Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘The Premonition’ of NBC’s ‘Dateline,’ the intricate details of the complicated murder case of the Blairsville-based dentist, Dr. John Yelenic, are explored with the help of crime scene photos and footage. When the victim was found in his house in April 2006, amidst divorce proceedings, the investigators were led to his estranged wife’s boyfriend at the time — Kevin Foley. As they tied him to the crime, the killer was finally brought to justice a few years later. The episode also features exclusive interviews with John’s loved ones, allowing us to understand the gravity of the crime from their perspective.
Kevin Foley Was the Victim’s Estranged Wife’s Live-in Boyfriend at the Time
Pennsylvania state trooper Kevin James Foley was linked to the brutal killing of Dr. John Yelenic on April 13, 2006, in his Blairsville, Pennsylvania, residence due to the fact that he was the live-in boyfriend of the victim’s estranged wife, Michele, at the time of the murder. Not long after John and Michele’s separation in 2002, the latter started dating Kevin, and the two had been living together since 2004. The new couple reportedly claimed that John had molested his own son, whom he had with Michele during their marriage.
As the detective interviewed the victim’s loved ones, they revealed that he was in the middle of a heated divorce battle with Michele. Suspicious that Kevin might have had something to do with the murder, the investigators talked to some of the suspect’s coworkers, who claimed that he had often been vocal about wishing death upon the 39-year-old doctor. With the investigation progressing, the authorities came across several pieces of circumstantial evidence against Kevin. For instance, they found a truck, which appeared to be similar to the suspect’s vehicle, driving towards John’s house a few minutes before his death.
Moreover, bloody footprints matching his shoes were also found at the crime scene. Reports also suggest that he even asked another fellow trooper if he could carry out the killing for him. However, what helped the police obtain an arrest warrant for him was the DNA evidence found under John’s fingernails that matched the state trooper. More than a year later, in September 2007, Kevin Foley was arrested and charged with killing his partner’s estranged husband, Dr. John Yelenic, in his home.
Kevin Foley is Incarcerated at a Pennsylvania Prison Facility Today
In 2009, Kevin Foley finally stood trial for murdering John Yelenic on April 13, 2006. The prosecution claimed that the defendant went to the victim’s house to talk to him but resorted to violence when a heated argument ensued. On the other hand, the defense argued that the science behind the DNA evidence was questionable. Kevin himself took the stand during his trial and maintained his innocence. He also said, “I never made a threat with the intention of carrying it out.” When the prosecutor asked him about asking another state trooper to carry out the killing, he claimed that he was not serious about any of it.
On March 20, 2009, the jury deliberated for about six hours before returning with a guilty verdict and convicting Kevin James Foley of first-degree murder in connection with the 2006 killing of Dr. John Yelenic. Consequently, he received a life imprisonment sentence without the possibility of parole. Several years later, in March 2016, he and his defense attorneys submitted an appeal to get his conviction overturned, arguing that his lawyers during the trial were ineffective as they failed to speculate that a neighbor could have killed the Clairsville dentist. However, the appeal was rejected by the court, and his conviction was upheld. Currently, he is serving his sentence behind bars at State Correctional Institution – Mahanoy in Frackville, Pennsylvania.
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