DENVER – A man who pled guilty to murdering his 17-year-old half-sister, whose body was found inside a trash in 2020, was sentenced to nearly 30 years in prison for the crime last Friday, according to the Denver District Attorney’s Office.
Darsean Kelley, 28, was sentenced Friday to 27 years in the Department of Corrections for murdering 17-year-old Marnee Kelley-Mills. The girl’s body was found stuffed in a duffel bag which had been thrown in the trash can outside the family home. She had been stabbed in the neck, according to an arrest affidavit in the case.
Arresting documents show the woman who found the girl’s body told police at the time that Kelley had mental issues and that “he should be taking medication.”
Additionally, she told investigators Kelley and the 17-year-old girl would often argue and that Kelley had recently threatened to kill the teenager, something that made the girl fear Kelley which would eventually lead to the girl asking the woman to kick him out of the house.
“Along with the court, I offer my condolences to this family who have suffered greatly from this tragedy,” said Denver DA Beth McCann. “Our prosecution team has shown great care and sensitivity with how they handled this case and I am very proud of their professionalism and grace.”
In 2017, the City of Aurora paid Kelley $110,000 after police used a Taser on him while detaining him without telling him why a year prior. The ACLU, which took up the case, released the police camera video of his arrest, which happened on Feb. 19, 2016. According to the ACLU, Kelley and his cousin were walking along 14th Avenue when police stopped them.