Who was Debbie Kelly and what happened to her? Disturbing details of the 2015 incident, revealed 

Who was Debbie Kelly and what happened to her? (Image Via NBC)
Who was Debbie Kelly and what happened to her? (Image Via NBC)

The Dateline NBC episode "Silhouette" explores the mysterious case of Debbie Anne Kelly, a 48-year-old healthcare executive who was shot dead in her home in San Antonio, Texas, on October 16, 2015. It has been a few years since she was married to Lars Erik Itzo, who was found responsible for her death.

Here is the catch: Lars, who called 911 after shooting his wife in panic and admitted crying that her body was no longer responsive, claims that she shot her accidentally, mistaking her for a burglar. Let's know more about the victim, Debbie Kelly, and some disturbing details of the 2015 case.


Dateline: Who was Debbie Kelly and what happened to her?

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Debbie was born on 24 June 1967. As per the interviews shown in the Dateline, Debbie's mom, Anne, describes her as an independent and career-oriented woman. Her promotion as vice president of National Surgical Healthcare required her to travel frequently.

“[She] always wanted to be a career woman,” her mom, Anne Kelly, recalled. “She spent many, many hours traveling and many hours working overtime.” says Anne Kelly, Debbie's mom.

When she was 40 and single after a brief failed marriage, she found love in Lars, whom she met while renovating her house. They started going out on dates and seeing each other more often. Eventually, they met each other's family and got married in a chapel in Arkansas, as explored in Dateline.


What happened in the morning when the murder happened, as per Dateline NBC?

Who was Debbie Kelly and what happened to her? (Image Via NBC)
Who was Debbie Kelly and what happened to her? (Image Via NBC)

It was early morning, around 4 AM. Lars heard some noise in the hall area. It was when the dogs started barking that he left his bed to see, under suspicion of some intruder or anticipating a burglary. Suddenly, as he reached towards the door, he saw someone 3 feet away, and without a second thought, he pointed the gun towards the figure and shot.

He returned to the bedroom to reload the gun and got his 9mm handgun instead to attack further, but he suddenly heard a scream that resembled his wife's. That's when he realized he had killed his wife, Debbie.

“I want you to walk over to her and make sure that she is still breathing,” a 911 operator instructed him.

But Debbie was not breathing. Lars was crying on the phone call and was continuously giving her CPR and trying to stop the bleeding. However, the prosecutors think that Lars was faking all of it. How can someone not know who they are shooting when they are just 3 feet away? Moreover, Debbie is much shorter than Lars.


How did the suspicion grow on Lars as per the Dateline?

According to Lars's statements, he thought that Debbie was on the bed beside him. He also admitted that he alerted her while going towards the hallway.

The prosecutors later noted that there had been differences in Lars' statements. When he called 911, he said he witnessed some flashlight or torchlight that woke him up. Later, when the investigators arrived at the location, he said he woke up without any mention of lights. While in the police station, he said, he heard the dogs barking and woke up.

He was charged with manslaughter and later with the murder of Debbie Kelly. During a trial in 2016, he claimed the incident was an accident and suffered 15 years imprisonment as a punishment for manslaughter, as per Dateline.

Edited by Ishita Banerjee
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