A gruesome shooting in Richmond, Calif., ended the incredibly promising life of Terrance Kelly in 2004. The teenager was a bona fide high school football star with a Division I college scholarship, but a targeted attack resulted in his death premature. Survey Discovery’Murder Under the Friday Night Lights: Mr. Untouchable’ chronicles how authorities caught the killer through witness statements and physical evidence. So if you’re wondering what happened, we’ve got you covered.
How did Terrance Kelly die?
Terrance “TK” Kelly was an 18-year-old who played football at De La Salle High School in Concord, California as a linebacker and running back. He never lost a college game during his time there and seemed, by all means, to make a significant impact at any college he played at. Terrance was offered a full scholarship by the University of Oregon and was supposed to train with the team just days after the incident.
Sometime after 10:30 p.m. on August 12, 2004, there was a 911 call about shots being fired in a downtown neighborhood of Richmond, California. At the time, Terrance was there to pick up his half-brother, who was visiting his girlfriend. The athlete was shot three times in the head and once in the back with a .22 caliber rifle and was found lying partly outside his car. The half-brother, Brandon Young, saw Terrance and even ran to a nearby health center for help.
Who Killed Terrance Kelly?
Terrance was shot multiple times at close range. Authorities found three shell casings and a stocking cap at the scene. Additionally, they found a .22 caliber bolt-action rifle in the backyard of Brandon’s girlfriend’s house. There was still a worn cartridge case inside the gun, apparently confirming that it was the murder weapon. Brandon told authorities he saw Larry and Darren Pratcher in the area at the time of the murder. He added that Darren wore a stocking cap at the time.
As authorities dug deeper, they found a potential motive Darren may have had for killing Terrance. Through witness statements, they learned that Terrance had played in a 3-on-3 basketball tournament the previous summer at a local community hall. Darren was also part of this tournament, and the authorities believed that anything Terrance did there was interpreted as disrespectful by Darren.
According to the show, there were other rumors about a problem between Terrance and Darren at a party which led to the latter challenging the footballer to a fight. However, Terrance ignored this provocation. Then only 15 years old, Darren seemed like an unlikely suspect. However, he was eventually arrested and initially denied having anything to do with the murder.
But the evidence has proven otherwise. Darren’s fingerprints were found on the rifle and several witnesses placed him at the scene. Two of them even claimed to have seen the teenager fire the gun at Terrance’s car. Then, Vanessa, an acquaintance of Darren, talked to the police about asking her about Terrance’s murder. To that, Vanessa said he replied, “I had to do what I had to do.”
Where is Darren Pratcher now?
During Darren’s trial which began in August 2006, his attorney argued that it was a case of mistaken identity. Darren feared retaliation from another man whose girl he had shot with a BB gun earlier that day. So Darren fired, thinking Terrance was that other man. The defense also claimed he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Nonetheless, the jury found Terrance guilty of first-degree murder and enhancing a firearm. He received a total of 50 years to life behind bars. Prison records indicate that Darren is still incarcerated at Centinela State Prison in Imperial, California. He will be eligible for parole in August 2028.
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