Trooper William Kellems was shot and killed by two suspects who had shot and killed Trooper Dugald A. Pellot, 23, and wounded another trooper of the Michigan State Police about five miles south of Clinton, in Lenawee County, after stealing a vehicle in Jackson, Michigan earlier in the day.

   After killing Trooper Pellot, the suspects fled to Indiana where Trooper Kellems spotted the suspects' vehicle traveling through Scott County. As he stopped the suspects in Scottsburg, two shots were fired as he approached the vehicle, fatally wounding him before they fled the scene.

   As the men were confronted at a roadblock almost a half-hour later south of Vernon, they wounded another trooper and a North Vernon police officer. The 35-year-old suspect who had killed Trooper Pellot was shot and killed as the other man continued fleeing.

   The 26-year-old suspect, who had taken a Jennings County deputy sheriff hostage in his squad car during this escape, was captured the following day. He was later convicted of first-degree murder, sentenced to life in prison in a change of venue to Jennings County and was paroled in 1981.

   Trooper Kellems, from Indianapolis, was assigned to the Charlestown post. He was survived by his wife.