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Man beaten to death with lamp, robbed by his neighbor, police say

Posted at 1:00 PM, Apr 22, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-22 13:02:46-04

SPANISH LAKE, Mo. (KMOV) – A man from Spanish Lake is accused of beating his neighbor to death with a lamp and stealing from him, according to police.

Police took 42-year-old Keith Hill into custody. Hill told officers a dispute occurred when Shaw refused to give him money, and he forced his way into Shaw’s house and beat him to death with a lamp before stealing his credit cards, cash and car, according to the probable cause statement

Crime scene tape surrounded an entire block on Burgos Street in Spanish Lake Saturday as a Crimes Against Persons investigation was underway.

Police officers found 63-year-old Michael Shaw suffering physical injuries in the 900 block of Burgos Street around 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Shaw was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said the victim’s 2017 Hyundai Elantra was missing from the scene. It was later found in St. Louis City.

After investigating, police took 42-year-old Keith Hill into custody. Hill told officers a dispute occurred when Shaw refused to give him money, and he forced his way into Shaw’s house and beat him to death with a lamp before stealing his credit cards, cash and car, according to the probable cause statement.

“I’m speechless, you don’t expect your neighbors to come and rob you and beat you to death. So yeah, I was shocked, I figured something bad had happened but not something like that,” said neighbor Sandra Reno.

Another neighbor, Carolyn Tolbert Frey, told News 4 Shaw and Hill had a strained relationship.

“I could stand in my window and see Keith going over to Michael’s house and it was like Michael didn’t want him there,” the self-proclaimed ‘neighborhood watch dog’ said.

Last year, Frey said Hill asked her for money, stating he was unemployed and willing to help with yard work.

“Mike was such a nice man, and nobody really deserves that,” Frey said.

Hill has been charged with second degree murder, one count of armed robbery, one count of burglary and two counts of armed criminal action. He is being held on a $500,000 cash only bond.