Keller Gets 99 Years For Setting Fatal Blazes

After murdering three people, setting more than 75 buildings on fire, causing millions of dollars in damage and creating fear in four counties, Paul Keller was asked by a King County judge yesterday if he had anything to say.

"It would take days," the serial arsonist said with a shrug. "I'll leave it in your hands."

Superior Court Judge Jim Bates sentenced Keller to 99 years in prison for setting the Four Freedoms House fire on Sept. 22, 1993, that killed Bertha Nelson, 93; Mary Dorris, 77; and Adeline Stockness, 70.

The fire injured several other residents and caused $500,000 in damage. Authorities said it was one of at least three fires he set that night.

It will be virtually impossible for the sentence to be overturned on appeals because Keller pleaded guilty and the prison term did not exceed the standard limit for the crimes. With credit for time already served and future "good time," Keller, 28, cannot be released until age 113.

"The one thing that stands out is that Paul Keller is not safe to be at large," said Senior Deputy Prosecutor Craig Peterson.

Keller earlier was sentenced to 75 years in prison after being convicted of 32 arson counts in Snohomish County Superior Court.

It has never been clear what motivated Keller.

Keller met with his family after the sentencing before returning to prison. His father, George, issued a public apology to his son's victims and said the pain of what happened will never expire.

"Ninety-nine years is a long time," said George Keller, who turned in his son last year. "This wouldn't hurt so much if we didn't love him."

In a prison interview with a free-lance journalist that was broadcast on KIRO-TV, Keller said he had been molested by a volunteer firefighter, including once at gunpoint in a fire station. But his attorney, Royce Ferguson, said Keller asked him not to bring up the subject at sentencing.

Knowledge about Keller's alleged sexual experiences with the firefighter first became known to investigators about 15 months ago, said Ken Cowsert, chief Snohomish County deputy prosecuting attorney who helped prosecute Keller. But the assertions were inconclusive and didn't seem to involve any crimes, said Cowsert, so they were largely disregarded.

Cowsert said the sexual activity was then described as a "consensual experiment," and was "characterized as a one-time incident."

"When I heard it, it did not impress me as child abuse," said Cowsert as he thought back to about January 1993, when arson investigators began focusing on Keller. "I'm not sure where we got it, either from (the firefighter) or Keller. . . . If I thought it happened as a child, we would have charged it. Whatever I was told didn't generate that much interest."

Keller's attorney, Ferguson, said he asked Keller if he wanted to raise the sex issue and Keller said no.

"There is enough good in Paul that he didn't want to maintain he was a victim at sentencing, " Ferguson said.

"This may sound silly to people, but Paul is basically a good person who just went haywire."

But relatives of three retirement-home victims told Bates too much attention has been paid to Keller's family and not enough to those he hurt. Keller, who has appeared relaxed at the hearings, showed little emotion as relatives described the effects of the deaths.

Verna Kellogg, Stockness' daughter, said, "He says he hopes God will someday forgive him. I don't even know what God he is talking about. I just can't imagine."

Keller walked into the seven-story retirement home near Bitter Lake about 7:30 p.m. Sept. 22 and set three fires. Six days later he set another retirement home on fire.

Keller was a suspect in more than 100 arsons over six months beginning Aug. 6, 1992. Most of the fires were in King and Snohomish counties.

Times staff reporter Peyton Whitely contributed to this report.