Morbid - Kelly Anne Bates

Episode Date: April 5, 2020

Today's episode is a tough one, but it is one that we think is important to share. Kelly Anne Bates was a 14 year old child when she met a much older Dave Smith. While her parents helplessly looked on, she slipped further and further into his grasp until finally, he snuffed her out in one of the most gruesome murders to date.  During this uncertain time, we know a lot of people have found themselves quarantined in a dangerous situation, quite possibly with their abusers. Kelly's story is an extreme case but it is a reality for those in abusive relationships. If you find yourself in trouble, here are some ways to reach out for help: Advocates at the National Domestic Violence Hotline are available 24/7 at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) in more than 200 languages. Battered women’s support services 604-652-1867 or send us an email at [e-mail] Call 604-687-1867 or 1-855-687-1868 or text 604-652-1867 Last week, local authorities in Spain and the Canary Islands have advised victims of abuse to go to their pharmacies and to use the code word ‘mask 19’ for help. In the UK, the Independent Office for Police Conduct advises anyone who feels afraid of being overheard when dialing ‘999’ to listen to the questions from the phone operator, respond by coughing or tapping the handset if you can and press ‘55’. https://www.elle.com/uk/life-and-culture/a32015540/domestic-violence-covid-19-code-word/ Visit out sponsors! First Leaf Sign up today to get 6 bottles of wine for only $29.95, plus free shipping for a year! Just go to Try Firstleaf.com/MORBID. Causebox Our listeners get an exclusive discount- go to www.causebox.com/morbid and use the code morbid to get your first box for 30% off- as in you can get your first box worth over $250+ for less than $39. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey, weirdos, I'm Ash and I'm Elena. And this is a whole-length quarantined morbid. It's COVID-morbid. We're here. It's COVID-morbidine. Everyone's excited. Everyone's bored. We're all here. What have you guys been doing the past the time listening to us? I hope so. We've been listening to you.

We have. Just kidding. No, actually, we've been mourning the sad rescheduling of a lot of our shows. Yeah, we've been weeping a lot of wallows. But you know what? Like we're weeping it at the time just because we want to get back out there because we have so much fun at live shows. So I just like have so many fancy pants to wear and what's the point of wearing them while I'm just sitting on the couch. I'm saying. But you know what? They're being rescheduled and that's all that counts. And let's talk about those. We just have more to look forward to.

So Philadelphia has been rescheduled to August 11th. Not bad. Not bad at all. Not bad at all. Washington, D.C. has been changed to the 16th of September. The monuments are going to be going to wait for me. I bet they'll still be there. Nashville is going to be September 23rd, two shows at Zanis. We're beginning fall. It's going to be great. Nashville, we're in. Yes, yes, yes. September 24th is going to be Huntsville, Alabama at Stand Up Live. Alabama will coming at you for the spooky, spooky season. Yeah, and then June 2nd, we're going to be at the Good Nights Comedy Club in Raleigh, North Carolina. Raleigh, hope to see you. June 3rd, the Comedy Zone in Charlotte, North Carolina. Charlotte, you two, We're hoping to see you.

Hey, yo. Hey, yo. June 11th and 12th at Talia Hall in Chicago. Be there, be square. It's going to be awesome. July 8th at Comedy Works South in Greenwood Village, Colorado. Colorado. And July 11th at the Wilba Theater in Boston.

Guys, the Wilba with special guest, Emily Walsh. The comic stylings of one, Emily Walsh. And guys, make sure you're buying up tickets because no matter what happens, we're going to try to reschedule any shows that, any further shows that are going to be postponed, they will be rescheduled. For the most part, I mean, right now, everybody who bought tickets to any shows that are already postponed, your tickets are going to transfer to the new dates. So you don't have to worry. And if you can't make it to the new dates, you'll be refunded. It's all going to work out. But make sure any of those shows that we have

tickets left for, make sure you're buying, like to the Wilburne and stuff, buy the tickets so that if it's postponed, you already have your ticket and it'll transfer. Right. So make sure you go to morbidpodcast.com. And I'm going to make sure that everything's up to date for you on there. But go to morebapodcast.com. All the ticket sites are going to be there. Make sure you're buying tickets because there's some left. Buy tickets while you're at it.

Buy a shirt if you want to. Do it. And about the shirts. So I know some people have been waiting a little longer for shirts due to this whole pandemic craziness. The place where we have been having our shirts made has been kind of backed up. We're just kind of waiting. you know, everybody's understaffed, everybody's, you know, dealing with this however we can.

