|
When a college student dies in Tijuana, evidence points to foul play.  Patrick Sean Kelly  Patrick fought for his life CASE DETAILS The highway that separates Tijuana, Mexico, from the United States is called the Avenida Internacional. Dozens of people die here every year, most, while trying to enter the U.S. illegally. On the night of May 5, 1996, the scene facing local rescue crews was all too familiar. A pedestrian had allegedly been struck in a hit and run accident and was barely alive. He carried no I.D. and was classified as “Desconocido,” or unknown.  Patrick with unidentified stranger The man died six days after the accident without regaining consciousness. Another 15 days passed before he was identified as 22-year-old Patrick Sean Kelly, a film student at the University of Southern California. Patrick always had a passion for writing and storytelling. By the time he went to college, he knew that he wanted to make movies. After months of intense effort, Patrick had just turned in his junior year-end project – a full-length motion picture script. Patrick celebrated by watching a movie on video with his close friend Michael Park:
Patrick’s mother, Terri Kelly, was the first to notice something was wrong:
 Unidentified stranger Terri asked Michael Park to go to Patrick’s room. It looked as if Patrick had just stepped out. His wallet was on the desk, his bags and clothes in the closet. And yet, his passport was nowhere to be found. On Patrick’s answering machine, Michael found was a message from Patrick’s bank asking for a return call. Terri Kelly immediately phoned the bank:
That direction was south. At 10:24 Saturday morning, Patrick had made a $60.00 withdrawal at a 7-11 in San Clemente, 63 miles south of Los Angeles. At 6:08 P.M., another $135 was withdrawn at an ATM in the Tijuana tourist area. The next day, three more withdrawals at an ATM in downtown Tijuana bled Patrick’s account dry. Terri Kelly hired private detective Doug Roth to find Patrick. Doug began at the 7-11 in San Clemente. The surveillance tape from Saturday morning showed Patrick entering the store. He acted normally. There was no indication of trouble. Doug continued south to Mexico. At the border, he decided to check the parking lots where tourists leave their cars before entering Tijuana. Roth hit pay dirt right away.
The leads uncovered at the parking lot led Doug to the Tijuana morgue and the body of the unidentified pedestrian. Terri Kelly rushed to Mexico, fearing the worst:
But how exactly did Patrick Kelly die? Here’s what we know: At approximately 1:00 A.M. on May 5th, a motorcyclist was heading east along the Avenida Internacional. Two pedestrians suddenly darted out in front of him. The motorcyclist lost control and hit Patrick.
An independent autopsy, commissioned by Terri Kelly, seemed to agree. The report concluded; “Findings do not support an interpretation that death was due to a motor vehicle accident.” The hours after the accident were also marked by irregularities. While Patrick lay dying in the hospital, someone used his ATM card in downtown Tijuana. They made not one, but three, cash withdrawals. Doug Roth finds this evidence compelling;
The evidence of foul play was mounting. First the autopsy, then the ATM withdrawals, and finally Patrick’s car. According to the parking lot records, somebody paid the $60 fee and drove the car off the lot four days after Patrick died. The next day, the car was returned to the same parking space. Doug Roth has a theory:
Was Patrick Kelly with a friend when he was run down in Tijuana? If so, why hasn’t that friend come forward? The death of Patrick Kelly remains a mystery. Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season nine with Robert Stack and in season one with Dennis Farina. Also available on YouTube with Dennis Farina. Various seasons available now on Hulu. SUBMIT A TIP |
Mexicana Feliz
Poor guy. May he Rest In Peace. The truth will never come out. I am always baffled by gringos though. Who can think that it is a good idea to go party and get drunk to a country you know nothing about – they don’t even speak the language – and expect nothing will go wrong? It is pathetic seeing some of them imposing on the police as if they are superior to them. Then they get surprised when they are arrested and die under mysterious circumstances. SMH
Chanita Jackson
Patrick seanKelly was murdered by the unknown man
Chanita Jackson
I think the unidentified stranger killed Patrick dean Kelly!!!!! Then drained his account!
Johnny Rodgers
Okay…so once again, I will solve an unsolved crime that SHOULD HAVE BEEN SOLVED already. The key to solving this crime is to recover the cigarette that was left in the ashtray of Mr. Kelly’s car. It has been said that Mr. Kelly did not smoke and did not allow people to smoke in his car. So, someone was smoking in his car and made the mistake of leaving the smoked cigarette in the car. Run DNA…….upload unknown DNA to GEDmatch.com. Familial DNA will crack this case in 20 minutes.
Ruby Slippers
Exactly!
Don
Did anyone get a ticket while driving his car?
Jade Carroll
Such a sad and strange story. May the truth come to light.
thinkingoutloud
i think this trip to mexico at first was planned. maybe patrick went to mexico with a new friend for his film making career or was planning to meet up with someone who maybe convinced him he could get him into filmmaking or whatever and patrick agreed but somehow was either betrayed or he and this new friend were taken hostage In the tapes it shows them side by side, so it kind of seems like Patrick was casual with this guy. Unless he was scared of him and tried to play it off. But somewhere down the road, he was betrayed by this same person or other individuals to give up his pin number and then beaten up as a result. Is there any confirmation that Patrick was hit by a car? who reported the accident to authorities? are they able to do more research on who the other man was?
they need more answers on who the other man is and also why patrick even left school and wound up in mexico. did he ever mention to anyone his plans?
Anonymous
Exactly,where is the other person?
Anonymous
So sad, he’s so young he had his whole life ahead of him, such a tragic end.That individual or individuals saw him and figured he was a tourist, an easy target. Approached him or both of them, they were robbed, beaten and Patrick got ran over, to make it look like an accident. Maybe the unidentified stranger was in on it, why hasn’t he come forward? Maybe Patrick asked the unidentified stranger for help or needed some information, the stranger offered to help but walked him or both of them into a trap. Where did Patrick meet up with the unidentified stranger? I hope that unidentified stranger would come forward he hold the answers to what happened to Patrick in Mexico.
Amber
I wonder if they took the partially smoked cigarette and tested it for DNA?
Ty
I grew up friends with Sean (I do not remember him being called Patrick) in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I remember having lots of fun with him. A very sad mystery.
Alan
I had the privilege of living 4 dorms down from Pat my freshman year in College Uni at USC. I remained close friends with him up until his death. Here we are 20 years later and this mystery still bothers me. I think about Terri often and wonder how she is coping.
Maureen
Correction… I can see no reason he would take his passport to 7-11 without other supplies for travel, so the abduction must have occurred from his home.
Maureen
I believe that because he left, all but his passport at home, he was abducted from his home or the 7-11. The perpetrators beat him until he revealed his ATM pin, then he was being chased across the avenida as he tried to escape his captors.
TANGRINE13
I believe Mr. Roth’s theory is the correct one!