On August 12, 1978, in Mountain Pine, Arkansas, 41-year-old James Kelly was shot in the chest and killed during a domestic confrontation at his home. The shooting occurred after an argument between Kelly and his son-in-law, Randy William Gay; Gay left the house, retrieved a shotgun from his car, then returned and shot Kelly.

Police were called and Gay did not deny the shooting, asserting he had acted in self-defense and that Kelly had threatened to kill him. Prosecutors negotiated a plea agreement; Gay pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to ten years with five years suspended. He served nine months before being paroled.

That parole preceded further violent crimes later attributed to Gay. If anyone knew James Kelly or was in Mountain Pine in 1978 and remembers the family or the incident, please share what you know.