So we, everybody, if you've ordered a shirt, it's coming to you. It just might be a little delayed because of this craziness. And other than that, we are going to be changing the place where we get our merch. And that's a very exciting thing that's going to be happening in the next few weeks. We're changing a couple things in the next few weeks. Things are really going to be changing. So we're really excited. It's going to be awesome.

and we can't wait to roll out all these changes to you. Like, I wish I could just, like, scream them all at you right now. But we cannot. But we can't yet. So just hang tight. Make sure you're keeping a lookout because we're going to announce it, you know, when it comes. And, uh, let's see. Any other next week, not this current episode, but next week we do have something cool and fun planned for you.

Yes, guys. Can't tell you what it is because who likes the spoiler? Nobody. But you know what? What? It's awesome. It's fucking rat is all hell. It's real awesome.

All I'm going to say. is that I'm freaking out a little. And then next week, we actually have something just as cool planned, and you are going to have a really great next two weeks of morbid. Yeah, we're trying to make your quarantine as lovely as possible. Why can't I combine the word quarantine and party? Quarty. No.

Quarantarty. Partine? Parring. No, it all sucks. I don't know. I like quarry. I don't. Quarantardi.

I like that. We're trying. We're trying, okay? All right. Well, anyways, what do you... Just know that the next couple weeks are going to be pretty fun. Pretty fucking fun. You know, hang on.

What's not going to be fun... This case. Is this case that I'm about to tell you. But who boy. I feel like it needs to be told. It's very important. It's fair warning. Brutal.

This is a very brutal one. It also involves domestic abuse. and domestic abuse ending in murder. So just know that ahead of time. It's not everybody's cup of tea. So if you want to skip this one, feel free. We understand. And you know what?

You'll be getting a mini by tomorrow. Yes. There will be morbid for you if this is not yours. But you know what? I think this is kind of important. Just to begin, I'm going to be ending this podcast with some like hotlines and some places that can, anybody who is in a situation of domestic violence where they don't feel safe right now will be able to contact for help because I know in quarantine right now one of the biggest things

and one of the things that none of us really think of I didn't think of it until I saw an article about it and was like whoa yeah is that not only are we all stuck in isolation and we're all kind of freaking out just being like bouncing off the walls there's some people that are now trapped inside and quarantined with their abuser and I can't even imagine yeah so I think that this is kind of pertinent for the situation at hand. And again, if you are finding yourself in that situation, first of all, know that you are not alone. And we all are here for you. And there's people that are there for you.

And at the end of this episode, I'm going to try to give you some way to at least try to get out of it. So hang in there, everybody. I feel like my heart is so heavy already. It is. So this is the really tragic case of Kelly Ann Bates. Okay. Kelly Ann Bates was born May 18th, 1978. She was born in Hattersley, which is an area in greater Manchester in England.

She was born to her mother Margaret Bates and her father, Tommy Bates. She was very close to her parents, very good daughter by all accounts. Just a sweet kid. She was known to be athletic, spunky, fun to be around, often described as bubbly and energetic. She was going to school, had a part-time job at a graphics firm. she had dreams of becoming a teacher. Oh. Yeah.

So she's just like this regular, just bubbly kid. At the time of, in 1992, she was 14 years old. I was just about to ask you about what she was. Yeah, 14 years old. That's when she met a guy named Dave Smith. I bet I hate him. Yep, you're really going to hate this guy, for sure. At first, nothing seemed to miss with this relationship, but then Kelly seemed to change a bit.

Okay. She was acting a bit more rebellious. She was sneaking out, not checking him. with her parents. Sometimes she would be gone for like a couple days at a time with no word. At 14. Yeah, at 14. And her parents were obviously concerned. It seemed like she had just fallen into the classic teenage love sick situation to them. So they were kind of looking at it as like, they're not happy with this and they're concerned. But they're like, they weren't thinking anything dangerous. They were thinking like, we got to get her away from him because she's obviously

becoming too. This is very connected. Jeremy Stanky-esque. It really is. So you think, you know, when you're a teenager like this, you know, you think. you're in love, you spend every second together, and suddenly you're like flaking on your responsibilities, you know, and then you get the rude awakening. When I look back at who I thought I loved at 14, I'm like, oh, girl, friend, it gets better. Oh, honey. So then at this point, they hadn't met Dave. They've talked to him on the phone, but they had not met him.

Okay. Then they met Dave. Okay. Dave was 32 years old. Oh, okay. So that's, well, okay. Yep. So Dave was 32 years old.

She was 14. I'm just going to go ahead and say it. That's not okay. Oh, no, that is absolutely not okay. Yeah, okay, cool. And, like, if you, right now, you're getting ready to send us an email to tell me that that's okay. Control, I'll delete that bitch.

Yeah, don't do it because it's not okay. Like, it's just not. If you believe it is, that's your prerogative, but you're wrong. I don't need to hear it. That's all I need to know. So, when they met him, they were shocked, obviously. Correct. Because, again.

