Michael Keetley Wiki – Michael Keetley Biography
A Florida ice cream vendor who, according to the prosecution, evolved into a vigilante bent on avenging his victims will serve time in jail after being found guilty on Tuesday of several murder and attempted murder charges. For the incident on Thanksgiving Day 2010, Michael Keetley, 53, was found guilty on two charges of murder and four counts of attempted murder.
In a home on Ocean Mist Court in Ruskin, according to the prosecution’s case and the jury’s belief, the defendant forced a group of men to the ground while dressed as law enforcement, then pulled out his long rifle and shot a flurry of rounds before racking the weapon and firing again.
Michael Keetley Age
Michael Keetley is 53 years od.
Michael Keetley Incident Detail
There were four more injuries. Richard Cantu, who was shot in the back of the head; Daniel Beltran, who was shot three times; Gonzalo Guevara, who was wounded four times; and Ramon Galan, who was shot in the stomach, were the victims of the four attempted murder accusations.
A fifth potential victim at the scene managed to get away unharmed. Keetley has long defended his guiltlessness. The defendant cited his injuries as a defence during his initial police interview, claiming they prevented him from committing the killings. Before going on trial in 2020, he spent more than ten years in the Falkenburg Road County Prison.
Only two of the twelve jurors in that case believed he was guilty, preventing the panel from reaching a unanimous decision. In the last mistrial, the defence emphasised the contradictory ballistics and the fact that the murder weapon is still unknown—state witnesses gave different descriptions of the firearms used.
Even the state’s own crime scene investigator acknowledged that Keetley had a number of guns, but none of them was likely to have murdered the two brothers. But this time, the calculus was much different. The judge queried the jury after reading out the enormous list of guilty verdicts, and each juror responded that their decision was “true and correct.”
The state said that Keetley, who was shot four times and left for dead outside his purple ice cream truck after being the victim of an armed robbery in January 2010 that left him permanently crippled, developed a vengeful mindset and went looking for it 10 months later.
At the start of the trial in Hillsborough County, prosecutor Jennifer Johnson described the defendant as “obsessed with retaliation.” It is the subject of this case. Judge Christopher C. Sabella presided over the trial and the defendant’s impressive recovery.
Keetley sat with his hand on his head and shook his head dejectedly when the judgement was announced. Before reaching a verdict, the jury deliberated for three days. The sentencing date was set for May 26. This article’s author, Christina Bubba, contributed.
