Shraman Mitra
When Julie Keown slipped into a coma and passed away on September 8, 2004, doctors and the police believed complicated health issues were to blame. However, further investigation revealed evidence that proved otherwise, and authorities knew they had a murder on their hands. ‘Dateline: Deadly Deception’ chronicles Julie’s gruesome murder and portrays how detectives brought her killer to justice. Let’s delve into the details surrounding the case and find out more, shall we?
How Did Julie Keown Die?
At the time of her murder, Julie was just 31 and resided in Waltham, Massachusetts. She and her husband moved to the city a few weeks before the incident, as the latter was supposed to start business classes at Harvard University. People who knew Julie described her as a generous and down-to-earth individual who loved life and never hesitated to help others in need. She was also known for her amicable nature, and her acquaintances appreciated how she could make new friends wherever she went. Besides, Julie had great aspirations for her future, yet all came crashing down because of a crime fueled by hatred.
Surprisingly, in August 2004, Julie Keown was horrified to notice that she suddenly had difficulty walking. She even began struggling with slurry speech and confusion, which forced her to visit a hospital. Once under medical care, doctors ran several tests and discovered that she was battling a rare chronic kidney disease. In addition, they mentioned that it would be difficult for her to have a normal pregnancy, yet none of these issues could explain her sudden and severe symptoms. Still, Julie showed incredible progress within a few days, and the hospital released her when they believed the danger had passed.
The next few days went by without any incident, but the symptoms returned at the beginning of September 2004, forcing another trip to the hospital. The doctors found the symptoms bizarre this time and decided to perform a blood test. Although Julie had already slipped into a coma by then, medical examiners found a high quantity of ethylene glycol in her blood, enough to kill a human being. Naturally, her condition worsened with each passing day, and she finally passed away on September 8, 2004. Later, an autopsy determined that she died from ethylene glycol poisoning, and the police classified it as a homicide.
Who Killed Julie Keown?
The initial investigation into the murder was pretty challenging as there was confusion over whether Julie’s death was caused due to a chronic disease. However, once law enforcement officials determined it to be a homicide, detectives canvassed the area around the Keown house and interviewed several of the victim’s acquaintances. Still, most talked about Julie’s friendly nature and insisted she had no enemies who would target her in such a cruel way. Hence, with no witnesses or leads, detectives found themselves stuck for a long time.
Luckily, detectives seemed to receive their first breakthrough when talking with Julie’s neighbors, as some of them mentioned that both she and her husband, James Keown, were in dire financial trouble. The victim’s family confirmed this information, and the police also learned how he moved to Waltham after stealing a fake website design and forging a Harvard admission letter. In fact, not only was James not a student of the prestigious university but he was fired from the company he worked for once they figured out the truth.
Naturally, with no income, the couple slipped further into financial ruin, although reports mention that Julie had no idea of their condition. Meanwhile, James knew his wife had a significant life insurance policy and believed his problems would be solved if he got his hands on that money. Since ethylene glycol is a common ingredient of antifreeze, the police figured that he somehow made Julie ingest the solution in small quantities daily, hoping to slow poison her to death. Eventually, the toxin affected her kidneys, and she passed away within a few weeks.
This theory was confirmed when an expert searched James’ computer and discovered that he had Googled how to kill someone with ethylene glycol just days before his wife was admitted to the hospital for the first time. Incidentally, he fled Waltham even before the police could reach out to him, and his landlord mentioned that he had left a fully furnished apartment behind. Subsequently, detectives learned that the suspect had taken up a job as a radio talk show host in Jefferson City, Missouri, and was even dating someone new at that time.
Furthermore, people who knew both James and Julie claimed that the husband either talked about Julie’s demise as a death by suicide or claimed she died from a severe illness. Such developments made him the number one suspect in the case, and the police wasted no time in arresting him for his wife’s murder. James pled not guilty when presented in court, but the jury convicted him of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2008. Even though James has since appealed his conviction, the court has not entertained his petitions, and he remains behind bars at the MCI Norfolk in Norfolk, Massachusetts.
