In the quiet town of Valparaiso, Indiana, the life of 19-year-old Noah Beller was cut tragically short on the night of March 3, 2021. A recent graduate of Valparaiso High School, Noah was known for his kindhearted nature and his passion for football. The events that led to his untimely death unfolded from a dispute over the results of a paternity test.
On that Wednesday evening, police were dispatched to a residence on Oakgrove Drive at 10:19 p.m. following reports of a disturbance.
Upon arrival, they found Noah Beller in the driveway with a gunshot wound to his chest. He was rushed to Northwest Health-Porter hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:18 p.m. An autopsy later revealed that a single bullet had pierced both of his lungs and an upper chamber of his heart, causing him to bleed to death.
The investigation into Noah's death quickly pointed to a heated confrontation over paternity test results that indicated he was not the father of a child. Noah had been demanding a refund for the money he had paid for the test. This argument escalated into a physical altercation involving multiple people. During the course of this dispute, a man drew a weapon and shot Noah.
Investigators identified 32-year-old Keith Blake of Michigan City as the suspect. He was taken into custody and faced preliminary charges of murder and being a serious violent felon in possession of a firearm. Evidence discovered at Blake's residence, including clothing and a firearm, linked him to the crime. Blake had a prior felony conviction from 2009 for criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon. In April 2023, Keith Blake was sentenced to 35 years in prison for his role in Noah Beller's death. The sentence included 19 years for reckless homicide and 11 years for possession of a firearm by a violent felon, with an additional five years as an enhancement for using a firearm during the commission of a crime.
