Naman Shrestha
Although the primary focus of NBC’s ‘Dateline: The Haunted House Confession’ is the May 2016 murder of Rhonda Chantay Blankinship and the investigation that led the police to Ryan Riggs, the documentary also details how Pastor Ron Keener played a significant role in the capture of the killer. He was the pastor of the North Lake Community Church, where Rhonda and Ryan first crossed paths with one another. After listening to his confession in the church, the pastor is the one who convinced Ryan to surrender himself to the authorities.
Ryan Riggs Made a Confession to Ron Keener Before the Authorities
After the tragic and brutal killing of Rhonda Chantay Blankinship on May 15, 2016, the authorities went after every lead and tip they could find in order to capture the suspect, Ryan Riggs. Unfortunately, they were unable to get their hands on him as he had fled the town after suspicions against him arose. Things took an unexpected turn on the evening of November 15, 2017, right before the night’s service. Ryan showed up at the North Lake Community Church and told Pastor Ron Keener that he wanted to make a confession in front of the congregation in an attempt “to make things right.” In exchange for allowing him to speak to the congregation, Ron said that he would call the sheriff right after the service.
They reached a deal, and the killer admitted that he was the one behind the murder of Rhonda in front of the sparsely attended congregation. Once the service was over, Pastor Ron and Ryan’s parents took him to the Sheriff’s office, where he was interviewed by the detectives for a couple of hours. Looking back at the incident, the pastor admitted that he had never experienced such a thing in his nearly five decades of being a minister. He told KTXS, “In his own tears, he shared what he’d done, and he talked about the last few days while he’d been on the run, and that yesterday he felt like he needed to make things right.” During his confession, Ron admittedly felt like his “own heart was grieving.”
Still the Pastor of North Lake Community Church, Ron Keener Serves His Community in Different Ways
After the entire ordeal, Pastor Ron Keener continued to serve his community by retaining his responsibilities as the pastor of North Lake Community Church. In early July 2021, his church began a new ministry focusing on serving the fire departments in Brown County by delivering water to fire departments in May and Blanket communities. About the initiative, Ron told Brownwood News, “This is a relationship of encouragement, a way to say thank you for what they (volunteers) do and to be there for their families.” He also opened up about his plans to continue providing the departments with several resources, including water, Gatorade, watermelon, food, and encouragement.
In the following month, Ron treated Drive-In Tellers, working at the Citizens National Bank Brownwood Texas, with lunch, a gesture much-appreciated by them. On May 11, 2022, he and his church also gave a $500 check to the outgoing Executive Director of Pregnancy Care Center in Brownwood — Amanda Towns. In late September of the same year, North Lake Community Church members and Pastor Ron extended their gratitude towards County Sheriff Vance Hill and other members of his staff for constantly protecting them.
Ron passed a statement about the same: “It’s been a difficult year for all of us in Brown County with the fires, with the ice and the snow and cold weather we had. Each of you helped lead the way. You were out there, front lines, you never gave up, you were there for us. A lot of times, all you hear is criticism and seldom do you receive appreciation and encouragement and thank yous. We at North Lake Community Church are a group that’s about saying thank you.” Moreover, the pastor and his church were fortunate enough to get the chance to lead and coordinate the 40th annual Community Thanksgiving Feast at Howard Payne University on Thanksgiving Day 2024. While his philanthropic contributions to the community are known to the public, matters of his personal life are kept undisclosed.
Read More: Ryan Riggs: Where is the Killer Now?
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