Dexter Kelley waives hearing in death of Cliff Allyn; case moves to grand jury

The case of Dexter Kelley, 19, accused of beating his first cousin to death in Vancleave earlier this year, was sent to the grand jury without a preliminary hearing Monday morning.

Jackson County Public Defender Amanda Galle met with Kelley's family and told County Court Judge Larry Wilson that Kelley would waive his right to the hearing.

Kelley is accused of killing Cliff “Cliffy” Allyn, 16, on their grandmother's property in Vancleave and dumping his body there, where it was discovered a day after Allyn was discovered missing.

Allyn was living with his grandmother, Kitty Johnson, and Kelley was staying in a trailer on the property with his brother.

Kelley remains jailed on a first-degree murder charge.

Kelley moved to the area from Meridian and his father has told the Sun Herald he has a mental disorder that “scares me.”

Allyn attended Vancleave High School, took care of his grandmother and was in JROTC.

“Me and Cliffy always got along,” Johnson told the Sun Herald on Monday. “He was easy to get along with.”

She said the beating death has split the family. Her son, Paul Kelley, is Dexter's father. And her daughter, Jenny Smith, was Cliffy's mother.

Johnson said she's not speaking to her son and Smith said her brother is angry with them.

“It's like he's mad at me for what his son did,” Smith said outside the courtroom on Monday. “My nerves are so bad, I don't know what to do.”

This story was originally published July 18, 2016 at 12:43 PM with the headline "Dexter Kelley waives hearing in death of Cliff Allyn; case moves to grand jury."