Police say college student in Colorado tried to hire someone for $500 to kill teammate over hair in shower

A student at Fort Lewis College in southern Colorado allegedly tried to hire someone for $500 to kill his teammate over hair in the bathroom. Investigators said that Jackson Keller, a student at the college in Durango, was arrested late last week and booked into the La Plata County Jail. 

Keller, 19, faces charges of criminal solicitation for first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a weapon on college grounds.

According to the arrest affidavit from the Fort Lewis College Police Department, the investigation began on Jan. 28 when school officials called police regarding an alleged murder-for-hire plot that involved students.

One student told police that he knew both of the students involved, including Keller and the alleged victim, who both played on the college football team. The suspect and alleged victim lived in two separate rooms on campus connected by a shared bathroom. 

The two had played on the football team and had a history of talking "trash" while playing a football video game, and Keller had challenged the alleged victim to a physical fight after the game, according to an arrest report.

The alleged victim told police that Keller had come into his room about a week before the alleged murder-for-hire plot was uncovered, upset with him for leaving hair in the shower. That apparently led to a confrontation between the two about coming into each other's rooms, which could be accessed via the shared bathroom. According to the affidavit, the alleged victim said Keller challenged him to a fight in the hallway. The document states that Keller stayed in his room, and a witness told the alleged victim that Keller was holding a pair of scissors behind his back and was planning on stabbing the alleged victim if he came into Keller's room.

The alleged victim also told police that Keller had a firearm in his room at one point, showing the weapon to him. The document states the alleged victim told police he later heard rumors that Keller took it to Colorado Springs during winter break and sold the gun for $150.

The student who knew both Keller and the alleged victim was interviewed by police. In the affidavit, he said Keller asked if he gave him $500 on CashApp, would he "put a hat on him," referring to the alleged victim. The student told police he thought Keller was asking him to kill the alleged victim, saying he would pay him after he "got it done." That student told police that he told Keller "no," and that's when Keller received a FaceTime call with three males from Colorado Springs.

According to the affidavit, the student observed Keller asking the males over the phone the same question about "putting a hat on" the alleged victim, and told police he saw the $500 CashApp banner for the exchange of money displayed on Keller's phone. The student told police he saw the males handling firearms on FaceTime, both rifles and handguns. They also showed Keller an estimated time of arrival seven hours later from directions on their phone, and said they were "on their way."

The student told police that he was worried for his safety and told the alleged victim what had happened. That's when school officials learned about the alleged murder-for-hire plot and contacted police. 

Police took Keller into custody the next afternoon, Jan. 29, in his room, where Fort Lewis College Police officers were accompanied by a Durango police officer and Colorado Bureau of Investigation agents. According to the affidavit, officers did not find a weapon during a search of Keller's room, but did notice a pair of scissors on the countertop at the entrance to the room. 

Before asking for an attorney, Keller told police about the incident with the alleged victim regarding hair in the bathroom. According to the affidavit, officers observed Keller "quickly moving through apps on his phone" while talking to his father on speaker phone in an interview room at the police station. Officers said that before the phone call, Keller had given investigators permission to look at his phone. 

After asking for an attorney, Keller was placed under arrest. According to the affidavit, that's when he told officers that he wanted to add more to his story and said the alleged victim was selling marijuana on campus and he had video evidence on his phone to show investigators. Keller also stated that he believed that the alleged victim and the other student were "conspiring against him."

Keller was released from police custody that same day on a $50,000 surety bond. 

Keller appeared in court on Monday afternoon, where a judge issued conditions for bond that included no possession of drugs or alcohol, no possession of weapons, and a mandatory protection order for the alleged victim and the other student who talked to police. 

Keller is scheduled to appear in court for an advisement of charges on Feb. 23. 

Multiple messages were left with Keller's attorney seeking comment for CBS News Colorado.