IN - Amanda Blackburn, 28, pregnant, murdered, Indianapolis, 10 Nov 2015 - #1

[al66pine]

Davey Blackburn, Amanda's husband, issued the following statement:

"It’s impossible to communicate all the emotions my heart has been forced to process. My wife was such a beautiful, gracious, loving woman of God. I have not only lost my ministry partner and support but also my very best friend. There is no way to prepare yourself for circumstances like these. As deeply as I am hurting I am hopeful and confident that good things will come of this. I rest in the truth of Romans 8:28 that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose."
"Thank you for understanding my desire to take these next few days to continue to grieve for Amanda Grace. My focus right now is to let The Lord minister to my heart as I continue to shepherd little Weston’s. I’ll be taking this time to focus on being a great follower of Jesus, dad, family member, and pastor to our growing church."
"Amanda made it her life’s calling to love and serve everyone she knew. Even more, she has made it her life’s mission to see as many people as possible come to know Jesus as their personal Savior. I know that in her death and legacy even more people will come to a saving faith in Christ. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt her desire for me would be to continue what we’ve started here in Indy. I hold firm to the belief that God is still good, that He takes our tragedy and turns it into triumph, and that the best truly is yet to come."

from Nov 11, http://fox59.com/2015/11/11/indy-pa...-home-invasion-is-being-kept-on-a-ventilator/
​

 

[al66pine]

Sad, sad, sad for this to happen to someone so young.
http://resonateindianapolis.com/our-story/ Website for church where husband is (the only?) pastor.
"Give" tab, then choices = tithe, certain scholarship, & (presumably new?) "Blackburn Family Support Fund."

Does it seem unusual (instead of other 'giving' websites)?

Very sad.

 

[T4Tide]

Davey is from Tuscaloosa. I do not know him, but we have several mutual FB friends in common. They are all very upset.

 

[Fairy1]

RIP Amanda.

 

[pappa rob]

“A role model for everyday life,” church family remembers pastor’s wife shot in home invasion.
RIP Amanda, you'll be missed.

http://fox59.com/2015/11/12/a-role-...remembers-pastors-wife-shot-in-home-invasion/

 

[BrownRice]

The message from the husband was so loving and seemingly heartfelt. I am really thinking he is not involved.

It could be similar to the case last week where the young NC mother was breastfeeding her baby and somebody broke in and she shot him. I believe that was in the morning too.

 

[trigger]

I would like to hear the 911 call.

RIP Amanda

 

[TTF14]

Was anything taken from the home?

I'm not seeing anything "off" on the church's FB page or their website like some posters here are saying.....

 

[Simon Gotch]

Was anything taken from the home?

I'm not seeing anything "off" on the church's FB page or their website like some posters here are saying.....

I dont know..the church's statements on their facebook page mimmick the husband's words in his statement.
Just the way the wording seemed odd, but i'm not an overly religious person..so I don't know. I also read the facebook posts before the husbands statement was released, so maybe thats why i felt what they said was weird.

This was their first post 21 hours ago on their page.
"Extremely heavy hearts today. Our Pastor's wife Amanda Blackburn passed away this morning. Please pray for the Blackburn and Byars family during this difficult time. Although we are hurting tremendously, we are still hoping and believing that great things are still yet to come from this! "Although we don't know what to do, our eyes are on you".

And then 21 hours ago
"Yesterday, our pastor Davey Blackburn came home from the gym to discover someone had broken into his home and his wife Amanda had suffered a gunshot wound. She was immediately rushed to the hospital where she later died from these injuries.
Please join us in prayer for our pastor, his son Weston and their entire family during these hard days ahead. We have extremely heavy hearts and although we are hurting tremendously, we are still hoping and believing that great things are still yet to come".

 

[TTF14]

My personal opinion is that the "best is yet to come" statements are about the church and growing the church, God working even in this situation to grow the church/ministry.

 

[Sulamith]

My personal opinion is that the "best is yet to come" statements are about the church and growing the church, God working even in this situation to grow the church/ministry.

That is exactly what I thought.

 

[Granna6]

This is a tough one. I know the husband is always #1 suspect unless and until ruled out. I actually listened to the audio of the couple's question & answer session recorded just weeks ago at their church (available on the church site). Eerie, to say the least. Was thinking to myself, "No way did he have anything to do with this," although I'm aware of some awful, ghastly stuff that seemingly upstanding ministers have been involved in--totally unbeknownst to the church members. Obvious questions come to mind: How far away is gym? How long did he work out & was it his typical routine? How long of a window did someone have to come in and murder this woman? His/her timing would've had to be very precise. Hope the cameras reveal something.

