Case No. 1440Murder · Co. Kerry · 20 Mar 2025
Ex-partner of Michael Kelley says he became 'very unstable' after 9/11 in Gaine murder investigation
Michael Gaine, a 56-year-old Irish Kerry farmer, was murdered at his 1,000-acre farm at Carrig East near Kenmare, Co Kerry, after being last seen alive on 20 March 2025. His dismembered remains were found in a slurry tank on his land, with human remains confirmed as his on 29 April 2025 and partial remains discovered on 17 May 2025. Michael Kelley, a 53-year-old American former US soldier who had been living on the farm, was arrested on 18 May 2025 on suspicion of murder, released without charge 24 hours later, and subsequently charged, sent forward for trial, and remanded in custody. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris subjected the investigation to peer review on 6 June 2025, and gardaí travelled to Maine in late June to interview Kelley's ex-partner Alicia Snow, who said he became 'very unstable' and increasingly paranoid after the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
- Reported6 Jun
7 reports - Arrested
- Charged
- In court
- Verdict
- Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Michael Gaine, 56, an Irish Kerry farmer, was murdered at his 1,000-acre farm at Carrig East, six kilometres from Kenmare, Co Kerry.
- Human remains were confirmed as Gaine's on 29 April 2025, and partial remains were discovered in a slurry tank on 17 May 2025 when a relative was spreading slurry.
- Gardaí believe the killer cut the body into pieces small enough to push through gaps in the slurry tank grill and used water and disinfectant to remove forensic evidence.
- When
- Gaine was last seen alive around 10am on 20 March 2025 and was reported missing by his wife Janice on 21 March 2025.
- Investigation
- Michael Kelley, 53, an American former US soldier who had been living on Gaine's farm since January 2022, was arrested on 18 May 2025 on suspicion of murder and released without charge 24 hours later.
- The case was upgraded to homicide at the end of April 2025, and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris subjected the investigation to peer review on 6 June 2025.
- Gardaí travelled to Maine in late June 2025 to interview Kelley's ex-partner Alicia Snow.
- In court
- Kelley was later charged with murder, sent forward for trial, and remanded in custody.
- Other details
- Alicia Snow said Kelley became 'very unstable' and increasingly paranoid after the 9/11 attacks in 2001, and she and her children moved out of the home within three months.
- Kelley denies involvement in Gaine's murder and claims he is being framed by a subversive criminal organisation.
91 statements extracted from the articles
- whatKelley describes Gaine's death as a tragedy (irishmirror.ie)
- whatGaine's dismembered remains were found in slurry and in a tank on his land (irishmirror.ie)
- whatGaine was going to meet a man about a tractor (irishmirror.ie)
- whatKelley criticises the chainsaw theory as preposterous (irishmirror.ie)
- whatOn 29 April 2025, gardaí confirmed human remains found in a shed and fields on his 1,000-acre hill farm were those of Gaine. (irishtimes.com)
- whatGaine's human remains were found by a relative while spreading slurry with a local agricultural contractor at the farm. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatGardaí believe the killer cut the body into pieces small enough to push through gaps in the slurry tank grill that were just a few inches wide. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe murderer is believed to have used water and disinfectant to remove forensic evidence from the scene. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMichael Kelley, a former US soldier, had been living on Gaine's farm for three years before moving to Tralee in April. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatKelley strenuously denied any involvement in the murder and claims he is being framed by a subversive criminal organisation. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatCCTV footage showed Gaine buying phone credit in a shop in Kenmare on the day he vanished. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe killer cut the body into pieces small enough to push through gaps just a few inches wide (irishmirror.ie)
- whatInvestigators believe the killer used water and disinfectant to wash forensic evidence into the slurry tank (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMichael Gaine's partial remains were discovered on his land on 17 May 2025. (irishtimes.com)
- whatAlicia Snow was in a relationship with Michael Kelley in the late 1990s and early 2000s and has two children with him. (irishtimes.com)
- whatWithin three months of the change, Snow and her children moved out of the home near Swanville. (irishtimes.com)
- whatKelley previously claimed he fled to Ireland and applied for asylum fearing he was targeted by the KKK. (irishtimes.com)
- whatKelley began working for Gaine after approaching farmers in the Kenmare area on New Year's Day 2022, having spent more than a year in a camp at Scully's Wood near Dromquinna. (irishtimes.com)
- whatGaine paid Kelley €100 a week to help with farm work including repairing machinery, bringing fodder to cattle and fetching sheep from the mountain. (irishtimes.com)
- whereGaine's funeral is at Holy Cross Church in Kenmare on Saturday morning (irishmirror.ie)
- whereKelley spoke to the Irish Mirror in Tralee, Co Kerry (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe funeral Mass was held at Holy Cross Church, Kenmare, Co Kerry. (irishtimes.com)
- whereMichael Gaine was murdered at his isolated farmyard at Carrig East, six kilometres from Kenmare town. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe farm is a thousand-acre property (irishmirror.ie)
- whereMichael Kelley is now living in Tralee, where he regularly busks on the streets. (irishtimes.com)
