Wanted Stalker Jailed, Accused of Making Death Threats Against Ex

“All I can think about is killing Samantha* and not caring about prison,” Jason Bradley Kelley allegedly wrote in a text message to one of his ex-wife’s friends. “She needs to understand the law can only protect her so much. I told her too that I would kill her if she tried to keep the girls from me.”

On Jan. 14, Jason Kelly, 28,  and his wife were divorced in Tom Green County.  A temporary custody order for their two children dictated that he was allowed only supervised visits on specified weekends, a complaint filed with the court states. Those visits were to take place at his father’s residence, and Kelly was not permitted to pick up the children from Samantha’s house.

According to a complaint for an arrest warrant written by detective Jeremy Cannady of the San Angelo Police Department, Kelly began violating the court’s order in February, growing increasingly violent and sending threatening messages that culminated in a warrant for third-degree felony stalking.

The series of incidents listed in the complaint begins on Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 3:30 a.m., when officer Priscilla Massey responded to Samantha’s house on Derby Court where she found Kelly, who stated he was there to visit his children. After being told a visitation would not take place at that hour, Kelly was given a criminal mischief warning and made to leave the property.

But the warning didn’t sit well. Hours later, at 7:35 a.m., Kelly drove to his ex-wife’s place of employment and assaulted her, detective Cannady wrote, pushing her up against the wall until another employee intervened and the assailant left. On the way out, Cannady wrote, Kelly picked up rocks and began casting them at Samantha’s vehicle.

A little over two weeks later, on Feb. 27, officer Dakota Martin responded to Samantha’s house on Derby Court for a report of harassment. Upon arriving, Martin learned that Kelly had allegedly been using multiple telephone numbers to call and text Samantha repeatedly. On March 6 she went to the police department to file another report with officer Kathy Delaughter, this time stating that her ex-husband had sent repeated messages about wanting to kill her to a friend of hers.

By the fourth week of March, Cannady wrote, officers had been called out to Derby Court again, this time because Kelly had shown up with another male and was making a commotion banging on the front door.

“No one answered the door, but a neighbor came out of his garage and [saw] a male subject and heard him yell, ‘I’m gonna kill you bitch!’” Cannady wrote.

Detective Cannady met with Samantha the following day, who told him she was afraid at that point that if Kelly were permitted to see their children he may take them and flee the area and hide them from her.

Cannady then contacted deputy Troy Goodloe in Reagan County and gave him a letter to Kelly that explained that if he made any further contact with his ex-wife, criminal charges would be filed. According to the complaint, Goodloe served the letter to Kelly in Big Lake later that day.

On April 5, SAPD officer Keith Lane was at Samantha’s place of employment after she contacted the police department due to further calls and threats from Kelly.

“…during the time Officer Lane was speaking with [Samantha], the Defendant called [her] approximately fourteen times and left twelve voicemails,” Cannady wrote.

Samantha identified the caller’s voice as her ex-husband, and played back messages stating things like, “I didn’t care if I went to prison”, “I’m not gonna quit” and “I’m not gonna stop calling”.

After speaking to officer Lane, Cannady wrote a complaint and a warrant was issued for Kelly’s arrest. It was served on April 5.

“While being transported to jail the Defendant advised Officer Keith Lane that he was suicidal and when he was released he would set his truck on fire and climb on top of it and drive it into the courthouse,” Cannady wrote.

Kelly was released the next day after posting a $7,500 surety bond for stalking and a $1,000 bond for criminal trespass.

Six days after his release, Kelly called Samantha from a phone number he’d previously used to make threats and hung up after she answered. Another two day later, on April 14, Kelly used a text messaging service to send Samantha a message that read, “this has gone too far, I am now facing felony charges because you want to be a bitch, now why in the f*** can you not be a f****** adult and talk to me like a,” Cannady wrote.

Following the message, another warrant for Kelly’s arrest was issued, and wanted posters were circulated by the San Angelo Police.

Kelly was arrested on April 22, and has a $15k bond set against his first stalking charge, a $10k bond against the second one and no bond has been set against the criminal mischief charge. 

* Name of victim changed.