Candy Williams is still living in the rural Ark City farmhouse on the property where Cowley County Sheriff’s investigators say her fiancee, Matt Kelly, was killed early Dec. 14, 2021.
She figures she needs to be fully moved out by Thursday. Williams thinks at some point after that, Lisa Wise, Matt’s sister, could be out of jail.
Wise, 38, is facing charges of conspiracy and aggravated battery in connection to the murder of Matt Kelly. She’s been held on $250,000 bond since December. Williams says she’s been told, by investigators and prosecutors, that Wise has been offered a plea agreement to avoid trial.
If she accepts, her bond would be lowered and she could be released. Another defendant in the case, Amber Orr, entered a no contest plea on a charge of evidence tampering Tuesday. She posted a significantly reduced bond amount, was released, and is to live in Udall.
25-year-old Justin Pierce and 30-year-old Dylan Weaver have been charged with first degree murder, aggravated battery, conspiracy, criminal use of a weapon and interference with law enforcement. They each have a bond set at $1 million.
Preliminary hearings for Pierce, Weaver and Wise are set for Friday at the Cowley County Courthouse in Winfield. Williams has been subpoenaed to testify.
“Lisa’s going to get out and she’s going to lie,” Williams, who approached NewsCow and sat down for an extensive interview Monday, said. “Nobody’s ever going to know the truth because she’s taking that plea deal. She can get out and say whatever she wants. She didn’t pull the trigger but them boys would’ve never done what they done if it hadn’t been for her. They didn’t know Matt. Those two guys would’ve never had Matt in their heads.”
During the NewsCow interview, Williams discussed Wise and Kelly’s troubles and Wise’s behavior before and after the killing. Williams, Wise and Kelly had lived together at the farmhouse.
You can listen to the full interview with Williams in Part 1 and Part 2. The second half contains much of the discussion of the moments before, during and after the alleged crime. (Audio also available on links below. It does contain explicit language that may be offensive to some readers.)
Williams said Wise and Kelly had argued consistently for four days before Kelly died. She said Wise thought Kelly needed to be beaten up and arranged for Pierce and Weaver to do it.
Of the plea offer to Wise, Williams said: “It’s not fair to Matt.”
“I don’t want to hurt the case,” she said, in regard to doing an interview with the media. “But the truth has to come out.”
Just after midnight on Dec. 14, 2021, deputies were sent to the farmhouse in the 3000 block of 302nd Road. A reporting party discovered a large amount of suspected blood located in the front yard and had information that a shooting had taken place. Sheriff’s Deputies processed the scene.
Kelly, 34, Weaver and Pierce had been at the residence earlier, investigators learned. The home was that of Wise. Kelly and Williams had stayed there for a time and the siblings, Wise and Kelly, had had a recent disagreement and frequent shouting matches.
Kelly, Weaver and Pierce are alleged to have been in a confrontation that led to Kelly being shot and killed. You can see the full probable cause affidavit for Pierce here. Facts of the crime listed in the affidavits for the other defendants are the same.
During the investigation a 2018, silver F-250, belonging to Weaver was located at an address in Winfield. Possible visual evidence was noted on the vehicle, and it was seized as evidence.
Later that day, a vehicle was located in the 10000 block of 11th Road, near the Oxford sand pits, in western Cowley County. In that vehicle were Pierce and Orr. Deputies observed what looked like blood in the back of the truck and the vehicle was seized.
A search warrant was obtained, and the deceased body of Kelly was recovered.
