Israel Keyes
American serial killer (1978–2012)
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Key Takeaways
- Israel Keyes (January 7, 1978 – December 1, 2012) was an American serial killer, rapist, bank robber, burglar, arsonist and kidnapper.
- Keyes was arrested in March 2012 and died by suicide while awaiting trial.
- Keyes served in the United States Army from 1998 to 2001.
- His parents lived in Torrance, California, and were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
- Keyes and his siblings were homeschooled before the family moved in 1983 to a remote plot of land north of Colville, Washington.
Israel Keyes (January 7, 1978 – December 1, 2012) was an American serial killer, rapist, bank robber, burglar, arsonist and kidnapper. He is known to have murdered three persons and law enforcement investigators believe he committed at least eleven other crimes across the United States from the late 1990s to early 2012. Keyes was arrested in March 2012 and died by suicide while awaiting trial. Evidence in his jail cell led the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to believe that Keyes may have murdered many others. Keyes served in the United States Army from 1998 to 2001.
Early life
Childhood
Israel Keyes was born in Richmond, Utah, on January 7, 1978, the second of ten children of Heidi Keyes (née Hakansson) and John Jeffrey "Jeff" Keyes (October 4, 1952 – November 13, 2002). His parents lived in Torrance, California, and were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). His father had also served a church mission in Germany.
Keyes and his siblings were homeschooled before the family moved in 1983 to a remote plot of land north of Colville, Washington. Isolated from society, the family lived in a one-room cabin on Rocky Creek Road that lacked electricity and running water. Because their cabin was small, some of the children slept in a tent. They were also made to hunt for their own food, chop firewood and work on local farms to help support the family. Following his arrest, investigators and Keyes's former commanding officer stated that they suspected he had been abused by his father.
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