Cook County Blog

Fmr. Blagojevich adviser Kelly dies; death probe looks at drugs

This is a very strange case and connected to Blagojevich. Christopher Kelly was found slumped over in his car in a lumberyard which is reportedly near a storage space he rents. His girlfriend found him after he text messaged her to meet her there. He was apparently not in a very good shape and she drove him to the hospital, where he later died on Saturday, September 12.

Kelly had run up thousands of dollars in personal debts was believed to be strapped for cash.

He was facing three years in prison for hiding $1.3 million in income, including company money he used to pay gambling debts that he wrote off as business expenses. He was facing five additional years for taking part in an $8.5 million fraud involving roofing work on United Air Lines and American Airlines hangars at O'Hare International Airport.

And still to come was a trial in a sweeping indictment that charged Blagojevich, Kelly and four other men with planning several fraudulent deals involving state government and millions of dollars in kickbacks.

It's being treated as a homicide even though the official line is -suicide.

Kelly Talked to Police Officer Before He Died

Kelly told police he'd recently had surgery on his private parts. When Kelly's girlfriend reached the scene at the lumberyard, she saw vomit inside and outside his Escalade, then pushed Kelly over to the passenger side of the vehicle and drove him to Oak Forest Hospital. He was laying on a gurney when he was questioned by police.

Here's the fishy part from the same suntimes article:

The police officer also interviewed an unidentified “male white with grey hair” who claimed to be Kelly’s friend. He told the officer who Kelly was, Welch said.

Later Saturday morning, a white man with grey hair — police are unsure if it was the same man interviewed at the hospital earlier — came to the hospital with keys to the Escalade and tried to remove it from the parking lot but was turned away by police, Welch said.

Kelly was Blagojevich's 'go-to' man and after Blago was under indictment, Kelly refused to flip for the prosecution and stayed loyal to Blagojevich.

His death came four days after pleading guilty to the $8.5 million fraud at O'hare airport and would have been part of the proceedings regarding Blagojevich's case next June.