The Shadow
Alleghany County Sheriff Kevin Hall gave a press release, Monday, to provide an update on the Disappearance of Donald Wayne Kelley, age 56, who was reported missing on April 9 of last year, after a call from a family member requesting a well-being check as they had been unable to contact him for several days.
Hall advised a room full of family members and several media outlets, a total of approximately 40 people, that Investigators are looking at a person of interest but only have circumstantial evidence, thus far, in this ongoing investigation.
Hall provided the following timeline of the investigation to date:
4/9/2022 – Received a call for a well-being check from a family member of Donald W. Kelley, 56, who had been unable to contact him in several days. Deputies responded with the assistance of the Virginia State Police and searched the residence, property, and surrounding area and were unable to locate Mr. Kelley. Mr. Kelley was then entered as a missing person into Virginia Crime Information Network and National Crime Information Center. Deputies requested that his phone number be “Pinged” for its location every 15 minutes for a 48-hour period, showing no results.
4/10/2022 – Deputies interviewed family members and friends of Mr. Kelley and at that point called for an Investigator to respond. Mr. Kelley was reported to have last been seen by one of these persons on either 3/31/2022 or 4/1/2022.
4/11/2022 – Investigators checked Mr. Kelley’s financial records. The last financial record was processed on 3/24/2022. Phone records indicated that 3/26/2022 was the last documented cell phone usage on Mr. Kelley’s phone. This led Investigators to believe that Mr. Kelley had been missing for 14-days prior to our involvement.
4/12/2022 – Search warrant executed on the residence of Donald Kelley including a search with cadaver dogs and excavation of an area of interest on the property.
4/14/2022 – Search warrant of Donald Kelley’s cell phone records.
4/16/2022 – Another search warrant of Mr. Kelley’s residence resulting in the recovery of additional evidence that was sent to the Department of Forensic Science for laboratory analysis. It is at this point in time our focus shifted from being solely a missing person to the possibility of foul play being involved. NOTE – Results of lab testing not received until 12/2023.
4/20/2022-5/17/2022 – Nine search warrants executed for more detailed phone records including geofencing reports.
4/29/2022 – Search of property in Alleghany County with cadaver dogs.
6/6/2022 – Search warrant executed in Greenbrier County, WV for physical evidence located in a vehicle.
7/29/2022 – Search warrant executed for telephone records from a “Person of Interest.”
12/22/2022 – Evidence analysis received from prior search warrants submitted to the lab.
2/1/2023 – Six Search warrants executed for social media platforms.
2/13/2023 – Search warrant executed for a residence and property in Botetourt County including the use of a cadaver dog. Evidence collected sent to the lab – pending analysis.
2/23/2023 – Search warrants executed for two vehicles in Alleghany County.
To date, 26 search warrants have been executed, 57 interviews conducted, and 49 items of evidence, including firearms and DNA have been collected.
3/8/2023 – The entire case file has been turned over to the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office for review and determination on how to proceed with the case in this ongoing investigation.
Agencies assisting in this investigation: Alleghany County/Covington Sheriff’s Office, Alleghany County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, Virginia Department of Emergency Management, FBI, VSP, VSP High Tech Crime Unit, VSP Bureau of Criminal Investigations, VSP Aviation Unit, Clifton Forge Police, Covington Division of Police, Bath County Sheriff’s Office, Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office, Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Office.
This is still considered an active Homicide/Missing Person investigation. This has been and will continue to be a top priority with our agency until the person or persons involved in Donald Kelley’s disappearance is brought to justice. If anyone has any information on the whereabouts of Donald Wayne Kelley or the 2002 Red KIA Sportage he was reported to have been driving, please contact Captain Scott Fischer (540) 965-1770 ext 105, Lt. Richard Shull (540) 965-1770 ext 107, or submit a tip at 1-833-ALL-TIPS or use the online form at www.alleghanysheriff.us.
