Viswa Vanapalli
NBC’s ‘Dateline: The House in the Woods’ and ABC’s ’20/20: What The Little Girl Saw’ delve into the tragic case of Kelley Clayton’s murder. One night in September 2015, the 35-year-old was beaten to death by an intruder while her children were still at home. Ultimately, the police uncovered a murder-for-hire plot, with her husband, Thomas “Tom” Clayton, hiring a former employee to carry out the murder. But this also left Kelley’s family with a piece of shocking news to digest. Kelley’s sister, Kim Bourgeois, and her mother, Elizabeth Stage, were ultimately relieved to see Thomas behind bars.
Kelley Clayton’s Family Was Heartbroken Upon Hearing the News of Her Demise
Kelley was the youngest of three children born to Elizabeth and Howard E. Stage. Howard used to be the Fire Chief for the West Elmira Volunteer Fire Department in New York. So, the couple was able to raise their family in a good home in Elmira, with their eldest being Kim and their middle child being Leonard. Kim once said that she always wanted to keep her sister safe. She added, “We are ten years apart. So she was kind of my baby. I am protective of her. [Kelley was] very brave to me, bold, sassy… She liked to dance, she was pretty… She could model, and I just think that’s what she wanted to do.”
According to Kim, her sister enjoyed life in Las Vegas, Nevada, before eventually moving back to New York and settling down with Thomas “Tom” Clayton. He used to play minor league hockey before evolving into a businessman. Regarding him, Kim said, “People were very much in awe of him because he was cute and he was an instigator, and he would start fights. People got very caught up in that.” But that marriage took a tragic turn in September 2015 when Thomas found Kelley dead in the kitchen.
Kim and her mother, Elizabeth, were at the crime scene within an hour of the police arriving. She still remembers how both of them cried, utterly heartbroken. Ultimately, it was revealed that Thomas hired Michael Beard, a former employee, to kill Kelley. The authorities believed money and getting out of the marriage were his motives. Kim said, “If his plan had come to fruition, he would be done with his wife and his children. He would’ve collected my sister’s million-dollar life insurance policy. Survivor benefits from the children. Homeowners insurance. He would’ve truly benefited financially from the death of all of them.”
Kelley Clayton’s Family is Doing Their Best to Move Forward in Lif
The family was happy to see Thomas being sent away for life following his trial. He was convicted of first-degree as well as second-degree murder in February 2016, for which he was sentenced to life in prison without parole in April. In the aftermath of it all, Elizabeth candidly said, “Justice for my daughter (is finally here)… it’s been… it’s just been a long haul.” In an interview with ABC News, Elizabeth also talked about how she got a tattoo in Kelley’s memory and how it brings her comfort during the darkest days. She still lives in Elmira and has been spending her time traveling and visiting her grandchildren.
While Kim was crestfallen with Kelley’s murder, there was still hope when she said, “You (Thomas) took her life, not her light, and her light will shine forever, through [her children], through me, through my brother, through my mother, forever, and we’ll be OK.” It seems that Kim is happily married to a man named Corey Bourgeois as of writing, with whom she resides in Horseheads, New York. They share a couple of children, and have also had custody of Kelley’s young daughter and son from the time of Thomas’ arrest. They are proud to be raising their family on their own terms. Kim has since mentioned that the kids are the reason she has always been vocal about her sister’s case. As for Howard and Leonard, while the latter sadly passed away at the age of 87 on October 13, 2006, Leonard prefers to lead a quiet life today.
Read More: Where Are Tom and Kelley Clayton’s Kids Now?
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