Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for 2023 Murder in Bemidji

Daniel Keezer (Credit: Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office)

A 21-year-old Detroit Lakes man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for murdering a Bemidji man.

In March, Daniel Keezer pleaded guilty to second-degree murder–with intent–not premeditated. Today, he was sentenced by Beltrami County Judge Matti Adam. The 35 years is an upward departure from the sentencing guidelines.

Keezer admitted in court that he and two others were trying to rob 18-year-old Andrew Fisher and that he stabbed Fisher multiple times, causing his death. The murder happened in June 2023 near J.W. Smith Elementary School in Bemidji.

In March, the other two men involved in the incident, Robert Keezer and James Burnette, were sentenced for first-degree aggravated robbery. Both men took plea agreements. Robert Keezer was sentenced to 15 years in prison and Burnett to over 14-and-a-half years in prison.