True Crime Bullsh**: The Israel Keyes Investigation

Episode: The Final Keyes Interview (Feb 23, 2026)

Host: Studio BOTH/AND
Key Participants: Israel Keyes, FBI Agents, Attorney Dan Morgan

Overview

In this in-depth installment, Josh Hallmark and the True Crime Bullsh** team present coverage of the last interview between serial killer Israel Keyes and law enforcement officials. Drawing from interrogation room audio, the episode explores Keyes’ fraught interactions with the FBI, touching upon evidence in New York and Washington state, the ongoing negotiation over further cooperation, and the psychological chess between Keyes and his interrogators. This conversation reveals new details about Keyes’ methods, caches of evidence, and the delicate balance investigators tried to maintain to extract information on unsolved crimes and missing victims.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Legal Rights and Ground Rules (01:40–04:00)

• The interview opens with FBI agents formally reading Keyes his rights, confirming his understanding, and clarifying the limited scope of discussion to cases excluding Samantha Koenig.
• Keyes waives his right to have his attorney present for this session, opting to proceed alone.

2. The Tupper Lake Search & FBI Technology (04:15–07:33)

• FBI updates Keyes on their planned live-feed searches in Tupper Lake, using GPS mapping and live cameras to review the route of an old bank robbery.
• “It’s kind of scary. I assume some of these places we’re going to go are going to be cell phone only... all those CSI shows, they still can’t usually get the thing solved in 20 minutes.” — Keyes (06:09)
• The challenges of rural searches—with spotty cell coverage and technical limitations—are discussed (07:24–08:21).

3. Forensics Dig into New York Property (08:21–14:13)

• Agents show Keyes photos from his former property in upstate New York and ask about items recovered (books, receipts, old guns/ammo invoices). Keyes reminisces but claims most items pre-date any criminal activity.
• “All the stuff that’s there is like childhood memories.” — Keyes (09:06)
• There’s speculation about the property’s use by strangers (hunters, squatters) and clarification about receipts in Keyes’s name found on site.

4. Clues in the Evidence: Maps, Mattresses, and Fire Pits (17:44–23:20)

• Agents bring up highlighted road maps and a mattress found in the woods with women’s clothing underneath. Keyes reacts bemusedly:
  • “It’s kinky.” — Keyes, about the mattress and women’s clothes (19:09)
• They ask about burnt items in a fire pit and the origins of a men’s ring and necklace, but Keyes distances himself from them:
  • “Anything you found there is probably from hunters or somebody who was camping there.” (19:32)
• Keyes denies burning incriminating evidence there, saying nothing crime-related was burned.

5. Discussion of Vermont and the Courier Case (24:26–35:56)

• Vermont authorities are eager to file charges for the unsolved Courier case. Agents try to persuade Keyes to provide details, hinting they can control media exposure or prosecution pace if he cooperates.
• Keyes is increasingly wary:
  • “It’s a one way street... initially I thought there were ways I could manipulate this situation... by withholding information and giving information out. ...But... I can’t do that, not realistically.” (29:24)
• He expresses distrust, feeling that info he provides invariably becomes public and resenting perceived breaches in the process.
• “As many times as it’s been in the paper and there’s still all this speculation, it hasn’t really taken off. And why do you think that is? Well, I know it’s because you haven’t been giving official statements.” — Keyes (41:21)

6. The Currency of Clues and Cooperation (45:03–56:49)

• Agents press Keyes to offer “a clue”—even a nugget of non-revealing information—to give authorities leverage with state prosecutors and buy time.
• Keyes rebuffs: “You already have a lot of clues... you have that computer... I think you have a lot of background on me at this point.” (45:03)
• The conversation turns to knives used in Washington murders, missing murder weapons, and discussions of knives that may have blood traces.
• On the psychological dynamic:
  • “The thing is, you guys did a pretty good job—the search warrants, there were no statements to the press... no one said a word... but you can only be so discreet...” — FBI Agent (35:34)
  • “You have to go by your playbook, but I refuse to accept that there weren’t ways you couldn’t have been more discreet.” — Keyes (39:00)

7. The Washington Murders & Lake Crescent (59:53–73:46)

• Keyes and agents discuss specifics of the Washington state murders, the weapon used, and the disposal of bodies in lakes.
• Keyes describes:
  • Using milk jugs as makeshift weights (72:50)
  • Lake Crescent as exceptionally deep (“that lake is 5 to 700ft deep... they still haven’t found cars or anything... that’s one of the lakes.” — Keyes (70:13))
  • The bodies not being contained—just ropes and milk jugs.
• Law enforcement relay forensic opinions about body preservation in deep, cold water.

8. Negotiating for More Clues, Caches and “Short Term Needs” (73:53–76:53)

• Agents look for ways to keep Keyes talking—offering lunches or candy bars in exchange for small clues or cache locations.
• Keyes is skeptical but agrees there may be further cooperation “down the road” if timelines and expectations become clearer.
• “If there was a cache that they could go and retrieve, that would keep the FBI busy... I’ll have to think about which ones I’m willing to part with...” — Keyes (66:24)

9. Plans for Next Interview & Ongoing Tension (76:53–78:21)

• The session closes with mutual frustration: the law is playing a waiting game for more from Keyes, and Keyes feels the ticking of time and manipulation, yet holds tightly to his “trading cards.”
• Agents propose future meetings, using technology to virtually revisit crime scenes and locate caches.

Notable Quotes

• Israel Keyes:

  • “Initially I thought there were ways I can manipulate this situation... by withholding information... But... I came to the realization that I can’t do that, not realistically.” (29:24)
  • “As many times as it’s been in the paper and... speculation, it hasn’t really taken off... because you haven’t been giving official statements.” (41:21)
  • On the mattress found with women’s clothes: “It’s kinky.” (19:09)
  • “If you gave them a general area, they could probably fix them. We just have to have enough information to get a hold of, you know, attack a person that covers that area.” (67:59)

• FBI Agent:

  • “Once you stop telling us significant information... then these guys couldn’t control what the rest of the FBI is going to do. Playbook says if you’ve got a serial killer, you’re going to go through that house with a fine tooth comb...” (35:32)
  • “Even the stuff that we’ve done... there were no statements to the press that we’re looking for evidence of other crimes...” (35:34)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Miranda Rights, Legal Setup: 01:40–04:00
• Tupper Lake Search Technology: 04:15–07:33
• NY Property Evidence Review: 08:21–14:13
• Forensics & Miscellaneous Items (maps, fire pit, mattress): 17:44–23:20
• Vermont/Courier Case Frustrations: 24:26–35:56
• Trust, Media, and Negotiation: 35:34–41:21
• The 'Clue' Negotiations: 45:03–56:49
• Washington Murders & Lake Crescent: 59:53–73:46
• Further Caches & Ongoing Bargaining: 73:53–78:21

Memorable Moments

• The awkward humor amid dark subject matter (“It’s kinky.” — Keyes, 19:09).
• Keyes wrestling with control and trust, admitting, “My outlook on this as far as the ultimate end result hasn’t really changed... It has more to do with timelines, expectations.” (54:52)
• Detailed discussion of corpse disposal in deep lakes, with chilling matter-of-factness about the bodies.

Conclusion

This episode offers listeners a rare, granular look into the final rounds of psychological and legal chess between Israel Keyes and his law enforcement interrogators. The dialogue moves from logistical hurdles, through forensics and evidence, into the shifting power dynamics and fraught negotiations over further confessions. Listeners witness the difficulty of extracting truth and closure from a serial killer who, to the end, guards his secrets closely—even as agents dangle carrots and scramble for crumbs of progress.