IN - Amanda Blackburn, 28, pregnant, murdered, Indianapolis, 10 Nov 2015 - #3

[Truth Seeker]

They say there is no dumb question so here goes.

I always thought Davey and Amanda came from the same religious roots.

Now I think Amanda was Baptist with her father a Baptist Minister.

What was Davey's roots? Is his father also a Baptist Minister.

Did Davey and Amanda start their own church under Perry and quite a different from what they grew up with?

I am not familiar with any of these churches so thank you to anybody with an easy to understand explanation. TIA

Davey and Amanda Blackburn moved to Indianapolis in January of 2012 with a dream and a calling to start a life-giving church that would connect with people who normally wouldn’t connect with church. Resonate’s vision is to connect people to life-change and see a contagious movement of God spread throughout Indianapolis.

Davey spent 4 years on staff at NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC under Pastor Perry Noble.
Davey served as a Youth Pastor, Production Director, and Associate Campus Pastor before NewSpring helped Resonate plant in 2012.

Davey Blackburn is from Tuscaloosa and attended Tuscaloosa County High School before moving to Shades Valley High School while his father was pastor at Brookview Wesleyan Church in Birmingham. Davey and Amanda Blackburn married in 2008 and moved to Indianapolis in 2012 to start the Resonate Church.

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/11/images_show_suspect_in_home_in.html

 

[oceanblueeyes]

Does it seem odd to anyone that the gun found two blocks away hasn't yet been determined to be "stolen" or not ? and who it might be registered to ?

I would think you could determine that quickly. (I would hope)

Have they come out lately to comment either way since the finding of the gun?

Who knows, but if stolen the serial number was most likely filed off which usually is what happens. If they have no identifying markers then the gun issue may never be known. A gun is a gun without IDs. And the one who said they found it, and I am still not sure their story is true, but they would most likely have destroyed any fingerprints on the gun by handling it themselves.

As far as being able to link it to Amanda's murder they would first have to have the bullet which the ME would have taken out at the time of autopsy and bagged as evidence. Or she may have suffered an entrance wound but she may have also had an exit wound. If so, LE should be able to find the bullet in the location where she was shot. However; it all depends on the condition of the spent bullet. It may have had a lot of damage either from hitting bone in her skull cavity or if it exited out and hit a wall somewhere. etc.

They would be able to determine which caliber gun in general would take this kind of ammo. If the bullet was found and in pretty good condition then they would try to match the 'found gun' with the bullet they have. They do this by test firing bullets through the stolen or found gun. Each gun has its own identifying profile which will match up to the striations made on the bullet as it is fired leaving the barrel of the gun. No two guns are the same and this is how the experts determine a certain weapon was used in a specific crime. This takes time to do though. Labs are still backed up and are still experiencing severe cutbacks on funds and personnel.

Personally, I don't expect LE to come out and tell the public anything one way or the other. They may link it to another crime that has no relevancy to this one. It is really hard to trace weapons when they have been obtained illegally by a ex-felon and most criminals who use firearms do have lengthy criminal histories. They change hands so often and are bought illegally on the streets or from other gang members or even gun runners who are now selling them illegally in our country. That is why so many gang members have weapons. Imo, very little to none obtain their weapons legally leaving a paper trail.

I dont think the gun which was found is tied to Amanda's case. Iirc, a source said it was the wrong caliber of gun. And they already know all about how some bullets can be interchangable and used in different weapons. So imo, this one doesnt fit those criterias.

IMO

 

[MaxManning]

Also keep in mind, they ARE releasing information that fits that burglary narrative.

Bank cards were used.
Surveillance of a guy in a hoodie
Potential burglaries being connected
Suv speeding away
Eyewitnesses seeing guy in hoodie -- matching burglaries.

So... wouldn't a STOLEN gun, fit that narrative as well ?


However a REGISTERED gun, not STOLEN -- belonging to blackburns. forces a firestorm of questions you don't want. Not something you want to do until you have located the guy who used the gun. right ?


so, seems highly plausible to me. imo - and I can be very wrong!

 

[FlyerFan28]

Sadly the crime rate in Indy has gotten worse in recent years. Shootings seem to be a daily thing. IUPUI (worked and went to school there) is surrounded by scary crime pockets; so a shooting isn't that weird except that it was on campus.

