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Tennessee Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Conspiring to Murder Law Enforcement
Tennessee saw a shocking case of violent crime come to a close as Edward Kelley, 36, of Maryville, was sentenced to life in prison for conspiring to murder law enforcement.
On Nov. 20, 2024, following a three-day jury trial, Kelley was convicted of conspiracy to murder federal employees; solicitation to commit a crime of violence; and influencing a federal official by threat.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Kelley developed a plan to murder law enforcement, including agents, officers, and employees of the FBI, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Maryville Police Department, Blount County Sheriff’s Office, and Clinton Police Department.
The evidence showed that Kelley developed a “kill list” of law enforcement and distributed the list – along with videos containing images of his targets – to a co-conspirator as part of his “mission.”
A cooperating defendant, who previously pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy, testified that he and Kelley planned attacks on the Knoxville FBI office using car bombs and incendiary devices appended to drones. He also testified that the conspirators strategized about assassinating FBI employees in their homes and in public places such as movie theaters.
At trial, the United States introduced recordings of the defendant calling for the development of a “course of action” related to his plan. In one such recording, the defendant gave the instructions to, among other things, “start it,” “attack,” and “take out their office” in the event of his arrest.
Kelley was recorded stating, “You don’t have time to train or coordinate, but every hit has to hurt,” and “Every hit has to hurt.”
The FBI’s Knoxville Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey T. Arrowood and Kyle J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Tanya Senanayake and Jacob Warren of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.
The defendant, Edward Kelley, was sentenced to life in prison in the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville on Nov. 20, 2024. Kelley, 36, of Maryville, Tennessee, was convicted of conspiracy to murder federal employees; solicitation to commit a crime of violence; and influencing a federal official by threat.
Defendant: Edward Kelley
Criminal Charges: Conspiracy to murder federal employees, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, influencing a federal official by threat
City and State: Maryville, Tennessee
Exact Date: Nov. 20, 2024
Sentence or Outcome: Life in prison
Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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