GWYNETHICS

The Pond that Built Shelby

There’s a small slice of heaven where you’ll find Shelby Perrien. Tucked away by trees and a field of soybeans, a little pond holds her memory dearly. Shelby’s brother, Lane Kesler, invited me to come see it for myself.

Lane has countless memories here with his sister. All this was built by his grandfather, Gary Kesler, an educated architect and farmer. His wife, Rebecca Kesler, still lives there. With a beautiful home unique to their hopes and dreams; this place was made for living, remembering, and remaining.

When you grow up, if you’re lucky, you can relive childhood memories with your own children. This is certainly something Shelby did with her 5 kids, including a stepchild she loved like her own. Shelby’s grandmother, Mrs. Kesler, said “she was always here with her kids playing around. She’d go out to that playhouse out there and play in the mud puddles with them. She just adored being a mother. She was a great mother.”

Shelby’s life was cut short June 29, 2025. She died at just 31-years-old. She was sitting as a passenger in the car her husband, Jeremy Perrien, was driving. The Scott County Fire Chief and part-time Sheriff’s Deputy called 911 and said his wife died by gun suicide. Many who loved Shelby could not believe the story was true.

Come late August 2026, a probable-cause affidavit is released regarding the arrest of Jeremy Perrien. The details outlined in that document were a shock to Lane, even though he believed Jeremy did it. Knowing that justice is on the horizon, though, makes him feel better.

On August 27, a week after charges were filed, there was a Blood Lunar Eclipse in Pisces. Lane was outside watching it with his mother and said, “that’s Shelby.” That’s because the Moon’s red glow is essentially a projection of every sunrise and sunset happening on Earth at the moment; and Shelby loved sunrises and sunsets. I knew the moon was in Pisces that night, so I asked him Shelby’s birthday. It was March 18, 1994, making her indeed a dreamy Pisces.

As we went inside to speak with his grandmother, Lane continued explaining his own cherished memories at Memaw and Papaw’s. Mrs. Kesler’s face lit up with smiles and giggles. “All us grandkids used to stay the night. We would all try to go to bed on time, but we never went to bed on time. Once it got nighttime, things got a little spooky.”

“Our cousin Drake likes to instigate. I don’t know how many times we did this knowing the same outcome, but we did it because we were kids. We would go outside and jump on the trampoline at night. You might hear small little noises and not know what it is. Then all of a sudden you’ll hear Drake scream and see Shelby running away.”

When Shelby had something to run from, she could dart away at lightning speeds and stay on her own two feet. In every other circumstance, she was a clutz. One time, she broke her arm giving a high-five. Despite this clumsiness, she was very competitive. “She liked to win,” Mrs. Kesler said.

Many of Shelby’s best memories were made in the water. “We used to have a pool inside the house long ago but it messed up. After that, if I remember correctly, Shelby was the first one to jump in the pond. We used to jump off the top of the deck there. It’s kinda ran down now, but we used to play the game of how far we could jump out. Then we’d touch the bottom, get all freaked out and swim to the top screaming about it. Sometimes we would throw each other in. We even had a zipline across the pond. She loved it.”

Small moments like these are what Lane remembers so vividly, but there were supposed to be more. This is what’s been stolen.

I asked Mrs. Kesler how she’s gotten through everything. “The good Lord has helped me a lot. During the day, I do good. At nighttime when I go to bed is my worst time. But I make it.”

Lane says when Shelby died, he was in a different mindset. He was entirely focused on being there for his family. “I didn’t give myself much attention. Once I was alone, then I would break down. You don’t realize how much your feelings are bouncing around. Everyone grieves differently, too. Not everyone you love is gonna react the way you do.”

Much of the grief for Lane comes from seeing Shelby’s name and situation on social media. When he sees it, he worries that people only think of what happened to her. He wishes her name would be associated with who she was, and the memories that shaped her life. I reckon this is why he asked me to give you a glimpse of them.

“We could be doing the dumbest thing ever, like throwing mud at each other, or pecans. She would make me play barbies with her.”

Lane remembers his sister taking photos all the time with her Canon. He says she posted them on Facebook but, after her death, Jeremy deactivated her profile. The phone is under evidence so they cannot currently reactivate the page. Her brother got choked up talking about a future memory he simply won’t get to have. “She won’t be there for my wedding. She would have loved to take those pictures.”

I asked if there’s any question I haven’t asked that I should. Lane joked, “Her favorite color.” So I asked, “what’s her favorite color?” The answer is purple.

Purple is also the ribbon color for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It lasts all October, and that’s right around the corner. Mrs. Kesler said, if you’re experiencing domestic abuse, “do your best to get out.” Lane said, “you might think that’s love, but it’s not. You don’t deserve that. I’ve seen what the outcome could be. The road ahead might be rocky, but there is always a different way.”

Shelby’s children still come over to their grandma’s to play, but it just isn’t the same. Family gatherings aren’t the same, either. The road to justice has been difficult, too. In the wake of Shelby’s death, since Jeremy was her husband, he held control over what happened to her things. Lane said that many of her personal belongings are gone, including her camera. Mrs. Kesler’s first thought when Shelby died was that Jeremy did it. Mother’s intuition might know, but it can’t always make everybody else know. She had to see him at the funeral. She knew he was continuing to work. She did not know if he would ever sit behind a jailhouse door.

For now she continues loving her grandbabies, ensuring their mother’s memory remains alive in a place where they can laugh and play; just like Shelby.