Edward Capehart O'Kelley (1857 – 1904). American killer who killed Robert Ford, who had killed the famous outlaw Jesse James to receive a bounty.
On 8 June 1892, while Ford was preparing to open his saloon, O’Kelley walked into the tent with a shotgun. Ford was turned away from the front entrance. O’Kelley called out, "Hello, Bob." As Ford turned around to see who spoke, O’Kelley fired his shotgun, hitting Ford in the neck and killing him instantly.
O’Kelley never explained why he had shot Ford. According to one account, O’Kelley married a relative of the Younger Brothers Gang and became friends with Jesse James, who became a cousin by marriage. Another version contends that con man Soapy Smith assured O’Kelley he’d be famous if he killed Ford. One theory involves the accusation that O’Kelley had stolen Ford’s diamond ring, and the dispute had escalated. O’Kelley was initially imprisoned for life, though his sentence was later reduced to 18 years. In the end, O’Kelley served only around 9 years at the Colorado State Penitentiary before being released due, firstly, to a 7,000-signature petition in favour of his release, and, secondly, to a medical condition.
- "O'Kelley was also known as Red O'Kelley due to his bright red hair..." http://www.vlib.us/old_west/guns.html
- "The man who killed Ford also went by “Red” O’Kelley because of his red hair." https://tomrizzo.com/day-retribution/
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