All stories kept saying "Police believed Keeley's background had nothing to do with his death." However, when the killer was apprehended he used the registry to find Keeley! BINGO, the police do not want to tarnish the image of the registry, knowing it is harmful to registrants..
8-12-2009 California:
Edward Vaughn Keeley, the victim of an apparent homicide in North Palm Springs, was a registered sex offender. Keeley, who was found dead in his back yard Monday, is registered on the California Megan's Law web site as a sex offender. He was convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14.
Mike Keeley, his son, says he was not a predator but said he had gotten involved with the young daughter of an ex back in the1980s.
The Riverside County Sheriff's department says
there is no indication Keeley's criminal past had anything to do with his death. Deputies have released few details beyond that. They are investigating the case as a homicide.
Given they have no idea what the motive was, why specifically jump to this reasoning, others are also possible? One possible answer -which runs through these deaths- is, that law enforcement does not want to damage the image of the registry as a motive, lest it be taken down. We will watch for further reports...
"He was beaten pretty bad," Mike said. Mike did not know what murder weapon was used. Deputies have not released that information.
Keeley's family, who was visiting his ranch Wednesday, said he lived alone but often took in homeless people and drug abusers.
"He would see someone walking down the street, bring them in, get them job, get them work," said Troy Tehart, Keeley's son-in-law.
Tehart said Keeley had someone living on his ranch at the time of his death. That person, a contractor who had recently lost his job and home, had found his body. The contractor wasn't available for comment.
Mike Keeley said
his father's home was ransacked and his car was found burned nearby. Mike said his father didn't have many valuables so it's hard to imagine why anyone would kill him.
"He buys a lot of yard sale stuff to build this place so it's not like he had cash or anything," Mike said.
Edward Vaugh Keeley was found dead Monday afternoon in the back yard of his home at 64600 block of 16th Ave.
..Source.. by Kimberly Cheng, KPSP Local 2 News
Man, 75, found dead in own backyard; homicide suspected
The death of a 75-year-old man found in the backyard of his North Palm Springs home is being investigated as a homicide, investigators said Tuesday.
The body of Edward Vaughn Keeley was discovered about 5 p.m. Monday at 64-635 16th Ave. in an unincorporated area of Riverside County, Sheriff's Deputy Herlinda Valenzuela said.
The coroner is performing an autopsy to determine cause of death.
No arrests have been made.
Valenzuela released no further information, such as why investigators believe the death is a homicide.
The man's home is on a gravel road in a sparsely populated area just north of Dillon Road.
Investigators were in the area Tuesday interviewing neighbors.
“He's my ex,” said Teddy Jones, sitting in a car parked near the home.
“We talk and see each other all the time,” she said.
Jones said she had been in a relationship with the man for about 16 years. She moved out and into a home next door about five years ago, she said.
Jones, who said she was questioned by investigators, was waiting in a car in front of her home while her son was being interviewed.
Jones described the man as a “putterer” and said he volunteered at the Desert Hot Springs Senior Center.
“He had lunch there every day,” she said.
Keeley is a registered sex offender on the Megan's Law Web site. According to registration information, he was convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14.
``There is no information to suggest that he was murdered because he is
a registrant,'' Valenzuela said.
The sheriff's department asks anyone with information about the homicide to contact the Central Homicide Unit Investigator Joshua Button at (760) 393-3500 or Palm Desert station investigator Robert Garcia at (760) 836-1600.
..Source.. by Denise Goolsby • The Desert Sun
Accused Sex Offender Gunman Pleads 'Not Guilty'
2-10-2010 California:
INDIO - A reputed drug dealer accused, along with another man, in the death of a convicted sex offender in North Palm Springs pleaded not guilty today to a murder charge.
Travis Martin Cody, 27, faces one count of first-degree murder and two special circumstance allegations -- committing a murder during a robbery and a burglary -- in the Aug. 10 death of Edward Vaughn Keeley, whose body was found in his back yard in the 64000 block of 16th Avenue.
Cody was in state prison on an unrelated offense and was transported on Feb. 5 to the Indio Jail for prosecution.
Also accused in Keeley's death is self-avowed white supremacist Steven Banister, 28, who is accused of using California's Megan's Law registry to track down Keeley.
Banister also faces the same special circumstance allegations, which make both men eligible for the death penalty if convicted. Prosecutors will decide later in the case whether to seek capital punishment for the defendants.
Both men are due in court on Feb. 18 for a felony settlement conference.
Banister was released from prison less than a month before Keeley's death, according to a declaration filed in support of an arrest warrant.
Keeley's address was listed as the home of a convicted sex offender on a publicly accessible database created as a result of Megan's Law, said sheriff's Investigator Josh Button, who prepared the declaration.
Banister reportedly bragged in prison that he planned on assaulting homosexuals, rapists and pedophiles, according to Button. He allegedly used Megan's Law to target pedophiles and sex offenders for his burglaries.
Banister told his girlfriend that he had gotten into a fight with an old man, but did not know if the victim was dead or not, according to Button.
