Life in prison for Hells Angels member; two co-defendants get 10+ years
By FOX 10 Staff
Published November 25, 2025 3:37pm MST
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 10 Phoenix
Hells Angels member sentenced to life for Phoenix murder
The Brief
•
• A Hells Angels member, Keith McCollough, was sentenced to life in prison for the 2021, gang-motivated murder of Richard Coss in Phoenix.
• McCollough was linked to the crime by DNA evidence and prosecutors argued the attack was an act of gang retaliation.
• Two co-defendants, Jimmy Eslinger and Carl Blazak, pleaded guilty and received sentences of 16 and 10 1/2 years, respectively.
PHOENIX – A member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club has been sentenced to life in prison for a gang-motivated murder in Phoenix in December 2021.
These Woodland Charm Christmas Ornaments are Taking Westminster By Storm.FANYIL|
What we know:
Keith McCollough was convicted of killing 25-year-old Richard Coss near 23rd Avenue and Deer Valley Road in Phoenix.
According to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, McCollough and two other armed men forced their way into an apartment. During the confrontation, Coss was shot and killed.
Related
3 arrested after man shot, killed in Phoenix: police
The Phoenix Police Department says two men have been arrested in connection to the shooting death of another man during an early morning fight on Dec. 18 after an alleged altercation with a female neighbor.
DNA evidence found at the scene linked McCollough to the crime, which prosecutors said was carried out in retaliation under the Hells Angels name.
Two other co-defendants pleaded guilty in the case. Jimmy Eslinger is serving a 16-year prison sentence, and Carl Blazak is serving 10 1/2 years.
Carl Blazak, Keith McCollough, and Jimmy Eslinger
What they’re saying:
“The Hells Angels want to rule through fear,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said. “In Maricopa County, we do not bow to intimidation or outlaw motorcycle gangs. This sentence sends a clear message that organized criminal violence will be met with organized justice. I am proud of the prosecutors, detectives, and especially the witnesses who stood strong against a culture of fear and helped bring the truth to light.”
What you can do:
Click here for more information on this story from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
The Source
• The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office
Comments