Michael Edward Keetley, a 52-year-old ice cream vendor from Florida, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Keetley was found guilty of murdering two men and attempting to murder four others in a misguided revenge shooting. The verdict was delivered on Friday, May 26, providing closure for the victims’ families.
The crimes committed by Keetley were reportedly driven by an armed robbery in January 2010, which had left him permanently incapacitated. In seeking revenge, he targeted people who prosecutors assert were not responsible for his misfortune.
During the trial, it was disclosed that Keetley, dressed in black attire and wearing a shirt emblazoned with the words “sheriff” or “police,” forced the victims to the ground at a home in the Ruskin community. Using a long gun, he opened fire, resulting in the deaths of brothers Juan Guitron, 28, and Sergio Guitron, 22, also known as “Magic” and “Spider,” respectively. He also injured Daniel Beltran, Gonzalo Guevara, Richard Cantu, and Ramon Galan, while another man managed to escape unharmed.
The defense spotlighted inconsistent ballistic evidence and the absence of a definitive murder weapon during the trial. State witnesses offered conflicting descriptions of the firearms used, while Keetley claimed that his injuries and multiple hand surgeries left him physically incapable of committing the crimes.
The jury unanimously agreed that Keetley was responsible for the suffering of all six victims. Keetley’s former girlfriend, Stacey Rogan, testified about his obsession with finding those accountable for his injury and his desire to take justice into his own hands. Rogan pointed out Keetley’s frustration with the perceived inaction of the authorities.
Prosecutor Jennifer Johnson depicted Keetley as “obsessed with revenge,” underlining his motive throughout the trial.
With the court’s final decision, Keetley will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
