Naman Shrestha
In the summer of 2012, a tragedy struck the city of Humble, Texas, when the brutally murdered body of Mary Ann Murphy was discovered by her daughter, Keri Murphy. As the detectives delved deep into the case and took Rebecca Keller and Keri Murphy into custody, they were subjected to a bunch of false confessions and untruthful claims regarding the crime. The episode titled ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ of NBC’s ‘Dateline’ sheds light on the gruesome killing through exclusive interviews with the victim’s loved ones and the officials connected to the investigation.
Keri Murphy Went Against Her Family and Dated Rebecca Keller
On the fateful night of July 16, 2012, Mary Ann Murphy was ambushed in her home at 8300 Poplar Ridge Lane in Humble, Texas, as she was stabbed multiple times in her bed while she was deep asleep. Upon hearing her loud screams, her teen daughter, Keri Murphy, ran out of the house and informed one of the neighbors of the situation. Although the authorities were called to the scene, it was too late by the time they had arrived. As the investigators inspected the brutal crime scene, they noticed that Mary had been stabbed more than 70 times. In her original statement, Keri told the authorities unknown men invaded the house and killed her mother.
In search of leads, the detectives dug deeper into the life of the victim’s daughter and learned that she was in a relationship with a 19-year-old senior named Rebecca Keller, something Keri’s mother was not supportive of. Over time, Keri’s behavior towards her family changed drastically, and Mary saw it as a cause for concern. As the suspicion over Keri mounted, she changed her original story and claimed that a man named Zein Ahmed, whom she blamed for stalking her, was responsible for the murder. She claimed that she was grounded to prevent her from getting in touch with her lover, so she asked for help from Zein and asked him to scare her mother by banging on the wall. Upon questioning Zein, he confessed to murdering Mary Ann Murphy and claimed that Keri was the one who let him enter the house.
Rebecca Blamed Keri For the Killing, But Their Conversations Proved Otherwise
However, some of the details did not match up. For instance, he claimed that he walked up a flight of stairs to enter Mary’s room, but the fact is that the Murphy house was just one story. With Keri Murphy and Zein taken into custody for their involvement in the crime, the latter later recanted from his confession and admitted that he was coerced by the interrogators. His family also defended him, claiming that he was at home playing video games at the time of the murder. The investigators yet again focused on Keri Murphy’s life; this time, they delved deeper into the life of her girlfriend, Rebecca Keller. As it turned out, when Keri was ordered not to communicate with Rebecca by her family, the latter provided her with a secret cell phone to continue talking to her.
As they checked their phone records on the night of the murder, they found out that the couple had exchanged plenty of texts. Rebecca soon changed her story and claimed that Keri called her, telling her that she had killed her mother. According to her, Keri was the one who came up with the idea of putting the blame on Zein. On October 29, 2012, Rebecca Keller was also arrested for her involvement in the murder of Mary Ann Murphy. While they awaited trial, Keri and Rebecca continued staying in touch, oblivious to the fact that their phone calls were tapped by the police. The recordings suggested that Rebecca had landed the murderous stabs on Mary, not Keri Murphy.
Both Rebecca Keller and Keri Murphy Serve Their Sentences at Different Texas Prison Facilities
Given the gravity of the crime, Keri Murphy was tried in court after she had become an adult. Meanwhile, Rebecca Keller pleaded guilty in court and admitted to planning the crime, purchasing the knife used in the stabbing, staging a break-in at the Murphy residence, and getting rid of the evidence after the crime. When Keri’s time came, she also took a plea deal in an attempt to get a reduced sentence for her crimes. Thus, while Keri Murphy received a 30-year imprisonment sentence, Rebecca Keller was ordered to serve 60 years in prison. As of today, the former is incarcerated at Christina Melton Crain Unit in Gatesville, Texas. On the other hand, Rebecca is serving her sentence at William P. Hobby Unit in Marlin, Texas. From what we can tell, although they are no longer together as a couple, they are reportedly still friends with one another and keep in touch.
Read More: Mary Ann Murphy: How Did She Die? Who Killed Her?
