Dateline: Secrets Uncovered: What happened to Deede Keller?

Deede Keller was a beloved real estate agent from South Bay, California, who was killed in 2004. Her death brought her community to a standstill. The 54-year-old mother of two was caught in a complicated love triangle involving her ex-husband, Erwin Howard, and her new boyfriend, Bobby Lowe.

Julia "Deede" Keller's body was found wrapped in sheets and red tape in the trunk of her Mercedes on Interstate 5 in San Diego, eight days after she was last seen. The cause of her death was determined to be asphyxiation.

The Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode titled Betrayal of Trust will focus on Deede Keller's murder. The episode is set to be re-aired on May 30, 2024, at 8 pm ET on Oxygen. The official synopsis reads,

"Deede Keller has a loving family, a tight circle of friends and a new man in her life; when she vanishes, disturbing clues point investigators to a suspect with a dark secret; the case provides a twist that leaves the courtroom astonished."

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Who was Deede Keller? Details explored

Julia M. Buchanan Keller, or Deede Keller, was born on October 27, 1949, and grew up in the Serra Mesa area of San Diego, California. She graduated from Our Lady of Peace in North Park in 1967 and was described as an outgoing and popular person by her friends, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. She was an avid animal lover who rescued dogs from shelters and the streets alike.

Julia "Deede" Keller (Image via Internet Archives)

Deede was a popular real estate agent in El Segundo, South Bay, and worked at the Manhattan Beach office of Shorewood Realtors.

She met Erwin Percy Howard in 1997 while helping him buy a Westchester home. The two got married in 1998, and Howard moved into Deede Keller's home on the 500 block of Richmond Street.

The resident of El Segundo had two adult children, Michael Keller and Julie Wilson, from a previous marriage. Erwin had a teenage daughter when he married Keller. However, the couple divorced in 2003, and while they tried to stay friends, they had a strained relationship.

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What happened to Deede Keller?

Julia "Deede" Keller's son, Michael, reported her missing on July 11, 2004. Michael had gone to her place to check on her after Deede wasn't responding to calls and texts. Deede had also been unavailable for appointments over the weekend. She was last seen out with her new boyfriend, Bobby Lowe, on July 8, 2004.

According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, Deede Keller was found in the trunk of her 1999 Mercedes-Benz E320 on July 15, 2004. The 54-year-old real estate agent's decomposing body was found wrapped in a sheet, bound with red tape, and covered with two blankets.

Erwin Howard (Image via Internet Archives)

Six months before Deede was killed, she was involved in a car accident, and her ex-husband, Erwin, helped her with the daily chores and taking care of her dogs. He reportedly looked at the opportunity as a reason to rekindle their relationship.

Erwin Howard flew into a rage when he accessed Keller’s e-mail account and found out about her new boyfriend and their date. According to Deputy District Attorney John Lewin, Erwin told a friend that he wanted to make "Deede hurt just as bad as" she had made him feel.

“I want to make Deede hurt just as bad as she made me feel,” Erwin said.

The authorities recovered evidence that showed that Erwin Howard snuck out of work to stalk Deede and Bobby in his green Range Rover for days. The information about the stalking was confirmed by Michael Keller, who lived in the same block as Lowe.

Erwin Howard entered Keller's home while she was in the shower and confronted her with the printouts of the emails. Erwin reportedly slapped Deede during the violent outburst that took place on June 30, 2004. The same day, Erwin mentioned to a neighbor that he wished to strangle Keller with his work gloves on, which is what led to his arrest.

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Catch all the details of Deede Keller's murder case as it airs on Dateline: Secrets Uncovered on Oxygen on Thursday.