American rearrested over farmer’s homicide after dismembered physique present in slurry pit

Gardai have rearrested Michael Kelley suspected of the murder of Kerry farmer Michael Gaine, it has been revealed. As reported by the Irish Mirror, American Kelley was detained at his home in Tralee earlier today.

The 54-year-old was apprehended by gardai from the Kerry Division, along with specialist detectives from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation. They arrested him on suspicion of the murder of 56-year-old Mr Gaine, who gardai believe was slain at his farm outside Kenmare on or around March 20 last year, reports Cork Beo.

A Garda statement this morning confirmed: “Gardaí at Killarney Garda Station continue to investigate the disappearance and homicide of Michael Gaine (56), who was reported missing from his home near Kenmare, Co. Kerry, on Friday, 21st March 2025.

“A man (aged in his 50s) has been arrested in connection with the investigation this morning, Tuesday, 24th February 2026.He is currently detained at a Garda Station in Kerry Garda Division. The investigation led by Serious Crime Unit Kerry Division has been and continues to be supported by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI).

“An Garda Síochána, through family liaison officers, continue to liaise with and support the family of Micheal Gaine. Investigations are ongoing.”

Gardai initially handled Mr Gaine’s disappearance, last spotted at a Kenmare shop that day, as a missing person inquiry. However, they subsequently elevated it to a murder investigation on April 29 last year.

Kelley was first detained on murder suspicions on April 18, three days following the discovery of Mr Gaine’s first dismembered remains on his property on May 16. He was subsequently released without charges, but has now returned to custody.

The former American serviceman, who resided on Mr Gaine’s farm at Carrig East, approximately 8km from Kenmare, was being held at a Kerry Garda Station this morning. Officers can hold him for up to 24 hours.

The detention of ex-US soldier Mr Kelley occurs just over nine months since his previous arrest on suspicion of Mr Gaine’s murder. Mr Kelley, who refutes any connection to Mr Gaine’s death, was freed without charges on Monday, May 19, last year, following his arrest the day before.

He was detained at Killarney Garda Station on that occasion. Sources have verified that the arrested individual is Mr Kelley, who hails from Maine in north-eastern America. He has been residing in the Tralee vicinity since his release from Garda custody in May.

That detention occurred just over 24 hours after Mr Gaine’s first remains were discovered scattered across part of his farm. Gardai subsequently determined he had been murdered before his body was dismembered and the remains disposed of in a slurry pit within a shed on his own property.

On Friday, May 16, relatives and friends were tending to his farm and extracted slurry from the pit which they subsequently started spreading across the fields. The equipment malfunctioned and, to their dismay, they uncovered what they believed were fragments of human remains.

Gardai immediately rushed to the location, cordoned off the entire property and launched a comprehensive investigation, later retrieving the majority of Mr Gaine’s remains from the slurry tank. Mr Kelley, who had been labouring on the farm in exchange for accommodation, was detained on suspicion of murder on May 18.

However, he was freed without charges at approximately 10.40 pm on Monday, May 19.

The subsequent Friday, May 23, The Irish Mirror located Mr Kelley in Tralee, where he maintained his innocence. He informed us he was being set up for the killing by criminals.

He stated: “There may be elements that want to string me up…people who have an interest in organised crime – people who are involved in organised crime.

“Well that is a matter of record,” he said when questioned whether he was being treated as a suspect and that he was detained and questioned by gardai. He continued, “Do you know who I am? Well then why do you ask? Whether or not I’m a suspect is not a matter of perspective. It’s a matter of public record.”

When asked whether he disclosed anything to the gardai, Mr Kelley said: “Well of course, but that’s all stuff that is privileged between the guards, the solicitor and myself.”

He was questioned about whether he denies any involvement in Mr Gaine’s murder, to which he replied: “Yes.”

When pressed on what he believed had occurred to Mr Gaine, he answered: “It would be incautious for me to comment on that on the advice of my solicitor.”

Gardai have been pursuing their investigation and launched their latest action against Mr Kelley on Tuesday morning. This comes despite Pat Mann, Mr Kelley’s solicitor, informing an Irish Mirror documentary in its Shattered Lives podcast on the Gaine case that gardai possessed no evidence against his client.

Mr Mann alsosaid last November that he felt Mr Kelley’s arrest was unjustified. “I didn’t think there was any basis for the arrest. And that subsequently is being borne out,” Mr Mann stated during an on-camera interview in Tralee.

The respected solicitor claimed he believes he managed to demonstrate that the widely-reported murder of Mr Gaine bore no connection to Mr Kelley. He said: “Yeah, you’re quite right he said, there that he had been arrested back then in Killarney on suspicion of being involved in that incident. And we clearly were able to establish it had nothing to do with him, and with the result of that is sort of that.”

Mr Mann went further, stating he did not believe his client’s arrest was warranted – and he felt that gardai clearly had nothing, as they released him without charge. He stated: “He was arrested on suspicion of having been involved in the death of that man and he was interviewed about it and quite clearly they must have thought, they must have as a result of the interview, they must have reached the conclusion that he wasn’t involved or otherwise they would have – which is the normal thing – they would have kept somebody, charged and them and brought them before a special sitting (of) court.”

When questioned if his client is asserting his innocence, he responded: “Well, he is innocent. It isn’t a question of maintaining it. It is like somebody, for example, judges regularly say to people, juries, and things that somebody is entitled to the benefit of the doubt. Getting the doubt is not a benefit; it’s a fact.

“Because you see if you didn’t have any evidence against somebody, which clearly I don’t think they have against Michael, you’d actually be kind of defaming somebody, if you like, in a localised community or giving them a bad name, wrongly. Or targeting them for some lunatic to go after them, you know, if you said that.”

When asked if he believed the gardai had any evidence against his client, he added: “I don’t think so, no. I just instinctively feel there isn’t. I just feel if there was going to be something – sure it’s a whilst back now. I can’t even remember. There’s been nothing sure in the meantime.”