THE MURDER OF GARY KENNEY

The Murder of Gary Kenney, [FROM FLORIDA TODAY NEWSPAPER]To his neighbors on this quiet, well-manicured stretch of Venetian Way, Gary Kenney was a friendly guy who visited their garage sales and stopped to chat when he saw them in their yards. They were shocked Tuesday to learn the 50-year-old "all-around nice guy" had been shot to death, and that authorities had charged his 22-year-old son, Darryl, with first-degree murder. “It was upsetting," said Ian Scott, whom Gary Kenney helped get electrician jobs during the slow economic time. "I just saw the guy. He was just at my house Saturday. "You never think you're talking to someone and the next day they're dead. It's just a shame." Brevard County sheriff's deputies say an argument over a vehicle and stolen guns escalated into the shooting. Darryl Kenney, who was released from prison just six days ago, is in the Brevard County jail charged with first-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and resisting arrest without violence. Officials said that Gary Kenney owned several guns but hid them at a relative's house before Darryl's release from prison June 12. About 5 p.m. Monday, deputies were called to a Wood Stork Drive house when the relative discovered that the guns had been stolen from the home. Deputies investigating the burglary went to 765 Venetian Way to talk with Gary Kenney. When they arrived, a deputy saw the home's front door partially open and found Gary Kenney lying in the foyer with "significant trauma to his body" after being shot several times, according to the sheriff's office. Within minutes, deputies saw Gary Kenney's truck being driven by a man who was later identified as Darryl Kenney. Rubin Nero, 20, was a passenger in the truck. Deputies stopped the vehicle, but the two men ran and were later arrested. The men had guns when deputies found them. It is not clear, however, whether the guns recovered and the one used to shoot Gary Kenney were the same ones stolen from the relative's home, officials said. A man who answered the telephone number for the Wood Stork Drive home Tuesday declined to comment. Deputies think the shooting occurred after an argument about Darryl Kenney's use of the truck and the stolen weapons, Brevard County Sheriff Sgt. Linda Moros said. Department of Corrections records show both Darryl Kenney and Nero served time in Lake City Correctional Facility, a private prison in Columbia County that houses youthful male offenders.Officials at the prison did not return calls for comment, and it was unclear if the two knew each other while serving time at the facility. Darryl Kenney served his full sentence of two years and eight months in prison and county jail for charges of grand theft, burglary of an unoccupied structure and aggravated battery, according to Brevard County Clerk of the Court and prison records. Court records also indicate Darryl Kenney initially had been ordered to serve probation and take anger management classes in connection to the cases. He was, however, sent to prison after being charged with violating his probation. When Brevard County Court Judge Benjamin Garagozlo asked if his family knew about his charges, Darryl Kenney quietly said, "I suppose so."Brevard grand jury indicts Darryl on murder charges.A Brevard County Grand Jury issued murder indictments Tuesday, the defendant charged with first-degree premeditated murder with a firearm.Darryl Robert Kenney, 22, is accused of killing his father, Gary Kenney, 50, at the family home at 765 Venetian Way in Merritt Island, on June 16th. Kenney, who was staying at the Aladdin Motel on Merritt Island, was also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, armed burglary of a dwelling with a firearm and five counts of grand theft (firearm), Assistant State Attorney Michael Hunt said.

GARY KENNEY

GARY B. KENNEY MERRITT ISLAND Gary B. Kenney, 50, of Merritt Island, devoted husband, father, and son, died suddenly on Mon day evening, June 16, 2008. He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Sharon, a daughter, Amanda; son, Joshua; his mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. John Kenney Jr., of Merritt Island; his brothers, Craig, John and Ronald, and his sister, Denise. Visitation at Wylie-Baxley Funeral Home Friday June 20th, 6 - 8 p.m., with a memorial service at Wylie-Baxley Chapel on Saturday, June 21st at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers please send dontatons to Garys nephew, Jason Kenney, who is a missionary to Chile, c/o Macedonia World Baptist Missions, Inc., PO Box 519, Braselton, GA 30517.Published in FLORIDA TODAY on 6/19/2008.

GARY'S LIFE IN DELAWARE [abridged version]

Gary with Pastor Ingram at a Picnic in his backyard

GARY’S LIFE IN DELAWARE
[Abridged Version]
Gary was transferred when he lived in Pennsylvania to Delaware by the Firestone store that he worked for in Trenton, he had asked for the transfer.
He moved into an apartment in Dover and worked at the Firestone store in Dover and later bought a trailer in Dover. He was soon dissatisfied with that job and started applying for jobs in the area. He applied at George & Lynch a concrete plant as a truck mechanic. He was hired and started working there, he then started looking for a house in the area.
He bought a run down farmhouse on two large lots in the area and moved into it. The house was barely livable so he started to make improvements. Before he was done he had completely gutted the house and rebuilt it inside, he sided the outside of the house with vinyl siding and put in new windows.

DON & MARSHA LaDuc

During this time he had met Don & Marsha LaDuc, Don ran a surplus store for Nanticoke Home’s, a home builder in the area. Don and Gary became best friends. Gary would stop at the store often and buy surplus building supplies from Don This made the renovating of the house much cheaper. I think he sided the whole house with siding he bought at the surplus store. Every time they would finish a house they would bring all the leftover supplies to the store and Don would sell them.
George & lynch were supplying concrete for new runways at the Dover air base, whenever the concrete was rejected the drivers would call Gary at work and he would rush home and meet them there where he had already formed a new driveway at his house and a slab for the garage. This way he poured all this concrete for just tips to the drivers. It was a lot of concrete, a very large driveway and a 28’ x 28” slab for the garage.

Gary could figure most things out, but building the garage scared him so he called his brother Jack in Michigan to come down and help him. Gary sent the plans to Jack and he made up a material list and Gary had all the material delivered to the site.

Jack came down with a couple of friends and put up the shell of the garage. Gary made a second floor he wanted us [Helen & Me] to move into when I retired, which we did before we moved to Florida. Gary worked hard with a lot of help, and covered the shell with plywood siding, and put a roof on it. He later sided the garage with vinyl siding from Don's surplus store

The building was now closed in and the inside could be finished at a more leisurely pace. Helen and I would go down almost every weekend and stay and help him then go to church with Gary and his family Sunday then drive back to Pennsylvania Sunday evening.
I could not begin the name all the friends that helped Gary with this project. Gary had a lot of friends that he had helped with various projects and they helped him whenever he needed help.
After this he decided to replace a small room on the side of the house and make it into a master bedroom with a bath, this was a big job but that didn't faze Gary, he went ahead at nights and weekends and finished it. He and I also put central heat in the house, it only had a kerosene heater in the living room when he moved in.
One day on a Sunday we were in the driveway and Gary looked up at the house and said that bedroom on the second floor needs a window, He said “come-on lets go up to Lowe's and get one“, before I went back to Pennsylvania that evening that bedroom had a window. If you would give Gary a bucket of drywall mud and a couple tubes of caulk he could do any home improvement. This is just the way Gary did things.
I know I have left a lot out of this story, but I don’t want to make it to long.

Shirley and Pastor Ingram at the Space Center, notice the launch pad in the background.