How the fuck do you even meet somebody that's 32 when you're, I guess they met when she was babysitting for someone that he knew. Oh. No, not him. He was friends with the dad. I think he was friends with whoever they were, she was babysitting for and they met through that. Yeah. So she had made him out to be like a schoolmate, but he was a grown-ass man.

Uh-huh. Now, they had answered the phone when he called previously and somehow they didn't catch his voice as not being a 14-year-old boy. But I haven't heard his voice, so it's very possible he has a younger voice or was able to disguise. it as such. Or maybe they thought he was like a couple years older. Well, and again, you're not thinking your 14-year-olds is dating a 32-year-old man. That is not the first thing you're going to think of. What the fuck? You're 32, aren't you? I'm 34. Holy fuck. I wouldn't even date somebody 34 right now. I'm saying. So they both, both of her parents said that when they met him, they sensed something off about him immediately. Besides the fact that he was dating a 14-year-old. I was literally

I'm just going to say that. So, and obviously, and what's really creepy about this is he had groomed her like all predators do. Of course. He had clearly done that. Her parents said that they tried everything, everything they could to get her daughter, their daughter away from this man. But we all know that sometimes this just pushes them closer to them. And she resisted all of their help. One of their biggest fears was that they were going to lose her.

So they were trying to play their hands carefully. And you have to. And it sucks because that must have been horrific for them. Because as parents, you just want to lock her away and be like, no, now you're staying home forever. And I think it's really easy for somebody to be like, well, like, you shouldn't have let her do that. But it's like, do you want to completely lose her? Well, that's in they, in every interview I've seen with them is like, you don't understand unless you're a parent that like, your biggest fear is losing your kid. Now you feel like you're losing your kid to this horrific predator.

But you don't want to lose them by pushing. And it's like, so they're in this rock in a hard place. Really, their only option would be to like lock her up and not let her out of that. house. And obviously she's going to be pissed off at them. And honestly, in this situation, I don't know what I would do. I can't tell you what I would do to fix this. Yeah, I don't know. Because in my head, I'm like, I'd lock her up. But would that work? I don't know. She's 14. Or would it push her. Yeah, it's like, I feel bad for these parents. I really do.

I feel bad for Margaret and Tommy, really bad. I do. And it's like, you just don't want this backlashing on you. And I think they were thinking, okay, this is going to end. This is going to end. We're just going to try and try and try. They're like, he's going to meet someone his own age. Yeah, he's going to meet a nice, you know, 25-year-old or something. So Dave and Kellyanne would break up sometimes for like a day or so. And she would come back home. He began to be, and this is when he'd begun to be outwardly possessive of her.

Okay. When she would spend time at his place, he would physically put her on a bus home when she would leave. And then call her mother to tell her she was coming home. Then Margaret said that he would call the second she walked in the door. Jesus. Because he had timed it down to. the minute. And if she wasn't walking in the door at that time, he would fly into a fucking rage because he was like, she's somewhere else, like, freaking out. What the fuck? Yeah. So then

she started showing back up back at home with huge bruises all over her. Oh, I would fucking, I know, obviously I'm not saying they should have, but I would murder the person that touches any of my children. Yeah. And this is the part where it's like, again, I'm not saying I know what it feels like to be in these parents' position. I don't. And I can't say. No, I would literally have to go to jail. But I'm just saying if anyone hurt my child, I would kill them. Yeah. This is just how, like, that's just how it would do. I don't even have kids that I'm raging. But again, I'm not judging these parents because once again, I don't know. I, I, this is just how I would react, but I can't tell people what is right and what is wrong. So she was saying that,

you know, she was the classic stuff. I walked into a door. I fell. I was just down the stairs. I'm sure she had an excuse for like all of them. The classic abused person answers. I walked into the doorknob, you know, that stuff. One day she came home and half of her face was covered in black bruising. Oh, my God. And Margaret was like, what the fuck, Kelly Ann? Like, this is not okay. What is going on?

And she said, oh, I was jumped by some girls on the way home from the bus. And an older couple brought me home and helped me. And her mom was like, no, that's bullshit. Like, no, a bunch of girls did not, like, beat your face in like this. One, and two, if an older couple got you, They would have, like, come in. They would have called, like, paramedics or something. Like, you know what I mean?

Like, this just doesn't make up. And every time she would say, like, no, this doesn't make sense. Kelly Ann had no answer for it. It was clearly, Dave. Then one day she came home and she had a deep, like, very deep, almost infected bite wound on her hand. Oh, my God. She claimed it was something totally different, like, that she had, like, hurt her hand somewhere else. But her mother was, like, it was a perfectly formed bite mark.

Like, there was no. And it was deep. and like vicious, so whatever, like, however she got it, was very intense. Oh, my God. Yeah. So the act of biting another human being, I think we talked about it. Yeah. During the West Memphis three, and we talked about it during Ted Bundy.

