A Georgia man charged with murder has been deemed competent to stand trial despite removing his own eyes and biting off part of his tongue while in custody. Robert Brandon Keller faces multiple charges related to the stabbing death of Bruce Dupree in October 2024. Psychologists concluded that his self-mutilation occurred after the alleged crimes and did not affect his ability to understand the proceedings.
Robert Brandon Keller, 32, is accused in the death of 43-year-old Bruce Dupree, whose body was discovered on the side of an interstate in Bulloch County, Georgia, on October 14, 2024. Dupree had suffered multiple stab wounds and was pronounced dead soon after being found, according to reports from the Statesboro Herald.
Authorities arrested Keller after an employee at a Pojo's restaurant noticed blood on his hands and on the cash he used to pay. He was charged with two counts of murder, armed robbery, hijacking a motor vehicle, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm or knife during a felony. Keller was repeatedly denied bond as his case moved forward.
While detained at Bulloch County Jail, Keller engaged in severe self-harm by removing both of his eyes and biting off a portion of his tongue. This prompted a competency hearing, during which psychologists Dr. Jeremy Gay and Dr. Daniel Fass evaluated him.
In their assessment, the doctors noted that the self-mutilation took place after the alleged offenses. Dr. Gay stated that 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." Dr. Fass, who evaluated Keller in April 2025, found no signs of severe conditions such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. He described Keller's intellectual functioning and courtroom responses as "much better than a lot of the people he evaluates."
Two jailers testified at the January 27 hearing that Keller had told them he was not mentally ill and claimed to hear voices only "to cover his ass."
On February 10, an order was filed ruling Keller competent to stand trial, though no date has been set for the proceedings.
