Prosecutor’s Office has filed additional charges in the case of the State of Indiana vs. Christopher Ray Keller

Video evidence that was recently obtained

Christopher Ray Keller was in court Monday and was charged with the additional charges. 15 counts of aggravated battery, 48 counts of battery on a child under 14 years causing injury and attempted murder. Keller is currently being held in the Jefferson County Jail. Court records show the judge increased his bond to $4 million cash. 

The Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office has filed additional charges in the case of the State of Indiana vs. Christopher Ray Keller based on newly discovered video evidence that was recently obtained by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department.

​Chief Deputy John Wallace with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department initially responded to a report that an 18-month old child had received injuries that were believed to have been inflicted by the child’s stepfather, Christopher Ray Keller. The child was seen at Riley Children’s Hospital and an examination revealed that the child suffered compression fractures to his spine. Christopher Ray Keller was initially charged on July 25, 2019 with one (1) count of Battery on a Child Under Fourteen (14) Years of Age, a Level 3 Felony, and one (1) count of Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, a Level 3 Felony. 

​On August 5, 2019, JCSD Detective Yancy Denning was advised of the existence of video footage of Christopher Ray Keller abusing the 18-month old child. Detective Denning applied for and received a search warrant to search Keller’s residence and seized an SD card from the residence. The SD card contains videos depicting physical abuse to the 18-month old child. The videos also depict two other small children in the home during the abuse.

​Based upon the additional evidence that was obtained, the Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office filed the following charges against Keller: one (1) count of Attempted Murder, a Level 1 Felony; fifteen (15) counts of Aggravated Battery, a Level 3 Felony; one (1) count of Battery on a Child Under Fourteen (14) Years of Age Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, a Level 3 Felony; forty-eight (48) counts of Battery on a Child Under Fourteen (14) Years of Age Causing Injury, a Level 5 Felony; one (1) count of Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, a Level 5 Felony; two (2) counts of Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Bodily Injury, a Level 5 Felony; and one (1) count of Neglect of a Dependent, a Level 6 Felony.

​Christopher Ray Keller is expected to appear in the Jefferson Circuit Court on Monday, August 12, 2019 at 9:15 a.m., for an initial hearing on the newly filed charges. He is currently being held in the Jefferson County Jail and bail was previously set at $100,000 cash only. The State of Indiana has filed a motion to increase bail based upon the additional evidence that was obtained by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department.

​Please be advised that this case is pending and the investigation is still ongoing, and the Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department are unable to comment any further. The fact that a person has been arrested or charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond all reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Christopher Keller has his initial hearing in Jefferson County Circuit Court where an initial not guilty plea was entered. A bond hearing was held and set at $4 million dollars. He is currently being held at the Jefferson County Jail.