Authorities found the body of 56-year-old Matthew Kelemen, a freelance writer, last week. Law enforcement located his burned body in a storage container behind a commercial establishment in downtown Las Vegas. The Las Vegas police were called to investigate the container due to an odor described as disgusting. Prison guards found him unresponsive and alone in his cell. They opened an internal investigation into the details of his death.
Matthew Kelemen’s roots in the local freelance writing community grew deep after moving to Las Vegas from the East Coast in 2003. He had worked as a staff writer for several years at notable publications such as the now-defunct 944 and City Life magazines. As a film critic, Kelemen wrote energetic and insightful film reviews, profile pieces and feature stories for local publications such as Las Vegas Weekly. He authored this insightful short story on Donny Osmond’s residency on the Strip, which appeared in Las Vegas Magazine.
Even in the circumstances leading up to Kelemen’s death are shrouded in mystery. His body was found in a container behind a business, police later determined. Additionally, the coroner’s office in Las Vegas is currently investigating the cause and manner of death. Recent reports indicate that Kelemen had been living in a room he rented from a home. This residence was home to an unnamed primary suspect. According to his sister Mikki Zaferatos, Kelemen often expressed discomfort about where he lived. He even had to go so far as to call his roommate “weird.” She concluded by mentioning that he was in the process of moving out of the room he had been renting.
The tense situation boiled over further when news spread that the suspect passed away late last week. This came on the heels of a 100+ mph chase with the Utah highway patrol. This incident has raised even more questions about the nature of Kelemen’s relationship to the suspect. It has us reflecting on the circumstances surrounding his tragic passing.
Both investigations are very much ongoing. In the meantime, the journalism community mourns Kelemen’s loss and will forever celebrate his contributions to cultural journalism and nurturing his local culture. Friends and colleagues continue to process the heartbreaking shock of his sudden passing. To say that the world is hungry for answers would be an understatement, as investigators are still trying to understand how such a tragedy unfolded.