Hyannis Man Guilty of Murder
11/8/18
The Cape man charged with the stabbing death of another man at a house party in Hyannis in 2016 has been found guilty following a 7 day trial in Barnstable Superior Court.
20 year old Kelly Ridley of Hyannis was found guilty on one count of first degree murder and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
On October 22nd, 2016 Barnstable Police responded to a report of a house party at 133 Beth Lane where a man had been stabbed.
Arriving officers found 28 year old Thomas Russell Jr. laying in the road with multiple stab wounds to his abdomen and lower body. He was rushed to Cape Cod Hospital where he was pronounced dead of his injuries.
Witnesses at the party described Ridley as arming himself with a knife before walking down the driveway, engaging in a fight with Russell and stabbing him 9 times.
The victim was a close friend of a person working in the Cape and Islands D.A.s office. D.A. Michael O’Keefe referred the case to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office to avoid the appearance of a conflict.