Jimmy Keith, a 26-year-old White male from Pond Gap, West Virginia, was killed on March 10, 2022, after a shooting along Third Street West near St. Albans in Kanawha County. Authorities said Keith had been staying in the area with his girlfriend when the violence unfolded. He was struck by gunfire, reportedly shot in the back, and was rushed by ambulance to Charleston Area Medical Center General Hospital. Despite the emergency response, he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
In the immediate aftermath, Kanawha County deputies began piecing together what had happened along that stretch of Third Street West. Early reports described the case as an active murder investigation, and no arrest had been made at first. The shooting left Keith’s family and community shaken, with his obituary describing him as “J.J.,” someone remembered for his humor, his love of hunting and fishing, and the importance he placed on family gatherings.
His death was not only a criminal case, but also a sudden loss for his children and loved ones.
Investigators later identified the suspect as Eli Nelson, who was 17 years old at the time. Nelson was arrested later in March 2022 and was initially charged as a juvenile with first-degree murder in connection with Keith’s death. Because of Nelson’s age, the case was initially sealed, but prosecutors sought to move the case into adult court. During proceedings in Kanawha County Circuit Court, Nelson’s case was transferred to adult status, and he entered a guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter rather than going forward on the original first-degree murder charge.
Court reports said Nelson admitted that he shot and killed Keith during an altercation on March 10. The shooting occurred during a night in which Nelson was reportedly breaking into cars near St. Albans. A later search involving divers along the Coal River was also connected to the murder investigation, though public reports did not fully detail what investigators were seeking or whether evidence was recovered from the river.
In August 2022, Kanawha County Circuit Judge Maryclaire Akers sentenced Nelson to 15 years in prison, the maximum sentence for the voluntary manslaughter conviction. Because he was still 17 at the time, reports indicated he would have to be resentenced after turning 18. In January 2023, Nelson was resentenced as an adult and again received a 15-year prison sentence. The case that began with a fatal shooting outside St. Albans therefore ended with an arrest, an adult-court transfer, a guilty plea, and a maximum manslaughter sentence for the teenager who admitted killing Jimmy Keith.
