Murder suspect captured in Arizona – Rocky Mount Telegram

NASHVILLE — A Nash County man wanted in connection with the slaying of his wife was arrested Sunday just outside Tucson, Ariz., after state police there halted him in a traffic stop, authorities said.

Lynn Keel, 57, was alone and driving a pickup truck in the Grand Canyon State when Nash County Communications received a tip about him being sighted on Interstate 10, Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone said Sunday at a news conference.

A warrant was out for Keel on a charge of first-degree murder of Diana Alejandra Keel, 38. Lynn Keel is jailed at the Pima County Jail in Tucson.

At the time of the traffic stop, Lynn Keel was found to have a large amount of cash on him, along with bank receipts and a pocket knife, Stone said.

Lynn Keel put his head down after an Arizona state police officer approached and didn’t make a statement, Stone said. Lynn Keel is the lone suspect in the case, he said.

“I’m just glad that we got a killer off the road and we’ve brought some closure to this case,” Stone said.

Additionally, Stone said his heart goes out to Diana Keel’s family, including her 10-year-old son and 18-year-old daughter.

“What a traumatic experience,” Stone said. “What a sad experience this is.”

Stone said he has no idea whether Lynn Keel is going to fight extradition.

“But we have court proceedings that’ll handle that,” Stone said.

Stone said he and a team are going to be heading to Arizona to work to get Lynn Keel back to Nash County to face the murder charge.

The truck Arizona state police stopped on Sunday was the same 1998 Chevrolet pickup Stone’s office had alerted the public to be on the lookout for. Stone said the truck belongs to Lynn Keel’s parents and said Arizona authorities are going to obtain a warrant to search the vehicle.

Diana Keel was an emergency room nurse in Wilson.

The Keels lived at a house in the Momeyer area of rural Nash County and Diana Keel was reported missing on March 9. 

Diana Keel’s body was discovered on March 12 by a state transportation worker in the Leggett area of rural Edgecombe County.

As for the cause of Diana Keel’s death, Stone said, “It appears that she was stabbed to death,” with there being multiple wounds to the body.

Stone said the motive for Diana Keel’s death remains under investigation.

Lynn Keel was interviewed by detectives and let go the same day Diana Keel’s body was found.

Stone, in announcing the arrest Sunday afternoon, expressed appreciation to citizens, the news media and a long list of law enforcement and emergency agencies.

As for his idea or theory about why Lynn Keel was out west, Stone noted Lynn Keel having the large amount of cash and being close to the Mexican border.

However, Stone said as far as any credible information, he can only speculate.

Lynn Keel’s first wife, Elizabeth Keel, 42, reportedly died of head trauma in 2006 after falling at the same residence in rural Nash County where Lynn and Diana Keel lived.

Stone said the death of Lynn Keel’s first wife is something he and his team are going to be probing and said plans are to speak with prosecutors.

“We’re going to work all the leads on that — and we’re going to go back and look at the information that we had from the first incident reports,” Stone said.