After Keeley's death, Banister went to Tennessee, where he was arrested in December.
Cody, who is being held without bail, told his mother and girlfriend in recorded jail conversations that he was at Keeley's home during the murder, Button wrote.
..Source.. by KESQ.com News Services
Accused Sex Offender Gunman Pleads 'Not Guilty'
2-14-2010 California:
INDIO - A reputed drug dealer accused, along with another man, in the death of a convicted sex offender in North Palm Springs pleaded not guilty today to a murder charge.
Travis Martin Cody, 27, faces one count of first-degree murder and two special circumstance allegations -- committing a murder during a robbery and a burglary -- in the Aug. 10 death of Edward Vaughn Keeley, whose body was found in his back yard in the 64000 block of 16th Avenue.
Cody was in state prison on an unrelated offense and was transported on Feb. 5 to the Indio Jail for prosecution.
Also accused in Keeley's death is self-avowed white supremacist Steven Banister, 28, who is accused of using California's Megan's Law registry to track down Keeley.
Banister also faces the same special circumstance allegations, which make both men eligible for the death penalty if convicted. Prosecutors will decide later in the case whether to seek capital punishment for the defendants.
Both men are due in court on Feb. 18 for a felony settlement conference.
Banister was released from prison less than a month before Keeley's death, according to a declaration filed in support of an arrest warrant.
Keeley's address was listed as the home of a convicted sex offender on a publicly accessible database created as a result of Megan's Law, said sheriff's Investigator Josh Button, who prepared the declaration.
Banister reportedly bragged in prison that he planned on assaulting homosexuals, rapists and pedophiles, according to Button. He allegedly used Megan's Law to target pedophiles and sex offenders for his burglaries.
Banister told his girlfriend that he had gotten into a fight with an old man, but did not know if the victim was dead or not, according to Button.
After Keeley's death, Banister went to Tennessee, where he was arrested in December.
Cody, who is being held without bail, told his mother and girlfriend in recorded jail conversations that he was at Keeley's home during the murder, Button wrote.
..Source.. by KESQ.com
Alleged white supremacist charged with killing convicted registered sex offender
1-10-2010 California:
PALM SPRINGS - An alleged white supremacist has been charged
with using California's Megan's Law registry to track down and kill an convicted sex offender, it was reported today.
Steven Banister, 28, had been free from prison
less than one month when he killed a 75-year-old Palm Springs man in his house on Aug. 28, 2009 according to Palm Springs police quoted in the Desert Sun. The victim, Edward Keeley, had apparently been convicted in years past of an undetermined sex crime.
Keeley's address was listed as the home of a convicted sex offender on the publicly-available roll of such properties created by Megan's Law.
Banister had reportedly boasted while in prison that he was planning to hurt or kill people who had sexually abused children.
Banister, an avowed white supremacist from Desert Hot Springs, fled to Tennessee after the killing and was arrested there Dec. 10, the Desert Sun reported.
Earlier last year, Banister was living on parole in Desert Hot Springs when he was arrested during a highly-publicized roundup of parole violators, the newspaper reported. He was sent back to prison, where he boasted to other inmates he had robbed the elderly Keeley during his interlude of freedom.
Police found some of Banister's property, including a Derringer-style pistol and leather holster, in the home of Banister's friend, Travis Cody, the Desert Sun reported.
..Source.. Valley News
Defendant accused of killing a sex offender has move to fire lawyer denied
4-8-2011 Texas:
A convicted felon accused of killing a sex offender tried to fire his attorney Thursday but was overruled by a judge, who is expected to set a trial date for the man and his alleged cohort in June.
Travis Martin Cody, 28, and Steven Aruther Banister, 29, could face life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of first-degree murder with special circumstance allegations of killing during a burglary and robbery in the Aug. 10, 2009, death of Edward Vaughn Keeley.
Trial proceedings were slated to get under way Thursday, but a motion by Cody to dismiss his court-appointed lawyer, James Silva, delayed the process.
Following a closed-door hearing at the Indio courthouse, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Steven Counelis denied Cody's request and scheduled a trial-setting conference for Cody and Banister on June 7.
Silva told City News Service he would need at least that amount of time to review recorded jailhouse phone conversations initiated by Cody.
Banister, an avowed white supremacist, is accused of using the California Megan's Law registry of convicted sex criminals to track down Keeley, whose body was found in the backyard of his house in the 64-000 block of 16th Avenue in North Palm Springs.
Banister was released from prison less than a month before Keeley's death, according to court papers.
He and Cody are longtime friends.
They were convicted in 2002 of burglarizing a Desert Hot Springs storage facility.
Banister allegedly bragged in prison that he planned on assaulting homosexuals, rapists and pedophiles, according to court documents.
He allegedly used the Megan's Law database to target pedophiles and sex offenders for burglaries.
The defendant told his girlfriend that he had gotten into a fight with an old man, but did not know if the victim was dead or not, according to sheriff's Investigator Josh Button.
After Keeley's death, Banister went to Tennessee, where he was arrested in December 2009.