Yeah. But it will never cease to amaze me. It's such a specific pathology of a person, like that bites someone. You're an animal. You really are. And it was at this time that she had begun to physically deteriorate as well. Obviously, because he's breaking her down slowly. Yeah.

And, I mean, at this point, she had lost. a ton of weight. She was not bathing anymore. Like she wasn't taking care of herself. She was wearing baggy clothing. Because it's like you become a shell of yourself. Exactly. And she and she just seemed like down and quiet. They said she was like keeping her head down a lot. She's probably afraid to fucking talk. And again, remember, she was a bubbly, energetic. Everybody said fun girl. Right. This is very different. So this was, I mean, this was clearly the result of severe domestic abuse going on. And again, this is classic because the abuser will make it to make it a point to demolish their victim's self-esteem.

Right. They'll make them feel worthless and also make a point of trying to make sure no one else wants them. So they'll be like, you know, they take your beauty routine away from you if you have one because they're like, why do you need to get beautiful for someone else? Right. You should only be being beautiful for me. You can't walk out this door looking like that. Who are you trying to impress? You know what I mean? Like they totally remove that from them and that's why they'll suddenly stop, you know, take. Canning, stop doing their nails, stop doing their hair because they're like, I can't do this for other people. Oh my God, that's, I can't imagine. And the baggy clothing is classic to hide wounds and also to hide their body because they're not allowed to flaunt their body at all, flaunt, quote unquote.

Again, there's no reason for them to look or feel beautiful for someone else, according to their abusers, only for them. And before we get into the really terrible end result of this whole thing, I feel like it's important to discuss why abusive relationships can end this way. Yeah. Because you're right. Like we were talking about this earlier and many people say like why didn't you just like try to get out of it. Yeah. Like why did she stay? Why would she stay? What would you do? You don't know what you do until you're faced with that situation. It's so easy for any of us who have not dealt with it to sit there and be like I would never let someone do that to me. And it's like I've honestly I'll be fully 100%. I've said that before. Yeah.

Like I would never get into that situation. Of course. I think we all have before. We've all. just ignorantly been like, of course. And then the more, but you, that's the thing, it's like, you need to educate yourself. Yeah. Because you don't realize, like, no. All of the different factors that go into that. Exactly. And that's, it's like, and I've heard people like, why would you let somebody abuse you?

And it's like, well, no one lets someone abuse them. It's very complex and very complicated. It's not letting someone do that to you. The whole term abuse itself is like they're taking. Yeah, exactly. It's removing control from you. Exactly. And often, what people.

don't understand is that they don't walk into these relationships and these guys or or women but mostly men but there are women abusers of course yeah these people don't automatically show their stripes right away they should not only do they not show their stripes they will seduce the shit out of you that's their whole game it's like they wind and tying you first oh yeah they're gonna charm and make sure that they they're gonna make you feel like you are in complete troll control control uh they're gonna make you feel like you're in complete control. That's their first thing. They're going to give you all the control.

Here you go. It's all yours. And then they're going to pull that rug out from underneath you just when they have you absolutely enamored and unable to just cut ties. Right. Because they're going to get you so wrapped up in them that you're not going to be able to just be like, whoa, fuck this. You know, like it's going to be such a more complex situation.

And this topic always really bums me out because everyone else seems to be able to see it, but the abused person. And that's just the unfortunate reality of it. But it's psychological. That's what it comes down to. Exactly. It's so psychological. And on a surface level, think about like a bad relationship that any of us have been in.

Even just like a bad, not necessarily like a full on abusive one, but like just a bad relationship that you had that you stayed a little too long and you were like, what the fuck was I doing staying that long? Yeah. It's a similar part of that that you got wrapped up. You weren't able to just cut ties. because they did something shitty. Right. Like, it, like, my, I had an ex-boyfriend who was, like, not physically abusive at all. Yeah, but he was, for sure, psychologically abusive.

And, like, he cheated on me a ton of times. Like, I found this out. I stayed way too long. Like, it's just, and I think we all have been in that situation. But it's weird to think back on it because I'm like, wow, I was legitimately brainwashed. And now it's like, I totally understand how somebody could get. And he wasn't like abusive, but he did all the classic things. Like, like, nobody else really liked him.

But like, you were like, no, there's so many good parts to him. Exactly. Like, he has you being like, oh, you don't know him like, I know. And I remember you saying that. It's like, I was too young to understand. Exactly. You remember it. Yeah.

And for one, you feel like they're going to change. You're going to like I thought, yep, I'm the person who understands them the most. I will change them. And I also felt like, you know, he's just so in love with me. And that's why he's so aggressively jealous and why he's so intent on sticking with this, like, it's us against the world. Yeah. Like mentality that he kept pushing.

