Delores Diane (Kelly) Gonzales, of Gulfport, MS passed away on approximately June 21, 1973. Her life was taken at the young age of 17 by a cruel and heartless person that she trusted. After all of these years, the family is able to put closure to this situation because her remains have been identified through DNA testing.
Survivors include two daughters, Kimberly (Harrison) Stahl and Ginger (Harrison) Lehman, who were adopted and raised by their Uncle and Aunt; Charlie and Louise Harrison. Other survivors include: two brothers, Charles Kelly and H. Ray Kelly and a sister, Louise (Kelly) Harrison.
She was followed in death by her father; Guy B. Kelly, Sr and her mother; Mary Aileen Kelly, brothers, Clyde Kelly, Archie F. Kelly, and Guy J. Kelly.
A private memorial service will be held on May 16, 2015 at Woolmarket Baptist Church in Biloxi, MS at 11 am for friends and family.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Gulf Coast Women's Center for Nonviolence.
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On June 21, 1973 Gonzales was last seen leaving work, cleaning apartments at Racquet Club Apartments at 928 Courthouse Rd, Gulfport, Ms., was killed by her husband, Gulfport police officials said Thursday.
The revelation was made at a press conference after remains of Delores Diane Gonzales were identified through DNA testing. Gonzales' body was found more than 40 years ago in Alabama. She went missing June 23, 1973, authorities said.
Gulfport police said her husband, Robert Gonzales, who died in 2007, had admitted killing her the day before their second wedding anniversary and hiding her body in the woods. But he was granted a divorce in September 1974 and moved to Florida where he remarried, authorities said.
Spencer Walker, district attorney for Choctaw, Clarke and Washington counties, said DNA testing solved the disappearance. "Detectives found her remains in 1974 with two gunshots to the skull," Walker said. "The murder investigation is still open, but at least we could get the family this bit of closure."
The investigation restarted in 2012 when Jason Kokoszka was taking inventory before the Alabama Department of Forensic Science moved to a new building. "He found the remains and realized DNA testing had never been done," Walker said. "After that, he sent the remains to numerous locations for every DNA test possible."
Gonzales was 17 when she was reported missing. Cold Case Detective Frank Mazzola said he spent most of his investigation re-creating the day she went missing in Gulfport. "Going through her last few hours allowed me to find people that knew her and eventually led me to family members," he said. "Taking DNA from direct family was a major breakthrough for us."
He said Gonzales' family was relieved to know what really happened to her."They just want the remains and to give her a proper burial," he said.
Mazzola said naming the husband as the suspect also allows the family to close the case. "We are treating the case as just about closed," he said. "The family has closure and that's the most important thing."
Chief Deputy Chris Loposser said Gulfport police never forget about cold cases and assure residents they do everything in their power to close each case. "Murder cases get much harder to prosecute after the first 48 hours," Walker said. "After 42 years, it becomes almost impossible."
Walker said without a great team working on the case from multiple offices, Gonzales' identity may never have been found.
Published: Sun Herald ~ April, 23, 2015
Survivors include two daughters, Kimberly (Harrison) Stahl and Ginger (Harrison) Lehman, who were adopted and raised by their Uncle and Aunt; Charlie and Louise Harrison. Other survivors include: two brothers, Charles Kelly and H. Ray Kelly and a sister, Louise (Kelly) Harrison.
She was followed in death by her father; Guy B. Kelly, Sr and her mother; Mary Aileen Kelly, brothers, Clyde Kelly, Archie F. Kelly, and Guy J. Kelly.
A private memorial service will be held on May 16, 2015 at Woolmarket Baptist Church in Biloxi, MS at 11 am for friends and family.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Gulf Coast Women's Center for Nonviolence.
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On June 21, 1973 Gonzales was last seen leaving work, cleaning apartments at Racquet Club Apartments at 928 Courthouse Rd, Gulfport, Ms., was killed by her husband, Gulfport police officials said Thursday.
The revelation was made at a press conference after remains of Delores Diane Gonzales were identified through DNA testing. Gonzales' body was found more than 40 years ago in Alabama. She went missing June 23, 1973, authorities said.
Gulfport police said her husband, Robert Gonzales, who died in 2007, had admitted killing her the day before their second wedding anniversary and hiding her body in the woods. But he was granted a divorce in September 1974 and moved to Florida where he remarried, authorities said.
Spencer Walker, district attorney for Choctaw, Clarke and Washington counties, said DNA testing solved the disappearance. "Detectives found her remains in 1974 with two gunshots to the skull," Walker said. "The murder investigation is still open, but at least we could get the family this bit of closure."
The investigation restarted in 2012 when Jason Kokoszka was taking inventory before the Alabama Department of Forensic Science moved to a new building. "He found the remains and realized DNA testing had never been done," Walker said. "After that, he sent the remains to numerous locations for every DNA test possible."
Gonzales was 17 when she was reported missing. Cold Case Detective Frank Mazzola said he spent most of his investigation re-creating the day she went missing in Gulfport. "Going through her last few hours allowed me to find people that knew her and eventually led me to family members," he said. "Taking DNA from direct family was a major breakthrough for us."
He said Gonzales' family was relieved to know what really happened to her."They just want the remains and to give her a proper burial," he said.
Mazzola said naming the husband as the suspect also allows the family to close the case. "We are treating the case as just about closed," he said. "The family has closure and that's the most important thing."
Chief Deputy Chris Loposser said Gulfport police never forget about cold cases and assure residents they do everything in their power to close each case. "Murder cases get much harder to prosecute after the first 48 hours," Walker said. "After 42 years, it becomes almost impossible."
Walker said without a great team working on the case from multiple offices, Gonzales' identity may never have been found.
