GEORGIA MAN FOUND GUILTY OF MURDERING MAN WHO GAVE HIM RIDE

PEOPLE

 

After Killing Man Who Gave Him a Ride, Ga. Murderer Gouged Out His Own Eyes for This Bizarre Reason

By KC Baker  Published on July 4, 2026 08:05AM EDT

 

A Georgia man who gouged out his own eyes and bit off a portion of his tongue in the hopes of being placed in a medical facility has been found guilty of murder.

 

On Wed., July 1, Robert Brandon Keller, 32, was found guilty of the 2024 murder of Bruce Dupree, who had given Keller a ride, prosecutors said, WSAV, WTOC and The Georgia Virtue report.

 

Keller was found guilty of all ten counts against him, including murder, aggravated assault, hijacking a motor vehicle and possession of a firearm or knife during the commission or an attempt to commit certain felonies, according to WSAV, WTOC and The Georgia Virtue.

 

He faces two consecutive life sentences plus an additional 25 years in prison.

 

Keller was arrested in Oct. 2024, after stabbing Dupree, a stranger, during a carjacking, according to a statement from the Bulloch County Sheriff's Office.

 

Keller committed the grisly crime while under the influence of drugs, Ogeechee Judicial Circuit Acting District Attorney Jillian Gibson said in her opening statements, WSAV reports.

 

The crime came to light on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, when the Bulloch County Sheriff's Office received 911 calls about a person lying on the side of I-16.

 

The victim, later identified as Dupree, who had been waving cars down after he was attacked, had sustained multiple injuries to his torso, head, hands, arms and neck and died at the scene.

 

During the investigation, the suspect, later identified as Keller, was located at the Patriot Inn in Bulloch County.

 

After a short foot pursuit, deputies and investigators apprehended him and took him into custody.

 

After Keller was arrested, he cut out both of his eyeballs and bit off a portion of his tongue, authorities said. It is unclear where he committed this act.

 

During the trial, an investigator told jurors that Keller admitted to harming himself so he could be placed in a medical prison, WTOC reports.

 

On the night of the murder, Dupree stopped to pick up Keller, who was hitchhiking, authorities said.

 

In court, Judge Matthew Hube said, “Mr. Keller represented the worst of us. He took advantage of someone who was trying to help, and left a trail of wreckage in his wake.”

 

PEOPLE reached out to Keller's public defender, who declined to comment.