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A Maryland teen is poisoned, but police say he committed suicide.  Keith Warren  The scene looked like suicide CASE DETAILS On July 31, 1986, a mother’s quiet world was shattered. Her only son, 19-year-old Keith Warren, was dead. Keith had lived with his sister and mother since his parents’ divorce when he was 10. By all accounts, Keith seemed destined for a promising future. Instead, his life had come to an untimely end.  Whose shoes was he wearing, and why? Paramedics found Keith in a wooded area behind his family’s townhouse. He was hanging by the neck from a small tree that was bent double with his weight. The elaborate arrangement of the hanging rope would later be the source of bitter debate. The cord was anchored around the base of a large tree. It extended some 25 feet to a small sapling. It encircled the sapling’s trunk and then arched up through a fork. However, authorities saw nothing suspicious about the scene. After a brief visual inspection, the county’s deputy medical examiner determined that Keith Warren had committed suicide. No autopsy was ordered and the body was dispatched to a funeral home for embalming. It was already dark when Keith’s mother, Mary Couey, was informed of her son’s death:
Initially Keith’s mother accepted the finding of suicide, but over time she found discrepancies too numerous to ignore. Her doubts began after she heard from a friend of Keith’s named Rodney Kendell. Rodney reported that a parade of suspicious characters had been looking for Keith shortly before his death:
 Leaves on his back suggested he was lying down Several days later, Rodney Kendell had another odd encounter, this time with a high school acquaintance of Keith’s named Mark Finley:
Weeks after Keith’s death, Mary asked Rodney to show her the tree where her son’s body was found. But when they arrived to the site, they noticed that only the stump remained. Mary panicked and called the police:
 The body was exhumed and tested The police said they needed to cut down the tree for evidence, but this seemed strange since they had already closed the case. Keith’s mother no longer trusted the police or their explanations. She launched a letter-writing campaign, targeting state and federal officials. But for six long years, Mary Couey hit a stone wall every way she turned. Then came April 9, 1992, her son’s birthday. Keith would’ve been 25. That afternoon, Mary found a plain manila envelope at her doorstep. The stunning contents swept her back to the day of her son’s death. There were five pictures inside the envelope. Each showed a different view of Keith hanging by his neck. Mary forced herself to look, and in the process, found a glaring discrepancy:
For Mary Couey, it was a nightmarish inconsistency. It was her son in the photographs but whose clothes was he wearing? Whose white tennis shoes, and why was he wearing them? The only items of clothing the police returned to the family were Keith’s jacket and brown boots. Neither was shown in the photographs, although authorities said that they had been found near Keith’s body. Mary now feared police were working against her and hired private investigator, Joe Alercia:
When Joe Alercia examined the pictures, he noticed leaves on the back of Keith’s shirt. To Alercia, this suggested Keith had been lying on the ground and was hoisted into a hanging position by someone else. Alercia said that his theory was bolstered by the complex path of the rope found at the scene:
Finally Keith’s family had his body exhumed for an autopsy. The results were shocking. Tests on Keith’s body showed deadly levels of several powerful chemicals that are usually found in glue and solvents. According to forensic pathologist Dr. Isidore Mihalakis, the levels found in Keith’s body were more than enough to kill him:
Maryland’s chief medical examiner reviewed the report and claimed the toxic chemicals were part of the embalming process. But Dr. Mihalakis disagreed:
But if the chemicals were not in the embalming fluid, where did they come from? Joe Alercia had his own theory:
If Keith Warren didn’t hang himself, then who did hang him? In a final disturbing twist, the one person who might’ve answered that question also turned up dead under suspicious circumstances. Mark Finley was one of those who came looking for Keith a few days before he died. Six years later, when Mary received the photographs, a note attached to one said “don’t worry, Mark Finley will be next.” Two months after Mark learned he had been singled out, he contacted Mary Couey:
One month later, Mark Finley was dead. According to the police, Finley died accidentally when he struck a curb and was thrown from his bike. But why was Mark Finley targeted in a threatening note? Did he truly have information about Keith Warren’s death? As with all the other nagging questions, the authorities have a standard answer—this case is closed. Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season eight with Robert Stack and in season two with Dennis Farina. Also available on YouTube with Dennis Farina. Various seasons available now on Hulu. |
Evan
I am from Silver Spring. I am curious where exactly in Silver Spring did this take place?
Tee
Tynewick Terrace
Ruby Martinez
First of all, I’m an so sorry for your family’s loss! Such a tragedy! A horrible thing for your family, especially your mother! I watched “Uprooted” today! So many lies and cover ups! And Mark dying when his bike hit a curb? Was someone chasing him? Did someone make him hit that curb? Run him off the road? Were there witnesses to this accident? Or is it another cover up? Someone wanting to keep what he knew quiet forever? And the 2 “friends” who found out that a private investigator was questioning friends refused to talk and hired a lawyer? Just to many discrepancies and oddities for my taste to believe Keith’s death was a suicide! I pray for you and your family and that you and Keith get the justice you all deserve! God bless!
