Charges Upgraded to Murder in Elkins Stabbing

Charges have been upgraded to second-degree murder against Jacob Holly, 27, in a stabbing Saturday night near Elkins, jail records show.

Holly of Rogers was re-arrested after officials recovered the body of an Elkins man from the White River on Sunday afternoon.

The body of Chris Kelley, 44, will be sent to the state Crime Laboratory for an autopsy.

According to probable cause report, Jacob was contacted and re-interviewed after having bonded out from charges involving the other victim, Shawn Kelley, 22.

Emergency responders took the other victim, who is Chris Kelley’s son, to the hospital. Shawn Kelley, 22, of Elkins was in stable condition Sunday.

Holly flagged down an off-duty officer about 10 p.m. Saturday and said he stabbed two people who were trying to drown him.

“The victim showed up at the Shell station in Elkins with some cuts and stabbed wounds,” Sgt. Tion Augustine said.

Washington County sheriff’s deputies and Elkins police searched into the night Saturday under the bridge and a wooded area for Chris Kelley. The search turned to the White River, where his body was found about 2 p.m. Sunday.

Alcohol was involved, but police don’t know to what degree.

In the backseat of a patrol car, Holly yelled that he was the victim and was the one who had been trying to call 911.

“Help!,” he yelled as deputies drove him away before midnight. “I’ve been denied medical treatment!”

Police denied the claim.

“He complained that he has a broken hand, he has from what I understand a cut in his fingers and a scraped knee and chin,” Augustine said. “He was checked by [EMS] personnel.”

Sgt. Augustine said deputies used thermal imaging to search the woods.

Police suspended searching for the night around 12:30 a.m. and resumed at daylight. Officers from the Elkins Police Department assisted deputies with leads.