Ice Cream Man trial: Who is Michael Keetley, accused of shooting 6, killing 2 on Thanksgiving 2010?
- Michael Keetley was an ice cream seller when he was shot multiple times by two shooters on January 2010
- Keetley has been brought to trial for the second time, as the first trial fell through on account of it being a mistrial
- He is accused of killing two brothers and injuring four others in a case of vigilante justice by breaking into their home
Michael Keetley, a former ice cream seller, is facing trial for the second time for four counts of attempted murder and two counts of first-degree murder in a case of mistaken identity.
The story began in January 2010, when Michael Keetley was shot and robbed by two unknown gunmen. It was $12, which caused the ice cream seller to close the shop as we were left disabled. Following this, on Thanksgiving, Keetley went off on a shooting spree ten months later, killing brothers Sergio Guitron, 22, and Juan Guitron, 28.
The gun yielding Keetley allegedly broke into a house early in the morning. Upon entering, a group of people playing cards was forced to lie on the floor and provide their identification. This was followed by Michael Keetley shooting them all, fatally killing the unfortunate Guitron brothers.
⚖️#NEW TRIAL:#IceCreamManMurderRetrial.
A Tampa ice cream man accused of killing two brothers and injuring four others in a early morning shooting on Thanksgiving Day in 2010. #WhatDoYouThink so far? #murder #trial @CourtTV @CourtTVUK pic.twitter.com/0Mi3PrFwcd
— Matt Johnson (@MattJohnsonNEWS)
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It was one of the surviving victims who accused the former ice cream seller of shooting them. Following this, it took ten years to bring Keetley to trial due to numerous legal prerequisites regarding witness statement compilation, evidence collection, and representation.
During the trial, prosecutors accused Michael Keetley of taking justice into his own hands and deciding to take revenge on the shooters who had caused injury to his arm, leg, and chest. However, this vigilante justice did not pan out because he had allegedly shot the wrong people and claimed the lives of two. However, the proceeding of 2020 was declared a mistrial when the jury could not come to a unanimous decision.
THE FACE OF A KILLER? 👀 Ice cream man Michael Keetley is accused of murder. His trial is starting now on @CourtTV. Join us! 💯⚖️🎥 #IceCreamMan #MurderTrial pic.twitter.com/Fcbz04i7ar
— Julie Grant (@JulieCourtTV) March 6, 2023
With a new trial beginning this week and Keetley having a new defense attorney, Rick Escobar, pieces of evidence and witness testimonies have been brought into question. The defense has also accused the investigation team of not pursuing leads over other suspects. With almost eleven years spent behind bars, if found guilty, Michael Keetley faces the charge of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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