Jimmy Keene

James Keene is an American author, writer, executive film producer, and businessman.

He has written three novels about his experience and his life. In 2022, he released his second book, Black Bird: One Man's Freedom Hides in Another Man's Darkness. It was adapted into the Apple TV+ series Black Bird in 2022, on which he acted as executive producer.

Early life
Keene was born on New Year's Eve in Kankakee, Illinois, an exurb of Chicago, to James “Big Jim” Keene and Lynn Keene. Big Jim was a decorated police officer, and Lynn Keene owned a restaurant.

Keene attended Kankakee Eastridge High School and then Triton College, where he played football and wrestled and was team captain in both sports. Keene was also a standout lettering in track and field. He ended up at the University of Arizona where he earned another degree.

Keene became involved in the marijuana business as a teenager. He was charged in 1996 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on a conspiracy charge. Prior to his sentencing, Keene refused and declined any cooperating deals that would require him to act as an informant against anyone. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

FBI operative
Keene was a former operative for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who worked to gather incriminating evidence on suspected serial killer Larry Hall. Approximately seven months into Keene’s sentence, the FBI and U.S. Attorney Beaumont approached him with an arrangement that would allow Keene to regain his freedom and have a fresh start with a clean record.

The redemptive plan involved him being recruited and working as a post-trial FBI operative that would transfer to the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners (MCFP). Keene was tasked with befriending Larry Hall, a man suspected of raping and murdering dozens of young women between 1980 and 1994. Law enforcement had only found the remains of one of Hall's victims, 15-year-old Jessica Roach. Hall confessed to the murder, but prosecutors lacked strong physical evidence for the case. After Hall retracted his confession and his attorneys filed an appeal, the FBI feared Hall's possible release was imminent. However, if Keene succeeded in obtaining new incriminating evidence about Hall while in MCFP, the U.S. Attorney and FBI agreed to end Keene's sentence and completely expunge his record.

Keene’s FBI contacts arranged a secret cover for Keene, who then successfully transferred to the MCFP and earned Hall’s trust. Hall admitted to specific details about many of his crimes and murders in graphic details to Keene that no one but the killer could have known. On one occasion, Keene witnessed Hall with a map that appeared to show the locations of his victims’ remains, and Keene reported the information to his FBI contacts.

The U.S. Attorney and FBI rewarded Keene’s efforts in 1996 with early release and a completely clean record. Based on the new evidence Keene uncovered, Larry Hall's appeal was denied. Hall remains in prison and has confessed to over twenty murders during his incarceration. He is serving a life sentence without parole in Butner, North Carolina.

Apple series
In 2008 Paramount Motion Pictures, alongside GK-Films, purchased Keene's story and life rights to make a feature motion picture film at Paramount. Brad Pitt was attached to play the lead role as James "Jimmy" Keene, and Pitt’s production company Plan B was set to produce alongside Paramount and GK-Films. Apple TV eventually purchased Keene's story and life rights from Paramount for the miniseries Black Bird with Taron Egerton as Keene and Paul Walter Hauser as the serial killer Larry Hall.

In 2022, Apple TV+ released Black Bird. Keene was executive producer on the project and had a cameo appearance in the final episode. Black Bird was nominated for three Golden Globe awards at the 80th Golden Globes Awards. Black Bird was nominated for Best Limited Anthology series or Limited Movie Series or Television Film series as well as Best Actor in a limited movie series (Taron Egerton).

In 2023, Apple TV's Black Bird was nominated for two critic's choice awards. The critic's choice award was won by Paul Walter Hauser.

On July 12, 2023, the nominations for the 75th Emmys were announced. Apple TV's Black Bird received four Emmy nominations.

On January 15, 2024, at the 75th Emmy awards Apple TV's Black Bird won two Emmys.

Books
In 2010, Keene released an autobiographical account of his time working as an FBI operative helping to secure the conviction of serial killer Larry Hall. His book is titled In with the Devil: A Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption. In 2022, James Keene released his second book titled Black Bird: One Man's Freedom Hides in Another Man's Darkness. In 2023, James Keene released his third book, titled The Chicago Phoenix: Jimmy Keene's Untold Story, which is the follow-up to Black Bird and relates to Keene's early years in Chicago and gives further details about his unique FBI life and the surrounding events in MCFP and where his life has taken him to today.