Kelly 2022

I just want to keep it on our minds as the festival begins. It will be 9 years in the early morning hours of July 5th…

[Original write up]

I live in Traverse City, MI. Every year over the first week of July we have a festival called The National Cherry Festival, as we are the cherry capital of the world.  Our city triples in population that week due to the influx of tourists and festival goers. As the festival came to a close in 2013 the was a tragic death...
Here are the facts... (I will attempt to lay them out as chronologically as I know them) 
On July 4th Kelly Hurlbert had worked the late shift at a local restaurant. Her husband Paul was in the pub under the restaurant playing with his band. When her shift ended she quickly went to see her husband wrap up his set. After the set ended around 1 am, the couple stayed and spent some time with friends. Shortly before 2 am Kelly left for home, a mere 5 blocks from the pub. They rode their bikes as they lived so close to where they both were employed. That night Paul had his band equipment so he stayed to finish packing it up. Kelly was on her bike alone on Washington St. Where she was riding the road runs parallel to the main downtown one way, Front St. which is one block north of her location. At about 2 am she is hit by a car. The impact knocks her off her bike and throws the bike. She is trapped under the car and is subsequently dragged for 2 blocks. The car leaves the scene and Kelly is left in the road. Someone calls 911 and ambulances arrive and work to stabilize her. The police contact Paul who is home by now from the pub, he thought it odd that Kelly was not there when he arrived. He sees the ambulance lights from his porch, a little over a block away as he speaks to the police. When informed that it's Kelly, he drops everything and runs toward the scene. She is rushed to the hospital with severe injuries and passes away hours later. 
Now in discussion with others it's always brushed off as a drunk driver or a tourist or just an accident. Please note I don't use the word accident because I don't think it was. 
Here's why...
[Edit from the original] In the two years prior there were two other similar incidents involving a hit and run by a black SUV or truck in the same area of townThe first caused minor injuries while the second caused broken limbs, the victims looked similar to Kelly. In my study of JTR I have learned the markers of escalation and that is what this seems like because the third incident resulted in death...Several months prior to Kelly's death there was another incident that was almost identical in a small town south of Traverse City. A lady was hit and dragged under the vehicle and the then dislodged by the driver and left to die in an empty lot.
[Original]Witnesses say the vehicle was a black truck or SUV... Paul said that Kelly knew to stay close to the curb and that there is plenty of room on that road for cars and bikes. If she was that close to the curb how and why did the truck get that close with at least hitting the curb.That road is residential and 25 mph. Though you can do damage a 25 I don't think the force or momentum is enough to do THAT much. The driver had to have felt the impact or at the very least running her over.Lastly and the one point that is the reason I believe this was calculated... the people who lived one the road could hear her screaming in their house set back from the road. This is the historic district so the houses are old and it's late at night. The part that is perplexing is why if the neighbors heard her WHY COULDNT THE DRIVER? Was he ignoring them? People have said maybe he had the radio on but screams like that pierce through. 
Side note: I say "he" because if this was calculated it's likely a man.
This is all true, I've been to the scene. There have been no incidents since. It remains unsolved...

[Update on my journey]

In 2014-15 I started chasing a shadow.  I have read reports and blog posts. Read about others (namely Michelle McNamara and Billy Jensen) working on cold cases. I did it on my own time just watching and waiting out of fear of being misunderstood. With all that said. I am trying to find out who took Kelly Hurlbert's life.

       Two years ago I took all my notes and my amassed knowledge of crime and wrote out what I thought about the case, but only shared it with family.

3 years ago I posted it on Facebook...

I got an overwhelming response from locals on my post. Friends of Kelly, people that want answers. I decided to post every few months, if only to keep it in the forefront of people's minds. I was told to reach out to her mother, Michelle. So I did. I have spoken with Michelle quite a bit over the last year. Giving her things to ask the detectives. 

     I also connected with a lady that works for a local radio station who has some insight to Kelly's family. She suggested I talk to Paul, Kelly's husband. After some thought I asked Michelle and she adamantly said "no". She had also told me that she was going to work on getting me access to the case file. 

Fast forward to about a week or so ago. I posted again as it was the 7th anniversary on the 5th. I made some edits and additions to the one I usually post and put it on Facebook and the local subreddit. Out of nowhere there was a comment on my post "Kelly 2020", the user "laup2020"

    On Tuesday 7/28 I spoke to Michelle on the phone about some things I had read. Asked her if she was opposed to me asking questions about the case downtown. She informed me that she has mentioned my desire to help to the FBI. I asked if she thought Paul would be willing to talk as I had found out he was back in town. When I asked Michelle about Paul on Tuesday, she said she would mention me to him.

There was some other talk about the case and Kelly as a person. Then this comment on my reddit post. The other comment he made gave him away. "The bike was green". So I messaged him and waited.

Around 1pm on 7/31 he messaged back. 

He said he thinks my intentions are good, but doesn't want to be involved. And some other minor things.

So now I have Kelly's husband and moms blessing to push. 

Shit got really real today! 7/31/20

The end. ?

It’s been almost 2 years since this happened.