Kenneth Kelly was a proud Barkandji, Muthi Muthi, and Wemba Wemba man. He was much loved by his 8 children, 17 grandchildren and 7 siblings. His passion was to sit with his guitar and sing, writing his own music and telling his stories through song. His family share that above all, Kenneth was a kind man who was dedicated to his family and loved his children and his grandchildren. He was only 58 years old when he passed away at Ravenhall Correctional Centre on Tuesday 23 June 2026.
At the time of his passing, Kenneth was eligible for parole, and he had been waiting to go home so that he could be with his family.
Kenneth’s eldest son, Douglas, had made arrangements for his dad to stay with him and he remembers that Kenneth was looking forward to spending time with his kids and grandkids, while working towards getting his life and his health back on track once he was released.
Kenneth had confided in Douglas that he was concerned about his health, and he’d been having trouble sleeping. Just days before his passing, Douglas recalled that they had a good yarn and that Kenneth had ended the call by telling Douglas that he loved him and his grandkids and that he would call Douglas back on Tuesday. Douglas remembers waiting by the phone on Tuesday but that the call from his dad never came.
Kenneth’s eldest daughter, Suehannah, remembers that during her last phone call with her dad, on Saturday 20 June, he had told her to stay strong and to tell his grandkids that he loved them. Kenneth said he would call Suehannah back on Monday or Tuesday. Suehannah waited by the phone on Monday morning, then again in the evening, and on Tuesday, but Kenneth’s call never came.
Kenneth has been described by his children as being a strong advocate for himself. They remember that he had been working with VALS in relation to accessing adequate healthcare, his eligibility for parole and his experiences in prison.
There have been at least 639 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Deaths in Custody since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody handed down its’ final report in 1991, with 77 of those unjust deaths being in 2026 so far.
VALS’ Wirraway Practice will be supporting and representing Kenneth’s family as they begin the heartbreaking and challenging process of a coronial inquest, seeking justice and truth around what led to Kenneth’s passing.
He is deeply missed.
Quotes Attributable to Nerita Waight, CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service:
“Kenneth’s family deserve answers and they deserve justice. VALS are proud to walk alongside Kenneth’s family as they begin this long journey towards justice for their father.
We know that the coronial process is inherently unsafe for our people, I wish I could promise families that a coronial inquest means that what happened to their loved one will never again happen to anyone else, but tragically this is not the case. Time and time again we see our people dying in custody from the same issues.
Alongside Kenneth’s family and his community, we mourn his death collectively. The grief, trauma and suffering ripples across families and communities, having a profound impact. These losses are not just numbers, they are beloved members of our communities, our families, our storytellers, Elders and individuals who should still be alive. We hope the coroner’s findings can start giving Kenneth’s family the answers they need, so there is an opportunity to heal.”