SNAPPING a selfie, Skylar Kellar sends it to her big sister Keli Collins, giggling as she receives one back.
In that moment she could never have known that just hours later Keli, 26, would be dead having been raped, tortured and murdered by her obsessed neighbour.
Horrifyingly, that night, Keli’s neighbour, Brett Heffner, 30, confessed his love to Keli and the mum-of-two, who lived with her partner of nine years, explained she wasn’t interested.
After facing rejection, Heffner, who realised Keli’s family wasn’t home, used a cord attached to his boots to tie up Keli.
She was raped and tortured before choking her to death before Heffner placed her body in her bed, under the covers. In May 2023, Heffner was sentenced to 25 years.
Now, Skylar, 21, from New York, is speaking exclusively to The Sun to pay tribute to her sister, and warn women of similar dangers.
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Keli, who’s studying early childhood education at university, says: “Keli had a huge heart and didn’t deserve this.
“Brett was clearly not right, and I wish someone noticed this sooner.
“Through Keli’s story, I urge women to spot these red flags. He robbed my sister of her life and my niece and nephew of their mum.”
Growing up, Skylar looked up to her big sister like a mum.
She says: “Keli took me to school and picked me up every day.
“She taught me to read and write. Keli loved me like I was her own daughter.
“Through every big moment, she was by my side, guiding me through life.”
Later in life, Keli and her partner of nine years, Kendrick Buckanan, 28, who’d she been with since school, had two children, Viera, 10, and Lundin, 11.
In 2018, Keli and her family moved into a new apartment building. They were a short 10-minute car ride away from Skylar, who lived with their father.
Keli worked long shifts in housing relief support.
Skylar says: “After they’d lived at the flat for three years, Kendrick was going to be away for a few months.
“So Keli and the kids, then aged 7 and 6, were by themselves at home.
“One day, she told me she was going to visit a national park. She named all her usual best friends, and someone called Brett.
“I asked who Brett was and she said it was her neighbour, she’d invited him along.
“He lived two doors down. It wasn’t surprising. She always clicked with everyone.”
One month later, in August 2022, Skylar was snapping selfies back and forth with Keli, then aged 26, via Snapchat at night.
She says: “She then messaged that she needed to go to bed as she had work in the morning and that she loved me.
“I told her I loved her too and would see her tomorrow. As she was going to come over.”
The next morning, Skylar got ready for work, at a local McDonald’s she was working part-time on the side of studying.
Skylar says: “Dad was giving me a lift and had missed calls from Mum. His phone’s Bluetooth was connected to the car.
“When he answered I heard her voice cry ‘Keli’s dead’ through the car speakers.
“I was in a state of confusion. I’d spoken to her last night, and I was seeing her later.
“In denial, I went to work. But mid-shift I broke down, hysterically crying.
“When I called my brother, I discovered Keli had been murdered by someone called Brett.
“She’d left the kids with a babysitter so they were unharmed.
“I couldn’t make any sense of who would want to harm Keli.
“All I knew was my sister was dead and a man called Brett was responsible.”
Then Skylar connected the dots, ‘Brett’ had been the neighbour Keli had previously invited on the park trip.
“But it made no sense, as Keli had rarely mentioned him,” she says.
“I went home, and our family friend told Viera and Lundin their mummy was gone.
“As they were so young, we said she’d passed away in her sleep.
“Kendrick, still not back, was beside himself. He was guilt-ridden that he hadn’t been there and blamed himself for not protecting her.”
Heffner had been arrested and over the next few months, the truth slowly unravelled.
Heffner lived two doors down in the building. He fancied Keli from afar initially, until the mum had befriended him in 2021.
On the night she was murdered she went to a friend’s apartment after leaving her kids with a babysitter.
She’d invited Heffner to hang out with her friends where he’d made ‘sexual’ and ‘gross’ comments in front of them.
Where to get support for bereavement
There is lots of help and available if you are experiencing grief after the death of a loved one.
NHS therapy and counselling services – NHS talking therapies services are for people in England aged 18 or over. You can speak to your GP about talking therapies or get in touch with the talking therapies service directly without going to your GP.
At a loss – Find bereavement services and counselling across the UK
Child Bereavement UK – Offers support if you are bereaved after losing a child. Or if you’re a child or young person who is grieving after losing someone.
The Good Grief Trust – a charity run by bereaved people, helping all those experiencing grief in the UK.
Samaritans – if you’re struggling you can call Samaritans any time on 116 123 to talk about anything.
Skylar says: “Apparently Keli brushed the comments off but looked visibly uncomfortable.
“She said goodnight to her friends and Brett insisted on walking her home as he was next door and she reluctantly agreed.”
Heffner then invited himself into her apartment, realising her family wasn’t home.
While there he disclosed his feelings for Keli, saying he wanted to be her boyfriend.
Keli said no, that she had a happy life with Kendrick and her two children. She had no interest.
“He couldn’t handle that rejection,” Skylar says.
“He began arguing with Keli and at one point, Keli used her phone to tweet ‘My neighbour’s holding me hostage.’
“Only one friend briefly saw it, before Brett grabbed her phone and deleted it.”
After murdering Keli, Heffner, went to his flat, collected his cats, put them into Keli’s car and fled.
Skylar says: “Keli’s friend, who’d seen the deleted tweet, climbed through her kitchen window and found her naked, lifeless body in bed.
“Whilst Brett was tracked down and arrested, trying to flee the city.
“Thinking of my sweet sister’s last agonising moments killed me. Keli saw the good in everyone and Brett took advantage of that.
“He took Viera and Lundin’s mum away.”
As Skylar grieved her sister, she was sent photos of Heffner’s Facebook. It had been filled with photos of guns, weapons, morgues and horrifying quotes about death.
She says: “I was angry, wondering why no-one said anything about his profile.
“If someone did, or noticed his concerning behaviour towards Keli, maybe she’d still be here. I felt we’d failed her.
“Over the next year my grief was immeasurable. Sadly Kendrick wasn’t coping well either, and couldn’t care for the kids.
“So his brother, their uncle Gage, selflessly took them in. He gained full custody.”
A year later, in May 2023, Skylar faced her sister’s killer at Steuben County Court.
Brett Heffner, now 30, of Corning, New York, pleaded guilty to murdering and raping Keli, and stealing her car. He was sentenced to 25 years to life.
Skylar says: “His eyes were cold, and lifeless. He didn’t show a single ounce of remorse.
“The judge was crying after hearing of Keli’s last moments. Something rarely seen in a court.
“We had justice for Keli. But it’d never bring her back.
“Now I plan on being a teacher and I’m doing it all for my big sister, the woman who raised me, and made me who I am today.
“I want to make her proud.
“We’ve recently told Viera, and Lundin the truth of how their mum died.
“It was one of the hardest conversations of my life.
“Not a day goes by where I don’t miss Keli’s dark humour, her sweet laugh and lovely voice.
“I hope my sister’s story shows that red flags should never be missed, speak up and report something concerning. You might save someone’s life.”