Arrest made in ‘cold-blooded’ execution outside of Columbia nightclub, sheriff says
A recent murder outside a Columbia nightclub was described as “one of the most vicious and cold blooded I’ve seen in my career” by Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott as he on Friday morning announced the arrest of Mikal Keller for the parking lot “execution.”
Ricardo Tucker, 34, was shot repeatedly and killed outside of Club Rose Gold on Broad River Road on Nov. 16.
Keller, who is not from Columbia, is also wanted on a murder charge connected to a home invasion in Maryland. While a motive remains unclear, Lott described the murder unambiguously as a targeted slaying.
“He was (in Columbia) to commit a murder, and that’s what he did,” Lott said.
On CCTV footage shared by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Tucker can be seen walking through the parking lot of Club Rose Gold when the door of a silver sedan swings open. In one motion, the driver steps out of the car and shoots Tucker four times. Almost casually, the driver then walks over to Tucker’s prone body, fires twice more and drives away.
Tucker was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS.
Keller, 36, was arrested Thursday morning by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department Fugitive Team. He was found in an apartment with an assault-style rifle and a pistol, Lott said.
He was apprehended at the apartment following “tips from the community” and “old-fashioned investigative work,” Lott said.
Motive, however, remains unclear. Lott said that there appeared to be no connection between Keller and Tucker until the shooting.
“We have some leads on that,” Lott said. “We’ve got a lot of pieces that we’ve already put in place ... but we’ve got to put the whole puzzle together.”
At the time that he allegedly shot and killed Tucker, Keller had warrants out for his arrest for the killing of a man in Elkton, Maryland. On Aug. 17, the Elkton Police Department alleges that Keller broke into the home of his ex-girlfriend in the early morning hours. When he found another man in the home, Delaware Online reported that Keller “confronted” his former girlfriend before shooting and killing the man.
Keller has been charged with Tucker’s murder and was being held Friday at Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland County. Bond has not been set yet in this case.
Lieutenant Ronald Odom of the Elkton Police Department said that their department was planning to pursue an extradition to Maryland on charged of murder and home invasion.
Club Rose Gold was formerly known as the Black Pearl before it was permanently shut by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department following a shooting in 2017.
Despite several homicides being recorded on Broad River Road this year, Lott was clear that he did not see this shooting as fitting a larger patter.
“The club had nothing to do with it,” Lott said. “That’s where the killer set his trap. It could’ve been on Two Notch Road. It could’ve been anywhere.”
This story was originally published December 16, 2022 at 12:38 PM.