Oct 28, 2009 4:22 pm US/Central
Medical Examiner Rules Chris Kelly's Death Suicide
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Former Blagojevich fundraiser and chief gambling adviser Chris Kelly has pleaded not guilty to concealing $1 million in corporate funds to pay off gambling debts.
CBS
The Cook County Medical Examiner's office has ruled the death of former Blagojevich aide Chris Kelly a suicide.
The medical examiner's office had been waiting for toxicology reports to come back on Kelly after he died last month. On Wednesday, Country Club Hills Mayor Dwight Welch said those tests showed Kelly ingested a combination of a pain reliever and rat poison before he died.
Welch said he is planning a news conference to announce the toxicology report on Kelly.
An official with the Cook County medical examiner's office said the toxicology results by Wednesday afternoon had not been officially filed.
Kelly, 51, died Sept. 12 at Stroger Hospital, after he was found surrounded slumped over the steering wheel of a car at a Country Club Hills lumber yard.
He had pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges just days before and was expected to be a key witness at Blagojevich's trial on corruption charges.
Country Club Hills Police Chief Regina Evans had already declared last month that investigators were treating Kelly's death as a suicide after finding no evidence anyone else was involved.
Police also said Kelly attempted to commit suicide on Sept. 8, just
hours after
pleading guilty to federal charges of bid rigging at O'Hare International Airport. Evans said Kelly called friends for help after
attempting suicide by taking over-the-counter medication after his court appearance.
Friends drove Kelly to Oak Forest Hospital, but did not take him inside
the hospital, Evans said. Kelly convinced them that he was okay and
would seek counseling for his depression. A few days later, Kelly
called his girlfriend from a lumber yard in Country Club Hills, saying
that he was feeling ill.
At the time, police confirmed that an unopened box of rat poison was found at the lumber yard where Kelly was found.
Police also found two empty bottles of over-the-counter pain medication: Aleve and Tylenol.
Published reports said Kelly put a mattress in a rented trailer at the
lumber yard, set up photos of his children, and swallowed the
substances.
WBBM Newsradio 780 reported that a barbecue grill and "supplies" were also found nearby.
The report said Kelly then drove away, and contacted his girlfriend, Clarissa Flores-Buhelos, in the parking lot.
Authorities said Flores-Buhelos found Kelly on Sept. 11,
shortly after he text-messaged her that he had taken pills and wasn't
feeling well. When Flores-Buhelos arrived at the lumber yard, she found
Kelly covered in vomit and slumped over the steering wheel of his
Cadillac Escalade.
Before he was taken to Stroger Hospital, Kelly was first treated at Oak
Forest Hospital of Cook County.
Country Club Hills Police were notified that
Kelly was at Oak Forest Hospital. While there, and sitting up, Kelly
talked with a police officer and indicated he had attempted suicide.
An emergency room doctor had Kelly transported to Stroger Hospital, where he died.
Kelly was the chief fundraiser for the deposed governor. He was
indicted along with Blagojevich, and just days earlier had pleaded
guilty to an $8.5 million fraud scheme at O'Hare International Airport.
He was sentenced to five years in prison in that case, and was just
days away from having to report to a three-year federal prison sentence
in a third criminal case, this one for tax fraud.
Police also revealed that Kelly left a note behind. Authorities say it
was of no evidentiary value. They would not reveal the contents of the
note, saying they wanted to spare the feelings of Kelly's family.
WBBM Newsradio 780 contributed to this report.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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