Man who killed woman, dismembered body to serve nearly 100 years behind bars

DANVILLE, Ill. (WAND) - A Danville man who killed a woman and dismembered her body in 2017 has been sentenced to nearly 100 years in prison. 

According to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, 30-year-old Ocheil Keys shot and killed 50-year-old Barbara Rose on Oct. 22, 2017. He then told her family and friends she left the state, then tried to conceal her death by burning her body in an abandoned house. 

When that didn't work, he dismembered her body to try to hide his actions.

Danville police discovered Rose's body in a car owned by Keys' mother after an intensive week-long missing persons investigation. 

In July, Keys was convicted on one charge of first degree murder, two charges of dismembering a human body and three counts of concealment of a homicidal death. On Thursday, a 96-year prison sentence was handed down. The sentence includes 60 years for murder, 30 years for the dismemberment charges and six years for concealment. 

The sentences will run consecutively. 

The case was prosecuted by the attorney general's office in cooperation with the office of Vermilion County State's Attorney Jacqueline M. Lacy. 

"While this sentence in no way makes up for the loss that Barbara Rose's friends and family have experienced, I hope that it provides some healing and relief," said Raoul. "This sentence underscores the importance of partnerships between state and local law enforcement agencies. I appreciate the collaboration of the Vermilion County State's Attorney's Office and the Danville Police Department, which were essential in obtaining some justice for Barbara Rose's loved ones." t