Chevie Kehoe
Encyclopedia
Chevie O'Brien Kehoe was said to be a self-proclaimed white supremacist
and convicted murderer currently serving three consecutive life sentences for the kidnapping
, torture
, and murder
of William Mueller and his family.
). His father had served in the Navy during the Vietnam War
. When Chevie was an infant, his father moved the family to Madison County, North Carolina
. In 1985 he moved the family again, this time near Deer Lake, in Washington. Three years later, Chevie, an honor student, and his younger brother Cheyne were both withdrawn from school so their parents could homeschool them.
Raised with increasingly extreme anti-government and white supremacist beliefs, Chevie Kehoe formed an ambitious plan to bring down the United States government with his self-styled "Aryan
People's Republic" militia. In order to attract recruits, Kehoe embarked upon a series of property and firearms crimes that would eventually lead him from his home in eastern Washington State to Arkansas
(the home of the Mueller family) as he followed gun show events. Meanwhile, Kehoe had married Karena Gumm, and the couple had 4 children, Kehoe also married Angie Settle, espousing that polygamy
was an acceptable way to further the Aryan race
.
Presently, Chevie Kehoe is fighting his conviction.
, and carrying a concealed weapon related to a February 15, 1997 shootout in Wilmington, Ohio
with an Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper and a Clinton County
sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop resulting from expired tags on his 1977 Chevrolet Suburban
. Video from the dashboard camera of the patrolman's car was aired in 1997 on FOX
's World's Scariest Police Shootouts.
In 1999, Kehoe was convicted of the murders of the gun dealer William Mueller and his family. He received three sentences of life imprisonment without parole
. Kehoe's mother and his younger brother Cheyne served as prosecution witnesses and testified against him at the trial. Kehoe is presently serving his sentence at the U.S. Penitentiary in Lee County
, Virginia
.
An independent radio documentary entitled Convicting Chevie Kehoe was released in 2005, suggesting that he had been wrongfully convicted.
White supremacy
White supremacy is the belief, and promotion of the belief, that white people are superior to people of other racial backgrounds. The term is sometimes used specifically to describe a political ideology that advocates the social and political dominance by whites.White supremacy, as with racial...
and convicted murderer currently serving three consecutive life sentences for the kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
, torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
, and murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
of William Mueller and his family.
Early life
Kehoe, the oldest of eight sons born to Kirby and Gloria Kehoe, was named for his father's favorite brand of automobile (ChevroletChevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
). His father had served in the Navy during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. When Chevie was an infant, his father moved the family to Madison County, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. In 1985 he moved the family again, this time near Deer Lake, in Washington. Three years later, Chevie, an honor student, and his younger brother Cheyne were both withdrawn from school so their parents could homeschool them.
Raised with increasingly extreme anti-government and white supremacist beliefs, Chevie Kehoe formed an ambitious plan to bring down the United States government with his self-styled "Aryan
Aryan
Aryan is an English language loanword derived from Sanskrit ārya and denoting variously*In scholarly usage:**Indo-Iranian languages *in dated usage:**the Indo-European languages more generally and their speakers...
People's Republic" militia. In order to attract recruits, Kehoe embarked upon a series of property and firearms crimes that would eventually lead him from his home in eastern Washington State to Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
(the home of the Mueller family) as he followed gun show events. Meanwhile, Kehoe had married Karena Gumm, and the couple had 4 children, Kehoe also married Angie Settle, espousing that polygamy
Polygamy
Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners...
was an acceptable way to further the Aryan race
Aryan race
The Aryan race is a concept historically influential in Western culture in the period of the late 19th century and early 20th century. It derives from the idea that the original speakers of the Indo-European languages and their descendants up to the present day constitute a distinctive race or...
.
Presently, Chevie Kehoe is fighting his conviction.
Trial and incarceration
On February 20, 1998, Kehoe pleaded guilty to felonious assault, attempted murderAttempted murder
Attempted murder is a crime in England and Wales and Northern Ireland.-Today:In English criminal law, attempted murder is the crime of more than merely preparing to commit unlawful killing and at the same time having a specific intention to cause the death of human being under the Queen's Peace...
, and carrying a concealed weapon related to a February 15, 1997 shootout in Wilmington, Ohio
Wilmington, Ohio
Wilmington is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 12,520 at the 2010 census. At city entrances from state routes, county roads, and U.S. highways, the city slogan of "We Honor Our Champions" is seen, accompanied by signs that highlight various...
with an Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper and a Clinton County
Clinton County, Ohio
Clinton County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 42,040. The 2008 Census Population Estimate places the figure at 43,200. It is named for former U.S. Vice-President George Clinton...
sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop resulting from expired tags on his 1977 Chevrolet Suburban
Chevrolet Suburban
Chevrolet offered a station wagon body, built on the 1/2 ton truck frame. This model was specifically built for National Guard units and Civilian Conservation Corps units. Much of the body was constructed from wood, and could seat up to eight occupants....
. Video from the dashboard camera of the patrolman's car was aired in 1997 on FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
's World's Scariest Police Shootouts.
In 1999, Kehoe was convicted of the murders of the gun dealer William Mueller and his family. He received three sentences of life imprisonment without parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
. Kehoe's mother and his younger brother Cheyne served as prosecution witnesses and testified against him at the trial. Kehoe is presently serving his sentence at the U.S. Penitentiary in Lee County
United States Penitentiary, Lee
United States Penitentiary, Lee is a prison operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It is located in the Lee County Industrial Park in unincorporated Lee County, Virginia, near Pennington Gap, off U.S. Route 58 at the intersection of State Route 638. The facility is east of Jonesville...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
An independent radio documentary entitled Convicting Chevie Kehoe was released in 2005, suggesting that he had been wrongfully convicted.