What Happened to Michele Yelenic? Lawsuit, Estate, and Insurance

Michele Yelenic, the estranged wife of murdered Blairsville dentist Dr. John Yelenic, was never criminally charged in connection with his April 2006 killing, though she was named as a defendant in a federal wrongful death lawsuit that accused her of assisting her boyfriend, Pennsylvania State Trooper Kevin Foley, in the crime. She denied any involvement, kept custody of the couple’s adopted son, and moved to Georgia with her children after Foley was convicted of first-degree murder in 2009. What happened to Michele Yelenic in the years that followed played out largely in civil court and in probate, not criminal court.

Why Investigators Looked at Her

John Yelenic was found dead in his home on April 13, 2006, one day before he was expected to sign his final divorce papers. He had been slashed with a knife and his head forced through a small window, cutting his throat.¹ Michele had separated from John in 2002 and began dating Foley in 2004. He eventually moved in with her and her children, including the couple’s adopted son, J.J.²

The timing of the murder mattered because the pending settlement would have cost Michele money. She stood to lose roughly $2,500 per month in spousal support, partly because her cohabitation with Foley triggered a reduction, while retaining $1,300 in monthly child support.³ With John dead and the divorce unfinished, Michele remained his legal spouse and the named beneficiary on his $1 million life insurance policy.⁴ Investigators and acquaintances described her as “money hungry” because of that financial stake.⁵

Was Michele Yelenic Ever Charged?

No. Only Kevin Foley was charged, by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office, and police reportedly ruled Michele out as a suspect during their investigation.⁶⁵ She testified before a statewide grand jury in Pittsburgh and, according to her own court filings, cooperated fully without invoking her Fifth Amendment rights.

Michele has said she had “no personal knowledge regarding the nature or circumstances of the death” and that any information she had came from news accounts and public documents such as the death certificate.⁶ Foley was convicted of first-degree murder on March 18, 2009, and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.¹ Michele’s name never appeared on a charging document.

The Federal Wrongful Death Lawsuit

The civil case was a different matter. Mary Ann Clark, acting as personal representative of John Yelenic’s estate, filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit that named Michele as a defendant. The complaint alleged that John was murdered by Foley “with the assistance of Michelle Yelenic and Brian Bono,” another state trooper and a former partner of Foley’s.⁷ The complaint also accused multiple Pennsylvania State Police officers of hearing Foley’s threats against John and failing to report them, and alleged that the PSP intentionally hampered the murder investigation.

In a 14-page response, Michele denied any involvement. Through her attorney, Andrew W. Barbin, she stated: “It is denied that Michele Yelenic had any role in the death of Dr. John Yelenic, or any knowledge of wrongful conduct against other defendants.” She also denied obstructing the investigation. Brian Bono likewise denied the allegations and sought dismissal.⁶ The case was initially filed in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and later transferred to the Western District.⁸

The Estate, the Divorce That Never Finished, and the Insurance Money

Because John died before he could sign the paperwork, his marriage to Michele was technically still intact. John’s estate attorneys asked an Indiana County judge to grant a posthumous divorce decree so the already-negotiated property settlement could be enforced. Judge Carol Hanna denied the request in July 2006, ruling that death had already dissolved the marriage and a decree would be “a redundant act.”⁹ The Pennsylvania Superior Court affirmed in April 2007.¹⁰ Michele did not oppose the estate’s effort to obtain the decree.¹¹

The courts did, however, allow the couple’s economic rights to be resolved under equitable distribution rather than standard probate rules, which meant the signed Marital Settlement Agreement could still be used to divide marital property.¹²

Michele remained the named beneficiary on the $1 million life insurance policy at the time of John’s death, though under the divorce settlement the policy was supposed to transfer to J.J. once the divorce was finalized. John’s divorce attorney, Effie Alexander, testified at Foley’s trial that Michele had not claimed the insurance money and that she expected the funds would go to John’s estate and ultimately to J.J.³

Where She Is Now

Michele kept custody of J.J., whom she and John had adopted from Russia during the marriage. After Foley’s 2009 conviction, she relocated with her children to Georgia.⁵ No public records in the available reporting indicate any subsequent custody changes or additional legal proceedings involving her after the move. Foley’s own attempt to reopen the case fared no better: in June 2026, Judge Thomas Bianco dismissed his Post-Conviction Relief Act petition as filed a decade late and “completely speculative and illogical,” writing that Foley “admits to killing Dr. Yelenic.”¹³

1
Indiana Gazette. Bianco Weighs New Trial for Foley in Yelenic Murder
2
DrBicuspid. State Trooper Convicted of Slaying Dentist Seeks New Trial
3
TribLive. Yelenic Divorce Case Bitter, Jury Told in Foley Trial
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NBC News. State Trooper Convicted of Slaying Dentist
5
Oxygen. State Trooper Kevin Foley Kills Dentist John Yelenic
6
TribLive. Blairsville Dentist’s Widow Denies Role in His Murder
7
GovInfo. Clark v. Foley et al., Civil No. 1:CV-08-689
8
GovInfo. Clark v. Foley et al., 2:08-cv-01306
9
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Divorce for Dead Dentist Denied as Redundant Act
10
Leagle. Yelenic v. Clark, 922 A.2d 935
11
NBC News. Divorce for Dead Dentist Denied as Redundant Act
12
FindLaw. Yelenic v. Clark, 1606 WDA 2006
13
TribLive. Judge Dismisses Appeal in Murder of Blairsville Dentist