Indiana Man Held Without Bond in Deaths of Son, Ex-Wife

Michael R. Kegg Jr., a resident of Decker, Indiana, remains in jail without bond after he was accused of killing his ex-wife and son and setting a fire to hide the crime on New Year's Eve. Kegg, 53, appeared in court for the first time a little more than two months later, before Judge Jeffrey Meade. He faces two murder charges for the deaths of Malisa K. Kegg, 51, and Michael R. Kegg III, 34.

The Crime

Gibson County Sheriff's Department Detective Sgt. Roger Ballard filed an affidavit of probable cause for seeking the charges. The document alleges Kegg Jr. set fire to the house with his ex-wife and son inside, after shooting the pair with a shotgun.

When police searched the property in Francisco, Indiana, they found two empty .410 gauge shotgun shells and the front part of a shotgun. A third shell casing was found on the stairs leading to the second floor of the house. Firefighters also found an oxygen tank that was open and releasing oxygen into the basement. They noticed burn marks from flammable liquid on the stairs leading down to the basement, and the stove burner in the kitchen was turned on.

According to a police report, a .410 shotgun without its front stock and with some shells missing from a bandolier was found leaning against a wall near the laundry area of the house. The fired shells found in the home were the same size as the shotgun, the report said. Family members told police Kegg Jr. knew there was a shotgun at the back door of the house and that his son owned one.

Further Investigation

Employees at Francisco Town Hall said Kegg Jr. came to Town Hall one day before the fire, on Dec. 30, 2024, in a white Ford F150 pickup, upset about paying for water service to the rural Francisco home, police said. Kegg Jr. demanded the water service be disconnected because he was tired of paying for his ex-wife's water, employees said.

Detectives interviewed Amanda N. Kegg of Decker, Indiana, who told police she and Kegg Jr. had argued on Dec. 30, 2024, and she had not seen him or heard from him since Dec. 31, 2024. Police said she told Indiana State Police that Kegg Jr. told her early in the day on New Year's Eve that he wanted her to take him to Francisco to "take care of something" and told her to leave her phone at the house in Decker, as reported by the Princeton Clarion. He also left his phone there.

The Night of the Crime

When police first contacted Amanda, she was in a white Ford F150 truck that was registered to Kegg Jr. The truck's license plate was captured by a database, showing it was traveling west on Indiana Highway 64 near Princeton, Indiana, at 4:40 a.m. on Dec. 31, 2024. Amanda said she dropped Kegg Jr. off near Francisco, and he walked away. She told police she waited in the area for about two hours before driving to Princeton. She hadn't seen Kegg Jr. since he left on foot, but she said she did get a call from him around 9 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2024, when he told her he would explain what happened that night.

The Suspect's Alibi

The affidavit says Kegg Jr. told police he went to his ex-wife's house to work on a car in one of the outbuildings. He said he then went inside the house to ask if he could plug in an extension cord to get power for the building. He told police that he talked to his ex-wife and son in the living room, and they both told him to leave. He said they were both alive when he left the house and walked through a field toward Hopkins Park. During the interview, he said that as he was walking away, he heard sirens and saw lights heading toward Francisco.

Surveillance Video

Kegg Jr. told police that when he got back to Hopkins Park, Amanda wasn't there, so he started walking back to Decker. Surveillance video showed Kegg Jr. at the Decker Mini Mart on U.S. 41 around 6 p.m. on Dec. 31, wearing dirty clothes and boots. Ballard said Kegg Jr. walked across fields and through floodwater on backroads on his way back to Decker. On Jan. 1, 2025, police searched Kegg Jr.'s house in Decker and found his boots, a multi-tool, and a flashlight that he was wearing in the video. However, they didn't find his jacket or pants.

Possible Motive

Ballard said he thinks Kegg Jr. had personal and financial reasons to kill his ex-wife, such as the divorce and splitting up property, as well as his son supporting his ex-wife during the process. His report said Kegg Jr. admitted neither his ex-wife nor his son knew he was going to show up at the house in the middle of the night. Ballard's report said evidence found in the Francisco home shows a struggle in the living room before Michael Kegg III was shot. Kegg Jr. admitted his son was trying to get him to leave the house.

Kegg Jr. faces serious charges related to the deaths of his ex-wife and son, including murder and other related offenses. Authorities believe there is strong evidence linking him to the crime, including surveillance footage and witness statements.

On Feb. 7, 2025, a judge denied Kegg Jr.'s request for a bond. This investigation is ongoing.

References: Southern Indiana Man Arrested After 2 Bodies Found Inside His Burning Home | Kegg Held Without Bond; Status Hearing Feb. 7 | Bond denied; Kegg pretrial hearing March 19