Michael Gaine suspect Michael Kelley applying for Irish citizenship

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The suspect in the murder of Kerry farmer Michael Gaine says he's now applying for Irish citizenship - and wants to become an author.
Admitted illegal immigrant Michael Kelley (52), who is from Maine, is the subject of a deportation order - but now says he is going through the process to become a legal Irish citizen.
"It's been a long term goal of mine. It just seems like the appropriate time now because I'm no longer underground. I was avoiding immigration (before)," he tells us in an exclusive interview today.
Kelley, who was arrested on suspicion of the murder of the popular Kenmare based farmer on whose land he lived, also revealed to us that he is now writing "psychological thrillers" - in the style of his hero - famed Maine author Stephen King.
"Oh, I have outlines of ideas. It's short stories in the tradition of Irish short stories," Kelley said of his writing aspirations.
"Fiction, fiction, fiction. It's gonna be a tribute to Stephen King. He's from Maine, he's a neighbour of ours. He's one of Maine's most recognisable genre authors. It would be a tribute to Stephen King.
"Psychological thrillers. In the genre of Stephen King. I have always been interested in writing. My sister is a writer. It seems to be a relevant aspiration," he told us.
Asked if he has written about murder he said: "No, none of them are about murder."
Writing is just one of the means Kelley says he now hopes to gain employment from - as he told us of going through the process to become a citizen here - all the while residing in a council owned property he was moved into in Tralee - amidst the murder investigation.
"I am applying for citizenship. I'm in the process of starting that. I'm not getting much attention (in Tralee) thankfully. I'm beginning to integrate into the community. By minding my own business," he said.
"As soon as I'm able to work I will also receive employment. It would probably be construction or something like that."
We spoke to Kelley in light of the revelation that in recent days Gardaí investigating the murder of Mr Gaine had travelled all the way to the US - to speak to his ex wife.
Speaking about the development, Kelley told us he was "perplexed" as to why officers spoke to her as he also revealed that they spoke to one of his adult daughters.
"I think the word would be perplexed. She (My ex-wife) knows absolutely nothing about anything I've been doing. We haven't talked for years. I understand the oldest daughter was there and they spoke to her too.
"For the life of me I can't see the relationship between a woman who hasn't talked to me for over 10 years and this case," he said of his ex.
Mr Kelley said his daughter had told him of the meeting - and said Gardaí were "pleasant and nice" and appeared to be "just asking for general background information.
"I think they're trying to establish my background character," Mr Kelley said.
Mr Kelley said he accepted that the garda visit to Maine indicated that officers were still focused on him as a suspect in the murder of Mr Gaine - a crime he insists he did not commit.
In a series of exclusive interviews with this paper, which first revealed he was the suspect in the baffling case, Kelley claimed he was being framed for the killing.
"There may be elements that want to string me up. "People who have an interest in organised crime - people who are involved in organised crime," he told us.
Mr Kelley accepted when asked by this paper that Gardaí are treating him as a suspect in the murder of Mr Gaine - after dismembered remains were found in slurry on his land in Kenmare.
"Well that is a matter of record," he said when asked if he was being treated as a suspect and that he was arrested and interviewed by Gardaí - before being released without charge earlier this week.
"Do you know who I am? Well then why do you ask? Whether or not I'm a suspect is not a matter of perspective. It's a matter of public record," he also said.
Asked did he say anything to the Gardaí, Mr Kelley told us: "Well of course but that's all stuff that is privileged between the guards, the solicitor and myself."
We then asked him if he denies any involvement in the murder of Mr Gaine - to which he said: "Yes."
When we asked Mr Kelley what he believed had happened to Mr Gaine he responded: "It would be incautious for me to comment on that on the advice of my solicitor."
(Image: Mick O'Neill/Daily Mirror/Irish Daily Star.)
But he told us he was upset over Mr Gaine's death - and again affirmed that he is denying any involvement.
When asked why he believed Gardaí were looking at him as the suspect he said: "Because I lived there."
We asked the man, who subsequently posed for pictures for this paper, what he thought of the fact that body parts were discovered in a dismembered state.
Mr Kelley cited the fact that at the time of this interview Gardaí had not yet formally identified the remains as being those of Mr Gaine.
"I'm aware that the police claim that but I have not seen the evidence to that effect. I've seen only that they recovered body parts from the slurry tank but I have not seen that those body parts have been identified as Michael Gaine," he said.
"So we have body parts but we don't know that they're Michael Gaine's and I was not shown any evidence of that myself."
In a subsequent interview with this paper Mr Kelley said he was accepting "at face value" that the remains had been identified as being of Mr Gaine.
He also spoke to us about Gardaí showing him photos of a chainsaw they believed may have been used to dismember Mr Gaine's remains.
"The chainsaw thing is preposterous or they would have charged me. I mean Texas Chainsaw Massacre bullshit? I mean please. Preposterous," he said.
"They had colour glossy photos of the chainsaw. I said where the f*ck is the glossy photograph of anything having to do with Michael Gaine's body? I didn't see it.
"This is a little card game that they're playing. Where's your evidence? Where's the macabre photo?" he said.
"They don't have it. They have nothing and if they did show me a colour glossy photo of the human remains they had I bet you I would have called bullsh*t right there and said there's no way that those human remains could be his."
It's believed that whoever killed Michael Gaine used water and disinfectant to remove forensic evidence from the scene, washing it into the same slurry tank where the remains were later discovered.
The finds were made by specialist Gardaí from the Technical Bureau and the Water Unit, who combed large areas of land as well as every inch of the large slurry tank. It was revealed in May that Gardaí are satisfied the remains are those of Mr Gaine, who was last seen in a Centra Shop in Kenmare, around 8 km from his farm, on March 20.
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