Ruskin Ice Cream Man Sentenced To Life In Prison For Revenge Shooting

RUSKIN, FL — A former ice cream truck driver will spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted of killing brothers Juan and Sergio Guitron in Ruskin on Thanksgiving Day 2010.

On Friday, the mother of the victims, Paz Quezada, addressed defendant Michael Keetley, saying, "You destroyed my heart without my children. I hope you never get out and I hope you always carry this in your conscience."

Afterward, Judge Christopher Sabella sentenced Keetley to six consecutive life terms in prison without parole for forcing six men on their knees and then shooting them one by one. Four of the men were badly injured but survived the shooting.

According to prosecutors with the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office, Keetley, a neighborhood ice cream man in the Ruskin area, was shot and robbed months before the killings. Frustrated that police had not found the men responsible for the robbery, Keetley shot six men at a home where he believed the men who shot him lived.

Related: Ruskin Ice Cream Truck Driver Found Guilty Of Gunning Down 6 Men

After a three-week-long trial, on March 28 a jury found Keetley guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and four counts of attempted murder.

This was Keetley's second time to face trial for the crime. In 2020, a jury deliberated for more than 12 hours over three days and was unable to decide on a verdict. The judge declared a mistrial.

“I am proud of our talented prosecutors for seeing this difficult case to the end in honor of the victims of this heinous killer. We appreciate the jury for their time, attention and dedication to this complicated case. We hope this verdict provides a level of peace and closure for the families who have had to live through this nightmare for the last 12 years,” said State Attorney Suzy Lopez.