Colorado college student accused of murder-for-hire plot against football teammate

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A 19-year-old school scholar has been arrested in Colorado over an alleged murder-for-hire scheme to kill his soccer teammate after their friendship soured.

Jackson T. Keller, a scholar at Fort Lewis Faculty in Durango, near the New Mexico border, was arrested final Thursday on suspicion of “felony solicitation for first-degree homicide and illegal possession of a weapon on school grounds,” reported The Durango Herald.

Keller, who’s described as a freshman linebacker on the school’s 2025 soccer roster, was launched after posting $50,000 bail.

Based on an arrest affidavit filed in La Plata County Mixed Courts, the murder-for-hire plot developed when Keller fell out together with his teammate, a defensive again. He first requested a mutual acquaintance to hold out the hit, the paperwork mentioned, and when he refused, Keller then turned to 3 alleged assassins from Colorado Springs.

Keller and the would-be goal had beforehand been mates, the affidavit mentioned, and lived in dorm rooms linked by an adjoining lavatory. The previous buddy had begun locking his connecting door to maintain Keller out of his room following a string of incidents, the paperwork mentioned.

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The sufferer instructed cops that Keller had tried to enter his room final Wednesday, however couldn’t get in as a result of the door was locked. The incident was witnessed by one other buddy and fellow scholar, Kobe McGill, who subsequently joined the defensive finish in going to Keller’s room to confront him.

Throughout the next confrontation, the sufferer “grew to become upset” and kicked Keller’s TV, knocking it over on to his PlayStation, though neither machine was broken, the affidavit mentioned.

Keller challenged the sufferer to a struggle, and McGill instructed police that the suspect was holding a pair of scissors behind his again and mentioned he would “stab anybody who got here into his room to attempt to damage him.”

As soon as the sufferer had returned to his personal room, Keller allegedly requested McGill if he would “put a hat” on the defensive finish for $500, providing to ship cash by way of CashApp after he’d “obtained it carried out.” McGill instructed police that his understanding was that Keller was asking him to kill his teammate.

When McGill refused, Keller reportedly instructed him “nevermind,” and based on the paperwork, McGill says he then witnessed him on a FaceTime name with three males dealing with firearms who agreed to “put a hat” on him.

McGill noticed Keller ship a $500 CashApp fee to the boys, he instructed police, they usually mentioned they’d be “on their means,” with an anticipated seven-hour drive from Colorado Springs to Durango.

McGill left the room and described what he had witnessed to the would-be goal, who reported the incident to housing officers, who referred to as police.

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When Keller was questioned by legislation enforcement the subsequent day, he denied placing out a success out on his former buddy, the affidavit mentioned; he was booked into the La Plata County Jail afterward Thursday.

In its press launch, the school mentioned “possible trigger was established for the listed fees” when a search warrant was executed on campus on Friday night time.

Court docket data present no felony historical past for Keller in Colorado, CBS reported, and only a earlier site visitors ticket in Florida.

Based on the school’s soccer roster, Keller’s hometown is Tampa, Florida, and his biography on the location mentioned he “enjoys hanging out with mates, listening to artists similar to Rod Wave and NBA Youngboy, and his favourite meals is hen.” He had deliberate on majoring in Enterprise, the biography mentioned.

Keller is now topic to a compulsory safety order that prohibits him from going close to or contacting the alleged sufferer.

A spokeswoman for the school instructed CBS Information the security of scholars, school, and employees was a “high precedence”, and mentioned the Fort Lewis Faculty Police Division had “acted shortly and in collaboration with different legislation enforcement businesses.”

“FLC’s immediate response demonstrates the energy of our campus security protocols and partnerships.”

Keller’s subsequent court docket look is scheduled for February 23 on the La Plata County Courthouse.