``hamlet'' King's College Administration Building Auditorium, 133 N. River 
St., Wilkes-barre. Wednesday-saturday, 8 P.m.

Accused Cop Has History Of Trouble 
Officer Named In Lawsuit Alleging 
Sexual Assault Has Been Accused In 
Court Three Other Times In Last Two Years

By TERRIE MORGAN-BESECKER; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Saturday, February 08, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1A 





PLAINS TWP -- It's been five months since Colleen Kelly was killed, but her
mother, Jo Ann, still can't sleep at night. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 There's this question that digs at her every time that she looks into the
face of Colleen's daughter, Brianna. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; She watches the 16-month-old play, and wonders why. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 She bathes, feeds and dresses the toddler, and wonders why. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Why, she asks, isn't Colleen here to do those things with her? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It's a question that has haunted Kelly since Colleen was killed in a
one-car crash on Laflin Road on Sept. 5. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Questions have surrounded the circumstances of the accident. Kelly and her
husband, Francis, want answers, but so far have gotten little information from
police investigating the case. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 They want to know what, if anything, happened that night between Colleen
and former Laflin Assistant Police Chief Charles McKeown. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Jo Ann Kelly said Colleen's friends said Colleen was dating the married
McKeown. The couple was reportedly at the Roma Club in the Old Boston section
of Jenkins Township prior to the accident, she said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Police have confirmed McKeown was at the scene of the accident, but they
have refused to reveal why he was there. His attorney said McKeown is
cooperating with police. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Kelly wants to know why McKeown was there after her daughter lost control
of her car and slammed head-on into a tree around 3:45 a.m. just blocks from
the Laflin police station. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I have to know. Was it his fault? Was it her fault? I have to know so I
can sleep at night," Kelly said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "For her to hit that tree, she was a very capable driver, something had to
happen out there for her to lose control." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 State police at Wyoming continue to investigate the crash. Two new
investigators were recently appointed to the case, including an accident
reconstruction expert, said Trooper Joe Lakkis, state police spokesman. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Police this week asked anyone who might have seen the accident to come
forward. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 McKeown has not been charged with any wrongdoing. Police have refused to
comment on whether he is the focus of the investigation. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Kelly said she has never spoken to McKeown. The last time she saw him was
at Colleen's funeral. She said she wants to know if McKeown or anyone else
knows anything about the crash. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 McKeown could not be reached for comment Thursday. His attorney, John
Hurtt, said he is cooperating with investigators. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Mr. McKeown has cooperated fully with everything the police have asked him
to do and continues to do so. He's trying to find out why the incident
happened as much as anyone else," Hurtt said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 McKeown's position as assistant police chief was recently eliminated by
Laflin Borough Council, which said the move was a cost-cutting measure. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hurtt refused to comment on whether he felt the move was related to
McKeown's involvement in the accident. He said McKeown has not made a decision
on whether he will fight the action. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Kelly, meanwhile, struggles to deal with her daughter's death and her new
role as mother to Brianna. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Brianna was 11 months old when her mom died, so she has little memory of
her. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "When she sees her picture she says `mommy,' but she doesn't realize,"
Kelly said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Colleen and Brianna lived with her and her husband. Still, Kelly is not
sure how she will explain the death to her some day, especially when she
doesn't understand it herself. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 She said she will continue to fight for the truth to be revealed. And
she'll fight to answer a question she knows, in her heart, has no answer. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "God wanted her -- why? Why did he take her from her baby?" &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 SPECIAL TO THE TIMES LEADER &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Colleen Kelly and her daughter, Brianna. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Months After Daughter Killed, Mom Wants Answers About Crash 
State Police Say They Are 
Continuing The Investigation 
And Have Assigned Two New 
Investigators And An 
Accident Reconstruction Expert

Months After Daughter Killed, Mom Wants Answers About Crash State Police Say They Are Continuing The Investigation And Have Assigned Two New Investigators And An Accident Reconstruction Expert