Lakesha Lee
I feel like the investigating officer was in some way close to the actual killer. Either he was related to the killer or something to that sort which lead him and them to try to cover up that murder and stage the scene.
Jessica
I have seen this episode for the first time today and I was so disgusted at how this family has been treated and how that boy’s life and very suspicious death case were just tossed aside like trash. Leaves on the back? Photos in someone else’s clothes? Where did the police get his boots to send to the family of he was wearing someone else’s clothes in the police photos? So many questions. I hope someone in a cold case unit will reopen this and get to the bottom of it. My heart goes out to this family and what they are still having to endure by not having answers.
Neshiya H
The clothes given to the family were Keith’s but the clothes in the photos weren’t his.
LaSharon Wilson
This family needs JUSTICE! Shame on the officers, coroner, the so called “friends and others that were involved and they do not even have the human decency to speak up. Someone knows who is in that picture with him….Who took the picture?? The way they tried to silence this family smh and to try and leave that big lie on his death certificate “SUICIDE”…is such a disgrace!! The “system “ failed this family and should just admit it……#amerikkka
Emm ess
Definitely the police were in on it. What reason would they have to chop down the tree??
Dalton W
I’m doing a project in my english 2 class where I gotta make a theory on a mystery. I picked this case and after reading some reply’s and the story, here is my theory:
I think Shawna (She’s in the comments somewhere) is right. Mark and the other kids looking for him maybe knew who killed him. Why do I think they know who killed him? well, I think mark (and the other kids who were looking for him) were friends with the killer. The killer may have asked them to join him on this plan to kill Keith. They refused, and when the killer wasn’t around, they were probably looking for him to warn him. (Thus is why they they seemed worried/eager to find him.)
I also think that Marks death was also due to that same killer. They probably didn’t want anyone to rat them out.
Thats my whole theory. I hope this encourage some of you to try to think of other possibility’s to solve this.
Brandi
Reopen this case. Anyone that is still alive and have signatures associated with the original case files need to be held accountable. That baby didn’t kill himself. This was straight up murder. I pray for justice and healing for this family. The whole police department, funeral home and coroner need to be thrown away.
Traci Evans
My deepest sympathies to the family first and foremost! In 2017 my 27 year old,white,son died under very suspicious circumstances in another state. And my story is very similar to this one. With discrepancies in the whole short investigation,very vague details and no real concern from all authorities that were involved. So yeah no trust in them.
And I have so much evidence to prove he was killed,possibly by authorities. But I have know one to tell it to to find justice. People don’t care it wasn’t their son,dad,brother or uncle. But this story had given me ideas and knowledge that might further help me. THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING!! God bless you and yours!!
Goddess
This is why I tell my children to never trust white people you can be cordial but always remember that they are different and if they kill you mostly it will not be looked into. 8,000 years of conquering the world murder, deception and corruption.
Steven
You do realize murder comes in all forms. Don’t be so racist
Kenneth William Tanner
By the way this happened in New York too.
You can look it up on google too !
Shawna
To imply all whites are dangerous murders, is like saying all blacks are violent rapists. To point out race like that and to teach your kids such a thing makes them form hatred to someone they don’t even know because of, their skin. And that my dear is called racism. This country is divided enough from the rhetoric the media and politicians say, parents shouldn’t add to. You be ashamed yourself.
Jayne
Racist.
Cristal Leonard
Sherri Warren my heart goes out to u and your Family…. It brings tears to my eyes what happened to him and how the justice system works he is a man who deserved more then what he got. I support you guys u keep doing what your doing in praying that Keith gets justice and I believe that his death certificate should be changed and that the police take responsibility
Sherri Warren
Thank you for your kind note. Please continue to discuss Keith and this case. What the system wanted was for this to go away. I will not allow that to happen. This will forever be a stain on the justice system in Montgomery County, MD.
Cynthia
Hello Sherri,
I am so very sorry for your loss. My name is Cynthia and I co-host a mystery podcast called The Dark Oak Podcast. I would like to cover Keith’s case to help raise awareness. Would you be willing to speak with me?
Lisa Lapsley
Ms Warren, I just watched the show and stand with you in your ight for justice. Has there ever been DNA testing of the physical evidence, and any idea who the young man in the photo seemed to be there as a crowd of one? I pray that this case us reopened, and pray for you as well. God Bless you, sis!
Brian
So sorry for your losses! I just Watch the documentary on Discovery Plus and wow what did I see absolutely nothing from the people who should be helping you! I don’t understand they have the photos with him dressed in different clothes they cut the tree down they gave you he was wearing in the first place and the pictures none of this adds up! I hope you get in the end what you and your family need put this to rest! Somebody needs to be held accountable!
