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A teenager is found murdered by his girlfriend, and the prime suspect is the rival for her affections.
CASE DETAILS Early in the morning of August 9, 1989, Christie Mutzfeld arrived at the home of her boyfriend, only to flee in terror moments later:
Christie’s boyfriend, Todd Kelley, was dead. He had been stabbed seven times in the chest, back, and wrist. Christie was in shock. Just hours earlier, the two lovers had been here together.  Todd was found stabbed to death When Hamilton, Indiana, investigators questioned Christie, they learned that she was at the center of a love triangle. She had been involved with both Todd and another man. Christy’s other lover was now the prime suspect in Todd’s murder. Christie had met Todd during their junior year in high school. According to Christie, it was love at first sight, especially for Todd:
The next fall, Christie enrolled in a small college just seven miles from Hamilton. She said she soon began dating a student named Mahfuz Huq:
 A blood stain was found in the bedroom But Mahfuz was not what he seemed to be. Shortly after he met Christie, he was arrested for three separate robberies. In one of them, he stole $100,000 worth of jewelry from his own aunt. Christie said his personality changed after the incident:
A few months later, Christie rekindled her romance with Todd. But Mahfuz, who lived nearby, didn’t back off. The day before the murder, Todd was at the home of a friend, Mike Kuhn, when Mahfuz showed up unexpectedly:
 Christie Mutzfeld and Todd Kelly Thirty-six hours later, Todd was dead, and his house was swarming with police. Authorities determined that he was murdered at around 3:15 a.m. Investigators immediately noticed that the crime scene had been tampered with. According to Steuben County, Indiana, Sheriff L.M. McClelland, Todd’s body had been cleaned up, and then moved into the living room from another part of the house:
 Mahfuz had previously been arrested for robbery In the yard, police found several cigarette butts that matched the brand smoked by Mahfuz. He became their prime suspect, but he was no where to be found. Two eyewitnesses told police they had seen Mahfuz between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. on the night of the murder. He had been walking barefoot in the direction of Todd’s house. Christie said that at that very same moment, she and Todd were together inside:
Christie says that at 2:30 a.m., she and Todd drove into town. She believes Mahfuz entered the house while they were gone:
 Mahfuz Huq Christie says she dropped Todd back at his house right around 3 a.m. The coroner determined that he was murdered just 15 minutes later. At 4:30 a.m., Mahfuz called Christie from his parents’ house, 10 miles away. Two hours later, he showed up in her bedroom. According to Christie, she broke off their relationship for good, not knowing what he had done:
At first glance, it seemed like an open and shut case. Mahfuz Huq had murdered Todd Kelley in a fit of jealous rage, and fled. But Todd Kelley’s family noticed some inconsistencies in Christie’s story. Vernon Kelley, Todd’s father, thinks she knows more than she’s saying:
Christie has said that the accusation is just not true:
The idea that Christie was involved hasn’t been given much credence by Sheriff McClelland:
Todd’s father thinks Mahfuz had to have help:
The Kelley family believes that Christie gave Mahfuz a ride home. They also question her statement about what happened when she returned to Todd’s house at seven that morning. Sheriff McClelland said that Christy claims she did not immediately notice Todd’s body when she returned, even though it was lying right by the front door:
Christie maintains that she’s been maligned:
Update: Mahfuz Huq was finally arrested in India and was extradited to the United States. Huq pleaded guilty to the murder of Todd Kelley, and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season five with Robert Stack and in season three with Dennis Farina. Also available on YouTube with Dennis Farina. Various seasons available now on Hulu. |
The Mystery Solver
I can solve every case on Unsolved Mysteries. Most of the time it’s the neighbor 3 houses down. Sometimes it’s the CIA. I even solved the zodiac killers encrypted message just from watching the movie with Jake Gyllenhaal And Robert Downy Jr. I pet the Loch Ness monster and gave big foot a lice removal treatment. I did all that in 4 months.
