Arizona Rancher on Trial for Murder Told Investigators He Had ‘No Reason to Believe’ He Shot Illegal Immigrant

In a law enforcement video, George Alan Kelly said he shot over the heads of a group of men in tactical clothing trespassing on his property.

Wanda Kelly (L), wife of George Alan Kelly (R), accused of second-degree murder, watches a police interview video with her husband the night he was arrested on Jan. 30, 2023. Photo taken in Nogales, Ariz., on April 12, 2024. Allan Stein/The Epoch Times

NOGALES, Ariz.—On the night of his arrest, George Alan Kelly told investigators that he had “no reason to believe” that he had shot and killed an illegal immigrant who was later found dead on his ranch property on Jan. 30, 2023.

“I’ve never been confronted with a situation such as this. I’m still somewhat agitated. I’m still quite nervous—upset,” Mr. Kelly said during the videotaped interview with detectives for the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.