Crime

Nationwide manhunt for alleged Massachusetts murderer ends in Miami Beach, authorities say

Christopher Keely, 27, has been arrested in Miami Beach after being on the run since Tuesday for the brutal murder of a Massachusetts couple, authorities said.
Christopher Keely, 27, has been arrested in Miami Beach after being on the run since Tuesday for the brutal murder of a Massachusetts couple, authorities said. Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation

A Massachusetts fugitive eluding capture for a brutal murder of a couple earlier this week traveled over 1,500 miles before being caught in Miami Beach on Friday.

Around 8:20 p.m., Christopher Keely, 27, was arrested near the 900 block of West 41 Street following an “active and lengthy” national search, a Plymouth County Office of the District Attorney statement said.

It’s unclear what led Keely down to Florida or how authorities were tipped off to his location.

He’s currently being held in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center awaiting a hearing and then extradition to Massachusetts. Keely will be facing charges related to the murders of Carl Mattson, 70, and Vicki Mattson, 70.

On Tuesday, Marshfield Police performed a well-being check at a Massachusetts home and discovered the Mattson’s bodies. The couple were bludgeoned and stabbed. A dog was also found dead inside the home.

Detectives believe it wasn’t a random act of violence, but targeted.

The Keely family’s attorney issued a statement, WCVB 5 ABC reported, that read, “The Mass State Police have been given the full cooperation of Mr. Keeley’s family.”

“The events that are alleged to have occurred are shocking and truly devastating to all involved,” the statement continued. “Our hearts go out to the entire Mattson family for their loss.”

This story was originally published December 3, 2022 at 10:11 PM.

Devoun Cetoute
Miami Herald
Miami Herald Cops and Breaking News Reporter Devoun Cetoute covers a plethora of Florida topics, from breaking news to crime patterns. He was on the breaking news team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2022. He’s a graduate of the University of Florida, born and raised in Miami-Dade. Theme parks, movies and cars are on his mind in and out of the office.
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