The Justice Files: Who killed Kelly Bodily?

CLEARFIELD Utah (ABC4 Utah) – Kelly Bodily was considered a big man and that’s what puzzled his sister.

Sherlene Perkins wondered how he could have been overpowered and eventually killed.

“I was devastated beyond belief,” said Perkins. “Kelly was dead for two days before the police found him. It just broke my heart.”

The murder of Bodily still remained a mystery one year after he was found dead at his Clearfield home.

It was December 7th, 2020 when Clearfield Police arrived at his home on a welfare check. Two days earlier and according to a search warrant, Bodily was alive.

A neighbor “exchanges a text message” on December 5 with Bodily. Later that night, his wife “heard a bang” coming from Bodily’s home. The wife also heard Bodily “yelling” for them.

The next day, Bodily “never responded” to a text message from the neighbors. After going into the home, police determined Bodily was dead and it’s suspicious.

Detectives learned Bodily had been shot twice. Shell casings were found in the home and front yard. They later determined a 9 mm gun was the murder weapon.

According to the search warrant, Bodily was “lying on the ground”. Police found him “holding a baseball bat” in his hands.

“Kelly was like at least six-feet-four and he was very big and muscular,” said Perkins. “He worked out with weights and so, he dealt with somebody that couldn’t defend himself.”

A second search warrant indicated that police later discovered threats from a possible person of interest. The two met on Facebook.

“The social media post, we became aware of that very early on,” said Devin Rogers, the assistant police chief with Clearfield. “(It was) an argument that took place on a social media post. We’ve interviewed that acquaintance and ruled him out as being involved.”

After that, the trail turned cold.

An initial reward of $5,000 was offered in August. But Perkins said she wanted to personally increase it. It now sits at $8,000.

She said with her brother’s passing, it has left many broken hearts including Bodily’s teenage daughter.

“He was the most loving father in the world,” said Perkins. “He was the greatest father that ever was.”

Anyone with information about Bodily’s murder is urged to contact Clearfield Police. A tip line offers anonymity.