Cody told his mother and girlfriend in recorded jail conversations that he was at Keeley's home during the murder, Button said.
Investigators also found some of Banister's property, including a Derringer-style pistol and leather holster, at Cody's residence.
Cody was in state prison on an unrelated offense when he was arrested in connection with the Keeley slaying.
The defendants could have faced the death penalty, but prosecutors decided late last summer not to pursue capital punishment.
..Source.. by City News Service
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Trial date set for suspects in Palm Springs killing
1-6-2012 California:
A Jan. 20 trial date was set today for two men, one of them a white supremacist, accused in the killing of a sex offender in Palm Springs.
Travis Martin Cody, 29, and Steven Arthur Banister, 30, could face life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of first-degree murder with special circumstance allegations of killing during a burglary and robbery in the Aug. 10, 2009, death of 75-year-old Edward Vaughn Keeley.
Banister -- an avowed white supremacist -- is accused of using the California Megan's Law registry of convicted sex criminals to track down Keeley, whose body was found in the backyard of his house in the 64000 block of 16th Avenue in North Palm Springs.
At a trial-readiness conference today at Indio's Larson Justice Center, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Thomas N. Douglass set a Jan. 20 trial date for the two men.
Banister was released from prison less than a month before Keeley's death, according to court papers. He and Cody are longtime friends. They were convicted in 2002 of burglarizing a Desert Hot Springs storage facility.
Banister allegedly bragged in prison that he planned on assaulting homosexuals, rapists and pedophiles, according to court documents. He allegedly used the Megan's Law database to target pedophiles and sex offenders for burglaries.
The defendant told his girlfriend that he had gotten into a fight with an old man, but did not know if the victim was dead or not, according to sheriff's Investigator Josh Button. After Keeley's death, Banister went to Tennessee, where he was arrested in December 2009.
Cody told his mother and girlfriend in recorded jail conversations that he was at Keeley's home during the murder, Button said.
Cody was in state prison on an unrelated offense when he was arrested in connection with the Keeley slaying.
The defendants could have faced the death penalty, but prosecutors decided in 2010 not to pursue capital punishment.
..Source.. by City News Service
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2 convicted of robbing, killing homeowner, 75, near Desert Hot Springs
3-8-2012 California:
INDIO — Two men were convicted Thursday of murdering a 75-year-old man during a burglary at his home near Desert Hot Springs.
Jurors deliberated about a half-day before returning guilty verdicts against Travis Martin Cody, 29, and Steven Arthur Banister, 30, and finding true special circumstance allegations of killing during a burglary and robbery in the Aug. 9, 2009, death of Edward Vaughn Keeley.
A man living in a trailer on the victim's property in an unincorporated area of Riverside County near Desert Hot Springs found Keeley dead in his home the next day.
Cody and Banister face life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The special circumstance allegations made them eligible for the death penalty, but prosecutors decided in 2010 not to pursue capital punishment.
Deputy District Attorney Scot Clark told jurors that Banister and Cody weren't happy with what they found when they broke into Keeley's home.
They ransacked the residence before binding Keeley with a necktie and beating him in the head with the stock of a shotgun, the prosecutor said.
“Ed Keeley was asphyxiated and strangled after — after — they inflicted that beating,” Clark said in his closing argument Wednesday. “Ladies and gentlemen, Ed Keeley was alive through all of that it almost takes on a torture quality when they did to Ed Keeley. Somebody was mighty, mighty angry they didn't get what they came to get.”
Clark said the two men had previously broken into some outbuildings on Keeley's property and thought they'd find something better in the principal dwelling.
“Someone was looking for something; someone was looking to take his property,” Clark said.
He said authorities later found property belonging to Keeley at the defendants' homes, including a pistol hidden, with a lighter, inside a television set at Cody's house. Keeley's car was found burned about a mile and a half from his house, the prosecutor said.
He said that in a prison phone call, Cody told his mother that he was at Keeley's home at the time of the murder and expected to go to prison “forever.”
Banister — who left for Tennessee after Keeley's death and was arrested there — told his girlfriend the day after the victim's death that he had gotten into a fight with an elderly man and did not know if he was dead or not, Clark said.
“I don't get to say this very often — take the defendants' words for it,” he said.
The prosecutor said one witness, Michael Madrid, had information he could only have gotten from someone involved with the crime. Madrid told police that Cody had told him about the robbery and killing, then said in court this week that he made it up or didn't remember.
“There's a level of detail he wouldn't get from talk out on the streets,” Clark said.
Cody's attorney, Leni Jacobs, argued there was no physical evidence linking her client to the crime and that witnesses were inconsistent in their testmony.
“There's no DNA, no fingerprints — even the tire tread marks check by Detective (Kenneth) Patterson, they didn't match,” she said in her closing argument.
Banister's attorney, Greg Johnson, said his client had been in prison in the past and had made mistakes, but maintained that he was innocent of murder.
“Yes, he's a thief — he steals cars, he steals dirt bikes.
“But he is not a killer,” Johnson said.
..Source.. by Joy Juedes, City News Service
8-25-2009 Ohio:
