Unsolved: The murders of David Keller and Candice Kyser

May 8, 1999 is a date that will haunt Regina Lloyd forever. The date rolls off her tongue as easily if she were revealing her birthdate. Over twenty years have passed since Regina’s sister older Shelia Kyser found her daughter Candice Kyser and David Keller murdered inside their Fort Mitchell, Alabama home. Although Candice was a year older than Regina, they were more like sisters than aunt and niece.

The Kyser and Keller families are still waiting for justice. Regina provided some insight into the relationship between David and Candice. They had dated in junior high school and were your typical teenage couple who found love at an early age. Candice and David became parents early and were ready for the challenge of parenthood.

The night before David and Candice died, they had spent time with Candice’s family. Regina said everything appeared fine. David and Candice left late in the evening to return home. They had plans to look at property with Shelia Kyser in the morning.

After Shelia didn’t hear from her daughter, she drove to her daughter’s house to check on her. What she found would haunt her forever. She knocked on the front door and the back door. No answer.

Shelia knew something was wrong. She peeked in a window and saw her 2-year-old granddaughter unattended. She climbed in through a window and found her daughter’s body in her bedroom. Someone had shot her. Shelia grabbed her granddaughter and ran out the door for help. David was also found shot to death inside the home.

The authorities soon arrived to investigate the murders. I had asked Regina if the couple had any enemies or jilted exes. She said she didn’t think anyone had any issues with the couple. The family believes someone killed David near the front door and then killed Candice inside her bedroom.

This left me wondering why the killer spared the baby. Regina thinks Candice hid her daughter from the killer before she died. The baby was said to be a sound sleeper. And since it was early in the morning, it’s possible she slept as her parents were murdered. It’s also believed she was alone with her dead parents for many hours.

I asked Regina about a murder-suicide angle. She said it was unlikely because law enforcement didn’t find the murder weapon inside the home. Moreover, the homicides were unlikely drug related since the couple didn’t sell drugs or use them. I wondered if the crime was robbery related. Regina said the killer left behind some jewelry so robbery may not have been the motive.

David and Candice were your typical young couple. They had a great relationship and David worked hard to provide for Candice and their child. The family couldn’t think of any reason why anyone would want to kill them.

Who murdered David and Candice?

Today, the murders of David and Candice remain unsolved. Regina said there were cigarette butts and beer bottles near the home that didn’t belong to either Candice or David. She doesn’t know if there was any DNA evidence or fingerprints left behind. The couple’s daughter has since grown up without her parents. Regina has contacted the state’s AG, the president, FBI, and other agencies for help. So far, her requests have been fruitless.

Do you know who killed Candice Kyser and David Keller? Can you help their daughter and other family members get justice? They died over twenty years ago. It’s time for someone to help end the family’s suffering. They need to know who killed Candice and David. They also want to know why. It’s possible the killer confided in someone or mentioned committing the murders. You could be the person who solves these murders.

There is a $10,000 reward for anyone with information leading to finding out who killed the couple. Anyone with information should contact the Russell County Sheriff’s Office at 334-298-6535 or visit their website at: http://www.rcso.org/investigations.html. The family also has a Facebook page titled Justice for Candice & David. The family hopes that someone will share a tip that could solve this case. You can also listen to the Catch my Killer podcast episode where Regina Lloyd discusses the final moments of David and Candice.