GoFundMe removes multiple pages raising money for murder suspect George Alan Kelly who shot a Mexican migrant
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, ARIZONA: George Alan Kelly, an Arizona rancher booked for murdering Gabriel Cuen-Butimea is currently held in Santa Cruz County on a $1 million bail. Though the investigation is still ongoing, several GoFundMe pages have been created by his anonymous supporters, as per the charity website.
Meanwhile, the fundraising website took down pages asking for a donation to get George Alan Kelly released at the earliest on bail. In its statement, GoFundMe explained that as per the company’s policy, they do not allow fundraising to help defend against ‘violent crimes.’ On January 30, Kelly reportedly shot dead a Mexican migrant after he allegedly crossed onto his ranch in Kino Springs, near Nogales. Notably, Arizona is among the US states, which allows stand-your-ground and trespassing laws.
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'Nobody to take care of her'
As per the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's chief deputy, there was no apparent prior connection between the suspect and the victim. During the court hearing, it is reported Kelly pleaded with Judge Emilio Velazquez, to reduce the bail amount so he could be home and take care of his wife, "She's there by herself... nobody to take care of her, the livestock, or the ranch," he said. The Nogales International reported, he added, "And I'm not going anywhere. I can't come up with a million dollars.” Kelly asked the judge to "consider reducing it to any degree," as per Daily Mail.
What is the current status of Kelly's case?
His court-appointed attorney filed a two-week delay since she requested she needs more time to prepare for Kelly’s case. This will surely add more pain to Kelly while now he had to wait longer for his appeal to be heard or can opt for a new attorney. During this, the judge ruled that Kelly was likely not ‘indigent’ enough to receive a public defender. "Your honor, may I ask you a question?" Kelly asked in the courtroom.
"You used the word indigent, would you please give me your definition of the indigent? "Somebody doesn't make a certain amount - someone not making more than $ 20,000 a year," Velazquez replied. "That's more than accurate. I understand," Kelly responded. However, there is no clarity if he makes more or less than $20,000 a year, reports MEAWW. A Give Send Go page was created to raise money for Kelly, instead and the website didn’t mind keeping the page functional.