Alex Kelly (born May 8, 1967) is an American convicted
rapist.
Early life
Alex Kelly is the son of Melanie Reisdorf Kelly, a travel agent, and Joe Kelly, a plumber.
He grew up in the
Noroton Heights section of
Darien, Connecticut.
In 1986, he graduated from
Darien High School.
His older brother, Christopher, died of a drug overdose in 1991 while Kelly was on the run.
His younger brother, Russell, died in 2004 in a car accident in
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming
Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is border ...
, while Kelly was incarcerated.
Crimes
Kelly was charged with committing two rapes within a four-day period in Darien, Connecticut, in February 1986. He was charged first with the rape of a 16-year-old
Stamford girl, and then of a teenager in Darien. In one of the rapes, according to the police, he encountered a girl who lived near him and offered her a ride home from a party. He was later also charged with
drug possession
The prohibition of drugs through sumptuary legislation or religious law is a common means of attempting to prevent the recreational use of certain intoxicating substances.
While some drugs are illegal to possess, many governments regulate th ...
and two counts of
kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/ asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the ...
.
In addition to those cases, five other women have told prosecutors and an author that Kelly raped them when he was a teen, although he has never been charged with those attacks.
Before his trial was due to begin on February 16, 1987, Kelly fled the United States and spent the next seven years on the run, mostly in Europe. Kelly's parents allegedly supported him financially during this seven-year period, although they may have been unaware of his exact locations. Law enforcement authorities suspected that the parents had been in contact with their son and, on at least one occasion, raided the parents' house in an attempt to find evidence of Kelly's location or their assistance to him.
In January 1995, the Connecticut State Police discovered photos in the Kelly home of Alex with his parents in Europe the previous year. His parents were charged with obstruction, after which Kelly surrendered in Switzerland. He was
extradited to the United States on rape and kidnapping charges. Several lesser counts were excluded, as they were not specifically listed in the extradition treaty between the two nations.
While out on bail, Kelly was allowed by the court to take classes at
Norwalk Community College.
Kelly faced two trials in 1997. After the first was declared a
mistrial, the second resulted in his conviction for the first rape and a sentence of 10 years in prison. He pleaded
no contest to the second rape and was sentenced to an additional 10 years in prison (sentence to run concurrently with the 10-year sentence).
In 2005, after having served eight years of his 10-year sentence, Kelly appeared before a Connecticut
parole board; his bid for release was rejected.
[Yardley, William]
Parole Bid Is Rejected for Rapist Who Fled U.S.
''The New York Times'', March 4, 2005. Accessed November 5, 2007. At the hearing Kelly apologized many times saying he was "hypercompetitive" and self-centered, and that he has finally realized that the world is bigger than him.
[
On November 24, 2007, Kelly was released from prison on good behavior. He is required to serve 10 years probation, perform 200 hours of community service, pay a $10,000 fine, and register with the Connecticut sex offender registry. Kelly has claimed that, while in prison, he earned a bachelor's degree in economics and third-world development.
He has since worked as a skydiving instructor.
]
Portrayals in the media
Kelly's story was recounted in an episode of Dominick Dunne's Court TV series '' Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege, and Justice''. '' Crime in Connecticut: The Story of Alex Kelly'' (also known as ''The Return of Alex Kelly''), is based on Alex Kelly.Turning Point
A turning point, or climax, is the point of highest tension in a narrative work.
Turning Point or Turning Points may refer to:
Film
* ''The Turning Point'', a 1914 silent film starring Caroline Cooke
* ''The Turning Point'' (1920 film), an Amer ...
'', whose segment title was "Fugitive Son: The Hunt for Alex Kelly." ''Vanity Fair Confidential'' aired an episode entitled "The Fugitive Son" on January 23, 2017.
References
External links
Connecticut: Stamford: Rapist Won't Seek New Trial
*
''Crime in Connecticut''Connecticut Sex Offender Registry page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Alex Andrew
1967 births
20th-century American criminals
American prisoners and detainees
American people convicted of rape
Living people
Place of birth missing (living people)
People from Darien, Connecticut
Prisoners and detainees of Connecticut
People extradited from Switzerland
People extradited to the United States
American male criminals
Wealth in the United States
Crimes in Connecticut
Darien High School alumni