‘Put a hat on him’: College student allegedly asked 3 people to kill his neighbor for $500
A Colorado college student has been arrested after authorities said he attempted to hire someone to kill his dorm mate.
Jackson T. Keller, 19, was booked into the La Plata County Jail on January 29 and later posted $50,000 bail. He faces charges of solicitation to commit first-degree murder. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said it worked with the Fort Lewis College Police Department after allegations that Keller was planning the killing. According to authorities, Keller “allegedly attempted to persuade two separate parties to commit the murder of a fellow student in exchange for a cash payment.”
An arrest affidavit obtained by the Durango Herald says one of the people Keller allegedly tried to recruit, fellow student Kobe McGill, alerted police. McGill told authorities that Keller and the alleged target had once been friends, but their relationship had deteriorated in recent weeks.
The affidavit states that Keller and the alleged target were teammates on the college football team and shared a dorm with a common bathroom. McGill said the student had begun locking his door to keep Keller out. On the night of January 28, McGill was in the student’s room when Keller tried to enter. After a confrontation, the student accidentally knocked over Keller’s TV onto a video game console. Keller then challenged the student to a fight in the hallway but did not leave his room.
McGill told police that Keller held a pair of scissors and allegedly threatened to stab anyone who tried to enter his room. Following the altercation, Keller allegedly asked McGill if he would “put a hat on” the student for $500. McGill refused, and Keller reportedly said he knew someone else he could ask.
According to the affidavit, McGill witnessed Keller receiving a FaceTime call from three men in Colorado Springs who possessed firearms. Keller allegedly asked them to carry out the murder for $500, and McGill said he saw Keller complete the payment via Cash App. McGill immediately informed the student and school officials, who contacted police.
When questioned, Keller denied the plot and asked authorities to take his phone after speaking with his father. Police reported that security cameras caught Keller quickly navigating apps on his phone while talking to his father, who advised him to stop speaking until he could get an attorney.
Keller is charged with solicitation to commit first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a weapon on college grounds. He was released on $50,000 bail, and his next court date is scheduled for February 23.
A mandatory protective order prohibits Keller from contacting the student or going near him, according to local CBS affiliate KCNC.
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