Edward Capehart O'Kelley

American outlaw (1857–1904)
Over the years, historians and contemporary newspapers erroneously spelled O'Kelley's surname as "Kelly" or "O'Kelly", sometimes mistakenly using the letter "O" as his middle initial.

Little is known of O'Kelley's youth, although his birthplace is reported as Harrisonville, Missouri.

Robert Ford befriended outlaw Jesse James in 1882, when he and his brother Charley joined his gang. They lived with James and his family for a time. Ford shot James in the back of the head to collect a state bounty of $5,000. By 1892, he operated a tent saloon in the silver mining camp of Creede, Colorado. On June 8, 1892, while Ford was preparing to open his saloon, O’Kelley walked into the tent with a shotgun. Ford was turned away from the front entrance. O’Kelley called out, "Hello, Bob." As Ford turned around to see who spoke, O’Kelley fired his shotgun, hitting Ford in the neck and killing him instantly. O’Kelley never explained why he had shot Ford. According to one account, O’Kelley married a relative of the Younger Brothers Gang and became friends with Jesse James, who became a cousin by marriage. Another version contends that con man Soapy Smith assured O’Kelley he’d be famous if he killed Ford. One theory involves the accusation that O’Kelley had stolen Ford’s diamond ring, and the dispute had escalated. O’Kelley was initially imprisoned for life, though his sentence was later reduced to 18 years.

After his release, O'Kelley moved to Oklahoma City. Shortly after his arrival in town, he was recognized by Otto Ewing of the Southern Club, a local gambling house. It is claimed that Ewing had been connected with Ford's saloon in Creede, and may even have been there when O'Kelley killed Ford. Ewing told people that O'Kelley was a dangerous man and best avoided. In December 1903, police officer Joseph Grant "Joe" Burnett (1867–1917) arrested O'Kelley as a "suspicious character". O'Kelley was staying at the Lewis Hotel. He frequented the saloons on West 4th and 2nd Streets, which were known as the hangouts of criminals in the early years of the city.

Nicknamed "Red", O'Kelley reportedly married a relative of the Younger brothers.