Murder of Charlie Keever

Charles “Charlie” Allen Keever (1980 - March 27, 1993) was a 13 year old boy who was murdered on March 27, 1993, in San Diego County, California, along with his friend, 9 year old Jonathan Sellers. The murder of both boys went unsolved for 8 years.

Charlie was the youngest of three children. His father and two grandparents died before Charlie's murderer was discovered. Charlie’s mother, Maria Keever, investigated her youngest child’s murder during which she dressed as a homeless person, obtained a handgun, and provided the police with a valid suspect.

The murder

On Saturday March 27, 1993, Charlie and Alton Williams (age 21, Jonathan’s elder brother) decided to spend the day bike riding. However, a last minute change of plan had Alton staying behind and Jonathan going with Charlie instead. Jennifer, Jonathan’s twin sister, also wanted to go along but Jonathan said he didn’t want a girl tagging along so she remained at home. Around noon, Jonathan and Charlie departed on their 20-inch royal-blue bicycles and went to Rally's restaurant (a local fast food place) in the Palm City neighborhood of San Diego. Afterwards, they went to a nearby pet store and played with some of the dogs and cats, chatting with the manager and customers. After leaving the pet store the boys were not seen alive again.

Police surmise that somewhere along their bike ride the boys were lured or went to a make-shift igloo-like fort made out of brush along the Otay River in Palm City where they were molested and killed.

On Monday March 29, 1993, Charlie and Jonathan's bodies were discovered by a bike rider 10 yards from their bikes in overgrown brush on the west bank of the Otay River. Charlie was on the ground, his head on top of his and Jonathan’s clothing. His genitals were bloody and showed extensive bite marks, the autopsy report concluded he was alive when the bite marks were inflicted on him. The killer's DNA was also found in Charlie’s mouth.

Conclusion

In March 2001 a DNA database identified Scott Erskine as a suspect from the DNA found at the time of the murder. Erskine was already in prison for a rape committed six months after the boys murder. In 2003 Erskine went to trial on the charges of two counts of murder with the special allegations of sodomy, oral copulation, child molestation and torture and three counts of special circumstances: torture, sexual assault and multiple murders, he was found guilty. During the penalty phase one juror did not want to give Erskine the death penalty so the judge declared a mistrial for the penalty phase portion of the trial. In April 2004 a new jury was convened and they voted unanimously for a death sentence. September 1, 2004 a California judge sentenced Erskine to death row and he was sent to San Quentin State Prison.

References

External links

* [http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040829/news_1m29erskine.html Charlie Keever in picture]
* [http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20050414-9999-6m14victims.html interesting article with the mother of the victims]