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Man Convicted of Murder for Hire Plot in Fairbanks
A federal jury has convicted Roger Keeling, 55, of Fairbanks, Alaska, of stalking and attempting to arrange a murder for hire plot targeting his former girlfriend.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Keeling devised and solicited the murder for hire plot while he was in custody on stalking charges in October 2020. The victim, Keeling’s former girlfriend, had previously been granted a Domestic Violence Protective Order (DVPO) against him after he placed his hands around her neck, told her he should rip her heart out, and threatened to burn her house down.
Keeling, who had pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge in state court, was released from custody multiple times for violating the DVPO. During this time, he followed the victim, slashed her tires, sent dozens of threatening emails from various ‘disguised’ email accounts, and planted disturbing handwritten notes along her usual running route.
Keeling was arrested for stalking the victim in December 2020. While in custody, he told his cellmate that he wanted to find someone to harm his girlfriend. During the next few days, Keeling agreed to pay his cellmate $1,500 to arrange for a hitman to kill her. After being released by a state court judge, he made an initial payment of $500.
During a search of Keeling’s home, Alaska State Troopers and the Federal Bureau of Investigation found numerous notes and documents confirming the existence of the plot, as well as multiple documents and drawings created by Keeling that showed his desire to see her harmed, including a hand-drawn picture of her home in flames.
Keeling faces up to a five-year sentence on the stalking conviction and up to a 10-year sentence on the murder for hire conviction. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Alaska State Troopers, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Fairbanks Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Doty and Ryan Tansey are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Key Facts
- State: Alaska
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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