Anonymous
How about you solve why you leave these remarks in the comment sections
Ali Houssney
Ok solve the David Eugene Hurley case from 1992 as well as the Richard Aderson case from 1997.
Bill Blaski
This Mahfuz sounds like a true scum bag! I don’t care what he did after the murder. He must be held accountable and spend the rest of his life in prison. How can you enter a man’s home and stab him with a buck knife? Sorry for Todd’s family, I’d love to hear if Christie Mutzfeld has moved on and get an update on her.
Liz
Christy was publicly accused with having something to do with Todd’s death. This has been proven to be false. The program should have made that absolutely clear when they aired the program again with the update of Mahfuz’s arrest. Pretty scary they can throw out any accusation they want on national television and then not make it clear It was proved false.
Kinni
Again, nothing proven. I’m sorry your girl Christie probably knows more
Christie The Liar
She’s super guilty
Anonymous
I hope you realize your story affects more than just the victims family. It affects the family of the defendant too. Who after 25 years after the accusations spent all of it committed to becoming a better person and giving back to the less fortunate. A country like Bangladesh with poverty at every street corner. Children bathing in sewers because that is the only water they have access too. He was a big member of being able to help eradicate this issue and to help these children. He has a family that you deprived them of a father, a husband, a leader. You deprived international students at the International American School in Dhaka of a teacher that many loved and respected. People from all over the world flew in to testify for Mahfuz Huq. People from all over the world. That must show something that a change has happened in the man. Why else would they show up in support of him. He has touched more lives in the last 25 years than many do in their entire lifetimes. He did more in those last 25 years to service others and to support others than most people can do in two lifetimes. Doesn’t that show something. That he has turned his life around in the last 25 years? Sentencing him 40 years just sentences his family to 40 years of hardship. The whole point of prison is for people to change and learn from the actions they have committed so that they can be a benefit not a harm to society. Mahfuz has clearly shown he is a benefit to society in the last 25 years. This sentence is only affecting the victims family to 40 years of hardship and pain. Causing his entire extended family to carry the weight of his now fatherless family on their shoulders. I hope you realize what you have written and how your story affects more than just the victims family. I respect the Kelly family and the hardship they have been through. I understand their pain and I and remorseful with them. But to them, this sentence is justice being served. How though? Justice is when a family becomes fatherless for the next forty years, causing students to lose the opportunity to learn from a friend and trusted individual, and for a community filled with the less fortunate to lose out on an individual who was trying to help? Is justice taking the life away from a man who has clearly shown he has changed and was out of his old life of crime and harm and into a new life of selflessness and volunteerism? If that is your definition of justice and the Kelly’s version of justice, then the world really is in a state worse than ever. Who wins with this decision of sending him to prison for 40 years? Tell me, who really wins? Does the Kelly family win? They do if they are ignorant to the fact that they just locked away a father, and husband, an uncle, a teacher, a humanitarian, a caregiver, and most of all, a benefit to society especially to the kids in Dhaka, Bangladesh who do not know if there mothers will survive the night due to malnourishment, lack of genuine hygiene, and basic human necessities. But if the Kelly family thinks about it, they did not win at all. They deprived society and families of this individual who has clearly shown he has changed. Think about Mahfuz’s family, actually think about the hardship they face. An eye for an eye makes the world blind.
Ali Elghoul
Are you kidding me???? This animal and murderer doesn’t deserve to be in prison? His good deeds are nothing and he deserves the death penalty as all murderers do. For 25 years he disguised his sins and acted like nothing had happened, hiding out overseas like a coward until THANKFULLY he was nabbed!!!
Maximus
Oh give me break. He murdered a human being in senseless, premeditated act of jealousy and vengeance. That he decided to reform himself after the fact doesn’t make that human any less dead or his family and friend any less grieved. You can’t just destroy a life and think that a new modality is going to make that appalling choice negligible. Please sober up.
Ali Houssney
He is where he belongs, though he deserves the death penalty.