- whereKelley moved to Kerry from the northeastern US state of Maine about seven years ago. (irishtimes.com)
- whenKelley last saw Gaine at around 10am on 20 March (irishmirror.ie)
- whenGaine was first reported missing on 21 March 2025. (irishtimes.com)
- whenGaine disappeared on 20 March 2025. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenGaine was reported missing on the morning of Friday 21 March 2025 and had not been seen since Thursday 20 March (irishmirror.ie)
- whenKelley made the Fiosrú complaint in late March 2025, before his arrest on 18 May. (irishtimes.com)
- whenGaine was reported missing on 21 March 2025 by his wife Janice when he failed to return home on 20 March. (irishtimes.com)
- whenMichael Gaine was last seen alive on 20 March 2025. (irishtimes.com)
- whenGaine was last seen alive in a local shop in Kenmare on March 20th. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationKelley was arrested on suspicion of Gaine's murder (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe search covered a thousand-acre farm over eight weeks (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGarda Commissioner Drew Harris subjected the case to peer review on 6 June 2025. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí upgraded the case to homicide at the end of April, over five weeks after Gaine vanished. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe search for Gaine was one of the largest ever seen in the country, involving gardaí, other organisations and hundreds of volunteers. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGarda Commissioner Drew Harris announced a review of the police investigation of the murder. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí made an arrest shortly after the discovery of Gaine's body parts. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationOngoing searches are underway at the farm in Carrig East, Co Kerry (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe Garda Commissioner launched a peer review into how the case has been handled (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationOfficers missed body parts hidden inside a slurry tank they had already searched in the first few days (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationBody parts were discovered after a family friend was spreading slurry and remains became stuck in the machine (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationA massive search involving hundreds of volunteers, gardai, Civil Defence, Coast Guard, Defence Forces, helicopters and drones took place (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe homicide investigation is led by a Senior Investigating Officer and the Serious Crime Unit Kerry Garda Division supported by the GNBCI (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationKelley confirmed he made a complaint to Fiosrú, the Office of the Police Ombudsman, about his treatment by gardaí. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe complaint related to gardaí bringing Kelley to Sneem Garda station to make a voluntary witness statement. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí investigating the murder of Kerry farmer Mike Gaine travelled to the United States to speak with the former partner of the man arrested about the killing. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe investigators were looking for clues to explain what happened to Michael Gaine. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationA Garda source confirmed a detective travelled to the US to seek a statement from Alicia Snow. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationMichael Kelley was arrested on 18 May 2025 on suspicion of murder and released without charge 24 hours later. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationKelley was arrested on May 18th last year by gardaí investigating Gaine's murder and was released without charge. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí investigating the murder travelled to Maine to interview Snow and search for clues. (irishtimes.com)
- otherKelley is a US native, aged 53 (irishmirror.ie)
- otherKelley is a former US soldier who served in Germany as a Private (irishmirror.ie)
- otherKelley left the US military as a conscientious objector after the Gulf War (irishmirror.ie)
- otherKelley's ex-wife Alicia Snow gained custody of their two daughters in US proceedings (irishmirror.ie)
- otherA US judge found Kelley made false allegations and gave untrustworthy testimony (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe ashes completed a final lap around the town and past his home on Railway Road in his white Ford Escort II rally car, restored by friends in the Killarney Motor and District Club. (irishtimes.com)
- otherPatrick Quirke was convicted of murder and jailed for life in 2019 for hiding DJ Bobby Ryan's body in a slurry tank. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherMichael Kelley, 53, a US native, denies murdering and chopping up Gaine (irishmirror.ie)
- otherMichael Kelley worked for over a decade in the US as a butcher (irishmirror.ie)
- otherGaine was laid to rest at an emotional funeral at Holy Cross Church in Kenmare (irishmirror.ie)
- otherGaine was 56 years old (irishmirror.ie)
- otherCousin Eoghan Clarke described Gaine as a proud Kerry man and an even prouder Kenmare man (irishmirror.ie)
- otherKelley has yet to receive a reply from Fiosrú. (irishtimes.com)
- otherKelley denied any involvement in the killing of Gaine. (irishtimes.com)
- otherKelley had been living alone, rent free, for more than two years at the old Gaine family farmhouse at Carrig East in return for farm work. (irishtimes.com)
- otherGaine kept around 40 cows and 500 sheep at his 400-hectare hillside landholding. (irishtimes.com)
- otherKelley is a native of Maine in the northeastern US and came to Ireland in 2017 seeking political asylum. (irishtimes.com)
- otherKelley alleged he was threatened by the Ku Klux Klan in Maine because he was Catholic. (irishtimes.com)
