Where is Michael Brett Kelly now? His prison life

Tracy Jones was a secretary at Calder Pinkston & Associates. Gail Spencer was an office manager who, having worked at the law firm for nearly a decade, had the authorization to handle wire transfers. Jones was trained to transfer funds but couldn’t do so without permission. 

Consumed with greed and a desire for a quick payday, Jones hatched a plan to steal money from the firm’s escrow account. She recruited Michael Brett Kelly, his cousin Courtney Kelly, and his friend Keith Anthony Dozier. The scheme involved kidnapping and theft, but it culminated in the sexual assault and murder of Gail Spencer. 

Michael is serving his sentence of life without parole at Hancock State Prison

Michael Brett Kelly, then a 19-year-old, pleaded guilty to the murder of Gail Spencer to avoid the death penalty. The deal obligated Kelly to testify against Jones, Courtney, and Dozier. 

Tracy Jones and Courtney Kelly joined Michael in pleading guilty to felony murder. In November 2013, Bibb Superior Court Judge Tillman Self sentenced the trio to life in prison; Courtney could get parole. District Attorney David Cooke said (per 41 WMGT):

“We’re just grateful to be able to get justice for Gail Spencer and for her family and the community on three out of the four defendants. Had the attorney not gotten sick earlier this year, we would’ve wrapped these folks up about a month ago.”

Keith Anthony Dozier stood trial. Like Tracy and Michael, Dozier was sentenced to life without parole. Dozier appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court, which upheld his murder conviction and prison sentence. 

The records show that Michael hasn’t contested his plea or sentence. He is incarcerated at Hancock State Prison, where, barring a transfer, he will spend the rest of his life. 

Keith Dozier testified that he tried to stop Michael from killing Gail 

On 5th October 2012, Keith, Tracy, and Micheal drove to Gail’s residence. Tracy duped Gail into allowing her into the house by claiming she needed to use the bathroom and make a phone call. Gail viewed Tracy as a trusted co-worker who needed help, so she let Tracy in. 

While inside, Tracy texted Micheal, whom she was dating, to enter the home. Michael and Dozier barged in wearing ski masks and inspected the house to ensure nobody else was present. Tracy texted her employer from Gail’s home to say that Gail couldn’t make it to work because she was sick. 

Courtney arrived and drove Tracy to the law firm, where she transferred about $885,000 to accounts in Courtney’s name. At the house, Micheal and Keith tied Spencer to a chair. 

Michael, who had a pistol, sodomized Gail and attempted to suffocate her with a pillow. After failing, Michael left the bedroom and talked to Keith, who claimed he tried to stop Michael from killing Gail. Michael went back into the bedroom and suffocated Gail with a plastic bag. 

The pair left the house at 4:00 p.m. Neighbors suspected something was amiss when they found their dog outside, yet Gail had agreed to let the dog in. The police forced their way into the house and found Gail dead. 

Courtney fled without sharing the money, prompting Tracy to execute two more wire transfers, bringing the total amount stolen to about $1.3 million. A tip led police to Michael, who pointed them to his accomplices. 

Keith said killing Gail was not part of the plan, and alleged Michael coerced him into staying as he sodomized and murdered Gail.