Nearly three years ago, Keith Ratliff, a firearms expert and manager of a popular YouTube channel, was found fatally shot at his Franklin County business.
There were no signs of forced entry or struggle at FPS Industries Global LLC in Carnesville after Ratliff’s body was discovered on Jan. 3, 2013, leaving the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to believe Ratliff was killed by someone he trusted, agency spokesman Nelly Miles said. An employee found the 32-year-old father of three dead in his office, with a single bullet to the head.
The GBI is seeking the public’s help in finding Ratliff’s killer. Surveillance equipment and firearms were among the items stolen during the crime. Carnesville is nearly two hours northeast of Atlanta.
According to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article at the time of his death, Ratliff and FPS Industries Global had recently received a permit from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives designating the company as “manufacturer of destructive devices.”
Ratliff also helped create a popular series of firearm videos on Youtube called "FPSRussia," and his death attracted international attention, Miles said in an email. In one video, Ratliff demonstrates "the top three weapons to survive the apocalypse," while giving practical advice in the killing power of AK-47s and Remington shotguns and sniper rifles in his chatty Russian accent.
The video has had more than 12 million views and nearly 300,000 YouTube likes.
“There were several videos posted on the channel, most of them showcasing weapons,” Miles said. “FPSRussia had millions of followers.”
The GBI warns that Ratliff’s killer poses a threat to anyone who might know him or her, Miles said. If anyone has any information relating to this case, call the GBI Athens office at 706-552-2309 or the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office at 706-384-2525.
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