It was reported that on Sunday after a run and swim, June 30th, Kelly Paduchowski was missing. Kelly was 45 years old. Originally the timeline of events was as follows:
10:20 a.m. – Cellphone data placed Kelly’s phone in the area of Schultz Creek Trail.
11:30 a.m. – Her husband Daniel is seen in the same area.
12:13 p.m. – Data placed Kelly’s phone back at her home in the Coconino Estates neighborhood.
1:30 p.m. – Kelly’s white Mazda CX-5 and Daniel are seen by security footage at Campbell Mesa Trailhead.
7:39 p.m. – Daniel reports Kelly as a missing person, saying she’s possibly in the area of Lake Mary.
According to AZ Family, some neighbors heard a woman scream and saw an altercation where Daniel was on top of his wife in their backyard Sunday morning with his hands on her shoulders. The neighbors stated that they then noticed Daniel was gone and his wife was lying on her side in the yard. The neighbors then stated that they later saw Daniel hosing off the grass where she once was and that they never saw her after that.
As of Friday morning, July 5th, Kelly’s remains were found by police, but it wasn’t stated by the Flagstaff Police Department the circumstances at the time.
Kelly’s husband Daniel had been in jail following an arrest for aggravated assault after police found blood at their home.
It was later reported that Daniel admitted to killing his wife after striking a plea deal where he would only spend 16 years in prison for second-degree murder without being eligible for early release. Daniel then led authorities to where her remains were, her cell phone and the murder weapon.
Daniel has been a registered architect for the last 25 years and worked not only in Flagstaff but in Sedona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. According to his LinkedIn, he worked for Proportion & Scale Architects for the last 13 years and was self-employed.
Kelly was a devoted mother of two children, ages 7 and 9, loved pottery, and was considered the goofball of her family. Kelly’s twin sister and mother have set up an altar to honor her with pictures and drawings by her children. There is also a small electric candle that turns off every 7 hours according to the family, that the children will constantly turn back on so that everyone “can remember her.” Kelly’s family has set up a GoFund me for her children and can be found here.