Keith Ratliff, business partner to YouTube sensation FPS Russia, was found dead last Thursday evening in Carnesville, Georgia.
Franklin County Sheriff Stevie Thomas told local media that Keith Ratliff, 32-years-old, died of a single gunshot wound to the head and that his body had been sitting for some time before it was discovered. Thomas said investigators also found several guns in the area where Ratliff’s body was found and authorities are treating the death as a homicide until the investigation proves otherwise.
According to a report by Lake Hartwell Radio, Ratliff’s body was transported to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in Atlanta where an autopsy will be performed. The GBI is assisting local authorities with the investigation.
Records of the business’s annual registration indicate that Ratliff and Kyle Lamar Myers, aka FPSRussia, are both registered agents for FPS Industries Global, LLC. The business was registered Jan. 9, 2012, however the very successful Youtube channel, which has more than 500 million views and more than 1 million subscribers, has been online since August 2010.
Kitty Wandel, a manager and producer at FPS Industires, told Guns.com that Ratliff, besides being a partner in the company, is credited with finding hard-to-find weapons for the show, and, according to his LinkedIn profile, he did social media marketing, content production and internet consulting.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Department has not revealed any new information since the the local report, however, there are many unconfirmed rumors concerning Ratliff’s death circulating online.
