The family consisted of William Kelly (55); his wife Kate; his son Bill, also called 'Billy' (20) and daughter, Kit (18).
Originally from Pennsylvania, the family is believed to have murdered 11 wealthy travelers, akin to the Bloody Benders a decade earlier.
They moved around to different places along the southern border until eventually settling in No Man's Land, around 25 miles from Beaver, Oklahoma.
[3] A short while after, a traveller from St. Louis named S. T. Gregg, who had visited the tavern before, decided to stop by and check the house.
[1] Soon after the discoveries, information from Beaver came that all four of the Kelly Family had passed through town a few days ago, en route to New Mexico.
A posse of 20 men was quickly organized, and the family's trail led to Palo Duro Creek, from where it appeared that their route had changed towards Wheeler, Texas.
William proceeded to explain their family history, but claimed to have moved towards Texas because of the crimes in the area, denying taking part in the killings.
Finally he did, telling that all of the family members had taken part, where the money was stored, and that they had killed nine men and two women.
The man further elaborated that all the stories of the latter's capture were made up, supposedly by a group of confederates, who have also helped the Benders dispose of the murdered victims' horses and wagons.