American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century

Israel Keyes was a serial killer whose crimes spanned fourteen years across the United States. Unlike notorious killers whose names are widely known, Keyes operated largely undetected by law enforcement. He buried "kill kits"—containing cash, weapons, and body-disposal tools—in remote locations nationwide. His method involved flying to cities, renting cars, and traveling thousands of miles to retrieve these kits before abducting victims in broad daylight and killing them within hours. He then returned to Alaska, where he lived as a quiet construction worker and devoted father. Journalist Maureen Callahan became interested in Keyes after learning about him in 2012, particularly puzzled by how someone of his magnitude evaded detection for over a decade. American Predator draws on years of interviews with law enforcement officials and people in Keyes's life, along with research from classified FBI files. The book examines how the FBI ultimately caught Keyes and explores what his existence reveals about the limitations of traditional law enforcement. Many of Keyes's crimes remain unsolved.