Colorado College Student Charged in Alleged Murder-for-Hire Plot Against Classmate By KC Baker

A Colorado college student was arrested and charged in an alleged murder-for-hire plot he hatched against a fellow student, authorities said.

On Thursday, Jan. 29, Jackson T. Keller, 19, a student at Fort Lewis College in Durango, was charged with criminal solicitation for first-degree murder homicide and unlawful possession of a weapon on college grounds, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

He was arrested by the Fort Lewis College Police Department (FLCPD) and the CBI following an investigation into allegations of a plot to commit murder, the CBI said in a statement.

The investigation began on Wednesday, Jan. 28, when authorities “uncovered evidence suggesting the suspect allegedly attempted to persuade two separate parties to commit the murder of a fellow student in exchange for a cash payment,” per the statement.

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Keller was released after posting $50,000 bail. He is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 23, according to online court records.

It is unclear whether he has retained an attorney who can speak on his behalf.