MIAMI, Okla. – A romantic entanglement appears to be the motive behind the fatal shooting of an Ottawa County woman, according to a federal criminal complaint.
The body of Tony Elizabeth Torres, 47, also known as Toni Elizabeth Moran, of Miami, was found on Monday. Investigators found Moran’s body next to a pond down a gravel drive three miles north of Commerce in the Picher-Cardin-Quapaw area in rural Ottawa County with apparent gunshot wounds to the left side of her head and upper torso, the complaint states.
Jimmy Gene Kelly Jr. 51, is being held on a federal complaint of Murder in the first-degree, in Indian Country and by causing death by using and discharging a firearm during in relation to a crime of violence. His wife, Charlana Nichelle Kelly, 52, of Miami, is being held in the Ottawa County jail on $100,000 bail on a complaint of accessory to murder after the fact.
Charlene Kelly denied being at the crime scene or shooting Moran.
The Oklahoma Office of Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause and manner of Moran’s death.
An informant provided an audio recording to investigators where Jimmy Kelly can be heard saying he shot Moran in the head and concealed the body near water and Charlene also shot Moran, the complaint states.
However, Jimmy Kelly told investigators a different story saying he was having a “relationship” with Moran that caused his wife, Charlene to become jealous and he had “arranged a confrontation” between both women, the complaint states.
During the confrontation, Moran said she “would be better off dead” so Jimmy Kelly handed her a loaded and cocked revolver and Moran shot herself in the head, the complaint states.
Jimmy Kelly was “so upset with Moran that she shot herself that he picked up the revolver and shot Moran the second time into Moran’s torso,” the complaint states.
Moran’s body was then dragged off the road by Jimmy Kelly in an attempt to conceal it, the complaint states.
Jimmy Kelly returned to the crime scene twice – to retrieve Moran’s cell phone – and the second time to pour gasoline over Moran’s body and set Moran’s body on fire.
But the suspect could not find Moran’s body, so he dumped the bucket of gasoline and threw out the bucket, the complaint states.
Jimmy Gene Kelly, formally of Picher, was convicted of second-degree murder in 1991 in the death of Vernon C. Moyer.
Testimony showed Kelly beat Moyer with tire tools and nearly decapitated the Picher man.
Online court records show Moran had several outstanding warrants for misdemeanor drug violations, felony third-degree burglary, assault, and battery, and endangering while eluding or attempting to elude a police officer.
