Brazos resident is charged in killing of neighbor
History of prior dispute between suspect and victim
New Mexico State Police arrested a man who allegedly killed his neighbor on Saturday in Brazos after what court documents describe as a yearslong dispute.
Michael Keith, 66, is charged with an open count of murder in the May 14 death of 63-year-old Danny Mahoney.
It is unclear if he has an attorney.
Keith has no criminal history, but filed for a restraining order against Mahoney in 2020. In it, he claimed Mahoney possibly poisoned his dog, made sexual advances toward him and was a general nuisance — leading him to get security cameras and tint the windows on his home.
In response, Mahoney denied the harassment claims and said the order was based on Keith’s “utter dislike” of him and would only “fan the flames of dissension and discord” between them. The case was dismissed in October 2020, when the men resolved the issue with “a private agreement.”
On Saturday, State Police found Mahoney dead in his front yard.
Officers responded around 1 p.m. to the home in the Millstone subdivision west of Brazos, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed in Magistrate Court. They found Mahoney covered in mud and blood with a bullet hole in his arm and shoulder.
A neighbor told police she called Keith after seeing authorities at the home and Keith told her he shot Mahoney and “had already called several attorneys,” according to the affidavit. The neighbor said Keith told her he asked Mahoney not to shoot at his home and Mahoney replied “(expletive) you” so he shot him.
Police said the neighbor told them that three weeks ago she heard gunfire and Keith said his home had multiple bullet holes and believed Mahoney was responsible. As police investigated Mahoney’s death, they saw Keith walking in and out of his home.
Court records state Keith did not respond to phone calls from officers but eventually came out and told police he would cooperate but needed to speak with his attorney first.