It was a warm, rainy night April 14, 1993, in the small town of Bruce, Mississippi, when Kell Norwood, age twenty-two, was shot and killed by a bullet from a .22 revolver.

The gun was owned by the girl he was dating at the time. Kell was well known to most of the residents in the County. He was an All Star/All State football, basketball, and baseball player for the Christian Academy. His name and picture was printed in the two local newspapers almost weekly through his high school years. He was a popular, good looking young man with his whole life ahead of him. Yet, his life was taken with one shot from his girlfriend's gun.

What REALLY happened to Kell and WHO fired the shot that killed him? That is what his family has been asking for over nine years.

Accident? Suicide? or Murder.

Kell was last seen alive sometime between 10:00 and 10:30 PM by a young couple who had invited Kell and his date to their house for a game of cards.

They left that card party in his date's car and, according to her story, when they arrived at Kell's house she entered through a window because, she said, he did not have his door key. She claims she left him alone in her car to listen to a song that was playing on the radio.

Once inside she said she went to the bathroom, returned to the living room, turned on the TV and almost immediately she heard a gun shot. She claims she went to the door and saw Kell, who had staggered up to the porch, bleeding from the mouth. According to her, he said he had been shot and wanted her to take him to the hospital. She claims she left immediately to drive him the 9.4 miles (10 minute drive, at most) to the hospital. Kell arrived at 12:05 AM, Dead On Arrival.

According to her story, that leaves from 75 to 125 minutes unaccounted for!

Bruce Police Chief W. R. Hensley took a brief oral statement from Kell's date at the hospital. He found the gun propped up against the seat on the passenger's side of the car. There was no blood in the car.

It was reported to him by the ER Nurses that the blood on Kell was dry when he arrived. He proceeded to Kell's house where he did a "walk-through" and states he found no signs of foul play or suicide, so he decided Kell's death had to have been an accident.

Calhoun County Coroner Gene Beadle arrived at the hospital and made photos of Kell and ordered an autopsy. He saw scars on both Kell's wrists and filled out the Request For An Autopsy listing Kell's death as a Suicide.

Kell was transported Grenada Lake Medical Center for autopsy. Dr. Tom McGee performed the autopsy the next day at 1:00 P.M. (on April 15, 1993). His report reads that the bullet entered Kell's body at a 45 degree angle. A bruise was found on his liver, inconsistant with the gunshot wound.

The autopsy report also stated Kell was wearing dark blue socks. Kell did not own any dark blue socks and would never wear dark blue socks with tennis shoes.

It took eighteen months for his parents to get a copy of Kell's autopsy, so they did not know about the suicide ruling, what his injuries were, or the dark blue socks until they received a copy of the report.

The Poice Cheif who handled the investigation, W. R. Hensley, stated that Kell's death was an accident. It was his assumption that Kell had removed the gun with his left hand, and that it accidently fired, fatally wounding Kell.

The first question the Norwood's had about Kell's death came when they received the baggy that contained his pocket contents. Inside the baggy was his door key!

Kell's Death Certificate listed his death as ACCIDENTAL and stated he bled to death.

This death certificate was filled out by the same Coroner who listed his death as a Suicide.

The Police Report lists the girl as a suspect.

The Police Report states it was an accidental shooting AND a suicide.

The Coroner's report lists Kell as being 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighing 135 pounds... Kell was 6 feet tall and weighed 180 pounds.

Crime Lab reports state Kell's finger prints were not found on the gun.

Crime Lab reports state the gun would not malfunction and had a working safety on it.

The Doctor who treated Kell in the ER stated he found Livor Mortis (where the skin begins to turn color after death) on Kell's face and forehead, and later gave a statement that he did not believe Kell was shot and brought directly to the hospital. Experts say Livor Mortis takes 30 to 90 minutes to become visible following death.

Kell's handwashings were lost and were not tested for three years. According to the report on the handwashing test, the evidence of burns on Kell's left hand were consistant with someone who would have their hand at the barrel end of a gun when fired, not gun powder residue from firing the weapon.

A witness came forward and said he heard what sounded like a Family Feud going on at Kell's house AFTER he heard the gun shot. The police took a statement from this witness but said because he "was confused about the time", they could not accept anything "that old colored man had to say."

Medical Records on Kell's wrists injuries were obtained from two hospitals and the records proved that Kell's arms had been cut in two seperate accidents, two different years, and were in no way connected to Suicide Attempts.

Dr. McGee completed an addendum to the autopsy report stating the scars were not caused by previous suicide attempts, therefore ruling out the suicide theory.

When the girl was asked to answer questions for the Police, she hired an attorney and refused a Polygraph Test or to answer any questions about the night Kell died.

Chief Hensley stated he could do nothing else to help Kell's parents....he said his hands were tied!

Kell's parents turned to Parents of Murdered Children for help and Kell's case was reviewed by Dr. Harry Bonnell. Dr. Bonnell's report states Kell's death was not accidental nor was it suicide. He stated Kell's injuries did not have to be fatal if he had received medical attention.

He strongly recommended that the Police investigate Kell's death.

The Police refused.

The harder Kell's parents pushed for an investigation, the harder the Authorities of Mississippi pushed back.

It became increasingly clear to the Norwood family that the police were NOT going to help them!!

On June 17, 1997, Kell's body was exhumed for a 2nd autopsy. Dr. J. T. Fransico, U. T. Medical Center, Memphis, TN. preformed the autopsy. The autopsy could not be completed because missing from Kell's body were his heart and right lung.

Upon qustioning Dr. McGee it was discovered that he had retained Kell's heart and lung in "anticipation of a criminal investigation". However, he could not explain how or why they had been destroyed. Dr. McGee had ruled Kell's death a suicide and then stated that he kept the organs because he anticipated a criminal investigation? And then he destroyed the evidence without even making slides!

Kell's parents want to tell this story about Kell's death in hopes it might help another family understand that corruption and cover-ups do exist. The United States Judicial System only works when everyone does their job! The night Kell died, nobody, NOT ONE SINGLE PERSON, did their job correctly!

The Norwood's replay Kell's death over and over in their minds daily. They understand HOW Kell died, but still don't know WHY or by WHOM. And, they state if they live to be 1,000 years old they will always wonder where those dark blue socks that Kell was wearing the night he died came from!

Do you know what happened to Kell?

Someone does....