A 911 dispatcher heard a gunshot while on the phone with a woman who was fatally shot in Elmore on Monday morning in what’s believed to be a result of domestic violence, Vermont State Police said.
In an updated press release Tuesday, police said Mary Lisa Kelley, 58, was shot in the torso by her husband, Lawrence Jay Kennedy, 61, before Kennedy shot himself in the head at the couple’s home on King Road. Both died of their wounds.
Kelley called 911 shortly before 7 a.m. Monday and said she and her husband were in the process of separating. She said Kennedy had threatened to harm her and destroy her belongings while she was at work, according to police.
During the call, police said the 911 dispatcher heard a gunshot, and Kelley did not speak again.
Police also have located the rifle Kennedy used in the shooting, they said.
Becky Gonyea, executive director of the Clarina Howard Nichols Center in Morrisville, which advocates for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, said most domestic violence incidents do not rise to the level where someone kills their partner.
Calling 911 is the most important action someone can take if they feel they’re in immediate danger, she said, and it appears Kelley “did exactly the right thing.”
People in dangerous situations also could run outside or scream for help, Gonyea said, especially if they live in an apartment building or a community with others close by.
Still, “there’s no great answer to a tragic circumstance like this,” she said.
Gonyea described several general warning signs that survivors of domestic violence could look out for to determine if a situation is becoming more dangerous.
One is a perpetrator becoming more violent, either in the type of violence they use or the frequency of the violence, she said. Another is a firearm being left out in plain sight versus being put away. And life changes that increase stress, she said — such as the perpetrator losing a job — also could lead to a dangerous situation.
Kelley was a social worker with the state Department for Children and Families based in Morrisville, Gonyea said. Advocates from the Clarina Howard Nichols Center worked closely with Kelley, she said, particularly on child sexual abuse cases in the area.
“She was a tremendous, fierce, amazing advocate,” Gonyea said. “Not only for kids and families, but just for the rights of everyone and for what’s good in the world.”
The Vermont State Employees’ Association said in a Facebook post Monday that Kelley had worked at the Department for Children and Families in Morrisville since 2015.
“She is being remembered as a valued colleague, mentor and friend,” the union said.
Kennedy was a well-known photographer in the Elmore area, according to a 2020 article in the Stowe Reporter.
Anyone in need of help can call the Vermont Network Domestic Violence hotline at 1-800-228-7395. The Vermont Attorney General’s Office also has a website with available resources.
