Murder charges filed against fugitive in North Bend slayings
NORTH BEND, Wash. -- Investigators have issued an arrest warrant for Peter Keller, who is now wanted in the murder of his wife and daughter Sunday morning in their house near North Bend, King County Sheriff's officials said.
Keller, formerly called a "person of interest" in the case, was charged Wednesday with two counts of first degree murder and one count of first degree arson, spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West said.
Police have been hunting for Keller since Sunday, when they discovered his wife, 41-year-old Lynnette Keller, and his 18-year-old daughter Kaylene shot to death inside the family's burned out house.
According to charging documents, Kaylene told her boyfriend that Keller was "preparing for the end of the world" and stockpiling supplies at a fort in the woods, where he spend much of his time.
The boyfriend told authorities he did not think either woman knew the fort's location. Detectives are searching the woods surrounding Interstate 90, but Sgt. Cindi West said authorities have not been able to pinpoint a location for their efforts.
"He could be in California. He could be in Mexico. We don't know," she said, adding that detectives are hoping someone will come forward with a recollection of seeing his pickup truck at a certain trailhead on a regular basis.
Investigators also said Keller had a large stash of weapons, body armor, and silencers. He withdrew $6,200 from the bank on Friday and told co-workers he wouldn't be coming back to work the next week, the week after that, or maybe ever, prosecutors said.
Keller's boss and coworkers said they always considered him a good guy.
"He really just adored his daughter," said his boss, Paul Cooke. "Excellent employee, you could set your clock by him."
Yet sources close to Keller said he felt trapped in a bad marriage and could have snapped.
Prosecutors believe Keller set fire to the home by putting a gas can on the stove and turning it on. Firefighters had also found more full gas containers scattered around the home when they entered.
Tuesday, investigators released a photo of a faded red Toyota pickup truck that Keller drove and asked people who regularly hike trails in the I-90 corridor area to call them if they remember seeing the truck routinely parked at any trailhead in the last year.
If convicted, Keller faces a prison sentence of between 51 to 65 1/2 years, said Dan Donohoe with the King County Prosecutor's Office. Prosecutors have asked that Keller be held without bail when he is arrested.
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Police have been hunting for Keller since Sunday, when they discovered his wife, 41-year-old Lynnette Keller, and his 18-year-old daughter Kaylene shot to death inside the family's burned out house.
According to charging documents, Kaylene told her boyfriend that Keller was "preparing for the end of the world" and stockpiling supplies at a fort in the woods, where he spend much of his time.
The boyfriend told authorities he did not think either woman knew the fort's location. Detectives are searching the woods surrounding Interstate 90, but Sgt. Cindi West said authorities have not been able to pinpoint a location for their efforts.
"He could be in California. He could be in Mexico. We don't know," she said, adding that detectives are hoping someone will come forward with a recollection of seeing his pickup truck at a certain trailhead on a regular basis.
Investigators also said Keller had a large stash of weapons, body armor, and silencers. He withdrew $6,200 from the bank on Friday and told co-workers he wouldn't be coming back to work the next week, the week after that, or maybe ever, prosecutors said.
Keller's boss and coworkers said they always considered him a good guy.
"He really just adored his daughter," said his boss, Paul Cooke. "Excellent employee, you could set your clock by him."
Yet sources close to Keller said he felt trapped in a bad marriage and could have snapped.
Prosecutors believe Keller set fire to the home by putting a gas can on the stove and turning it on. Firefighters had also found more full gas containers scattered around the home when they entered.
Tuesday, investigators released a photo of a faded red Toyota pickup truck that Keller drove and asked people who regularly hike trails in the I-90 corridor area to call them if they remember seeing the truck routinely parked at any trailhead in the last year.
If convicted, Keller faces a prison sentence of between 51 to 65 1/2 years, said Dan Donohoe with the King County Prosecutor's Office. Prosecutors have asked that Keller be held without bail when he is arrested.
