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

[Satchie]

Any word from Amanda's side of the family?
Her father is also a minister?

First Baptist Church of Elkford.

Statement on their facebook: "Amanda Grace Blackburn has entered the presence of her Lord and Savior. Please be in prayer for her family as they grieve this great loss."

A heartfelt, dignified message. No mention of 'good things will come of this".

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I know I'm cynical but I thought Davey's statement was a little creepy. My husband and I are Christians too but I can't imagine if something happened to him or me, either of us stating, ' As deeply as I am hurting I am hopeful and confident that good things will come of this.'

I think most everyone hopes that out of bad some good will come. I have seen that said often by many who have suffered tragedies. I suppose it means they hope that the good will overcome evil.

 

[ms_x_to_the_m]

The reporter says he can hear the crime scene technicians in the home using electric saws. Wonder why the use of saws.

Bullets in the wall!

 

[passionflower]

Is this section of town a high crime rate?
INDY is such a huge city.
Around allot of addicts?
Did the church help addicts?
Could it be someone who is covering up another crime?
I was thinking of the singer Selena and her manager killed her because she had stolen money and was going to be fired.
Did someone hate the minister so much to hurt him?

 

[Sparky]

MOD ALERT

Hey Folks,

Mr. Blackburn is a victim here also, as is the family. Please don't post his SM posts here or any of the families.

Tread very lightly when discussing Mr. Blackburn, he hasn't been named a POI/Suspect.

:tyou:

 

[TeaTime]

When I saw the photo of Amanda holding her baby boy and the pure joy on his face, I cried. Will he ever feel that joy again? No, he will not. Look at the photos, he is all about his mommy. Now, he is without her and no one can help him understand why she is gone. He is just a baby and his innocent light has been snuffed out.

I suspect that we will find that this murder was committed by a burglar who killed for a few trinkets.

The husband is a pastor and is the person most folks go to when grieving and questioning such a senseless loss due to evil. He could not write a message about depths of depression and how his life and that of his baby boy will never be the same, how he doesn't know how he will survive this loss or that he has lost all hope in humanity and seeks revenge. His message has to be that of Faith, Hope and Trust.

When someone you love deeply dies unexpectedly and suddenly, it hurts to say their name aloud, hear their name or speak about or listen about them. It did for me and doing any of this was unbearable for months. I think this may explain why he didn't wax romantically about his wife or unborn child. I think it is just too painful for him and he is processing it in tiny bits at a time.

 

[sumbunny]

I hope the husband isn't involved either. For some reason, I think she was targeted by a woman who was jealous as Amanda was killed days after telling the congregation that they were pregnant again.

ETA: LE seems to think this was a random home invasion? so my thoughts are way off.

ITA... jealous church attendee...

 

[Sulamith]

Is this section of town a high crime rate?
INDY is such a huge city.
Around allot of addicts?
Did the church help addicts?
Could it be someone who is covering up another crime?
I was thinking of the singer Selena and her manager killed her because she had stolen money and was going to be fired.
Did someone hate the minister so much to hurt him?

I took a look at the Resonate Church's website. The church is meeting at Northview Middle School, so the church does not have a building yet, looks like the church was just trying to find souls/members. Could not find any outreach for addicts, but the members chalk-tagged #Forindy around their area. That was helpful.

http://resonateindianapolis.com/for-indy/

 

[Indy Anna]

Comments by neighbors give the impression that the Blackburns were sociable in their neighborhood and well liked.

I had been thinking early on the possibility that the perp is someone in the neighborhood, familiar with neighbors' routines. In an article posted here a few pages back, there were some comments that caught my attention, primarily:

Harris said, “My neighbor told me. I didn’t know who it was and then he showed me a picture of her. I said, ‘Oh man! I just talked to her about two weeks ago in the neighborhood walking.’ I said, ‘Oh man! Really?!’ I was just shocked. And he said, ‘Yeah, she got shot in the back of the head.'” Harris also said, “I’m very, very heartbroken.”

BBM
When did LE announce that she'd been shot in the back of the head? I didn't read that until today, so I had assumed she was shot in the front of the head as she faced the intruder. Harris (a neighbor) would have heard about a murder in his neighborhood on the news last night at the latest. But, before he had a chance to hear about it on the news, he learned about the shooting from another neighbor who stated the victim had been shot in the back of the head. So, when was that detail released to the public?

Also this:

“Some neighbors discussed some new information that they may have witnessed and seen over the course of the time,” he said.

And:

They were back at the home on Wednesday night to wrap up their investigation, but IMPD said they’re not restricting themselves to scene of the crime.