Mike Pressley
If the unsolved mysteries episode is right. I believe possibly a hunter/trapper or military type person had something to do it with it the way the tree was bent and the way the rope was tied up seems very elaborate.
G26
Just watched Uprooted on Discovery plus. Oh man his sister is a hero and God bless her
Sherri Warren
Thank you. Please continue to discuss this case within your social circle. The justice system in Montgomery County MD wanted this to go away, I will not allow that to happen.
Love Justice
Sounds like to me that the friends knew. The police involved was a relative or friend. To these boys.They had to cover up for the boys involved. They had to clean the scene. Cut down a tree. no investigations. This was a cover. Those whites boys he hung out with did this. One or more knows what happened. Keep investigating. I pray that he gets justice. Suicide please…stop that was a homicide.
Dong daddy
Is mark finley related to anyone on the police force in that town? Why else would the police help cover it up unless they were somehow involved? Mark finley clearly helped with his “i want to unload” comment.
Shawna
Perhaps Mark and the other kid, that was named, didn’t partake in the death, but were just witnesses to it.
Cover up
I watched this show those Police were definitely KKK and I hope all their family grandkids blood line are cursed for what they did. They covered this up .
Shawna
WOW! I was outraged by this story but to curse people that weren’t involved; that’s guilt by association and it’s wrong. No one controls another’s behavior. In the Bible it says not judge a son by his father’s action.
Sharon Jones
Regardless of the circumstances he was someone’s child.and he was African American he was killed due to that open up your eyes sad case no other way around it race played a huge factor
Tiffany Powell
I watched this on discovery plus and I was mortified. I think the police murdered Keith. Why? We may never know and I’m so furious with the fact that his mother spent all her years until her death not knowing who murdered her son and why. Justice may not take place on earth but it will in front of God. People who get away with murder ultimately is sent downstairs. I pray for his family that they find peace. His sister is a true crusader just like his mother. They are in my prayers.
???
I don’t think it was the police since i teen name Mark said that he helped hanged Keith and was about to say something until he ended up dead. However, I do believe it was a police officer’s son that was involved in it and is more likely why they are trying to cover it up.
Alley
Nope…. There’s no god ..too bad ..
Key
Who to say he didn’t mess with one of those cops daughter or maybe knock them up and they killed him for that could be a baby out here that belongs to him
Bluebelle
Is that supposed to somehow make this justified? What a bizarre thing to say.
DEE
Justified in the killer’s eyes — not mine.
Becca C
I just watched Uprooted. I’m so sad for this family. It’s so unfortunate we can’t trust our law enforcement to be honest and just. I’m so sorry.
Joy
I am so sorry to this Mom
I can’t even imagine the pain. I will be praying for you.
Yolanda
This was a cover up by the police. So so sad.
Tyisha
It was Mark Finley sheesh!!! Karma finally caught up to him thus the freak accident on the bike.
Ladi Yari
I don’t know who u are you most definitely didn’t pay attention it’s the bestfriend and that circle this case is similar to Kendrick case. He was found in a gym at school and died by the hands of one of his peers who ‘s playing that fake football shit….. The truth will come free soon its killing someone of those friends ..
Mag
MoCo is the worse! this is terrible … something about that bel pre corridor thats shady … the police later messed up the sniper case … creeps me out because I was a kid when this happened but I later raised my kinds in this area because I thought it was safe … I hope they solve this… my heart aches
Charles
You can push the suicide probability up until the quick and nonsensical death of Mark Finley. This is definitely a dirty case.
Keisha Antoinette Susan Gordon
Praying for his family
Vicki Crawford
My name is Vicki Crawford and I am looking for Buddy who worked with Keith Warren. I am a researcher working on a new documentary for the Discovery Channel on the case. Buddy, if you get this, can you reply back to me? My email is vicki.gsd@gmail.com – thank you!
Buddy
Keith worked for me at the Kendall’s Shell station on Bel Pre Rd. He was found in the woods behind Georgian Colony Townhomes where my future wife and her parents lived. Keith was a great kid. Always had a smile on his face and was a very positive, happy go lucky person. He would never had taken his own life voluntarily.
Gabriel Alfaro
This is a truly sad story. I’m from the same town of Aspen Hill as Keith. I was hoping if anyone knew or what part of Aspen Hill he was found. I would like to do a lot more research on his death. If anyone knows please reply. Thanks!!
Jacqueline Epstein
My dad made a call to 911 after my mom discovered him while walking our dog and she returned frantic. He was told “we are aware of it. “ Someone apparently discovered him first. Right? But why no rush to the scene? And why was his mother not notified until 6 hours later after having been whisked away to a funeral home and embalmed!?
