Frances Keller

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Charge:	Child Abuse
Sentence:	48 years
Years Imprisoned:	21.25
Year Crime:	1991
Year Convicted:	1992
Year Cleared:	2017
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Texas
County or Region of Crime:	Travis
City of Crime:	Austin
Result:	Judicially Exonerated
Summary of Case:	"Frances Keller and her husband Daniel Keller were codefendants wrongly convicted in 1992 of engaging in ritual child abuse with three children who attended the preschool that Fran Keller operated. Their convictions were based on the testiony of the cildren and the therapists who testified they helped the three child recover memories of satanic rituals and sexual abuse by Fran Keller and her husband Dan Keller. Both Kellers were sentenced to 48 years in prison on November 30, 1992 after the jury convicted them. In January 2013 the key prosecution witness — a doctor who provided the only physical evidence of sexual abuse in their case — recanted his testimony as a mistake based on inexperience in pediatric exams. Based on the new evidence Fran Keller filed a petition for a new trial. Dr. Michael Mouw affirmed his affidavit during a hearing in August 2013. The Travis County DA achknowledged that the Keller's due process right to a fair trial was violated by the flawed medical testimony and agreed to the vacating of their convictions. The Travis County DA's Office released a statement: "There is a reasonable likelihood that (the medical expert's) false testimony affected the judgment of the jury and violated Frances Keller's right to a fair trial." Fran Keller was released on bond November 26, 2013, and Dan Keller was released on bond nine days later on December 5, 2013. They had been imprisoned for more than 21 years. The Travis County District Attorney declined to retry them, and the DA's motion to dismiss the charges against Fran Keller and Dan Keller and for them to be declared actually innocent was granted on June 20, 2017. The Keller's filed a wrongful imprisonment compensation claim with the State of Texas, and on August 22, 2017 it was announced that they had each been granted compensation of $1.7 million, plus a lifetime annuity paid monthly."
Conviction Caused By:
Innocence Proved By:	"The Travis County District Attorney declined to retry them, and the DA's motion to dismiss the charges against Fran Keller and Dan Keller and for them to be declared actually innocent was granted on June 20, 2017."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:	"$1,700,000 (State of Texas, Aug. 2017)"
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	42
Age When Released:	63
Sex:	Female
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"Fran Keller Released From Prison, By Jordan Smith (staff), The Austin Chronicle, November 26, 2013"
Information Location 1:	http://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2013-11-26/fran-keller-released-from-prison/
Information Source 2:	"Woman released after questions about abuse case, Associated Press story, Las Vegas Sun, November 30, 2013"
Information Location 2:	http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/nov/30/us-ritual-abuse-conviction-challenged/
Information Source 3:	"Dan Keller freed Thursday afternoon, By Chuck Lindell, American-Statesman, December 5, 2013"
Information Location 3:	http://www.statesman.com/news/news/dan-keller-expected-to-be-freed-thursday/ncCR7/
Information Source 4:	"Ex parte Frances Keller, No. WR-36,864-02 (Tex. Ct. of Crim. Appeals, 5-20-2015) (Granting writ of habeas corpus and setting aside convictions that were based on false evidence.)"
Information Location 4:	http://www.search.txcourts.gov/SearchMedia.aspx?MediaVersionID=06b0e779-7183-4ec7-b403-2faba6082bf2&coa=coscca&DT=OPINION&MediaID=7a8e7ee4-27b1-41d2-bc16-e486fb24196b
Information Source 5:	"Texas couple victimized in 'Satanic panic' finally exonerated, but now we have new witches to hunt, By Jacquielynn Floyd (Metro columnist), Dallas Morning News, June 22, 2017"
Information Location 5:	https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/06/22/texas-couple-victimized-satanic-panic-finally-exonerated-now-new-witches-hunt
Book About Case:
Book Information:
Book About Case (2):
Book Information (2):
Movie About Case:
Comments About Case:

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Frances Keller

Charge:

Child Abuse

Sentence:

48 years

Years Imprisoned:

21.25

Year Crime:

1991

Year Convicted:

1992

Year Cleared:

2017

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Texas

County or Region of Crime:

Travis

City of Crime:

Austin

Result:

Judicially Exonerated

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Innocence Proved By:

"The Travis County District Attorney declined to retry them, and the DA's motion to dismiss the charges against Fran Keller and Dan Keller and for them to be declared actually innocent was granted on June 20, 2017."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

"$1,700,000 (State of Texas, Aug. 2017)"

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

42

Age When Released:

63

Sex:

Female

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"Fran Keller Released From Prison, By Jordan Smith (staff), The Austin Chronicle, November 26, 2013"

Information Location 1:

http://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2013-11-26/fran-keller-released-from-prison/

Information Source 2:

"Woman released after questions about abuse case, Associated Press story, Las Vegas Sun, November 30, 2013"

Information Location 2:

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/nov/30/us-ritual-abuse-conviction-challenged/

Information Source 3:

"Dan Keller freed Thursday afternoon, By Chuck Lindell, American-Statesman, December 5, 2013"

Information Location 3:

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/dan-keller-expected-to-be-freed-thursday/ncCR7/

Information Source 4:

"Ex parte Frances Keller, No. WR-36,864-02 (Tex. Ct. of Crim. Appeals, 5-20-2015) (Granting writ of habeas corpus and setting aside convictions that were based on false evidence.)"

Information Location 4:

http://www.search.txcourts.gov/SearchMedia.aspx?MediaVersionID=06b0e779-7183-4ec7-b403-2faba6082bf2&coa=coscca&DT=OPINION&MediaID=7a8e7ee4-27b1-41d2-bc16-e486fb24196b

Information Source 5:

"Texas couple victimized in 'Satanic panic' finally exonerated, but now we have new witches to hunt, By Jacquielynn Floyd (Metro columnist), Dallas Morning News, June 22, 2017"

Information Location 5:

https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/06/22/texas-couple-victimized-satanic-panic-finally-exonerated-now-new-witches-hunt

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: