Michael Kegg Jr. will now spend life behind bars for the murders of Malisa Kegg and Michael Kegg III
Gibson County Sheriff's Office; Malisa Kegg/Facebook; Michael Kegg III/Facebook
NEED TO KNOW
- A man will spend life behind bars for the murders of his ex-wife and son
- Michael Kegg Jr. killed the pair with a shotgun at their home and attempted to conceal the crime by setting the house on fire
- The killings came just two weeks after Kegg Jr. and his ex had attended a divorce hearing
An Indiana father will spend the rest of his life behind bars for killing his ex-wife and son, and burning their bodies in a house fire to cover the crime.
On Friday, Feb. 13, Michael Kegg Jr. was sentenced to a total of 126 years in prison for the murder of his ex-wife, Malisa Kegg, 51, and son, Michael Kegg III, 34, on New Year’s Eve in 2024, according to Law & Crime and local outlets 14 News and WEHT.
He received a 64-year sentence for the murder of his son and 62 years for the murder of his ex-wife, the outlets reported.
The sentencing comes after a jury convicted Kegg Jr., 53, of two counts of murder after finding him guilty in the shooting deaths in January, according to the Evansville Courier & Press.
Gibson County Sheriff's Office
Firefighters were first to discover the bodies of Kegg III and Malisa — who a GoFundMe refers to as Kegg III’s stepmother — inside their burning home on Jan. 1, 2025, per the Courier & Press.
The pair did not die from the fire, but from gunshot wounds. The blaze was intentionally set, seemingly to cover up the crime, as investigators determined that flammable liquid was poured on the bodies, Courier & Press reported, citing court documents.
Kegg III and Malisa both suffered gunshot wounds to the chest before the house fire, which autopsies later confirmed as their cause of death, per Law & Crime and the Courier & Press. Authorities recovered a shotgun and three shotgun shells at the home, according to the outlets.
Kegg III also suffered multiple lacerations to his scalp, indicating a violent struggle, the Courier & Press reported.
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 Michael Kegg III/Facebook |
 Malisa Kegg/Facebook |
The New Year’s Eve killings came just two weeks after Kegg Jr. and Malisa had attended a divorce hearing, according to Law & Crime and the Courier & Press.
The Courier & Press, citing investigators, reported that the murders also came amid financial strain.
Kegg Jr. had demanded that the city of Francisco cease service at Malisa’s address just one day before the murders, the outlet added, citing court filings. He said he was tired of paying for her utilities, and witnesses described him as angry, per the newspaper.
The convicted killer’s then-wife, Amanda Kegg — who has since divorced him — allegedly assisted with the New Year's Eve killings, driving him to the home as he left his phone at home, seemingly to conceal his whereabouts, according to Law & Crime and the Courier & Press.
Amanda has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder, according to the Courier & Press. It is unclear if she currently has legal representation to comment on her behalf.
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