 

[Hoosgirl]

http://wthitv.com/2015/11/21/sister-of-man-questioned-in-blackburn-murder-says-he-was-not-involved/

"INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Sophia Burks invited WISH-TV into her home and showed crews her couch.

On the night of Nov. 9, Burks said that her 21-year-old brother Jalen Watson slept on that couch, and that he didn’t leave until after 10 the next morning.

“He was there when I got up,” said Burks."

(Snip)

"Also on Friday, the South Carolina church that Davey Blackburn was a pastor at issued an update on his condition:

Davey and Weston are spending a little time here in South Carolina with friends and family as they are still grieving and processing the loss of Amanda. As a church, we are walking with through this hard time with Davey and we’re trying our best to be here for he and Weston as Davey figures out what is next for his family."

 

[MsMarple]

I think it's like everything else in this case. Meaning, very little of what is known is actually being released.

FWIW, the only other case I'm familiar with that was worked by IMPD is Delano Wilson (totally different kind of case - Delano is a missing infant). IMPD released very little information over a 6 month period. A couple of days after family complained that LE wasn't doing anything - wham! arrest. The probable cause affidavit was released and it turned out that IMPD was on top of things right from the get go.

I don't know if that is the standard MO of IMPD but I'm confident that they are also on top of this case. I'm confident it will be solved.

 

[MaxManning]

Have they come out to comment either way since the finding of the gun?

Who knows, but if stolen the serial number was mostly filed off which usually is what happens. If they have no identifying markers then the gun issue may be never be known. A gun is a gun without IDs. And the one who said they found it, and I am still not sure their story is true, but they would most likely have destroyed any fingerprints on the gun by handling it themselves.


IMO

If the gun is the blackburns, then there is no need to have fingerprints on the gun from the perp if you can identify that he was in the house and in the suv - which supposedly is being checked for dna/fingerprints.

If fingerprints from suv and house match, and leads to a perp... There is no need for fingerprints on the gun or ballistics or anything to tie it to the crime scene or the perp.

but... until ducks are in a row, saying it was stolen when it was not, is a lie.
If it is stolen, saying it's stolen adds to the narrative you are giving the public. - thus my questioning why it'd take so long to say this and strengthen case
but saying it's blackburn's gun. whole lot of reasons to hold this info close until you find the perp.



So again, my point is they ARE releasing information that fits the narrative quite liberally. Stolen gun fits that narrative.

so it makes me ponder why it'd take so damn long to verify that and say - hey, this was a stolen gun, we don't know if it is THE gun, but it fits our profile.

Isn't all the other evidence they are floating in that same category ? They released a video that maybe was completely unrelated, but fit the burglary narrative - 10 miles away. Alot of question if it's related or not. right ?

 

[bluesneakers]

Sadly the crime rate in Indy has gotten worse in recent years. Shootings seem to be a daily thing. IUPUI (worked and went to school there) is surrounded by scary crime pockets; so a shooting isn't that weird except that it was on campus.

I noticed this while reading Indy news Facebook pages and websites. I had no idea.

 

[bessie]

Have they come out lately to comment either way since the finding of the gun?

Who knows, but if stolen the serial number was most likely filed off which usually is what happens. If they have no identifying markers then the gun issue may never be known. A gun is a gun without IDs. And the one who said they found it, and I am still not sure their story is true, but they would most likely have destroyed any fingerprints on the gun by handling it themselves.

As far as being able to link it to Amanda's murder they would first have to have the bullet which the ME would have taken out at the time of autopsy and bagged as evidence. Or she may have suffered an entrance wound but she may have also had an exit wound. If so, LE should be able to find the bullet in the location where she was shot. However; it all depends on the condition of the spent bullet. It may have had a lot of damage either from hitting bone in her skull cavity or if it exited out and hit a wall somewhere. etc.

