Kelley’s father ready to start ‘healing process’ as Parker gets 20-year sentence for second-degree murder

QUINCY — Roger Parker Jr., who claimed he grew tired of being bullied by Darrell “D.J.” Kelley Jr. and shot him to death on Sept. 26, 2019, was sentenced to 20 years on Friday morning in an Adams County courtroom.

Parker, 18, pled guilty in May to one count of second-degree murder. He was 16 at the time of the shooting and was charged as an adult. He is eligible to receive day-for-day credit for good behavior, meaning he could be released from the jail when he is 26 years old. Parker received credit for 687 days spent in the Juvenile Detention Center and eight days in the Adams County Jail.

By entering a straight plea, Parker faced a sentence range between four and 20 years in prison. Josh Jones, lead trial attorney for the Adams County state’s attorney’s office, asked Judge Amy Lannerd to give Parker a 20-year sentence. 

“One day, (Parker) will get to live his life again, but D.J. Kelley won’t get to have another Thanksgiving,” Jones said. “He won’t get to have another Christmas.”

St. Louis-based attorney Matthew Radefeld, Parker’s legal counsel asked for a six-year sentence. He detailed instances when Kelley physically attacked Parker, sending him twice to the hospital for overnight stays.

“I’m not surprised by (the length of the sentence),” Radefeld said. “Based upon other sentences that have occurred in this county, I was hoping for less based upon (Parker’s) age, clear intellectual disabilities he had and the long history of bullying that had occurred. But it is a murder in the second degree.”

Parker, Kelley’s mother make statements during sentencing

Parker wore an orange jumpsuit and orange shower sandals to the courtroom. He wore a face mask, and his wrists and ankles were in shackles. He made a brief statement before his sentencing, apologizing to Kelley’s family.

“I never ever ever thought or planned something like this would happen,” he said.

Kelley’s mother, Lindsay King-Kelley, was the only person to make a victim impact statement.

“To describe how D.J.’s death has affected us is impossible,” she said as tears and sniffled filled the courtroom. She occasionally looked up from her notes to look at Parker.

When Parker heard Lannerd read the length of his sentence, he closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly. He then momentarily turned to look at the gathering of family members in the courtroom.

“It’s been two long years that our family had to wait so we can get some closure,” said Darrell Kelley Jr., D.J.’s father. “I’m not really happy with the events that took place, because both families lost today. We just need to do something to correct this in the future. I’m just happy this is finally being put to rest. Our family can move forward from this point, and we can try to start our healing process.”

Parker’s grandmother: ‘We were friends. The families were friends’

Jones called the sentencing “a sad day.”

“Nobody walked into that courtroom happy,” he said. “D.J. Kelley’s family isn’t happy, because it doesn’t matter how many years the judge would have given him. They would trade every day that Roger is going to spend in prison for DJ to come back. I know that. I know Roger’s family is unhappy. It’s a sad day all around.

“At the end of the day, 20 years was the appropriate and right sentence for the defendant’s criminal act.”

Several uniformed members the Adams County Sheriff’s Department were positioned throughout the courtroom, and more lined the courthouse hallway and the area outside the courthouse doors. There were no confrontations between families, however. 

Members of Parker’s family, including his brother and sister, gathered along Vermont Street after the sentencing.

“They’ve lost somebody, and we’ve lost somebody,” said Wendy Summers, Parker’s grandmother. “Both families have really lost. We were friends. The families were friends. It kind of went sideways when this happened. I understand that it has greatly affected them more, but it has affected both.”

Quincy Police responded about 5 p.m. Sept. 26, 2019, to the 600 block of Sycamore, where Kelley was found suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to Blessing Hospital and later pronounced dead. An autopsy showed Kelley died from three gunshot wounds. Police said Parker and Kelley were arguing right before the shooting. Parker turned himself into the Adams County Sheriff’s Department the next day.