Three teenage boys arrested over the murder of a man found dead after a Grindr hook-up went horribly wrong
One of the teens being led from his house in handcuffs (Screenshot: NSW Police Force/Daily Mail)
Three 17-year-old boys have been arrested for the murder of an Australian man found dead in the bushland after an alleged Grindr hook-up.
The man has now been identified as Peter Keeley, 56, a father of three and a a ‘successful auctioneer’ from Canberra. His body was found in a ditch by a dog walker in Boulee, New South Wales on February 2.
A post mortem examination was inconclusive but found Keeley suffered head and facial injuries. According to Australia’s Nine News, his arms and legs were tied with duct tape.
Police said Keeley had contacted one of the teens via Grindr before his death, and they are investigating whether his murder could have been the result of a hook-up gone wrong.
“One of the lines of inquiry is the method of communication used by the victim,” NSW police detective superintendent Danny Doherty told reporters in Sydney. “That was investigated and a number of dating apps were used, and one of those was Grindr.”
Police footage showed the boys being led out of their homes in handcuffs. One of them was barefoot as he made his way towards a police car.
In a search of three local homes detectives seized mobile phones, laptops and other electronic equipment as they investigate possible motives for the killing, including whether it was a gay hate crime.
“There’s a number of motives that I can’t talk about and can’t elaborate on,” Doherty said.
“We have to look at other considerations, such as whether there was anything drug-related, whether it was robbery-related, or whether it was a hate crime. It’s unclear at this stage.”
Keeley’s family have requested privacy from the media as they grieve. They said in a statement: “Our family is devastated and still coming to terms with the fact we have lost Peter.
“All that can be said is we have been deeply affected by this tragedy and we are still grieving. We are grateful for the overwhelming support from family and friends.
“Thank you to the NSW Police Force and ACT Police detectives who have supported our family during this terrible time.”
