A man who removed his own eyes after fatally stabbing a stranger during a carjacking was found guilty on all charges and sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Bulloch County, Georgia. The case, which shocked the community, culminated in a conviction for multiple crimes.
Robert Keller, the defendant, was in court again and was found guilty on all 10 charges against him. The charges included four counts of first-degree murder, manslaughter, aggravated assault, aggravated assault, armed robbery, first-degree vehicle hijacking and possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a crime.
Keller was accused of fatally stabbing Bruce Dupree on I-16 on October 14, 2024. The jury took just over an hour to deliberate before returning with the verdict.
The convict’s unusual statements in court
Before the sentence was read, Keller made a statement to Judge Matthew Hube. “I am a divine being,” Keller said in court that Wednesday. He went on to say, “I am here by introduction and special appearance of the entity known as Robert Brandon Lewis Keller. I wish I had the ability to be trusted to tell the truth, but this is not the environment in which I trust to do so.”
Judge Matthew Hube, before handing down the sentence, expressed his condolences to Dupree’s friends and family present, and made some striking remarks. Hube highlighted that “on October 14, 2024, Mr. Dupree represented the best of us; he stopped and helped someone he thought was in need.” On the other hand, the judge stated that “on October 14, 2024, Mr. Keller represented the worst of us. He took advantage of someone he was trying to help and left a trail of destruction in his wake.”
The judge continued, saying, “Mr. Keller, only you know why you did what you did. No one else knows and I don’t think anyone ever will.” Keller responded abruptly to Hube, stating, “My sincerest regards to the family, honestly, but there is so much more to this. I don’t trust this environment to tell.”
Details of the sentence and the relief of the victim’s family
The judge then sentenced Keller to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 25 years to be served. Life sentences were imposed on charges of intentional homicide and armed robbery. The aggravated murder charges were overturned due to the guilty verdict for manslaughter. The charges of serious and aggravated assault were incorporated into the charge of intentional homicide.
Keller was also sentenced to 20 years for vehicle hijacking and five years for possession of a knife during the commission of a crime. All sentences will be served consecutively. After court adjourned, members of Dupree’s family spoke to the media.
“Justice prevailed today,” said Mandy Moore, niece of Dupree’s partner Gene Hall. She described the pain of loss: “It’s painful to lose someone. Bruce is gone; he’s not coming back. Nothing can fix this; nothing can fill that void. I think some of us felt that a guilty verdict on all counts at sentencing would help us; it didn’t solve it for us, but it’s a comfort to know that our justice system prevailed and that no other family will go through what we went through at the hands of this man.”
The lead prosecutor on the case was Jillian Gibson, acting district attorney for the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit. “We are very pleased with the verdict,” Gibson said. She expressed gratitude for the jury service and their attention to detail and evidence in the case, and thanked the Bulloch County Police for their hard work.
There was no mention Wednesday of where Keller will serve his sentence.
