YAZOO COUNTY, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
There's a new twist to a year-long death investigation in Yazoo County.
Michael and Kelley Bates were a couple with two young children and seemingly a lot going for them until the tragedy on the night of Oct. 15, 2011.
On Oct. 19 of this year, one year after the incident, a grand jury indicted Michael Bates for manslaughter in Kelley's death. He has been released from jail on a $10,000 bond.
Kelley Bates was 28 years old when she died. The two children she left behind, a boy and a girl, are now ages three and six.
On the night of Oct. 15, 2011, the couple returned to their home on Paradise Road in Yazoo County after a wedding in Clinton. The house is now owned by someone else.
According to the indictment, Michael Bates struck Kelley Bates with his vehicle and killed her by culpable negligence. He drove her to the emergency room that night.
Bates' attorney, John Colette, says around 10 p.m., Michael began pulling out of the driveway to pick up the children, and Kelley was running toward the vehicle when the incident occurred. Kelley's family does not believe it was an accident.
It's unclear why a year passed before an indictment was handed down.
We asked Colette about Michael Bates' blood alcohol content. He says he does not know the results.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is handling the case.
An arraignment in Yazoo County is scheduled for late November.
Copyright 2012 WLBT. All rights reserved.
(Source: Family)
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