A Sedalia man has been charged in a felony complaint in connection to a death in Springfield last year.
Keelan M. Miller, 22, was charged with felony abandonment of a corpse and felony tampering with physical evidence.
These charges stem from events that occurred Nov. 13, 2016, during which the body of Camille Crews, 19, was found outside an apartment building in Springfield, according to a press release from Dan Patterson, Greene County prosecuting attorney.
Miller is in custody in the Greene County Jail with bond set at $25,000.
The Springfield Police Department has conducted a lengthy investigation into Crews’ death, which was a result of ethanol and benzodiazepine intoxication. The State of Missouri alleges Miller’s conduct prevented a proper investigation into the death, according to the release.
Patterson is charging Miller with abandonment of a corpse based on the allegations that Miller was Crews’ host Nov. 13 and knowingly disposed of her body without properly reporting the location of the corpse.
He has been charged with tampering with physical evidence by reportedly altering bed sheets by washing them and concealing Crews’ boots by throwing them into a garbage container, according to the felony complaint.
The prosecuting attorney argues in the complaint that this was done to impair the availability of evidence and obstruct Miller’s prosecution for the charge of involuntary manslaughter, a felony.
Miller and Crews met through a dating app, and Crews agreed to meet Miller to drink at an apartment, according to the Springfield police probable cause statement. They reportedly drank rum and beer together before having sexual intercourse. Miller told police he fell asleep and woke up to find Crews dead in the bed. He said to police that he dragged Crews' body outside the apartment, threw her shoes into a dumpster and washed the sheets, according to the statement.
Springfield police received a 9-1-1 call reporting a dead body outside the apartment. The caller gave the name Michael Douglas, but police later connected the phone number back to Miller.
Missouri law doesn’t consider a host liable for unintended consequences that come from providing a guest with alcohol. In the case of Crews’ death, the state reportedly does not have sufficient evidence to impose liability on Miller and pursue additional charges.
