STORY OF THE YEAR: St. Michael-Albertville Rallies After Shocking Murder of Timothy Larson

The story of how Blair Kelley and Timothy Larson met is simple enough.

One day, while out for a long run, Kelley found himself in Larson’s neighborhood off McIver Avenue north of Interstate 94. Larson’s two sons were playing with some new kittens in the front yard, as they were trying to give them away.

“My wife likes cats, and the boys were very nice, so I stopped. Soon, one of them noticed my hydration belt, and said, ‘My dad has one of those.’ Tim came out and we talked for a while. Before I knew it, we were running together pretty regularly. We were both training for the Grandma’s Marathon [in Duluth],” Kelley remembered.

Their friendship would only grow over the next four years. Larson, who was a special education teacher with a concentration on EBD (emotionally and behavioral disorders) children, would transfer from the Elk River School District to . That put Larson and Kelley in the same building.

They would work on projects in school, coach wrestling teams and go out running regularly, until the day Kelley found out .

But this is the story of how that friendship continues. And how Blair Kelley will make sure Timothy Larson’s legacy will live on, here in St. Michael-Albertville and beyond.

And it’s St. Michael Patch’s Story of the Year.

Patch sat down with Blair Kelley for a one-on-one prior to the holiday break. The nearly hour-long conversation gives more insight into a special friendship. 

Patch: I know most of us heard about Mr. Larson’s death on the news. How did you hear?

Blair Kelley: I was filling gas in Monticello and I got a text message from a friend. All it said was “OMG!” I called, and they told me Tim was dead. I was in shock, and my first thought was, “Tim who?” Then when they told me it was Tim Larson, I thought maybe it [could have been] hunting accident. Until the school sent out its call, I had no idea he was killed. Murder never entered my mind. Tim didn’t have issues with anyone. I’ll never look at that gas station the same again.

Patch: What were those following days like?

Kelley: It was so hard. I think there were so many of us, like me, in shock. We could see it on each other’s faces. There were a lot of tears. That whole week, with the memorial service and the funeral, was so tough on everyone. The kids, they dealt with it differently. It’s hard to register a death like that with kids who are 11, 12 or 13 years old. Tim’s kids took it very hard. They knew him so well. They were in tough shape.

Patch: I thought the school district did a very good job of keeping people informed and providing counseling to those who needed it.

Kelley: For sure. I think our leadership was so good. Mr. [Andy] Merfeld, I just gained so much respect for him. He did a lot to make us feel comfortable. It’s not easy to handle a tragedy in your building. And he really looked out for all of us.

Patch: When you hear details of how it all allegedly happened, is it even more upsetting?

Kelley: Tim never raised his voice. Never. So to hear that it was [maybe] some sort of argument—he deals with that every day. He was so good at taking a situation that could have escalated and bringing it back down. He was gifted with patience and understanding. And to see the trial drag out [over the last month] is infuriating. I know Tim wouldn’t be mad about it. But I think he deserves justice.

Patch: You’ve picked up the cause with the and the feed, and now I hear there’s a golf tournament coming next summer. Will that continue and what else will we see?

Kelley: The response to the first run was amazing. Everyone wanted to help. I just thought we could do something, as a community, to celebrate Tim’s life. And he loved to run. He loved to get outdoors any way he could. So the 5K was perfect. And the golf tournament is, too. I don’t really golf a lot, but it’s going to be a great event and hopefully it will continue to raise money for the family.

Patch: How much did last November’s run raise?

Kelley: The run and the feed raised $38,000, after all the bills were paid. Half those people had no idea who Tim Larson was. But everyone wanted to help. That’s special. That says a lot about our community.

Patch: You’ve made a commitment, personally, to be involved with Tim’s boys from here on out?

Kelley: I’ve been over there a few times, and it’s hard for them and for Deb [Tim’s wife] to adjust to life without him. Tim gave up so much of himself to help other kids. He would get in the weight room and help our young guys and girls. He was so much about clean living—eating the right things and doing things the right way. He was a man of Christ. Every day he said, If you asked him how he was doing, that’s what he’d say. So I felt like something needed to be done for his kids. And it’s going to be fun to continue to do things, as a community, to make sure they grow up in a good situation.

Look for the Tim Larson Memorial Golf Tournament at in Albertville on June 11, 2012. The Fire Up! 5K will return next September, shortly after school starts, Kelley said.

“There’s no way we get that nice of weather again in November. Not two years in a row. So we’ll move it up,” Kelley said with a smile.