Carfarrr
Oh lord do you need a REALITY CHECK. This so called god like man that you apparently idolize is a cold blooded killer. Who hid like a little whimp in a different country for decades while a family grieved the loss of their son. No way he would’ve moved to a country like that if he wasn’t hiding from authorities. He deserves to rot in jail and thankfully he will.
Anonymous
While I understand the pain that you are going through, this “now reformed man” committed a heinous crime of taking the life of a teenager. If you see things from the perspective of the Kelly family, it would be very hard to see a good man in Mahfuz, because he is the reason why their loved one lost his life. Did Todd deserve to die like this? He was deprived of ever being a husband, a father, and so on. Would the Huq family be able to forgive the killer if one of their own got killed the same way? If Mahfuz truly reformed why didn’t he surrender earlier and own up?
Anonymous
Hello, Unsolved Mysteries. I just want to know why Dr. Arvind Sinha was removed from your website. Has the case been solved?
unsolved
Unfortunately we do not currently have a law enforcement agency that is assigned to that case, so we are not accepting tips at this time.
Ernest Holton
Justice Has Been Served He Will Spend The Rest OF His Life 40 Years In Prison For What He Did And He Will Have To Live With Himself For What He Did
Johnny
Glad this case was solved. All the evidence pointed to Huq. He was seen walking near the crime scene. Plus, he knew about Todd and wanted Christie for himself. These crimes ruin several families. 40 years prison should incarcerate Huq for the rest of his natural life.
Maximus
What you fail to consider is the good behavior early release so common to sentences that are not qualified with the words, without the possibility of parole.
chad wallen
t too would like to hear christies and mahfuz repeat testimaonies of that night.christy know more than she is sa ing
KD
Look up the story online. The Kelleys and people like you owe Christie an apology. Law enforcement and prosecutors during the court case said it happened just like she said way back in 1989. Mahfuz stood outside watching them have sex. After Christie left, he went inside and attacked Todd in the bedroom. To think that people who don’t know what they are talking about were still spreading rumors after Mahfuz was convicted.
KD
Google is your friend. Christie didn’t “know more”.
http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/mar/26/fugitives-sentencing-final-chapter-in-89-killing/
Kunni
That clearly is unknown. To say otherwise is absurd. No one owes anyone an apology. We will never really know either way.
betty degraw
Ii miss my apoted uncle Todd he Was the greatest man on earth he won’t hurt no one at all my nickname from him was pumpkin I Was 3 years old when he got murdered and I miss him like crazy mad I have dreams about it and when me and my grandpa passes that place where uncle Todd was murder it gives me the creeps because in mg dreams he’s a ghost watching over me and I cry I miss you uncle Todd Allen Kelley when I saw it on unsolved mysteries I cry I when to my mom I say is that uncle Todd getting murdered she goes yes sweetie I when in my bedroom and Erica that wAs my friend at the time she goes sissy are. You alright I say no that Was my favorite uncle my mom goes do you remember what nickname he give you when you where little I say yes she goes what waS IT I SAYED PUMPKIN GOES THATS RIGHT GIRL AND ERICA GOES PUMPKIN FHATS CUTE AND I LOOKED AT HER I SAY DONT CALL ME PUMPKIN AND ERICA WHEN TO MH MO WHAT IS HER PROBLEM SHE GOES TBE ONLYING ONE THat to call her that wAs her uncle Todd she God a oh I Am sorry I when that’s alright Erica she goes are you gonna be fine I say yes and no she goes oh ok thAT DIDNT MAKE ny since my mom goes Erica just leave her alone for right now and yes she well be fine Erica goes yes but she has nightmares and dream a Bout it my mom goes you do daughter I say yes mom what makes a big deal about it I least uncle Todd won’t hurt me I say my MO goes.no he won’t he’s your uncle Todd I say and he well always be my uncle Todd no matter what anyone say a and uncle Todd 28 years old And I well be 29 here pretty soon if got saw me you well probably freak out well you Wong never every be forgotten in my book or heart and soul alters your approved niece betty degraw
Lady Red
Ever heard of punctuation?
Eric Wiggins
Its there. I see a period.