In the pre-dawn hours of November 23, 2020, a dispute over loud music in the parking lot of the Stratford Inn in Ashland, Oregon, ended in the tragic death of 19-year-old Aidan Ellison, a Black male. Ellison had been listening to music in a car when he was confronted by Robert Paul Keegan, a 47-year-old white man who was also a guest at the hotel. Both men, along with Keegan's young son, were among those displaced by the Almeda Fire that had recently devastated the region.
The initial
confrontation began around 4 a.m. when Keegan, from his second-story hotel room window, told Ellison to turn down the music. When Ellison did not comply, Keegan went down to the hotel lobby to complain to the night auditor. The auditor went out to speak with Ellison, and Keegan followed. The argument between Keegan and Ellison quickly escalated. At approximately 4:20 a.m., Keegan, who had armed himself with a handgun, fired a single shot that struck Ellison in the chest. Ellison was pronounced dead at the scene.
Robert Paul Keegan was arrested and subsequently charged with second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, unlawful possession of a firearm, and reckless endangering. He pleaded not guilty, claiming he acted in self-defense and alleged that Ellison had punched him. However, an autopsy revealed no injuries on Ellison's hands that would indicate he had thrown a punch, and police reported no visible injuries on Keegan.
In May 2023, a Jackson County jury acquitted Keegan of the second-degree murder charge but found him guilty of first-degree manslaughter, unlawful possession of a firearm, and reckless endangering. Before his sentencing, Keegan offered an apology, stating, "There's nothing more that I can say, but I'm sorry." He was sentenced to a total of 12 years in prison: 10 years for manslaughter, one year for the unlawful possession of a firearm, and one year for reckless endangering, with the sentences to be served consecutively. He will receive credit for the time he served in jail awaiting trial.