- otherKelley alleged the KKK poisoned and killed his dog Lyra, a German Shepherd, and shot at him in the woods near his home outside Swanville in Waldo County. (irishtimes.com)
- otherKelley arrived at Dublin Airport in 2017 and asked for asylum at the immigration desk. (irishtimes.com)
- otherA barrister told Kelley he stood no chance of getting asylum, so he decided to go underground in Ireland. (irishtimes.com)
- otherKelley claims he was accepted into the US Rangers and entered training camp at Fort Benning in Georgia. (irishtimes.com)
- otherKelley claims he left the Rangers after being asked to sign a document giving them indemnity to deploy him on clandestine operations such as covert assassinations. (irishtimes.com)
- otherKelley claims he joined a regular US army unit around 1990 and was transferred to the US Air Defence Artillery Unit at Ansbach, Germany. (irishtimes.com)
- otherKelley is a musician who busks on the streets of Tralee and taught himself the tin whistle and flute. (irishtimes.com)
- otherMichael Kelley has denied any involvement in Michael Gaine's murder. (irishtimes.com)
- otherKelley and Snow had a commitment ceremony in 2001 on the farm in Swanville. (irishtimes.com)
- otherKelley and Snow separated in 2001. (irishtimes.com)
- otherAfter their separation, Alicia Snow earned a nursing degree and began working as a nurse. (irishtimes.com)
- otherMichael Kelley claimed he was threatened by the Ku Klux Klan in Maine because he was a Catholic. (irishtimes.com)
- otherKelley claimed the KKK poisoned and killed his dog near his home outside Swanville. (irishtimes.com)
- otherAfter separating from Snow, Michael Kelley brought a legal action in Maine seeking access to their children. (irishtimes.com)
- otherIn a 2009 Maine court case, Michael Kelley accused Alicia Snow of witchcraft and casting spells on their children. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe Maine courts granted Alicia Snow full custody of the children. (irishtimes.com)
- otherAlicia Snow said the last time she spoke to Michael Kelley was about 10 years ago. (irishtimes.com)
- otherMichael Kelley went to Arizona about seven years ago to visit his father, who bought him a one-way ticket to Ireland. (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 27 Jun2025Michael Gaine murder: Ex-partner of suspect Michael Kelley says he became ‘very unstable’ after 9/11 attacks
Provides background on suspect Michael Kelley through an interview with his ex-partner Alicia Snow, who described his mental instability and paranoia after 9/11, and details of his life in Kerry before working on Gaine's farm. Gardaí travelled to Maine to interview Snow.
victim, Michael Gaine, 56, male, irish (judged from name)Michael Gainesuspect, Michael Kelley, 53, male, American, named, non-irishMichael Kelley - 23 Jun2025Michael Gaine murder: Gardaí visit Michael Kelley’s ex-partner in Maine
Details the Gardaí's visit to Maine to interview Kelley's ex-partner Alicia Snow, and provides extensive background on Kelley's life in Maine, his relationship with Snow, his 2009 custody case, and his claims about KKK threats.
victim, Michael Gaine, male, Irish, irishMichael Gainesuspect, Michael Kelley, male, American, named, non-irishMichael Kelley - 14 Jun2025Michael Kelley: US man questioned in Michael Gaine murder inquiry says he made Garda ombudsman complaint
Adds confirmation that Kelley lodged a Fiosrú complaint in late March 2025 relating to his being brought to Sneem Garda station for a voluntary witness statement, before his arrest on 18 May. Provides extensive background on Kelley's life in the US, his 2017 arrival in Ireland seeking asylum, his time living in Killarney National Park, and his claimed US military service. Kelley denies involvement in the killing and suggests he may be framed by people involved in organised crime.
victim, Michael Gaine, 56, male, irish (judged from name)Michael Gainesuspect, Michael Kelley, 53, male, American, named, non-irishMichael Kelley - 10 Jun2025Ongoing searches at farm of murdered Michael Gaine - live updates
Provides updates on ongoing searches at the farm, the funeral, the peer review into the investigation, and details about how the body was dismembered and hidden in a slurry tank.
victim, Michael Gaine, 56, male, irish (judged from name)Michael Gainesuspect, Michael Kelley, 53, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Michael Kelley - 7 Jun2025The mystery over what happened to Michael Gaine only adds to the pain
Opinion/feature piece by Pat Flanagan discussing the Gaine murder investigation, the funeral at Kenmare, the slurry tank discovery, the review announced by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, and the arrest and denial by Michael Kelley.
victim, Michael Gaine, 56, male, Irish, irishMichael Gainesuspect, Michael Kelley, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Michael Kelley - 7 Jun2025Michael Gaine funeral hears of ‘idyllic’ community struck by ‘something terrible’
Covers the funeral Mass and provides investigation updates: Garda Commissioner Drew Harris subjected the case to peer review on 6 June 2025; human remains were confirmed as Gaine's on 29 April 2025; Michael Kelley was arrested and released without charge on 18 May 2025; the farm at Carrig East remains sealed as a crime scene.
victim, Michael Gaine, male, irish (judged from name)Michael Gainesuspect, Michael Kelley, 53, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Michael Kelley - 6 Jun2025Michael Gaine murder suspect won't attend funeral - considers death 'a tragedy'
Kelley gives a new interview ahead of Gaine's funeral, denies being asked to leave the land, proposes a firearm theory, criticises the scale of the search and the chainsaw theory, and says he does not expect to be charged.
victim, Michael Gaine, male, Irish, irishMichael Gainesuspect, Michael Kelley, 53, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Michael Kelley