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Kelroy left behind a loving mother, multiple siblings, and a young daughter. He was an artist from a young age, and later in life a devoted father. His favorite moments spent reading to his daughter, attending her school functions, and creating beautiful hand crafted gifts for family and friends alike.

In July of 2021 Kelroy was arrested on a warrant out of Cortez, Colorado for a previous altercation. At the time of his arrest he had a high-level of alcohol in his system prompting officers to take him to the ER. At the emergency room Kelroy presented with a very high blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.421 and facial injuries. At the hospital Kelroy was not assessed for intoxication or alcohol withdrawal risk, nor was his facial injury properly evaluated or treated. Dr. Davidson, the ER physician, medically cleared Kelroy for jail without conducting or considering further alcohol-specific evaluations, stating extra information would not have changed his decision.

Once Kelroy was transferred to the jail, he repeatedly asked staff for medical attention, claiming sickness and shortness of breath. He was told by the staff to go lay down, an order with which Kelroy complied. He never woke up. The staff did not check up on Kelroy despite his many complaints of medical distress, and when he was found unresponsive the staff was unaware of how to perform CPR. Kelroy was pronounced dead the morning of July 18, 2021. Kelroy died alone in a jail cell not only traumatizing his family, but traumatizing the other men also incarcerated in his unit who were forced to watch a man die without receiving help.

When Kelroy's body was released it was noted he suffered a significant amount of bodily injury. He suffered facial trauma, as well as broken ribs, and bruised hands. It has never been determined what caused these injuries. Kelroy's mother stated it was very difficult to view her son at his funeral with the injuries to his face.

Kelroy's family have faced many difficulties in the wake of his death. Kelroy's mother Bryanne was told, "Oh he was just another drunk Indian, one less to worry about." By a staff member at the sheriff's office. Bryanne is involved in an ongoing lawsuit with those responsible for her son's demise. The settlement amount offered by the county would barely cover her ongoing legal fees. The case continues.

This is not the only difficulty faced by Kelroy's mother. She has had to enroll in therapy in order to cope with the loss of her oldest. She lost her job due to ongoing grief and was forced to relocate and move onto the Navajo reservation. Her younger children's education and overall well-being have been negatively impacted by the loss of their oldest brother. They too are now in therapy.

Bryanne has gained employment since the tragic loss of her son and is beginning to rebuild. It needs to be known and shared what happened here to this young man, to this son, to this father, so that it never happens to anyone else.

Share his story. Say his name. JUSTICE FOR KELROY!