WISE COUNTY, Texas — A 45-year-old man has been arrested and faces charges in connection with the deaths of his wife and eldest daughter, according to the Wise County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO).
WCSO said Robert A. Morairity has been charged with tampering with a corpse, murder and capital murder in the deaths of his wife, 42-year-old Kimberly Kellam and their 11-year-old daughter, whose name has not been released.
According to officials, at about 8:30 a.m. on Monday, June 12, Kellam’s brother-in-law called the WCSO Emergency Call Center to report that he hadn’t seen his sister-in-law (Kellam) and her 11-year-old daughter in several months.
"I wish they would've called us earlier, but they neglected to do that," Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin told WFAA.
"They were all scared to death of this guy, they were afraid to say anything," he added.
The brother-in-law told law enforcement that Kellam was living in a home on County Road 4371 near Decatur, with her husband, Morairity, and their three children.
When deputies arrived at the home on June 12, they knocked on the door and walked the property – eventually determining that it had been abandoned, officials said.
They also learned, according to Akin, that the 11-year-old girl had not been enrolled in school since 2022.
On Thursday, Boyd Independent School District Superintendent, Leslie Vann, confirmed to WFAA that Kellam and Morairity's children were enrolled in the district in January 2021. However, in August 2021, the children did not come to school.
Vann said the district contacted Kellam and Morairity to check on the children and let them know that school had started. Kellam told the district her children were now enrolled in Texas Online Preparatory Academy (TOPS), and Boyd ISD was able to verify their enrollment.
Around 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 13, investigators said Morairity was located in Dallas. A WCSO investigator, along with Texas Rangers and Dallas Police Department officers, met with Morairity who had two of his children (ages 3 and 10) with him.
WCSO said Morairity initially claimed that he had not seen his wife or oldest daughter in six months. But eventually, Morairity admitted that his wife and 11-year-old daughter were dead, and their remains were inside the garage at their home on County Road 4371.
WCSO said Morairity volunteered to accompany an investigator and a Texas Ranger to go back to home. When they got there, Morairity pointed out the locations of where both his wife and daughter’s bodies could be found.
"And they had been there for quite some time… probably 5-6 months," Akin said.
"They were covered, and stowed away in the garage but it wasn’t hard to find ‘em. We don’t know exactly what the motive was, exactly how they were killed, but we know it was at his hand," he added.
Kenya Borden, a friend of Kellam, spoke with WFAA on Thursday. She believes domestic violence was a factor in Kellam's death.
Borden said she last saw Morairity and his three children at a Walmart in February. She took notice that Kellam was not with them.
"I think he killed Kim first, and [their daughter] later," Borden said. "I know she would've been at the store with them."
Borden said she and Kellam worked together and stayed in contact after they no longer did. She called Kellam a free-spirit who will be deeply missed.
"I’m a better person because Kim was my friend. The worlds a better place because she left a legacy," Borden said through tears. "Evil took her away from people who care and love her.”
Once the bodies were discovered, Morairity was arrested and transported to the Wise County jail. His bond has been set at $800,000, officials said.
Both bodies were sent to the Dallas Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy, according to WCSO. According to Sheriff Aikin, the autopsies were conducted Thursday.
The couple's other two children are now in Child Protective Services' custody.
Akin said there is no history of calls for domestic violence to the family home.