You Probably Have Never Heard Of This American Serial Killer, But He Still Has A List Of Unidentified Victims, And The FBI Has Released A Meticulous Map Of His Whereabouts Prior To His Death With The Hope That You Might Be Able To Help Crack These Cases
On January 7, 1978, American serial killer Israel Keyes was born. He was the second eldest of ten children welcomed into the world by Heidi and John Jeffrey Keyes– parents who did not believe in modern medicine, public schools, or government interference.
During Israel’s younger years, he grew up in Cove, Utah. Then, by the time he reached toddlerhood, he and his family moved to Colville, Washington, in hopes of living in wooded isolation. There, Israel did not have any electricity or heat.
It was also in Washington where Heidi and John decided to leave the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and instead joined a white supremacist church.
Afterward, the Keyes family relocated again– this time settling near an Amish community in the state of Maine.
As a child, Israel showed a proclivity for violence and crime. He would break into his neighbors’ houses to steal guns and apparently loved hunting.
When it came time to hunt, though, Israel would actually torture the animals– a tendency that has since been linked to psychopathy.
“I’ve known since I was fourteen that there were things that I thought were normal and that were okay that nobody else seemed to think were normal or okay,” he later said after being taken into custody in 2012.
Once Israel reached teenhood and told his parents that he did not share their faith anymore, though, his father cut ties, and he embarked on his own journey.
By July 1998, Israel had joined the U.S. Army and actually did quite well as a soldier. He spent time in Egypt, at Fort Lewis in Washington, and at Fort Hood, located in Texas.
FBI – pictured above are two different photos of Israel
He was honorably discharged in July of 2001, though, and afterward, he went to stay on the Makah Reservation– where the mother of his daughter lived.
While Israel was in the army, he did receive a DUI. But, aside from that, the young man got into no other trouble with the law.
Unknown Killer
Israel evaded public suspicion for a long time. He specifically targeted victims who he happened to cross paths with instead of seeking out people that matched a specific profile. And he knew that this method worked to his advantage.
So, Israel would usually wait in areas like cemeteries, parks, or campgrounds for a possible victim to emerge.
“Not as much to choose from, in a matter of speaking. But there’s also no witness, really. There’s no one else around,” he reportedly confessed to authorities.
Israel also took to the road to continue his killings. Back in 2011, he actually flew to Chicago and then drove to Vermont to murder Lorraine and Bill Currier. And this was not out of the ordinary for him.
Israel actually had a history of making various trips that covered a ton of ground throughout the United States. In turn, he had countless opportunities to seek out victims both in the states and during his foreign journeys to regions such as Mexico, Canada, and Belize.
His killing sprees were also planned and meticulous. While crisscrossing the country, Isreal would actually plant groups of murder equipment– including guns, ammunition, and chemicals that destroyed bodies. Then, wherever and whenever Israel wanted to kill a victim, he would dig up his stash of tools.
Israel did not just think up this detailed plan of action by himself, either. He actually studied how FBI profilers conducted their work and also read up on other serial killers, such as Ted Bundy.
According to Maureen Callahan, who penned the 2019 book American Predator, Israel might have even made physical alterations to his body in hopes of becoming a “better killer.” He reportedly went to a plastic surgery clinic in Mexico, where he was fitted with a gastric band.
Callahan opined that this band might have allowed him to become less hungry less often. In turn, Israel would have fewer opportunities to leave evidence– such as fingerprints or body hair– behind.
Israel’s Capture
In 2012, the then-thirty-four-year-old killer was eventually captured. While in Alaska, he was arrested for the murder of Samantha Koenig, an eighteen-year-old girl.
His capture was really only possible, though, because just before murdering Samantha Koenig, Israel took her ATM card, PIN number, and cell phone. Then, after going on a cruise, Israel began making ransom demands for the return of Koenig’s deceased body.
However, the Koenig family was hopeful that their daughter was still alive, so they deposited money into her bank account. Israel then used Koenig’s ATm card to take out some of the funds in Alaska.
Afterward, he continued making withdrawals while traveling to Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.
Israel did disguise his appearance during all of these transactions. However, while in Arizona, one security camera was able to catch a glimpse of his rental car.
So, law enforcement officers in Texas were notified, and the killer was eventually stopped in March 2012. A search of Israel’s car also revealed Koenig’s license, along with several other incriminating items.
Authorities immediately arrested him, and he was brought back to Alaska to face the music. Once authorities actually had Israel in custody, though, it became very clear that a prolific serial killer was in their presence. According to the FBI, he even “freely admitted as much.”
Not only did he admit to Koenig’s killing, but he also opened up about other murders he had committed. Israel even reflected on his patterns and revealed that Koenig’s murder had been different for him, less meticulous and more out of control.
“Back when I was smart, I would let them come to me,” he told officials.
Keyes’ Victims
Over the course of his custody stay, Israel ultimately revealed several of his other victims.
Beginning in 1997, Israel admitted to planning his first-ever attack while in Oregon. There, he abducted and assaulted a teenage girl. Israel also intended to murder the girl, but she apparently convinced him to let her leave.
“I wasn’t violent enough. I made up my mind I was never going to let that happen again,” Israel told investigators.
He then confessed to killing the Curriers in June 2011 while visiting Essex, Vermont, and claimed he took the lives of at least five other people. However, Israel never named the remaining victims.
According to his own account, four of his victims lived in Washington state– a couple who resided there between 2001 and 2005, as well as two other separate victims in 2005 and 2006. Israel also revealed that in 2009, he killed someone on the east coast, then left the victim’s body in New York state.
Now, the FBI revealed they are “relatively confident” that the victim was Debra Feldman, a resident of New Jersey who had gone missing in April 2009.
Keyes’ Death Does Not End The Investigation
While in custody, Israel seemed to take pleasure in sharing some crime details while also limiting and censoring the flow of information. So, in spite of the insight law enforcement did gain from the killer, they were confident he was withholding other details and likely other victims’ cases entirely.
On top of that, Israel also pushed to have a quick execution date and admitted to dreading his stay behind bars. In fact, the details he shared about the Currier killings were actually used as “a bargaining chip” in hopes of getting that execution date.
By December 1, 2012, though, it appears that the process was not moving along quickly enough for Israel. That night, he took his own life in his jail cell using a razor that was not supposed to have been given to him. He slit his wrist and strangled himself with a bed sheet and was not found until the following morning.
So, following Israel’s death, the FBI knew there was still much work to be done. The interrogations had taken place just days before the killer took his own life, and it was clear Israel had other victims. In turn, the bureau got to work. Using various clues provided to them by the killer himself, law enforcement officials began to track Israel’s movements and worked to identify the additional victims Israel had mentioned.
And by August 2013, the FBI released the culmination of some of its investigative work. This included a detailed interactive map and timeline of Israel’s known travels throughout the United States and beyond– ranging from El Salvador and Panama to Hawaii, Alaska, Florida, Massachusettes, and more– as well as some interrogation recordings.
In addition to this map, timeline, and recordings, the FBI also revealed that they were working with local law enforcement to identify victims.
“If we have a missing person identified in a particular area, we work closely with that local police department to either connect the person to Keyes or not. We have his DNA,” explained Special Agent Jolene Goeden.
However, the FBI did ask for the public’s help. With the map, officials urged community members to contact their local FBI office if any of the killer’s movements sparked any memories or possible connections.
“The fact that Keyes is dead makes it more difficult for us, but the investigation absolutely continues,” Goeden said.
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