DeAngelo Miller has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and aggravated robbery in the November 2024 shooting death of Gary Keefer Jr., a case that began with a Facebook meetup gone wrong in South Memphis. A judge sentenced Miller to 26 years in prison for the murder charge and eight years for the robbery charge, with the two sentences running concurrently.
How a Facebook Drug Deal Turned Into a Deadly Ambush
Miller connected with Keefer over Facebook and agreed to what was supposed to be a drug deal, but police say he had actually planned to rob him. During the meetup, Miller pointed a gun at Keefer, and the two struggled over a bag before Miller fired two shots, killing him, according to Action News 5.
According to witness testimony from Keefer's cousin, reported by Nashville Noticias, Keefer drove to the 200 block of West Burdock Avenue in a Chevrolet Camaro to meet buyers who arrived in a Nissan Sentra. Alleged accomplice Kenneth Malone sat in the front passenger seat of Keefer's car while Miller confronted him from outside the vehicle. Keefer was shot in the back during the struggle over the bag and tried to drive away before crashing into a nearby pole, where he was pronounced dead at the scene. Malone now faces first-degree murder charges with bond set at $2 million and is scheduled to stand trial next Monday, Aug. 17.
Keefer was a Memphis native who had played football at Carver High School, according to MaxPreps athletic records.
Investigators Leaned on Tips and Digital Evidence
Investigators identified Miller as a suspect through anonymous CrimeStoppers tips, social media digital evidence and witness identification, according to the Shelby County District Attorney's Office. The office regularly publishes Case of the Day updates on social media under the hashtags #VictimsFirst and #OffendersAccountable to spotlight completed felony prosecutions. District Attorney Steve Mulroy's office says the series is meant to keep the public informed about major guilty pleas like Miller's.
Tennessee's Truth-in-Sentencing Law Locks In Miller's Full Term
Because second-degree murder is classified as a Class A violent felony in Tennessee, Miller's 26-year sentence must be served in full. Under the state's Truth in Sentencing law, Senate Bill 2248, enacted in July 2022, defendants convicted of Class A felonies are no longer eligible for parole or sentence-reduction credits, according to the Lincoln Memorial University Law Review. That means Miller will serve every year of his murder sentence behind bars.
Miller's robbery conviction carries its own service requirement. Aggravated robbery is classified as a Class B felony in Tennessee, and defendants convicted of Class B felonies committed after July 1, 2022 must serve at least 85 percent of that sentence before becoming eligible for release, according to the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference. Prosecutors confirmed Miller's eight-year robbery sentence carries that 85 percent requirement.
A Citywide Pattern of Facebook Meetup Robberies
Memphis police have flagged online marketplace transactions arranged over platforms like Facebook as a recurring precursor to armed robberies across the city. The department urges residents to use designated Safe Exchange Zones — precinct parking lots equipped with 24-hour video surveillance — rather than private residences or secluded meeting spots, according to the Memphis Police Department. Citywide, Memphis recorded 184 homicides in 2025, a 26 percent decrease from 2024 that pushed the annual toll below 200 for the first time since 2019, per the Memphis Police Department.
That decline followed an even sharper drop the year before: citywide total crime fell more than 13 percent and homicides dropped 30 percent in 2024 compared to 2023's historic surge in violence, according to The City of Memphis.
