The third and final defendant charged in the fatal stabbing of an 18-year-old in Bemidji two years ago has been sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Daniel Keezer, 21, of Detroit Lakes appeared in Beltrami County District Court on Friday for sentencing in the murder of Andrew Fisher on June 24, 2023. His punishment is more than double that of his accomplices.
His brother Robert Keezer Jr., 24, of Mahnomen and James Burnette, 27, of Waubun were sentenced last month to 15 years in prison — nearly double state sentencing guidelines.
“Anytime you resolve a homicide like that, the closure is nice to see,” said Beltrami County Attorney David Hanson in an interview Monday. “We’re very happy with the resolution. Family always finds resolutions difficult. Closure doesn’t mean it’s going to bring your son or child back. That’s the difficult thing. ... The wound is always there.”
The trio all pleaded guilty in March. Fisher’s mother, Donna Jones, decried the plea agreements. Jones said all three defendants should’ve been charged with second-degree murder, but those charges against Burnette and Keezer Jr. were reduced to aiding and abetting aggravated first-degree robbery.
Eyewitness and Fisher’s close friend John Loch, 20, said that Fisher was going to sell a small bag of weed when the defendants chased him down and beat him before Keezer pulled a knife.
Loch said the traumatic experience derailed his college experience and severely affected his mental health.
“The pain of losing him is unbearable, and knowing the brutal way in which he was taken from us makes it even harder to accept,” Loch’s victim-impact statement read.