Comment by Shirley Ingram I remember a lot of the Delaware story, it seemed Gary was his happiest when he had a project in process. But it was always fun to get the grand tour after the completion, he was really excited and rightly so. I am Pastor Ingrams wife and we enjoyed the Kenney family in our church for many years. Gary always ready to help or give advice to assist in any need. He had many friends and will be missed. Shirley Ingram

GARY'S JET BOAT

Thanks to Ron for these pictures

I was going to put this in Memories of Gary but this deserves a spot all to itself.
When Gary lived in Delaware, he always had a boat of some kind, he would buy and sell boats as the spirit moved him. If he saw a boat in someone’s yard that had not moved for awhile he would stop and ask if they wanted to sell it. He would bicker with them for a couple of days and if he thought was worth the price he would buy it, then sell it when he got tired of it. I can’t remember all the boats he had but one stands out in my memory. It was a Slick Craft jet boat about sixteen feet with a 454 Chevrolet engine all chrome with big header exhaust pipes [boy was it loud] when he bought it was not running right. It turned out that it needed a cam shaft. That did not bother Gary, he ordered a full race cam shaft from a speed shop and put it in.

He then found out the boat would only go sixty miles an hour so he sent the jet assembly to Ohio to be reworked, he wanted it to go at least seventy miles an hour. He was always trying to get me to go out for a ride in the Delaware Bay, what a ride, sixty miles an hour over a bumpy road, one ride was enough for me., I came home hurting and exhausted.
One day he talked me into going with him to the Murder Kill River [a Dutch name that means something?] that runs from Dover to the Delaware Bay, how much trouble can you get into in a little river? We were going down the river at a slow pace when we came to a sharp turn to the right in the river, the redneck in Gary surfaced, watch this, he gave it everything the boat had and we started roaring along when we made the turn, a wind was coming up the river and we went airborne. We ended about thirty feet into the marsh. What to do? we walked through the marsh in black muck up to our necks till we found a house, Gary knocked and the man that came to the door was ready to shut the door in our face till Gary explained to him what had happened, he brought a phone to the door and Gary called a friend to come and pick us up.
To make a long story short it took a gang [the Ingram's and the LuDuc's] with pry bars another boat, a chain fall and the rest of the day to get the boat out of the marsh inch by inch.

THE LAST PICTURE TAKEN OF GARY

THE LAST PHOTO TAKEN OF GARY
This snapshot was taken by my granddaughter Aniliese, Saturday May 31 2008 at Durango’s Steakhouse Restaurant in Cocoa beach, Gary took us there to celebrate Amanda’s graduation from high school. We then all went outside to view a Shuttle Launch. I feel this is the last photo taken of Gary before he was murdered. This photo has not been changed in any way it is just as it came from the camera.
Aniliese was visiting us from Michigan and she was here through all the commotion that followed Gary’s murder, I’m sure its something she will never forget.
We had flown her back with us to Florida when we came back from her sister Amy’s high school graduation in Michigan.
Our son Ron was downloading pictures from her camera after Analiese came home and found this picture. Gary looks troubled, this is because he is, he had been going through some personal troubles that would not go away and they were about to come to a head. Little did he know that all his troubles would be over soon.
I will leave justice to the court system and pray that it will be done.
As always, Gods will be done.

“THY WILL BE DONE IN EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN”
Matthew 6:10

GARY IN HAPPIER TIMES

The top left picture was taken at Nana Harper's 80th birthday.

The other is a picture of Gary and Josh horsing around.

The bottom pictures were taken by Gary's brother Ron on a vacation back in 2006. He wrote this.
We were visiting my parents in Florida and I went to a children’s soccer game with Gary. At the time Gary was working out with weights (as you can see). While we were there Gary and I took a motorcycle ride. He rode his super fast sport bike and I rode the much slower street/dirt bike. Florida does not have a helmet law, although with my limited riding skills, I wore one. I remember Gary riding in front of me with his flattop hair cut, cool sunglasses and newly acquired muscles. He looked much tougher than I did!
While we were at the soccer game I told him to show me the “gunboats” and he struck this pose. This picture really illustrates something about Gary. When he did something, he gave it his all. I’m not sure how much he weighed in this picture, but he must have been pushing 200. When he died he couldn't’t have weighed much more than 150. Why? He was running six miles a day. He had taken on the body of a long distance runner.
Gary’s spirit about things will surely be missed.

Gary's Dad;
This was Gary a few years ago, before all the worries overtook him.

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