A St. Augustine man arrested last week for posting a graphic and threatening image of two county commissioners was once the subject of a national documentary on the struggles of combat veterans returning from war.
Nathan James Keyes, now 44, is facing two felony charges after investigators say he posted an image to the Blue Sky account “Atheist Pizza News” on May 31, 2025.
The image showed St. Johns County Commissioners Ann Taylor and Krista Joseph being violently attacked—one with a sword through her head, the other with an axe—accompanied by the caption: “Totally torched by the pro komando mob, totally epic defeat.”
Officials say the post constitutes a threat of bodily harm against public servants. The “komando” reference alludes to County Attorney Rich Komando, whose appointment the two commissioners opposed.
Through digital tracking and subpoenas, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office linked the post to a phone number belonging to Keyes.
When deputies arrived at his home on Oct. 9, Keyes initially denied making the post but acknowledged recognizing the commissioners.
Investigators say that when they called the number associated with the post, a device in Keyes’ possession rang, confirming its connection.
Deputies later obtained a search warrant for the phone. As they returned to seize it, Keyes briefly fled to the backyard and allegedly attempted to hide the phone under a piece of wood outside—a move authorities say was intended to prevent evidence collection.
He was arrested and charged with corruption by threat against a public servant and tampering with physical evidence, both felonies. His bond was set at $7,500, according to court records.
This is not Keyes’ first encounter with the criminal justice system—or the public spotlight.
In 2009, he was featured in the documentary series “In Their Boots”in an episode titled “From War to Prison.”
The film chronicled how Keyes, a former Army specialist, returned from his second tour in Iraq a different man—withdrawn, angry, drinking heavily and suffering from severe PTSD.
“He had this awesome sense of humor. That was gone,” his mother, Jamie Keyes, told First Coast News back in 2010. “We got a suffering veteran here who never got the treatment he needed.”
The documentary followed Keyes after a 2008 incident in St. Augustine, when he was arrested for discharging a firearm during a road rage incident.
While the official report claimed he fired at another driver, his mother said he experienced a PTSD flashback and fired warning shots into the air, according to First Coast News.
Keyes served prison time for that incident and later underwent psychiatric care.
His Blue Sky account, renamed Atheist Left News, features posts critical of President Donald Trump and what he described as the nation’s “broken political system.”