That is inexcusable.
Anonymous Reply
Sounds like to me that law enforcement knew what happened and covered it up
Spikestar01
Jacqueline, are your parents the same people who’ve been reported that called 911, or did they call in addition to the people who have been reported that called (Lawson & Wynn)?
Jason
This is an odd case. In my opinion, the rush to determine the manner of death, then a contact dies “unexpectedly?” My first instinct is it sounds like there’s something dirty in Maryland (police).
But, why the elaborate hanging?? This took someone with more of a brain than just a noose and a tree. Strange case. I hope this family finds peace
J
The police that handled those 2 murder cases are absolutely horrible people. There probably has never been a more serious crime in that area and this is how it gets treated? Hopefully the dirty cops involved with those 2 cover ups get what’s coming to them. Very bad people that don’t deserve to live and breathe with the rest of us and they give good, honest, hard working police a very bad name and ruin our trust for them
Linda
Come on Maryland police, reopen the case
c
Why is there a picture surfacing with him hanging and two people standing there just looking. Am I the only one seen this. I believe the people involved are police affiliated. The clothes should have been tested. The boots should have been tested. Although they weren’t the ones he had on. So many mistakes were made it’s frustrating that no one is trying to help solve this case. So many inconsistencies. he May have been found naked originally and police dressed him to prevent …… Found the shoes as they say…. My sympathy really goes out to the family. I pray someone seen this show when it was aired and decided to help call or something.
Nijiah
This is a young black man, at the end of the day if it was an overdose albeit accidental or otherwise, the police would have loved to be able to leave it at that, making him just another statistic.
I believe this was a murder wherein great lengths were gone through by the police to cover it up and disguise it as something else.
Gerald
This crazy
Debbie
It’s Terrible How Easy It Is For Some People To Kill. Whoever Killed Keith, More Than Likely Also Killed Mark Findley. How Sad This Is…Who Could Live With This?
Carrie
I thought I recalled reading somewhere that a 911 call came from one of the houses right next to the wooded area his body was found in shortly before it was found? Saying that someone was dead or overdosed in a basement?? Then they found him in the area behind the houses. At least I could have sworn I read that a while ago when I first read into this case.
One of two scenarios I believe occurred :
Either,
A. The boy was purposefully inhaling the solvent on his own in an attempt to get high by huffing, probably with other people around doing similar, and accidentally overdosed either directly or by passing out with a rag covered in the substance still over his mouth and or nose
B. Someone deliberately forced him to inhale something that contained the trichloroethane, and intended to either incapacitate him, get him high against his will, or actually kill him. this seems unlikely because of the effort it would take to restrain a teenage male to force them to inhale something, but still plausible and possible.
The parties involved then may have tried to revive him, perhaps they removed his shirt in an attempt to give CPR, and when he failed to respond, placed the 911 call, but then panicked when they realized he was dead or thought he was dead, so they quickly redressed him (perhaps this is why he was redressed in certain items that didn’t belong to him, like the shoes) and moved the body to the woods directly behind the house the group was partying at, and faked the scene of his suicide by quickly stringing his body up by the neck and around a tree branch that was too small and low to the ground, and the lack of time meant that they had to then try to wrap the rest of the length of rope around another branch instead of undoing and redoing the job.
It is totally possible for an individual to hang themselves from a much shorter distance off the ground than most people would think is possible, but his weight, especially in the throes of death via asphyxiation, may have caused the branch to lower so much that his body would have been making enough contact with the ground to alleviate the pressure around his throat, thus not killing him. It seems like the scene of hanging is entirely fabricated after the fact of death.
Becca C
The amount of poison was so high in the coroner’s report he said that it would have killed him instantly so there was no huffing.
Anonymous
KKK, was involved in police and the legal System there.
Anonymous
I think police is cover up, why give the mother some of his cloths that was near the scene and not on his body, why cut down a tree for evidence when they rule it suicide…..
Anonymous
Of Course, it is murder, but why?
Paul
That’s the thing-why? I think it’s more likely a sudden death that no one wants to explain so are covering up.
Ab
Sad sad sad story for the family, the people involved will take this to there grave.
Pretty Pony
Or… The boys who killed him parents are on the police force and they covered it up to protect them? This story reminds me of the young black boy who was killed at his school and rolled up in a gym mat.
Plusbabydoll
You’re right! I remember that case. So sad. The people in this world is just disgusting!
SW
His name was Kendrick Johnson and the Valdosta Police are definitely involved in his murder too! The level of hate in this country is truly ridiculous!
Anonymous
His mother died in 2009
John Thomas
I believe it is foul play is involved Why was keith warren poisoned or later hunged then his friend Mark fenley accidentally dies when his bike struck a curb and thrown from his bike. but why Mark Finley targeted in a threatening note.