Former El Paso County Coroner Leon Kelly is producing his first feature-length film, “Devil in the Trunk,” teaming up with fellow forensic pathologist Dan Lingamfelter to bring a homegrown project to the silver screen.
Why it matters: Kelly’s unlikely evolution — from elected official to horror producer — mirrors how a niche hobby helped carve out one of Colorado Springs’ most unusual grassroots arts communities.
Flashback: Kelly served as El Paso County’s elected coroner from 2018 through 2024, leading the office through COVID-19 and the Return to Nature investigation, in which nearly 200 decomposing bodies were identified.
- Post-pandemic, Kelly and Lingamfelter started hosting horror movie watch parties for friends that eventually became the Six Feet Under Horror Fest.
What they’re saying: Kelly told Rocky Mountain PBS in 2024 that horror films became a “safe, fun, creative” outlet after years spent around death and tragedy…