Kathleen Seely Murder: Where is Kenneth Sheldon Now? – “Twisted Love: If I Can’t Have You“, an episode on Investigation Discovery, explores how love overcame its limitations to become a blind passion that finally claimed two lives. In September 2001, Kathleen Seely perished in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, at the hands of an enamoured lover. What happened to her attacker, though? We’ve got your back if you want to learn more about the case. So let’s investigate it, shall we?
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Kathleen Seely’s Cause of Death
Colorado was the place of Kathleen Gail Kruse Seely’s birth on July 17, 1945. She began dating Stephen Austin in 1967 after only a brief courtship, and they were wed in December of the same year. Mark, Kevin, and Abby were the couple’s 3 children; Mark was born in 1969; Kevin in 1970; and Abby in February 1972. As a stay-at-home mother, Kathleen brought up her kids and ensured they attended church and other events. In 1983, the family relocated to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, from Denver, Colorado.
Although Stephen’s employer may have had some significant problems in the family’s move to a new location, Kathleen desired to be closer to her mother. Kathleen decided to get a degree after all of her children graduated and left home. She registered for the nursing programme at North Idaho Community College. In the meantime, Stephen and Kathleen’s marriage appeared to break down after 25 years of marriage, and the two got divorced in 1992, just after Kathleen received her nursing degree.
While dating a couple of men, she enrolled in the Coeur d’Alene Life Care Center. She later met Stephen Seely, and they both became engaged shortly after. On September 9, 2001, North Idaho Behavioral Health reported a hostage scenario with one of the suspects armed, and the Kootenai County Dispatch Center received a deluge of 911 calls from the organisation. Police reports state that after setting up a perimeter to handle the problem, cops assaulted the area at roughly 2:45 p.m. after hearing about 6-7 gunshots.
Kathleen, her attacker, and a nurse remained in the building after the police left, taking the kids and 11 staff workers with them. Following several hours of inaction, the officers returned to the building and discovered Kenneth dead but the nurse was unharmed. The attacker shot the victim four times before turning the weapon on himself.
Who Killed Kathleen Seely and Why?
Kenneth Sheldon, who was 46 at the time, was Kathleen’s coworker while she was employed at the nursing home. Although they were not the same age, he began to fall in love with her and allegedly told several of his coworkers that Kathleen was the ideal lady for him. Kenneth found it hard when she became engaged to Stephen Seely, believing that her fiancé wasn’t the right man for her. He addressed the couple in 1997 and revealed her feelings, which sparked an argument between the two men.
Kathleen accused Kenneth of harassing and stalking her in November 1997 after he told police officials that they had a secret relationship. While Kathleen married Stephen, he even ordered personalised licence plates in her name. She didn’t have to meet Kenneth at work since the nursing home administrators adjusted their shifts, but she didn’t feel particularly secure. Kenneth was tried for Kathleen’s accusations against him in February 1999, but the jury found him not guilty. The court ruling shocked Kathleen, who quit her job and started working at the Kootenai Medical Center’s child mental clinic.
Kathleen had been the target of Kenneth’s stalking, and in July 1999, she saw him driving past her house. As Kenneth changed jobs until landing one right next to Kathleen’s home, repeated complaints to the police went unanswered. Kathleen charged Kenneth with stalking and harassment once more on June 30, 2000, alleging that he had deliberately blocked her car with his car. This resulted in Kenneth being detained, but in December 2020, he accepted a plea deal that resulted in his dismissal after he promised to receive professional assistance and a mental health assessment.
How Did Kenneth Sheldon Die?
Staff at the Kootenai Medical Center witnessed Kathleen and Kenneth arguing vehemently in the parking lot at around 2:20 pm on the tragic day of September 9, 2001. The door to the guarded psychiatric facility was buzzed shut before Kenneth entered. He permitted a staff member to take the three kids from the area while keeping his gun on him, leaving him and Kathleen alone.
Before dialling 911 to report the problem, staff personnel moved all the kids into the building’s theatre to ensure they were secure. But before the police could take control of the situation, Kenneth shot Kathleen four times and then shot himself in the head. Kathleen’s friends and family believe that some of her death was caused by the authorities because Kenneth wasn’t even once jailed despite numerous complaints over a year. At her funeral, her son Kevin Austin stated, “My anger is fueled by the legal system.”
