On a Saturday night in Hillsboro, Alabama, a dispute over catalytic converters turned deadly for 51-year-old David Guess of Trinity. On March 5, 2022, Guess went to a residence on County Road 294 where an argument erupted and quickly escalated into a physical altercation. During the fight, Guess was beaten by several individuals. As he attempted to flee the scene, he was shot. A preliminary autopsy later confirmed that a gunshot wound to the chest was the cause of his death.
Following the shooting, Guess's assailants placed him in a pickup truck and drove to a remote location near the intersection of County Roads 222 and 294. There, his body was doused with gasoline and set on fire. His burned remains were discovered two days later, on March 7, 2022, and were subsequently identified as those of David Guess.
The investigation, led by the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office with assistance from the Moulton Police Department and the State Bureau of Investigations, resulted in the arrest of five individuals in connection with the murder. Charles Allan Keel, 43, of Trinity, faced the most severe charges, including murder, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, first-degree assault, and first-degree kidnapping.
Also arrested were Wendell Junior Proctor, 44, of Hillsboro, and Tyler Ray Tippett, 26, of Hillsboro. They were both charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, first-degree assault, and first-degree kidnapping, among other offenses. Charles Keel's 17-year-old son, Devon Allan Keel, was charged with first-degree assault and first-degree kidnapping. A fifth individual, 35-year-old Jamie Michelle Parker of Hillsboro, was charged with first-degree hindering prosecution and tampering with physical evidence. During the investigation, several others were arrested on charges not directly related to the murder.
