Kenneth’s shifts to ensure they wouldn’t have to interact, she still felt unsafe and decided to leave in early 1999 after her case concluded in an acquittal. Nevertheless, as per records, her troubles continued as he allegedly continued to harass and stalk her by following her around, blocking her car with his vehicle, and more, driving her to file another complaint in June 2000. As per the show, it was around this time that she and Stephen also separated for a brief while after an argument between them allegedly turned a bit physical. Their loved ones claim he had anger issues, but things seemingly settled for the couple when she broke the restraining order she had filed against him.
Kenneth Sheldon Died by Suicide After Taking Kathleen Seely’s Life
Kathleen’s June 2000 case against Kenneth reportedly culminated in another official dismissal of charges in December after he agreed to get a psychiatric evaluation and seek professional help. Nevertheless, it’s imperative to note that according to records, he was convicted in an unrelated stalking case against another co-worker in the late 1990s/early 2000s, for which he spent 30 days in prison. He was still able to serve as a healthcare professional, though, and soon landed a job at a facility right across the street from Kathleen’s workplace, North Idaho Behavioral Health (AKA Kootenai Medical Center).
On September 9, 2001, Kathleen left home after lunch for her routine afternoon-evening shift at the medical institution, unaware Kenneth would be waiting to push into the usually locked front door right after her. As per a witness/fellow nurse’s statement, he had a gun that he started waving around immediately, but he let her go to rush the patients to their on-site gym for their safety. Then, reportedly, following some exchange of words between him and Kathleen, he opened fire at around 2:39 pm – he pulled the trigger around 7 times before things went quiet. The 56-year-old woman was hit 4 times before Kenneth turned the weapon on himself and fired a single shot into his mouth. According to official records, the 50-year-old died immediately.
