Update (05/12/23) – Robert Paul Keegan, the man who was found guilty of manslaughter in the death of Aidan Ellison, was sentenced Friday.
A judge said Keegan was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the manslaughter charge, one year for unlawful possession of a weapon, and one year for recklessly endangering another person. The terms will be served consecutively.
Original story (05/08/23) – MEDFORD, Ore. – The jury in the Robert Keegan murder trial reached a verdict on the fifth day of the trial.
Robert Paul Keegan was charged with multiple crimes including murder in the second degree and manslaughter in the first degree in Aidan Ellison’s death.
He never denied shooting and killing the 19-year-old Ashland man outside the Stratford Inn in November 2020.
During closing arguments, the prosecution outlined Keegan’s inconsistencies in what he told police shortly after the shooting.
The defense laid out why it believed the state was twisting the facts in the case.
Jackson County Deputy District Attorney Benjamin Lull said, “His description of it changes over the course of his interview and then his testimony.”
The defense tried to create reasonable doubt, saying the state was twisting the facts of the case.
Defense attorney Alyssa Bartholomew said, “The state decides what evidence to bring in. They will come back and they will talk and they will twist the facts to suit their theory.
Last Friday, Robert Keegan took the stand in his own defense. He told the jury that he felt unsafe at the Stratford Inn. Keegan also claimed Ellison swung first and hit him.
The medical examiner who performed Ellison’s autopsy said there was no physical evidence to show that Ellison punched Keegan.
Monday, the jury began deliberating. By about 4:30 p.m., they returned their verdict, finding Keegan guilty of manslaughter, and not guilty of murder. The jury also found him guilty of unlawful possession of a weapon and recklessly endangering another person.
A sentencing hearing is set for 11:00 a.m. on Friday, May 12.
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