And I thought it was like, Bonnie and Clyde, romantic thing. But in reality, Bonnie and Clyde were in a toxic relationship as well. And Bonnie was too enamored with Clyde to realize that he was just fucking hell and a handbasket. It didn't really end well for them either. And stop romanticizing Bonnie and Clyde, everybody. Yeah. Because Bonnie's own sister said that Clyde knocked Bonnie across a room once and she just popped right back for more. So it's not like they had this like beautiful fairy tale romance. They weren't out there dancing

in the movie. No, they certainly weren't. But just as like an example of how these people can be so charming and so manipulative, which is why I just want to push this so people aren't doing the like, why would they, why would she stay? There was a time I caught my ex like red handed. There were two times. Wait, let's preface this with everybody knows what a bad bitch Elena is. We all know. this is what because I like to think of myself as a fairly intelligent human who would not allow very intelligent but it's like it shows that like even when you think of yourself as a very in control very intelligent person very rational which is like how I see myself that you can easily be put in this situation if you are meet the right person or the wrong

person but he had lied to me about like seeing a movie and we saw this movie together there and he guessed the ending. And it was like a weird ending that I was like, how the fuck would you guess that? Like what? And I was immediately suspicious. But he was like, oh, I'm just lucky. I'm just so smart that I just came up with the end. Or you're a giant douche canoe.

Well, I found a ticket stub for a different day where he had seen the movie. Well, before we did. And who the fuck was he seeing the movie with? Not me. So when I confronted him, I had the ticket. And he convinced me that the movie time and day we had seen it was the same movie time on that ticket, even though I knew it wasn't. Wow.

And he convinced me it was. Yeah, I fucking hate that too. And I had the proof in my hands. And then there was, this one's even worse. There was a night he said he had to go to the bathroom. I listened outside as he had a full conversation and made a date with another woman. Listen to the entire thing. Fuming outside the door.

When he came out, I'm standing there with my arms crossed. I'm trying to be tough. I'm like, you're a fucking asshole. I was leaving. He somehow convinced me that he was listening to a voicemail. And when I, but why are you talking back to him? I had heard him speaking back to this woman and he told me, that's just my jealous brain making things up. He wasn't cheating.

I'm being crazy. That's insane. Yeah. Thank God you. And I stayed for much longer. And I can, again, I consider myself a very rational person, but he was able to manipulate me that way. Yeah. Because he was psychologically abusive.

That's just what it is. So Kelly, being a 16-year-old girl at this point when this was happening. Oh, so now it's two years in? Yep. Oh, my God. Was way more vulnerable in age, mind frame, just every. She was so much more vulnerable. And this is her first fucking relationship to her. Exactly.

You don't know anybody. That's what this is. This is what love is apparently. Right. Like, this is just what it is. Especially when being groomed by an abusive older man. Right. That's just so much working against her.

An abuse like hers is so severe and so complex. So in her situation, it was likely a case where, you know, the abused person is going to live for those few really great moments. Right. And they will bask in the highs and then live through a series of punishments just to get to that next time moment. It's the honeymoon. Exactly.

It's like when they're great, they're so great. But it's like only that one time and then you'll go through months and months of punishment. I still remember like freshman or sophomore year of high school. We had a whole, obviously you go through so much of that in health class. Yeah. And there was like, there's a chart that the woman drew and it was like the honeymoon phase where he buys you flowers. And it starts off like that and he brings you nice dinners.

And then he hits you. Yep. And then like something worse happens like right across from the honeymoon phase. And then he slowly will say, I'm sorry and everything will get to back together and everything will be okay. And then he hits you. It's like this whole pattern of behavior. And when you're in it, I'm assuming you're, you know, because again, I was not, I was never physically abused. I really shouldn't have been in.

Oh, honey. But I'm imagining. I'm imagining, you know, these poor people that are in those situations. are living for those few times where this person makes them feel like they are worth it and that they love them. Not even in a romantic relationship. Like people go through that with like parents. Oh, absolutely. Like my mom was never like actually physically abusive.

But yeah, I would like I, when I was going through everything, I would live for times where like my mom was actually in a good mood and having a good day. And that's when you be like, okay, it's fine. Yeah. You know? And then they'll, they will remind you of that too. Like when they're trying to wait you back. They use it. What about the time we did this?

and I did this for you. Remember when I did that for you? We did this. And you're like, oh, okay, they do love me. Yeah. And then it also justifies, you know what? I didn't appreciate that. Exactly.

That's why they're being, which is way to me. And it's just making you feel like, oh, I deserve this. And like, I pushed them so I understand now. And then it just starts back up again. And again, it's like you can't really know this until you've like lived it. Lived it, really. And so after all, abusers, again, are notoriously charming and manipulative. That's how they get you in the first place.

