Killer Who Gouged Out His Own Eyes Sentenced to Life for Murdering Good Samaritan: ‘I’m a Divine Being’

A Georgia driver saw a hitchhiker stranded along the interstate and stopped to help. The act of kindness cost him his life.

WSAV reported on Wednesday, July 1 that Robert Keller, 32, was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without parole for the murder of Bruce Dupree, 43, who pulled over on Monday, October 14, 2024, to pick him up along I-16.

Keller, who was under the influence of drugs at the time, killed Dupree, dragged his body to a median, and stole his car, according to the New York Post. He was arrested at a hotel, where investigators found him with Dupree’s vehicle.

A Bulloch County jury convicted Keller on all 10 counts, including four counts of felony murder, as well as malice murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, armed robbery, hijacking a motor vehicle in the first degree, and possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a felony, as per WSAV.

While awaiting trial, Keller gouged out both of his eyes and bit off part of his tongue in jail, according to the New York Post. Two psychologists evaluated him, and both found him competent to stand trial.

As per a report in Local12, Dr. Jeremy Gay concluded Keller “was not suffering from either a delusional compulsion at the time of the crime or an inability to distinguish right and wrong at the time of the crime.”

Keller reportedly told jail employees he maimed himself because he wanted to “cover his [expletive]” and be placed in a medical prison, the Post reported.

As per the Post, addressing the court before sentencing, Keller declared, “I’m a divine being. … I am here by special presentation and appearance of the entity known as Robert Brandon Lewis Keller. I would like the ability to be trusted, to tell the truth, but this is not the setting I trust to do so.”

Judge Matthew Hube drew a stark contrast between the two men before handing down the life sentence.

“On October 14, 2024, Mr. Dupree represented the best of us; he stopped and helped someone that he thought was in need,” Hube said, WSAV reported. He added, “On October 14, 2024, Mr. Keller represented the worst of us. He took advantage of someone trying to help and left a trial of wreckage in his wake.”