Man accused of stabbing, killing man ruled competent to stand trial after removing eyes, biting off tongue in jail

Written by: A. Smith

Published February 25, 2026 @ 9:41 AM ET

BULLOCH COUNTY, Ga. – A man charged with killing a motorist on Interstate 16 in Bulloch County is competent to stand trial, a court ruled last week, despite engaging in extreme acts of self-harm while in jail.

Robert Brandon Keller is facing multiple felony charges in connection with the October 2024 death of Bruce Dupree of Metter. Prosecutors charged Keller with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, armed robbery, hijacking a motor vehicle, and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony.

A crash was reported on the evening of Oct. 14, 2024, between mile markers 111 and 116 on Interstate 16. Troopers arrived on scene to find a man on the shoulder of the road suffering from injuries, but no vehicle could be located.

When EMS arrived and began treating Dupree, it was determined he was suffering from stab wounds to the head and neck and had defensive wounds on his hands — none of which are consistent with a vehicle crash, an investigator testified during a bond hearing. Investigators found trails of blood and pools of blood on the other side of the interstate median. Dupree later died.

According to the indictment, Keller stabbed Dupree before cutting his throat. Keller then took Dupree’s vehicle and cell phone.

Shortly after, a 911 call was made from a convenience store where someone reported a man, later identified as Keller, covered in blood, who paid with money that was also covered in blood. Keller left the store but was located and arrested shortly thereafter.

An investigator testified that they were unable to interview Keller the day of the arrest or the following day due to him still being under the influence. Keller has been in the Bulloch County Jail since his arrest.

In January 2025, attorneys with the Public Defender’s office requested that Keller be evaluated to determine his mental state at the time of the incident as well as his competency to stand trial.

During his time in jail awaiting trial, Keller removed his eyeballs and bit off a portion of his tongue, according to court documents. He has also been charged with additional offenses due to his alleged interactions with jailers.

In August 2025, a Bulloch County grand jury indicted Keller for unlawful acts of violence in a penal institution, two counts of obstruction of an officer, and interference with government property. Court records allege that in February 2025, Keller pushed, kicked, and resisted jailers after violently pushing open the jail cell door.

Keller was evaluated by two doctors employed by the State of Georgia.

Dr. Jeremy Gay evaluated Keller in October 2025 and testified that while Keller is currently on a host of antipsychotic and anti-anxiety medications, his issues arise from substance abuse and don’t meet the standard for mental health disorders or mental health issues. He said voluntary intoxication does not meet the standard for mental illness at the time of a crime. Gay also testified that Keller only exhibits psychosis during and after drug use.

Gay determined 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. He also opined that, should Keller be found guilty, he would not meet the legal criteria for an insanity defense.

Dr. Daniel Fass evaluated Keller in April 2025 and told the court he observed Keller to be cooperative, polite, apathetic, depressed, and hopeless. He did not find Keller to be suffering from any medical illness like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.

Fass also told the court that Keller was intellectually competent, and his ability to answer questions about the courtroom process was better than that of others he evaluated. Fass said Keller told him he had little to no memory of the alleged act, partly due to drug use.

“You don’t necessarily have to remember engaging in the act to be able to reason through, to be able to mount a defense, to be able to cite evidence that can be against you, or to testify of what happened potentially before and after you were arrested,” Fass said.

Fass said Keller had the “prerequisite emotional control to behave appropriately in court” and believed Keller was competent to stand trial.

In an order, Superior Court Judge Matthew Hube wrote that during the hearing on his competency, he observed Keller “sit quietly, appear to be listening to the proceedings, and interact with his attorneys appropriately.”

Hube also relied on testimony from two jailers who said during the hearing that Keller told them “he wanted to go to a medical prison, he was not mental, and that he said he heard voices to cover his ass.” Keller told a jailer that he didn’t want to go to a Georgia prison because it was more dangerous than the prison in North Carolina.

Ultimately, the court determined that Keller was not mentally ill at the time of the alleged offenses and is currently competent to stand trial.