So they can turn it on in a second. Like, you know, my ex could charm the skin off a snake, but he could also shut it off with the snap of his finger. And then he was a cold motherfucker. And it was like two different people. So that's, I imagine this is how Dave probably was. It sounds like it. And so Craig Malkin is a clinical psychologist at Harvard Medical School.

And in a Time magazine article about domestic abuse that I found, I'll link it in the show notes. He said, quote, the person being abused is focused on the positive and waiting for the next positive. There's a psychological effect like gambling. The moments of tenderness and intimacy are unpredictable, but they are so intense and fulfilling that the victim winds up staying in the hopes that a moment like that will happen again. Eventually, there's sort of this wearing down for people on the receiving end of the abuse where they continue to tolerate more and more over time and they feel less entitled to being seen. safe. And it's so true. So abusers can also do psychological warfare as a means to keep victims around withholding food, withholding sleep, like sleep deprivation, threatening family members or

pets. Rape can be involved, which is obviously physical and can lead to a sort of like Stockholm syndrome thing where the abuse starts to become attached to the abuser. Right. Abuser is also isolate. They remove you from your home base, your family, your friends, so they can convince you at the Marcus Times, they're all you have. Yeah, and that's it. And I think with Kelly, she was taken out of her house. You know, she was slowly being brought into his home, which eventually she moves into. And for her, it's like, that's exciting. Like that's your first. Yeah, you think you're like, it's this big romanticized thing. Playing house, you know what I mean? And it's like, and he knew that. And as we'll see, I'll get into it, he has a history of choosing younger, more vulnerable

victims and abusing them for the entirety of their lives. shit. Probably an expert. Oh, he was a full-on expert by this point. And Kelly likely felt again like she loved him and it's hard to tell love from dependence sometimes. It is. And an interesting and really sad note is over 70% of domestic violence murders happen after the relationship has ended. Yeah. Because now the abuser has nothing to lose. When the person actually gets away from when they actually show their control and that they take control back, that's when it usually snaps. And I'm sure it just puts like a fucking rage. And they have no control over you.

They spiral. Because that's what they live for is the control. Yep. On November 30th, 1995, Kelly did move into Dave's home in Gorton. No one friends or family spoke to her after she moved in. Oh, no. He isolated completely. And they did, her parents received like random cards like on their anniversary and stuff.

But they were written by Dave. Not they didn't have any writing by Kelly. That's awful. So once his crimes came. to light later, which we'll go over. It was discovered that he was not 32 years old. Oh my God, is he older? He was 48 years old.

Yep. And his name was not Dave, but James Patterson Smith. What the fuck? He was a year older than her father. What the fuck? And again, she's 16 at this point, and he's 48. Oh, my God. Yeah, so he lied twice about his age.

He was also unemployed. He was divorced. he was a piece of shit that beat every girlfriend and wife he ever had. How did he, how was even able to live on his own if he was unemployed? I don't really know. What the fuck? He got divorced in 1980 after 10 years. Um, and he had beat that woman the entirety of their relationship.

He then dated a 20 year old named Tina Watson from 1980 to 1982. She said she was a literal quote punching bag for him and even abused, he even abused and beat her when she was pregnant with their child. Oh no. No, no, no. So he's a literal monster. Anybody who abuses a pregnant woman should, I mean, whatever. Yeah.

Yep. Yeah, just, you know, paint a picture. And what she said was, quote, at first it was now and again, just a little tap. But in the end, it was every day. He would smack me in the face or hit me over the head with an ashtray. He would kick me in the legs or between the legs. He also tried to drown her while she was in the bath. She escaped, luckily.

He then dated 15-year-old Wendy Motter's head. He beat her all the time too and also tried to drown her. But this time he held her head under the sink in the kitchen. Oh my God. To try to drown her. April 16th, 1996, Dave strolled into a police station to say he accidentally killed his girlfriend Kelly. Oh, no. In the bath after an argument.

And he had tried to revive her but couldn't. And he claimed that they had been, quote, going at it in the bathtub and she accidentally swallowed water. No, that's probably not at all. Actually, that's just not what happened, Dave. When the police arrived at the home, they found Kelly naked in the bathroom. And the state they found her in was nothing like any of them had ever seen. And it begs the question, how did he think he was going to pass this off as she drowned? Because people, that's the thing. People like that are so scary. It's true. Because they think they can convince anybody of anything. Because they think everyone is below them in intelligence. So they think that they are smarter than everybody. And they have an

answer for everything. But when you see her injuries, you're like, bro, how were you going to, how was that happening? So what happened? How were you going to hold on to this? It was clear that she had been extensively tortured. In the end, it was discovered that she had spent about four weeks being completely tortured for four weeks. She had over 150 separate injuries. According to the Guardian, the pathologist was William Lawler. He said, quote, in my career, I have examined almost 600 victims of homicide, but I've never come across injuries so extensive. Oh, my God. By somebody that she was dating.