Published: Sun Herald ~ April, 23, 2015
Delores Diane (Kelly) Gonzales, of Gulfport, MS passed away on approximately June 21, 1973. Her life was taken at the young age of 17 by a cruel and heartless person that she trusted. After all of these years, the family is able to put closure to this situation because her remains have been identified through DNA testing.
Survivors include two daughters, Kimberly (Harrison) Stahl and Ginger (Harrison) Lehman, who were adopted and raised by their Uncle and Aunt; Charlie and Louise Harrison. Other survivors include: two brothers, Charles Kelly and H. Ray Kelly and a sister, Louise (Kelly) Harrison.
She was followed in death by her father; Guy B. Kelly, Sr and her mother; Mary Aileen Kelly, brothers, Clyde Kelly, Archie F. Kelly, and Guy J. Kelly.
A private memorial service will be held on May 16, 2015 at Woolmarket Baptist Church in Biloxi, MS at 11 am for friends and family.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Gulf Coast Women's Center for Nonviolence.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
On June 21, 1973 Gonzales was last seen leaving work, cleaning apartments at Racquet Club Apartments at 928 Courthouse Rd, Gulfport, Ms., was killed by her husband, Gulfport police officials said Thursday.
The revelation was made at a press conference after remains of Delores Diane Gonzales were identified through DNA testing. Gonzales' body was found more than 40 years ago in Alabama. She went missing June 23, 1973, authorities said.
Gulfport police said her husband, Robert Gonzales, who died in 2007, had admitted killing her the day before their second wedding anniversary and hiding her body in the woods. But he was granted a divorce in September 1974 and moved to Florida where he remarried, authorities said.
Spencer Walker, district attorney for Choctaw, Clarke and Washington counties, said DNA testing solved the disappearance. "Detectives found her remains in 1974 with two gunshots to the skull," Walker said. "The murder investigation is still open, but at least we could get the family this bit of closure."
The investigation restarted in 2012 when Jason Kokoszka was taking inventory before the Alabama Department of Forensic Science moved to a new building. "He found the remains and realized DNA testing had never been done," Walker said. "After that, he sent the remains to numerous locations for every DNA test possible."
Gonzales was 17 when she was reported missing. Cold Case Detective Frank Mazzola said he spent most of his investigation re-creating the day she went missing in Gulfport. "Going through her last few hours allowed me to find people that knew her and eventually led me to family members," he said. "Taking DNA from direct family was a major breakthrough for us."
He said Gonzales' family was relieved to know what really happened to her."They just want the remains and to give her a proper burial," he said.
Mazzola said naming the husband as the suspect also allows the family to close the case. "We are treating the case as just about closed," he said. "The family has closure and that's the most important thing."
Chief Deputy Chris Loposser said Gulfport police never forget about cold cases and assure residents they do everything in their power to close each case. "Murder cases get much harder to prosecute after the first 48 hours," Walker said. "After 42 years, it becomes almost impossible."
Walker said without a great team working on the case from multiple offices, Gonzales' identity may never have been found.
Published: Sun Herald ~ April, 23, 2015
Survivors include two daughters, Kimberly (Harrison) Stahl and Ginger (Harrison) Lehman, who were adopted and raised by their Uncle and Aunt; Charlie and Louise Harrison. Other survivors include: two brothers, Charles Kelly and H. Ray Kelly and a sister, Louise (Kelly) Harrison.
She was followed in death by her father; Guy B. Kelly, Sr and her mother; Mary Aileen Kelly, brothers, Clyde Kelly, Archie F. Kelly, and Guy J. Kelly.
A private memorial service will be held on May 16, 2015 at Woolmarket Baptist Church in Biloxi, MS at 11 am for friends and family.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Gulf Coast Women's Center for Nonviolence.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
On June 21, 1973 Gonzales was last seen leaving work, cleaning apartments at Racquet Club Apartments at 928 Courthouse Rd, Gulfport, Ms., was killed by her husband, Gulfport police officials said Thursday.
The revelation was made at a press conference after remains of Delores Diane Gonzales were identified through DNA testing. Gonzales' body was found more than 40 years ago in Alabama. She went missing June 23, 1973, authorities said.
Gulfport police said her husband, Robert Gonzales, who died in 2007, had admitted killing her the day before their second wedding anniversary and hiding her body in the woods. But he was granted a divorce in September 1974 and moved to Florida where he remarried, authorities said.
Spencer Walker, district attorney for Choctaw, Clarke and Washington counties, said DNA testing solved the disappearance. "Detectives found her remains in 1974 with two gunshots to the skull," Walker said. "The murder investigation is still open, but at least we could get the family this bit of closure."
The investigation restarted in 2012 when Jason Kokoszka was taking inventory before the Alabama Department of Forensic Science moved to a new building. "He found the remains and realized DNA testing had never been done," Walker said. "After that, he sent the remains to numerous locations for every DNA test possible."
Gonzales was 17 when she was reported missing. Cold Case Detective Frank Mazzola said he spent most of his investigation re-creating the day she went missing in Gulfport. "Going through her last few hours allowed me to find people that knew her and eventually led me to family members," he said. "Taking DNA from direct family was a major breakthrough for us."
He said Gonzales' family was relieved to know what really happened to her."They just want the remains and to give her a proper burial," he said.
Mazzola said naming the husband as the suspect also allows the family to close the case. "We are treating the case as just about closed," he said. "The family has closure and that's the most important thing."
Chief Deputy Chris Loposser said Gulfport police never forget about cold cases and assure residents they do everything in their power to close each case. "Murder cases get much harder to prosecute after the first 48 hours," Walker said. "After 42 years, it becomes almost impossible."
Walker said without a great team working on the case from multiple offices, Gonzales' identity may never have been found.
Published: Sun Herald ~ April, 23, 2015
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