Teen who killed 'Tuba Man' arrested in Seattle drug sting

Kenneth Kelly, one of the three teens who killed "Tuba Man" Edward McMichael in fall 2008, was arrested again Sunday night in a Seattle police drug sting in City Hall Park.

Kelly, a repeat felon, hasn't been out of prison two months. He was released from Stafford Creek Corrections Center on Sept. 25, and had been there since Dec. 11, 2012 for an unlawful gun possession conviction.

"Kelly was observed selling drugs," Sgt. Sean Whitcomb said the police sting at the park near the King County Courthouse. "We recovered a small amount of crack cocaine and over $200 cash."

Kelly, 20, was booked into King County Jail at 12:08 a.m. Monday and is being held in lieu of $25,000 bond after a Monday afternoon bail hearing. He has not been charged for the City Hall Park incident and was not on Department of Corrections supervision.

McMichael was a beloved busker who played his tuba for years outside Seattle sports and arts events. He was near a bus stop in the 500 block of Mercer Street on Oct. 25, 2008, when Kelly and two others started beating him. One punched McMichael so hard that he fell and hit his head on the concrete.

He died days later from his head injury.

During the beating, the teens grabbed McMichael's wallet and one pulled off his 1979 Sonics NBA World Championship ring, which was a gift from a friend. McMichael's public memorial drew about 1,500 people, including King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg.

Satterberg made a public appear for witnesses to come forward, but no one who witnessed the attack would testify – a fact that Satterberg said was "one of the most chilling parts of this entire story."

A juvenile court judge refused to try the teens – all 15 at the time – as adults, and their pleas for manslaughter meant they left juvenile detention in a matter of months with the state sentencing guidelines.

In his previous case, Kelly was stopped by the Seattle Police Gang Unit in Feb. 2012 after they said he was speeding in a black 1993 Mercedes-Benz on 51th Avenue South. He lied about having a gun, but police found a Smith & Wesson five-shot revolver that would have advanced a live round if the trigger was pulled, court documents show.

Kelly's first felony after killing McMichael was in 2010 for a secon-degree robbery conviction. He also was arrested for obstructing police in 2011.

Billy Chambers, one of the others who killed McMichael, has also had multiple felony convictions. In May, Chambers was sentenced to six years in prison and three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

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