She had been, now I'm going to go through these injuries. They're really bad. Trigger warning. This is bad. Oh, God. She had been starved. She lost around 44 pounds in weight. Oh, my God.

She had not had water for several days at least. Her knees had been crushed so she couldn't walk. She had scalding to her buttocks and her left legs with boiling water. There were burns on her thigh that were caused by her branding with a hot iron. Oh, God. She had a fractured arm. She also had multiple stab wounds by knives, forks, and scissors. What the fuck?

She had stab wounds inside of her mouth. Oh, my God. Both of her hands were crushed with something. She had mutilation of her ears, nose, eyebrows, mouth, lips, and genitalia. There were wounds that seemed to be caused by a pruning shears and a shovel. What are pruning shears? Those big giant hedge clippers that you prune with, yeah. Oh, my God.

Both of her eyes had been gouged out. Wait, what? Yep. There were also stab wounds in the empty eye sockets. And this is really bad. Now it was later revealed by the pathologist that her eyes were removed before death. Oh my God. And he said they were removed, quote, not less than five days and not more than three weeks before her death.

So she could have been dealing with that for up to three weeks. Oh, my. I don't even. They also said that it appeared that her eyes had been ripped out with hands. Now, she was also partially scalped. at times she had been tied by ligature to radiators and furniture or she was tied by her hair her cause of death was drowning and this was after weeks of torture and abuse and after she had been knocked unconscious with a showerhead

I like can't even breathe yeah I know I had to take a deal so she went through three or four weeks of I mean the worst terror any of us can ever imagine. That's just what they could discern. I can't get a deep breath. The eyes were the thing that got that she, it was one before death. She did not die of having those eyes removed. So she lived with her eyes gouged out.

And then he stabbed the empty eye sockets. How do you do that to somebody? And stabbed in her mouth. That shit and then hobbled her, crushed her hands so she couldn't leave. And he claimed, now his claim. when they were like, oh, she just drowned in the shower? Like, are you really sticking to that story, bro? And he said, I didn't do anything that she didn't ask me to do to her.

Wait, what? And they were like, she asked you to gouge her eyes out. And he was like, well, she liked to be hurt. What? And it's like, so wait, you're trying to paint this as an S&M thing, which it is fucking clearly not. None of this was consensual. I've never heard of S&M involving eyes being gouged out. Because it does not.

Like, what the fuck is wrong with you? Way to paint S&M as this like fucking as murder. Like that is ridiculous. And her blood was found in every room in his house. Oh my God, this poor girl. Her father had to ID her body. Oh, God. They said, quote, people called him an animal, but an animal wouldn't do that to another animal.

He's a very, very evil man. I think about how much pain she must have been in, how she must have thought we didn't love her. Yeah. Because she, how she must have thought we didn't. didn't love her because we didn't save her. Oh my God. That just like, yeah, that this case is. Sorry, I just had like a moment.

Because I'm thinking of like these poor parents. They're sitting there being like my, this was happening and I didn't know. My baby, like, was being tortured and she was probably thinking, why aren't my parents saving me? Like, to have that in your brain, I can't, I can't believe I'm like tearing up right now. No, I mean, you're a mom. That to me was like the hardest part about this was thinking of these poor fucking parents. I mean, this poor girl, obviously.

I know this is a podcast. I don't even know what the fuck to say right now. Yeah. I'm so. It's so beyond. Peter Openshaw was the prosecutor, and he said, quote, it was as if he deliberately disfigured her, causing her the utmost pain, distressed, and degradation. The injuries were not the result of one sudden eruption of violence.

They must have been caused over a long period and were so extensive and so terrible that the defendant must have deliberately and systematically tortured. the girl. The cause of death was drowning. Immediately prior to which she had been beaten about the head with a shower head. He said, quote, her death must have been a merciful end to her torment. My God. Which it's true. That's all I could think of. I was like, death must have been a welcome end to that. He went on trial and again denied any wrongdoing. He actually blamed Kelly Ann saying she would put me through hell winding me up. So he was literally like she pissed me off a lot. clearly but like are you kidding me because you're just i don't even i can't well after only one hour

of deliberation he was found guilty i can't even believe it took that long he received a 20 year minimum sentence uh the judge said quote you're an abuser of women and i intent so far as it is in my power that you will abuse no more which it's like yeah for the first time during this this is really telling of how bad this was for the first time every juror was offered counseling after and during the trial. Every single juror. Because did they have to see, like, photos and everything? Yeah, they had to see everything.

And every single juror accepted the counseling for the first time. This had never happened before. I feel like I need counseling after listening to this story. Like they were so traumatized that by seeing the evidence and hearing the evidence that they all took the counseling. Because that's the other thing. Like this is, it's almost like what we said in the Jamie Clause story because she was so young. This is like what we know happened, like what they're allowed to put on, what they're allowed to say. I can't imagine what they couldn't say.

