100 years ago today in North Idaho: Gruesome killing of entire family in Rose Lake

A neighbor came upon a horrifying murder scene in the small community of Rose Lake, Idaho.

Mr. and Mrs. Mike Kelly and their three children were found with their throats cut at their home overlooking the Coeur d’Alene River.

The family was last seen the evening before in their “usual good spirits” at the Rose Lake Store.

“Neighbors know of no domestic troubles and declare the Kellys were always good neighbors,” said the Spokane Daily Chronicle.

The next morning at about 10 a.m., a neighbor noticed that no one was up in the house or the yard. The bodies of Mrs. Kelly and the three children were found in their beds, and Mr. Kelly’s body was found lying in the dining room. There was no sign of a break-in or a struggle. A bloody knife was found in the kitchen and a bloody razor was found on a sewing machine in the front room.

“No enemies were known and the residents of Rose Lake were mystified by the astounding discovery,” said the Spokane Daily Chronicle.

Mr. Kelly was a graduate of the old South Central High School in Spokane, and he was employed by the Rose Lake Lumber Company. He was said to be “industrious in his habits and faithful in his work.”

The deaths were being investigated by the coroner and law enforcement officials.