DNA Technology Links Suspect to St. James City Murder

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) has successfully linked Brant Kelling, a 33-year-old from St. James City, to a recent homicide using state-of-the-art DNA technology. On August 10, 2023, deputies were summoned to a residence on the 5000 block of Sandpiper Drive where they discovered a deceased male in a trailer. The victim displayed clear signs of blunt force trauma.

Gary Amoroso, a resident from across the murder site, recounted the morning after the crime, describing a heavy police presence and crime scene tape enclosing several homes, including his old residence. Notably, Amoroso mentioned bloody trails leading from his adjacent property to where a vehicle had been stationed.

Though Kelling was already detained due to an unrelated out-of-state warrant on the day the body was found, investigators matched his DNA and fingerprints to bloody handprints at the crime scene. This, coupled with the revelation that Kelling had dined with the victim the previous night, solidified the connection.

Gary Walker, an acquaintance of Kelling who had hired him for various jobs, commented on Kelling’s formidable strength and the possibility that he might not have gauged the severity of the harm he could inflict.

Currently, Kelling awaits trial with his bail set at $1,000,000.