In putting pictures to this, I'm picturing in my head what she looked like, and it's bad enough. Seeing it must have, and seeing her parents in the room, you're just adding all this, like, level of humanity to the whole thing. And it's like, that's so true. An animal wouldn't do that to another animal. No. No. An animal would not cause another animal deliberate pain in that kind of methodical, just evil way. It is astounding to me that people exist like this.

It's not. in fathomable. He's, I mean, he is truly, and he had been doing it forever. He's like, more than evil. I mean, he had been doing it. Those kind of injuries, I'm like, you, I mean, you need to be cemented into a wall for all eternity. Like, like,

worse. Like, we should brick him up in a wall. Like, they did on a American Horror Story Hotel, when like James Patrick March like to, like, brick people up in his wall, and so did H.H. Holmes. We need to do that to him. No. I think that's what he deserves, just to live out his days.

in a wall. After we rip his eyes out. And just like and just scream and cry for the rest of his life. We should rip his eyes and like his tongue out. Yeah. I think so. Oh my God. Yeah.

So unfortunately that is the end of Kelly Ann Bates's story. But like I said in the beginning, I know this has a lot to do with like domestic violence, domestic abuse. Like I said, I know people are in this situation right now. Probably somebody who's listening to this podcast right now. if you find yourself in the situation right now where you are quarantined with your abuser, there are different methods to get help. One of them is advocates at the National Domestic Violence Hotline. They're available 24-7 at 1-800-799 Safe, which is 7233.

And it's available in more than 200 languages. There's also battered women's support services. You can find them at 604-652. 1867 or you can send them an email if you can't get on the phone at intake at bws.s.org. You can also call 604-687-1867 or 1855-6-867-1868 and you can also text 604-652-1867. Because again, if you can't get on the phone. Right. Also, last week, local authorities in Spain and the Canary Islands were encouraging domestic abuse victims to go to pharmacies and tell someone of the abuse.

And the way they were telling them to do it is to use the code word mask 19 and that a pharmacist will get you help. And in the UK, the independent office for police conduct advises anyone who is in this situation to dial, 999, listen to the questions from the phone operator, and then respond by coughing or tapping the handset. And if you can, press 5-5. Wow. So if you find yourself in a situation where you need help, hopefully one of those can help you and stay strong. And you're loved. You are loved. So many people love you. Yeah. If you're in a bad situation, do not feel like they are all you have. They're not not. And they don't deserve you. If somebody is hurting you, they do not love you. They do not have your best interest at heart. Whether they're hurting you physically, mentally, emotionally,

anyway. No one who loves you should be intentionally hurting you in any way. And I promise you this. And don't let them convince you it's unintentional because it's not. Yeah. And I know it's hard when you feel like wrapped up in someone, but you nobody deserves to be treated like this man. And I know it's hard. good people that would treat you the right way. Exactly. And you deserve to meet them. So, you know, stay strong, everybody. Oh, shit.

And if you feel like you know someone in this situation, like try to help them out, try to maybe call one of these hotlines and try to help. So that's the tragic tale of Kellyan Bates. And I'm sorry it's such a bummer, but I felt like it was an important one, especially with, you know, quarantine happening right now. I just feel like somebody needed to hear how bad it can get. So hopefully you're all doing okay after that. Yeah. And we'll have something a little lighter for the mini episode. We will.

The minnie is going to be lighter, I promise. We're going to take it to a more spooky, spooky place. Yes, exactly. You know, if this bummed you out too much, just wait for the spooky spooky mini. And if you need to go contact any of those numbers that Elena mentioned. And we'll also put them in the caption. Yeah, I'm going to put in the show notes. And in the caption on Instagram, we'll put the.

The numbers just so that they're in multiple places. And so you can go ahead on our Instagram and find that at Morbid Podcast. We'll tweet them out. A Morbid Podcast. If you need help, please Gmail us. Morbid Podcast at gmail.com. You can join the Facebook group. Anybody that's going through a hard time right now, I have seen so many people on that group.

Like so many people rush to help them and love them and just. It's the most delicious little community of people. If you have anything negative to say about the Facebook group, I hope so many people so I don't want to hear it. Yeah, because I've seen so many people just say I'm having a bad day or I'm having a really dark time right now. And I've seen so many people. And thousands of people rush on and just cover them and support. So if you feel like you need a boost, that's definitely a good place to find it because there's some awesome people in there. And that's morbid colon a true crime podcast Facebook group.

And if you, like we said before, just on a lighter note, If you need to get tickets to the shows, you can find that on our website at morbidpodcast.com. We hope you keep listening. And we hope you keep it weird. Bye. Bye.