BBM

http://wishtv.com/2015/11/11/flier-circulates-after-woman-killed-in-indy-home/

Also, the comment about AB trying to defend herself. I'm thinking LE may have gotten DNA from underneath AB's fingernails from her struggle with the intruder. I remember reading, too, about suspicious people (plural) in a SUV.

IMO, LE are looking at a trail that leads to a suspect/suspects and I believe they have ties to the neighborhood.

 

[Simon Gotch]

another new article
http://wishtv.com/2015/11/12/impd-looking-for-clues-in-murder-of-pastors-wife/

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department has released very little information in the murder of Amanda Blackburn.


The shooting happen in the 2800 block of Sunnyfield Court.


According to police, an intruder shot the pastor’s wife in the head. Pastor Davey Blackburn and Amanda were married with a toddler son and had another baby on the way.


“No good updates on the Amanda Blackburn case,” said Lt. Richard Riddle to a sea of reporters.


According to sources within IMPD, detectives believe Davey Blackburn’s timeline is accurate. Detectives pulled video from a LA Fitness and found video of Davey working out.


Investigators are trying to determine if a burglary that happened two houses down on the same day and around the same time as Amanda’s attack are connected.


“I know that our detectives are looking at other known burglaries in the area and a burglary that happened earlier that morning,” said Riddle. “I know we’re trying to see if there’s any connection, any tie to those cases that involved the death.”


On Friday IMPD will host a news conference to talk about homicides in the area. The department is also expected to address the latest in the Blackburn murder.


Call Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS (8477), if you have any information in this investigation."

 

[passionflower]

ITA... jealous church attendee...

There was a murder by axe with 2 sunday school teachers, when the mistress found out that the wife was pregnant.................years ago............I wish I could remember the names

 

[clearskies1]

"Police have named no suspects in the murder and mentioned few other details as their investigation continues."

"They have not said why detectives believe the shooting stemmed from a robbery and declined to specify whether anything was taken from the home and whether there were signs of forced entry."

"We cannot discuss specific details of the case as much of the information you asked is only known to the suspect," said Sgt. Kendale Adams, a spokesman for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department."

"More information may be revealed during a 10 a.m. Friday news conference on 2015 Indianapolis homicides."

http://www.indystar.com/story/news/...da-blackburn-dies-being-shot-robber/75637162/

 

[passionflower]

Just maybe there are church haters????

 

[heartfortruth]

There was a murder by axe with 2 sunday school teachers, when the mistress found out that the wife was pregnant.................years ago............I wish I could remember the names

check out the book, "Evidence of Love" mentioned here on Websleuth's ...Candice Montgomery was the name of the woman who murdered her friend as I recall. She was helping in a Vacation Bible school situation on the day of the killing. One of the most fascinating crime stories I ever read. "Candy" actually got off. There is also a movie and I think the name is "Killing in a Small Town" ..with Barbara Hershey...(I think that is her name)

I hope the husband is not involved in this case.

 

[MzOpinion8d]

The time of death was recorded by the hospital, after they turned the machines off, then the heart stops beating (maybe after days) then death is declared.

This is an attended death unlike most murders which are unattended.

My point is, how can the "exact time of death" reveal anything related to the crime itself, when the exact time of death will be after her life support was removed in the hospital? Why is the coroner making a point to mention that as part of the investigation?

 

[caroline]

There was a murder by axe with 2 sunday school teachers, when the mistress found out that the wife was pregnant.................years ago............I wish I could remember the names

Is this it? : http://www.dallasnews.com/news/comm...ow-of-1980-ax-slaying-others-can-t-forget.ece

 

[Sulamith]

There was a murder by axe with 2 sunday school teachers, when the mistress found out that the wife was pregnant.................years ago............I wish I could remember the names

Wylie, Tx. 1980 Candy Montgomery killed Betty Gore with an axe.

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/comm...ow-of-1980-ax-slaying-others-can-t-forget.ece

 

[Indy Anna]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/indianapol...-dies-alleged-home-invasion/story?id=35145807

 

[Cardinal47]

yes, did she usually take the baby somewhere? did she usually work out also? so many unanswered questions. 8 am seems like an odd time.JMOO

The 5am break in down the street bothers me too. Who knew nobody was home there? A neighbor perhaps??? Who knew the husband was at the gym?

Also somebody was a good shot. Right in the head according to an above post. Sounds like somebody with some firearms training.

 

[DexterMorgan]

If she was shot in the head and still breathing; Then it's somewhat safe to say that she was shot maybe 30 minutes or so before being found. Now only a doctor would have a better guess on how long she could have survived after the shot and before making it to the hospital. <modsnip> But usually a head shot could be instant. But people have survived them before.