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Live broadcast of Chris Kelly presser
Tuesday, Sep 15, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller * 3:38 pm - Country Club Hills Mayor Dwight Welch is expected to make some announcements about the Chris Kelly case at 4 o’clock. If you can bear to watch it click here for the live CBS2 feed. Link should be fixed now. * 3:53 pm - The feed is hot now. So click it. * 4:03 pm - And here we go. The mayor is making an opening statement. He mentioned that a talk show host spent 30 minutes on his show last night speculating that Kelly’s death was a homicide. He claims that the death was an apparent suicide. Thankfully, the mayor is not making the same mistake as Sunday and is turning over the presser to his police chief. Chief: There appears to be no evidence of foul play. No evidence of involvement by other persons. Kelly attempted to commit suicide earlier in the week, Tuesday, but once Kelly arrived at Oak Forest Hospital, he convinced his friend that he didn’t need help. Police believe that Ms. Flores was truthful in her account. Michael Allen removed items from the scene, but turned them over to detectives. Q: Rat poison ingested? A: Can’t comment on what Kelly ingested. Police did recover an unopened box of rat poison. The note which was ostensibly written by Kelly was “rambling.” Kelly took over-the-counter medication during the Tuesday suicide attempt. He was not treated for that attempt. No indication that Kelly changed his mind about committing suicide after the second attempt. No signs of any type of surgery to Kelly’s “private parts.” Kelly told officer at the hospital that he was taking Tylenol for pain. Q: Is it possible that anybody got drugs or other things to Kelly at either hospital? A: Didn’t look at any type of foul play at the hospital. Investigation dealt with activities leading up to being taken to the hospital. Q: [Reporters are getting weird now] Is there any reason that should be looked into? Another reporter says “You have to be bothered” by the fact that Kelly seemed OK and then died. This reporter must be reading the Tribune editorial page. Bad move. “Allegedly the note was written for the Tuesday suicide [attempt].” Mayor is asked about Terry Gillespie’s comments regarding the mayor’s goofy comments. Mayor won’t apologize. Points to his previous police work. Looked at several security videos from several businesses. He did, in fact, go to a store in town and purchase some items so that helped our timeline. Mike Allen didn’t come to Oak Forest hospital until Saturday. The other man “does not wish to be identified,” because he was “only there to help his friend… And I’m going to respect that.” [Once again, if the mayor had just kept his mouth shut and refrained from sowing so much unnecessary speculation and suspicion, this wouldn’t even be an issue.] No indication that pills were prescriptions. But, pills were turned over to State Police Crime Lab. Multiple pills, different sizes different colors that we couldn’t identify. One of the Kelly texts: Come and get me, I need help. [End.]
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- ahem - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 3:46 pm:
javascript:void(0);
Give the page link, not the popup.
- soccermom - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 3:48 pm:
classy of him to do it during the visitation. But then, Mayor Welch has shown that he’s a classy guy.
- ahem - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 3:55 pm:
Is it supposed to be live? I get “loading” but no load.
- Chicago Cynic - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 3:56 pm:
Why is the Mayor the front man on this instead of the police chief. It’s bizarre (and yes, I know what comes out of his mouth is as well).
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 3:58 pm:
ahem, try it again. It’s live on my browser now.
- ahem - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 4:03 pm:
http://www.myfoxchicago.com//subindex/video/live_video works also.
- PPHS - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 4:23 pm:
The police chief doesn’t even have the days correct.
She shouldn’t elaborate on how he could have died 10 hrs. later, after being coherent at the first hospital.
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 4:35 pm:
The chief (and the Tribbies) must not have taken any serious first aid classes (or watched a lot of cop shows, like AA.) If so, they would know that ingesting rat poison does not cause immediate harm to rats, or humans. In the trade as we like to say, it’s not highly bioavailable.
PS: Mayor Florsheim just did it again: “We’re not very good at Spanish” in response to a q on why they were not using Ms. Flores-Buehlos’ full name.
- ahem - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 4:42 pm:
Well, I’m glad the mayor responded to the criticism. I guess the media will say that the investigation was not thorough enough. I wish Chief Evans could have found a way to say “outside the scope of our investigation.” They probably wish this had taken place outside of their jurisdiction. Who needs this kind of stuff?
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 4:48 pm:
Andy, Barney, and their crack detectives also can’t distiguish prescription “pills” from OTC so they had to send them off to the State crime lab. I imagine they could find some of the young residents of the Village with subject matter expertise to help them out, not to mention all the books, online references, pharmacies, and the UI College of Pharmacy down the road from Stroger.
Of course, that takes the kind of effort one might not want to expend if one wants to close the books on a “Heater” ASAP and pry one’s feet out of one’s yapper.
Thoroughly disgusted.
- Amalia - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 4:53 pm:
I’m consistenly amazed at how the lines are crossed in the right for the public to know vs. the good of a particular case and certainly the rights of the family not to suffer more of a circus.
- CircularFiringSquad - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 4:54 pm:
well that was a non event…amazing the amount of time and space mopes can get these days in the Chicago area media
And they wonder why no one buys, watches, listens
Whadda think live funeral coverage…Air Chopper Two with Flannery hanging over the side?
- ahem - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 4:56 pm:
There were state police involved in the investigation, as could be seen in video coverage. This is after all a small town police force that got thrust into the limelight without warning. Hopefully it’ll make them stronger and wiser. It had to be stressful. I have to say, Mayor Welch seems to get some of his vocabulary from Law And Order and NYPD Blue. Whatever.
- phil - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 5:01 pm:
blocked again…c’mon. The reality of it all hurts too much to even see. People in Illinois don’t understand the toll that corruption exacts on our state. We ignore it, accept it,live with it. Maybe becasue I am relatively new, I still see the link between corruption and its consequences. Corruption kills people from time to time, regardless of whether this Blog chooses to accept it or not.
