- Posted August 08, 2011
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Man to stand trial in daughter's beating death

ROCHESTER HILLS (AP) -- A judge ordered an Oakland County psychologist to stand trial in the baseball bat beating death of his 20-year-old daughter in their Oxford home.
Robert Kelly, 52, was bound over last Thursday to Oakland County Circuit Court on a charge of first-degree premeditated murder by Rochester Hills District Judge Lisa Asadoorian.
Julie Roberts testified about finding her daughter on a bed in the house Megan Roberts shared with her father.
"I walked back and yelled my daughter's name twice," Julie Roberts said. "I opened the door, saw her and called 911.
"I told them to find a red Cobalt; to find her dad because I figured he did it."
Roberts had only been married to Kelly about 11 months. She was visiting their daughter at the home when Megan Roberts was beaten.
About the time Julie Roberts called 911 Kelly walked into a local police station and told a dispatcher there had been an assault at his home.
"I asked him if he knew who did it," Oxford Village dispatcher Tony Van Houten testified. "And he stated, 'Yes. I did.'"
Megan Roberts fell into a coma and died last month.
"He's charged with hurting the one person he loves the most," defense attorney Sanford Schulman said last Thursday of Kelly. "He snapped. It's a vague memory."
Schulman said Kelly had been on Xanax and wrote a suicide note. Xanax often is used to treat people with panic disorder.
Published: Mon, Aug 8, 2011
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