Former El Paso County coroner is making a horror movie
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Forensic pathologist and movie producer Leon Kelly beside the titular trunk of his new movie. Photo: Glenn Wallace/Axios
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.
Zoom out: The fest has expanded into a year-round events brand featuring screenings, filmmaker Q&As and locally produced horror shorts. Kelly says the group began making its own short films to promote festival events a few years ago — a step that ultimately led him and Lingamfelter to attempt a feature-length project.
State of play: He described "Devil in the Trunk" as a "throwback '70s car chase Western thriller" rather than a traditional horror film.
- Kelly tells Axios the production — with a total budget of less than $500,000 — is intentionally Colorado-made, with multiple scenes filmed in El Paso County and most of the cast and crew sourced locally.
- Case in point: Evan Alderson, a Hollywood transplant who now calls Colorado Springs home, is shooting the film across the Front Range through June 10.
What's next: "Devil in the Trunk" is expected to premiere in Colorado Springs before possible screenings at independent film festivals, in hopes of securing wider distribution or a streaming release later this year, Kelly said.
- Before that, the producers plan to launch a $30,000 crowdfunding campaign next month to finish the film's editing and special effects.
What we're watching: The fourth annual Six Feet Under Horror Fest short film showcase is July 12 at RoadHouse Cinemas.