They would be able to determine which caliber gun in general would take this kind of ammo. If the bullet was found and in pretty good condition then they would try to match the 'found gun' with the bullet they have. They do this by test firing bullets through the stolen or found gun. Each gun has its own identifying profile which will match up to the striations made on the bullet as it is fired leaving the barrel of the gun. No two guns are the same and this is how the experts determine a certain weapon was used in a specific crime. This takes time to do though. Labs are still backed up and are still experiencing severe cutbacks on funds and personnel.

Personally, I don't expect LE to come out and tell the public anything one way or the other. They may link it to another crime that has no relevancy to this one. It is really hard to trace weapons when they have been obtained illegally by a ex-felon and most criminals who use firearms do have lengthy criminal histories. They change hands so often and are bought illegally on the streets or from other gang members or even gun runners who are now selling them illegally in our country. That is why so many gang members have weapons. Imo, very little to none obtain their weapons legally leaving a paper trail.

I dont think the gun which was found is tied to Amanda's case. Iirc, a source said it was the wrong caliber of gun. And they already know all about how some bullets can be interchangable and used in different weapons. So imo, this one doesnt fit those criterias.

IMO

I'm skeptical about the gun, myself. People talk about circumstances that seem odd, well imo, a gun turned into a fire station seven miles from the site it allegedly was found, when the finder knew a murder had occurred nearby recently, is about as far out as it gets. I'll be quite interested to see how that turns out. BTW, there's a forensic technique where SN's can sometimes be retrieved using acid.

 

[MaxManning]

I think it's like everything else in this case. Meaning, very little of what is known is actually being released.

See, people keep saying this. But they ARE releasing information that fits their narrative.

The things that most people want to know are irrelevant in LE eyes. You want to see all this other evidence to rule in/out your theories, I get it.

But they ARE releasing details to support their narrative. Even the fact that a gun was found 2 blocks away. So saying STOLEN, fits the narrative as well.


So, i get what you mean, but if you look at what you know and analyze that, you see that they ARE giving you evidence, it just doesn't allow you to speculate other theories.

That is why not noting something simple that can strengthen your narrative is odd to me.

 

[Ontario Mom]

http://wthitv.com/2015/11/21/sister-of-man-questioned-in-blackburn-murder-says-he-was-not-involved/

"INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Sophia Burks invited WISH-TV into her home and showed crews her couch.

On the night of Nov. 9, Burks said that her 21-year-old brother Jalen Watson slept on that couch, and that he didn’t leave until after 10 the next morning.

“He was there when I got up,” said Burks."

"He has no involvement with it whatsoever, he is not that type of person,” said Burks"

While he hasn't been charged with anything yet connecting him to this case, my heart always goes out to the family members who say this only to find out later, yes, they WERE that type of person. I'd probably say the same thing too, if someone I know and love was connected to something so heinous. It has to be a brutally hard thing to wrap your head around.

 

[MaxManning]

I'm skeptical about the gun, myself. People talk about circumstances that seem odd, well imo, a gun turned into a fire station seven miles from the site it allegedly was found, when the finder knew a murder had occurred nearby recently, is about as far out as it gets. I'll be quite interested to see how that turns out. BTW, there's a forensic technique where SN's can sometimes be retrieved using acid.

Yes, that's a very good point there. I think there is reason to be skeptical about that.

But, if we can assume that the found location is true for a moment, then what I am saying is very plausible.

There is no need for acid or anything if it's the blackburn's gun. They'll have a gun that fits in the case at the house, haha.

But determining if it's stolen ??? if the registration is burned off , that's as equally consistent with the narrative as a burglary as a confirmed STOLEN gun. would you agree ? so that part to me is moot.

 

[Ontario Mom]

I'm troubled by the 2 arrests they've made on "unrelated" charges. The one hasn't been named but the other has, and has zero prior history with either gun-related crimes or sexual assault. Of course there's always a first time for those that do this kind of thing but let's assume for a moment, the NAMED guy, isn't the guy we should be looking at - or isn't the guy LE is looking at. We know nothing of the other one (unless folks are digging around on SM and found out, because people LOVE to talk) so we know nothing of his prior criminal history.

The other part I'm having trouble with is the earlier reports that they (LE) have video of the burglars inside the other house. I know I've seen that video, but for the life of me I can't locate it now. At least some are wearing hoodies, and one is holding what looks like a woman's tote bag or very large purse. I suppose LE has better footage (and more of it) but there's no way you can make out faces in that video (at least the part that's been made public).