- ahem - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 5:24 pm:
Relax Phil. Rich has high standards (and no intention of spending a lot of money on lawyers probably) so he deletes comments all the time. Do you see me complaining?
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 5:26 pm:
Phil, your original comment was inappropriate, as have been others of yours. Take a breath.
- DuPage Dave - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 5:44 pm:
How about this: If you town has fewer people than can fill the United Center, you don’t get to have a live press conference on TV. Ever.
- phil - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 5:59 pm:
I am sorry–the appalling list of events lately leave me out-of-breath. Fire-bombs of whistleblower’s neighbors, political suicides, brazen revenge nepotism (see today’s Sun Times) this stuff isn’t normal in my book, and it leaves me out of breath–where does this stuff end?
Apologies that I crossed your line, its your blog.
- ahem - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 6:07 pm:
Phil, good stuff happens in Illinois, too. Sometimes more than once on the same day! Do you ever read the funnies? Doesn’t seem like it. Even so, bad headlines make for good episodes of “Law And Order” - RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES!!!!!!
- Bookworm - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 6:18 pm:
Ahem, speaking of which, did anyone ever see the “Law and Order” season finale that (according to a friend of mine) featured a very Blago-like corrupt governor (of New York, however) and his wife involved in selling a Senate seat?
- phil - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 6:24 pm:
good stuff happens in most places, what makes Illinois unique, in the country at least, is this brazen corruption.
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 6:46 pm:
ahem, unless you saw them come in before about 3:55, there were no Illinois State Police officers present in uniform at that presser this afternoon. (The CC Hills patrol officers’ uniform does closely resemble the ISP uniform.)
- ahem - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 7:02 pm:
I was looking at video of the investigation at the container or whatever little shack it was. I saw at least one officer in the smoky outfit which I thought I was pretty good at recognizing. Also, Mayor Welch said they were getting CSI help from the state. BTW, I didn’t say it earlier, but I think Mayor Welch deserves a lot of credit for changing how the press conference was run. He did seem to be quite upset from the criticism, giving a very heartfelt response, regardless of whether he apologized for anything explicitly. It must have been a tough couple of days for him.
- cassandra - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 7:05 pm:
Actually, I think, politics aside, this unfortunate incident says to us that if you have a relative or friend who is talking about committing suicide, get them to a mental health professional trained in assessing these kinds of statements. It sounds as though this man was left to diagnose himself. Sometimes, the close friend or relative just has to take action and get the
patient into the clinic somehow some way. Or get a mental health team to come over to the house.
- ahem - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 7:22 pm:
Cassandra, that would be one aspect of how this is a teachable moment. I am pessimistic that the public figures in Illinois will rise to the occasion. Kelly is not the proper poster child anyhow. Nuf said.
- irving & ashland - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 7:39 pm:
>PS: Mayor Florsheim just did it again: “We’re not very good at Spanish” in response to a q on why they were not using Ms. Flores-Buehlos’ full name.
The funny thing is that they keep saying things like that, yet the name they’re having trouble with is Greek. Buhelos isn’t Spanish.
- anon - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 7:46 pm:
Kudos to Rich for earlier correctly suggesting that Kelly’s reference to his private parts undergoing surgery was not literal.
- colt 45 - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 8:06 pm:
it’s not normal, phil.
- ahem - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 8:44 pm:
- anon - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 7:46 pm:
Yes, indeed.
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 9:37 pm:
irving, exactly my point.
ahem, “as we say in the trade,” State Police CSIs don’t wear the “smoky” uniform. fwiw, they also don’t dress like they’re headed for a nightclub, unlike most of their TV counterparts. On a good day, polo shirt and dockers.
AA would not want to be the “junior officer” who a) let the friend get away from the ER and b) advised that he observed “tubes” in re: the surgery allegation. Think it’s a safe assumption that both Mayor Welch and Chief Evans do not suffer fools lightly. “Junior Officer” may look forward to years of midnight foot patrol at the City Dump or its local equivalent. Good call, Captain.
- Chi Gal - Tuesday, Sep 15, 09 @ 10:35 pm:
Bookworm — Yes, it was freaky. I don’t normally watch the show but had it on in the background. After I overheard the story line, I was mesmerized!
- anon - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 4:04 am:
It’s a sad day. An apparently very disturbed person has died and his family will suffer. Thanks to Rich for trying to keep this professional.
- Third Generation Chicago Native - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 7:55 am:
This morning on WGN morning news legal analyst, Terry Sullivan was on and he said you can bet your house the Feds have his cell phone and are also doing their own investigation.
Robin Baumgarten asked Terry why the Feds have not taken over and stopped the mayor from speaking, he said he is sure the Feds are doing their own investigation as we speak, and they have decided not to step in and shut Mayor Welch up. I have to give Mayor Welch credit for not reading the note Kelly left out of respect for the family.
This is even sadder that this was not his(Kelly) first attempt in recent days and his friends who knew about the first attempt did not keep closer tabs on him.
- Third Generation Chicago Native - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 8:05 am:
Chritopher Kelly funeral
He left a big family behind. Sad.
- Anon - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 8:11 am:
It was a nice wake yesterday. Friends and family celebrating the life of a man who enjoyed life and was a lot of fun. While he will be missed, his family is strong. Rich, I have been opposed to open threads on this issue, but you have monitored it well.
- May God Rest His Soul - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 9:27 am:
Deepest condolences to his three daughters and everyone who loved him.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 9:52 am:
May God watch over his beautiful family. I pray that they will soon find comfort in their warm and loving memories of the time they spent together here with their adoring husband and father.