Sheriff: This man is a true monster

Flanked by two St. Johns County Robbery Homicide detectives, Sheriff David B. Shoar revealed more of the gruesome details in the death of 48 year-old Jan Dunn Keller earlier this week.

Keller lived with her boyfriend, 51 year-old Timothy Dale Rose, at their home in Samara Lakes subdivision. Today, Rose is under arrest and in custody at the St. Johns County Detention Center; being held without bond and charged with Keller’s murder.

The third grade teacher at Kelley Smith Elementary School in Putnam County went missing Monday when she did not show up for work.

The victim’s torso was located Tuesday morning when deputies went to her home at 1012 Enon Court to investigate her disappearance. “She was found; wrapped in a tarp, in the garage of the home,” Shoar said.

Detectives and Crime Scene personnel witnessed an atrocious scene — as the victim was found decapitated and dismembered; hindering her positive identification. “I’ve been in this business 25 years,” Shoar recalled. “I’ve never seen a more heinous crime in my career.”

Rose was inside the house when detectives arrived, unannounced, Tuesday morning about 8:00 a.m., however, he refused to answer the door when they knocked. Apparently, Rose saw deputies driving up to the house and ingested an overdose of prescription pills.

“He was basically trapped in that house; he knew he was not getting out,” Shoar said.

He was found with the pill bottle, sitting on a shotgun, despondent and drifting in and out of consciousness. Rose was transported to Flagler Hospital and arrested Wednesday after being discharged.

“Rose has not been cooperative with us,” Homicide Detective Kip Brantley told Historic City News Editor Michael Gold. “Although the suspect alluded to certain aspects of the murder, he was uncooperative and extremely evasive in assisting detectives in locating the victim’s dismembered parts.”

The victim has a cousin who is a law enforcement officer in central Florida. He arrived in St. Johns County as soon as he heard of the circumstances surrounding his cousin’s disappearance. “He practically had the house under surveillance,” Brantley told Historic City News. Sheriff Shoar identified the officer and referred to him as being a “tremendous assistance in the investigation”.

Based on information developed, Thursday afternoon detectives and deputies began what could have been an extensive search in an undeveloped area of Samara Lakes. At about the same time from the air and ground, personnel spotted a suspicious area, near the wood line, that could have been recently unearthed.

Deputies on the ground began digging and discovered the victim’s hands, feet and head buried about two feet underground. The body parts, which were found in bags, were transported to the District Medical Examiner’s Office to be included in his autopsy investigation.

When asked if the body had been dismembered before or after her death, the Sheriff and detectives explained that they are hoping the autopsy will positively confirm the victim’s identity and answer that question as the investigation continues.

Shoar rhetorically asked our reporter, “How does one human being do this to another human being?
How could you commit an act like this against someone you supposedly care about?”

Public memorial services will be held in Palatka tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church. A private burial will be held at a later date.