A 19-year-old college student in Colorado has been arrested for allegedly planning to hire a football teammate to kill them.
Jackson T. Keller, a student at Fort Lewis College in Durango, near the New Mexico border, was arrested last Thursday on suspicion of “criminal solicitation to commit first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm on college grounds.” Durango Herald.
Keller, described as a freshman linebacker on the college’s 2025 football roster, was released after posting $50,000 bail.
According to an arrest affidavit filed in La Plata County Common Pleas Court, the murder-for-hire plot developed when Keller fell out with his teammate, a defensive back. He first asked to hit a mutual acquaintance, the documents said, and when he refused, Keller then turned to the three alleged killers in Colorado Springs.
Keller and the would-be target were previously friends, the affidavit said, and lived in a dorm room with an adjoining bathroom. The former friend began locking her connecting door to keep Keller out of her room after a series of incidents, the documents said.
Jackson T. Keller, inset, is a student at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. (Fort Lewis College/CC BY-SA 3.0)
The victim told police officers that Keller tried to enter her room last Wednesday but was unable to enter because the door was locked. The incident was witnessed by another friend and fellow student, Kobe McGill, who later joined the defensive end in Keller’s room to confront him.
During the ensuing confrontation, the victim “became distraught” and kicked Keller’s TV, knocking over his PlayStation, although neither device was damaged, the affidavit states.
Keller challenged the victim to a fight, and McGill told police the suspect held a pair of scissors behind his back and said he was going to “try to hurt anybody that came into his room.”
Once the victim returned to his room, Keller allegedly asked McGill if he would put a “cap” on the defensive end for $500, offering to send the money via CashApp after he “heard.” McGill told police he believed Keller was asking him to kill his team.
When McGill refused, Keller allegedly told him “never mind,” and according to the documents, McGill says he testified in a FaceTime call with three gun-handling men who agreed to “put the cap” on him.
McGill saw Keller send the men a $500 CashApp payment, he told police, and told them they would be “on their way” along the seven-hour drive from Colorado Springs to Durango.
McGill left the room and described what he saw to Target, who reported the incident to housing officials, who called the police.
Jackson T. Keller was arrested on felony charges of first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a weapon on college grounds. (goskyhawks.com)
When Keller was questioned by law enforcement the next day, he denied hitting out at his former friend, the affidavit said; He was booked into the La Plata County Jail later Thursday.
In its press release, the college said “probable cause was established for the listed charges” when a search warrant was executed on campus Friday night.
Court records show no criminal history for Keller in Colorado, CBS reported, and only a previous traffic ticket in Florida.
According to the college’s football roster, Keller’s hometown is Tampa, Florida, and his biography on the site said he “enjoys hanging out with friends, listening to artists like Rod Wave and NBA Youngboy, and his favorite food is chicken.” He planned to major in business, the biography said.
Keller is now subject to a mandatory protection order that prohibits him from approaching or contacting the alleged victim.
A college spokesperson told CBS News that the safety of students, faculty and staff is a “high priority” and the Fort Lewis College Police Department “acted quickly and in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies.”
“FLC’s immediate response demonstrates the strength of our campus safety protocols and partnerships.”
Keller’s next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 23 at the La Plata County Courthouse.
