Tennessee Man Convicted of Conspiracy to Kill Federal Investigators Amid U.S. Capitol Riot Links

A man from Maryville, Tennessee, was found guilty on Wednesday of plotting to kill federal investigators as part of his involvement in the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. The 35-year-old, Edward Kelley, was convicted in a Knoxville court of conspiracy to murder federal employees, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, and influencing a federal official by threat, as reported by the U.S. attorney's office.

Conviction and Potential Sentencing

Kelley, one of the many rioters who faced charges for unlawfully entering the U.S. Capitol, allegedly devised a plan to kill law enforcement personnel while awaiting trial. This includes targeted FBI agents, according to prosecutors. He now faces a potential life sentence in May during the sentencing phase of the trial.

The Kill List and Intended Attacks

Prosecutors revealed that Kelley created a "kill list" consisting of FBI agents and other individuals involved in the investigation. He distributed this list, which included videos featuring images of FBI employees, to another person as part of his alleged "mission." The list contained 37 names and was reported by a witness to a Tennessee police department. Moreover, a cooperating defendant who has pleaded guilty in the conspiracy testified that he and Kelley planned to conduct attacks on the FBI's Knoxville office using car bombs and incendiary devices attached to drones. They also strategized about carrying out assassinations of FBI employees both at their homes and in public locations such as movie theaters, according to prosecutors. Evidence presented at the trial included a recording of Kelley stating, "every hit has to hurt."

Impact of Trump's Election on Ongoing Cases

This conviction comes at a time when multiple U.S. Capitol riot defendants are referencing former President Donald Trump's election in their requests to delay criminal prosecutions. Defense attorneys have asked federal judges in Washington, D.C., to postpone proceedings in some of the January 6 cases until 2025, the year when Trump could potentially return to office, as stated in court filings reviewed by CBS News. This development complicates the Justice Department's efforts to conclude its prosecutions, many of which are still active, before any potential change in presidency.

Kelley's conviction comes amidst the backdrop of ongoing debates regarding the impact of Trump's election on the legal proceedings of January 6 defendants. The defense attorneys' requests for postponements until 2025 could further delay the resolution of these cases, adding to the challenges faced by the Justice Department in concluding its prosecutions.