American Michael Kelley has been arrested for a second time and is being questioned regarding the murder of Kerry farmer, Michael Gaine, whose dismembered remains were found on his farm in May 2025.
Journalist Paul Healy shared a photo from the moment that Kelley (53) was arrested by Gardaí and armed detectives today at his home in Tralee shortly after 7.30am.
Mr Gaine, a well-known and well-liked sheep farmer was 56 when he was first reported missing on 21 March 2025. A search at his farm, found his Toyota Rav4 in the farmyard and his phone and wallet were found in the vehicle.
Gardaí are treating his death as a homicide – and believe that the farmer’s killer dismembered his body using an tool such as an electric saw and disposed of the body parts in a slurry tank on the farm.
Kelley was brought to Castleisland Garda station for questioning, and is being detained under section four of the Criminal Justice Act which allows gardaí to detain suspects for up to 24 hours before they must be either charged or released.
Officers from the Kerry Serious Crime team made the arrest with support from officers from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation and members of the Armed Support Unit.
Kelley, a former US soldier and originally from Maine in the United States, denies any involvement in the death of Mr Gaine. He lived rent-free on Mr Gaine’s farm at the old family homestead at Carhoo East and was paid €100 a week for helping out.
He was previously arrested on May 18th, 2025, and taken to Killarney Garda station where he was questioned for 24 hours about the murder before he was released without charge.