NASH COUNTY, N.C. -- The husband of a woman murdered in Nash County last week has been caught and arrested in Arizona after being on the run.

  • The Nashville woman was last seen by her husband on Friday.
  • Diana Keel's husband Lynn Keel, a suspect in the murder, has been arrested in Arizona near Tucson
  • Keel was 34 miles from the Mexican border

Officials said Lynn Keel was arrested near Tucson, Arizona by state troopers. The Nash County sheriff says once they get the needed paperwork, they're on a plane to Arizona to bring him back to North Carolina to face a judge and trial.

Lynn Keel's wife, 38-year-old Diana Keel, went missing March 9 but was later found dead days later in Edgecombe County.

In a press conference Sunday, Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone says Lynn Keel, a suspect in the murder, fled before a warrant was issued, and was 34 miles from the Mexican border. He also says he had many Wells Fargo receipts and a large amount of cash.

Keel now charged with first degree murder and accused of stabbing Diana multiple times before she was left in a wooded area.

He's in jail in Arizona awaiting extradition.

Diana Keel's family in Colombia were granted Visas and will be in North Carolina later this week to help the two children she leaves behind. Keel's daughter, a student at UNCW, reportedly called police about her mom being missing. Keel also has a 10-year-old son.

Officials are thanking the community for their help with the investigation.

The Nash County Sheriff's Office labeled Diana's disappearance suspicious, and her death as a homicide investigation. The sheriff's office says the body was found near the Edgecombe County town of Leggett, about 25 miles away from Keel's home.

Authorities questioned him about his wife's disappearance, but he was released.

Her coworkers at Wilson Medical Center say this is a tragedy and a shock. She worked there for the last three years, starting as an ER tech and then becoming a registered nurse after going back to school.

Investigators are now looking into the death of Lynn Kee's first wife. 42-year-old Bess died in 2006 after a fall that was ruled accidental.

 

 

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