Israel Keyes

Serial Killer

Israel Keyes: The Calculated Crimes of a Traveling Serial Killer

Overview

Israel Keyes was an American serial killer, kidnapper, bank robber, burglar, and arsonist whose crimes stretched across the United States. Born on January 7, 1978, Keyes carefully concealed his violent activities behind the appearance of an ordinary working life. He served in the United States Army, worked as a construction contractor, maintained relationships, and raised a daughter while secretly traveling thousands of miles to search for victims. Unlike many serial killers who operated in one city or targeted people within a recognizable group, Keyes deliberately selected strangers in locations far from his home. Investigators found that he traveled by airplane, rented vehicles, crossed state lines, and sometimes drove hundreds of miles before committing a crime. He claimed that he began killing during the early 2000s and told investigators that his victims included both men and women of different ages. Keyes admitted killing Samantha Koenig in Alaska and Bill and Lorraine Currier in Vermont. The FBI believed that he was responsible for approximately eleven murders, although most of his suspected victims have never been conclusively identified. His death in federal custody on December 2, 2012, prevented investigators from obtaining complete confessions or locating the remains of several possible victims.

Planning and Murder Kits

One of the most disturbing features of Keyes's crimes was the amount of preparation involved. He assembled containers that investigators described as murder kits or caches. These kits could contain firearms, ammunition, knives, rope, tape, plastic ties, shovels, chemicals, money, and other materials useful for kidnapping, killing, and disposing of a body. Keyes buried or concealed these containers in isolated locations, sometimes years before returning to use them. This allowed him to travel without carrying suspicious equipment through airports or leaving an obvious trail of purchases immediately before a crime. Investigators recovered caches connected to him in New York and Alaska, while Keyes claimed that other containers had been hidden elsewhere in the country. He attempted to separate his movements from his crimes by purchasing airline tickets, renting vehicles, and then driving long distances away from his arrival point. He also avoided choosing victims with whom he had a personal connection. According to the account he gave investigators, he often searched parks, campgrounds, boat launches, cemeteries, remote roads, and trailheads for vulnerable strangers. ...

Confirmed Victims: (3)

Bill Currier Age: (50), Date of Death: June 8, 2011

Suspected Victims:

Eugene Hyatt Age: (18), Date of Death: November 21, 2001

Kami Vollendroff Age: (16), Date of Death: November 21, 2001

Anita Scott Age: (58), Date of Death: February 20, 2003

Wendy Dehoop Age: (44), Date of Death: April 22, 2005

Stephen Michael Mason Age: (52), Date of Death: June 20, 2006

Debra Feldman Age: (48), Date of Death: April 8, 2009

James Lamar Tidwell Age: (58), Date of Death: February 15, 2012

Israel Keyes - Wikipedia