Bond increased for Shaun Kelly, hits $1M

COEUR d’ALENE — The bond for a Spokane man charged with second-degree murder was increased substantially Thursday after he allegedly stole a van and eluded police after bailing out of jail.

First District Judge Cynthia K.C. Meyer, at the request of prosecutors, increased the bond amount to $1 million for Shaun Patrick Kelly, 44, who is accused of forcing the grandson of a former Post Falls mayor to ingest a lethal dose of crystal meth.

Kelly has pleaded not guilty to three felonies including second-degree murder, unlawful possession of a firearm and aggravated assault. He appeared in court Thursday unshaven, wearing yellow jailhouse clothing, with his head shorn after his arrest last weekend for allegedly stealing a U-Haul truck in Spokane Valley and eluding officers after returning to Idaho, prosecutors said. He has been charged for the latest offenses with grand theft and eluding, both felonies, in addition to his earlier charges.

“He was seen on surveillance stealing a U-Haul, and bringing it here,” Donna Gardner, deputy prosecutor said. “… Almost striking other vehicles as he eluded police, and hiding it in back of Holy Family school.”

Kelly was arrested after running away on foot and breaking into a travel trailer, Gardner said. He came out only after a police dog was sent into the trailer after him.

Gardner filed a motion to increase the bond amount from $25,000, and the court had filed a similar move to increase the bond, Meyer said.

Defense attorney Sean Walsh did not object to a higher bond amount. He had recently been assigned the case, Walsh said, and would likely address bond at another time.

Gardner said the higher amount was justified because “there are three other cases that are on the way to being filed (that) reflect his conduct since he has been out of custody.”

Charges include intimidating a witness, and two felony property crimes, Gardner said.

Kelly, who was out on bail since November, has an Oct. 2 trial date for the second-degree murder charge.

The charge stems from his alleged connection to the death of Evan Larkin, 22, the grandson of former Post Falls mayor Clay Larkin. He is accused of pointing a gun at Evan Larkin and making him eat a fatal dose of meth to prove he wasn’t a police informant.

A preliminary hearing status conference is set May 25 for the latest charges.