Santa Rosa County Cold Case Solved

By Debbie Williams Reporter

Thirteen years ago this month, a Mother spoker to her son for the last time. Santa Rosa County Cold Case Solved

Published: Thu, May 08, 2008 - 5:05 pm

Debbie Williams

Thirteen years ago this month, a Mother spoke to her son for the last time. Every indication told police, Daren Kelley had been murdered, they just couldn't prove it, until now.
"He was my baby and he deserves justice." Lorna Kelley has been waiting thirteen years to find out who murdered her son Daren. Thursday she may have finally gotten her answer.
"Kimberly Cannon killed her husband Daren Kelley and disposed of his body on the 14 acres they resided on at the time of his death," Santa Rosa County Sheriff Wendall Hall announced.
The couple got married in 1995 and began their life on that 14 acres near Milton. That's where Samuel Long lives now. "The guy we bought the property said something about it. He told us a guy had gone missing on the property here."
Several searches had turned up nothing and then, "Four months ago they came out and ask if they could do a search of the property," says Long.
Little yellow and orange flags, hundreds of them according to Long, dotted the property. Each marking a spot where a cadaver dog had hit, gotten some sign that Kelley was here, somewhere on this property. It would be several yards up the road where they would finally find some of his remains.
"Flagged a bunch of stuff off and they found a bone of some sort. They brought in heavy machinery and all that," says Long.
DNA from the bone matched Kelley's brother and his Mother, Lorna, "If you love your children, not even God can stop a Mother from looking."
She says giving up was never an option. "It's been a struggle. I can't wait till the trial."
She'll wait a little longer to get what her son deserves.
Cannon will be charged with one count of murder when she returns to Santa Rosa County but that could be a while. Deputies say when they picked her up on the murder charge, she tried to escape, assaulted a deputy and resisted arrest. She is being held in the Leon County Jail on those charges.