A Tampa man has been charged with manslaughter five months after an altercation that ended with the death of locally loved Bay area muralist Matt Callahan.
BN9 said that the suspect, Keith Mauga, is already serving five years for aggravated battery for an attack on another St. Petersburg man. Mauga, 34, was arrested in prison on the manslaughter charge.
R.I.P.
Bay area muralist Matt Callahan dies after altercation
Just after 3 a.m. on April 11, police found Callahan — owner of Man Made Murals (est. 2001) — on a median on Gandy Boulevard. Callahan, 40, was taken to Tampa General Hospital where he was listed in critical condition with bleeding to his brain before being confirmed dead that night. He left behind a wife and 5-year-old son.
In the weeks afterwards, Callahan’s father, Michael, an attorney, sought to hold the man who punched his son accountable.
“I think it’s very, very important for any family member of a child whose been murdered to see that justice is done, and it takes a load off your brain and your mind," Michael Callahan explained. "At the same time, it’s important to the public that people like him are not on the street."
See more of Callahan’s work here, and stay tuned for details on an art show remembering Callahan, which is supposed to happen on December 1 at Coppertail Brewing Company in Ybor City.