 

[SurfieTX]

This is a tough one. I know the husband is always #1 suspect unless and until ruled out. I actually listened to the audio of the couple's question & answer session recorded just weeks ago at their church (available on the church site). Eerie, to say the least. Was thinking to myself, "No way did he have anything to do with this," although I'm aware of some awful, ghastly stuff that seemingly upstanding ministers have been involved in--totally unbeknownst to the church members. Obvious questions come to mind: How far away is gym? How long did he work out & was it his typical routine? How long of a window did someone have to come in and murder this woman? His/her timing would've had to be very precise. Hope the cameras reveal something.

If you look at the picture on her Facebook page of them holding the baby, he has some pretty muscular arms. I'm guessing he probably went to the gym daily and probably for about an hour or more (that's my DH's routine and he also goes in the morning).

 

[taniquis]

The "hinky" things that lots of posters are saying are setting off alarms to me are not alarming at all. They are normal for Christ following, Bible believing churches. But I can see how they would seem odd if you aren't familiar with or believe these things.

That being said, statistics are that it was probably the husband. Hoping this is not the case! Praying for DB, his son, their families and their church family. Also praying for the perpetrator(s) that justice will be swift for Amanda.

 

[Granna6]

If you look at the picture on her Facebook page of them holding the baby, he has some pretty muscular arms. I'm guessing he probably went to the gym daily and probably for about an hour or more (that's my DH's routine and he also goes in the morning).

Yes, I was thinking that an hour workout sounds about right for someone his age and appearance. Even if gym 30 minutes away, that probably leaves a maximum of 2 hours for this terrible deed to have been accomplished. (But most likely gym is closer.) If he got home at 8:30, then he may have left house around 7 or earlier. Odd time for burglars to be out and about, but if someone had watched their routine, maybe not.

 

[AnaTeresa]

Yes, I was thinking that an hour workout sounds about right for someone his age and appearance. Even if gym 30 minutes away, that probably leaves a maximum of 2 hours for this terrible deed to have been accomplished. (But most likely gym is closer.) If he got home at 8:30, then he may have left house around 7 or earlier. Odd time for burglars to be out and about, but if someone had watched their routine, maybe not.

Not necessarily - sometimes it's a crime of impulse. My boyfriend had his garage burgled at seven in the morning during the summer time when it was light out. Walked back to the house to grab his forgotten lunch and when he got back, two thieves were at it. Luckily, they weren't armed, but it was in a decent area of town. Totally unexpected and shook him up. He put the house up for sale right after that because he was concerned with me being home alone if someone was that brazen during the day.

Likewise, in my parents' suburban neighborhood, a man tried to grab a jogger along a busy road in front of plenty of witnesses, again around seven in the morning when it was light out.

You just never know with these things.

 

[Peppery]

I too think the time of incident is odd. Especially if someone watched their routines. It's likely that the husband would leave for the day after breakfast and that Amanda would be in and out with the baby. If someone was watching, why not wait until both were gone to break in? Why do it at a time when the majority of people are waking and getting ready for their day if they just wanted to rob them?


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[Simon Gotch]

Another new indystar article
http://www.indystar.com/story/news/...ured-morning-shooting-northwestside/75254320/

Of note, interesting tidbit at the very end of the article that I have not read anywhere else


"The case began when IMPD officers were dispatched to a home in the 2800 block of Sunnyfield Court to assist Indianapolis Fire Department crews after it was determined a woman at the residence had been assaulted. Arriving officers found the unresponsive woman inside the home with "apparent signs of trauma," police said. However, according to an IMPD report, the "woman was shot." Emergency medical personnel then transported Blackburn to IU Health Methodist Hospital. A burglary was reported at a home on the same block three hours before Amanda Blackburn was found. Investigators said there's nothing at this time to indicate that the two crimes are related".

 

[Granna6]

Another new indystar article
http://www.indystar.com/story/news/...ured-morning-shooting-northwestside/75254320/

Of note, interesting tidbit at the very end of the article that I have not read anywhere else


"The case began when IMPD officers were dispatched to a home in the 2800 block of Sunnyfield Court to assist Indianapolis Fire Department crews after it was determined a woman at the residence had been assaulted. Arriving officers found the unresponsive woman inside the home with "apparent signs of trauma," police said. However, according to an IMPD report, the "woman was shot." Emergency medical personnel then transported Blackburn to IU Health Methodist Hospital. A burglary was reported at a home on the same block three hours before Amanda Blackburn was found. Investigators said there's nothing at this time to indicate that the two crimes are related".

I wonder how they determined so quickly that they were unrelated.

 

[Lilibet]

I wonder if anyone has ever done a study that shows statistically the likelihood that "the husband/boyfriend did it." That's always my first thought too, and I feel terrible when it turns out the poor man is innocent.

For example, although I came in late to the Whitney Heichel murder, after they found her, I expect every word her husband Clint said was analyzed. It turned out to be their neighbor, someone they knew casually in their congregation. Whitney had no reason to distrust him. I wonder if Amanda's killer is someone she knew from their church...someone she would open the door to (assuming there is no evidence of a break-in). Whitney was very pretty and her killer was obsessed. Could this have happened to Amanda?