Can someone link me to that video/article again, if you have it handy?

 

[oceanblueeyes]

Also keep in mind, they ARE releasing information that fits that burglary narrative.

Bank cards were used.
Surveillance of a guy in a hoodie
Potential burglaries being connected
Suv speeding away
Eyewitnesses seeing guy in hoodie -- matching burglaries.

So... wouldn't a STOLEN gun, fit that narrative as well ?


However a REGISTERED gun, not STOLEN -- belonging to blackburns. forces a firestorm of questions you don't want. Not something you want to do until you have located the guy who used the gun. right ?


so, seems highly plausible to me. imo - and I can be very wrong!

Since the police do absolutely believe this was a home invasion/robbery turned deadly I don't think there will be any firestorm about any of this case.

Sadly, in the end, I believe it will be very similar to other victims we have read about here and discussed for many years now We have seen complete strangers invade someone's private homes and do horrific things to all of those inside even with victims being torture/raped/bludgeoned/stabbed, and murdered in overkill ways. No one group was immune. It has happened to adults, both men and women, and its happened to defenseless children both male and female. They don't discriminate in their heinousness.

I really don't think any case frightens me anymore than reading about another home invasion that ended so badly for the innocent people inside and even the ones who lived they are also forever changed because their feelings of feeling safe in their own home has vanished and it is a hard thing to overcome. It frightens me more than any other type of case because it can happen to anyone, anywhere, at anytime, and has.

From what I have read I am convinced LE thinks this is gang related. Imo, that is why they said this was not the time to be silent and its common knowledge people are fearful and usually wont snitch on anyone they know is in a gang unless they can do it anonymously. IMO, no criminal invades a home without his/her own weapon never knowing what or who may be waiting for him/her inside. . Whoever this set of criminals turnout to be they will have a lengthy criminal history. This is not their first rodeo and that is why they felt bold enough to do it at the time they did.

But if Amanda and Davey had weapons in their home that would help LE for they more likely than not bought them legally and they would probably have serial numbers which would tremendously helpful to LE in finding the correct gun. I don't believe for one second she was killed with a weapon belonging to either of them though. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't even have weapons in their home because of Weston.

Even if she was shot with a weapon they owned it in no way means PDB was involved in any manner.

That is not going to change all the evidence/footage and other evidence they have collected by now linking the two crime scenes together from her home and the home he struck just two doors down earlier nor all the other evidence about the locations he went afterwards. I believe they are gathering evidence right now and all of it is pointing in one direction only and that is the guy that is seen in the first home and then was on camera on Amanda's porch and any others who may have participated in these crimes.

They may already know what the gun looks like. He made have had it out when he first entered the first home in case someone was inside when he thought they weren't. I think they all come in with a weapon. If no one confronts them or sees them when in the home then they will just steal and won't use it but if they do they will shoot them in a heartbeat or assault them with whatever they have brought into the home as a weapon to protect themselves

IMO.

 

[MaxManning]

I'm skeptical about the gun, myself. People talk about circumstances that seem odd, well imo, a gun turned into a fire station seven miles from the site it allegedly was found, when the finder knew a murder had occurred nearby recently, is about as far out as it gets.

This topic is a very interesting one, and on the surface there is certainly reason to be skeptical.


If the person is lying about where they found it, then what is the motivation ? - I'm curious about that, let me know if you have an answer. Any theories ?


I personally am skeptical, but also think that if someone finds a gun and realizes it's likely been used in a murder, they are going to be like.. wtf - they are going to question me. So they might take it home and think about that. Hell, they might have even gotten home with the gun before they knew anything. I don't know details on when they claim they found the gun, but I can see plausible reasons why they might not immediately turn the gun in and be completely have no other motive than not wanting to be involved/questioned! Was it the resident ?

So, I am kind of puzzled as to what the motive would be to say they found it there, and to go 7 miles away, that is meaningful. Like, someone wanting to implicate owner of a registered gun, might do that ? Well, that again, would fit my narrative of it being the blackburn's gun.

 

[MaxManning]

Since the police do absolutely believe this was a home invasion/robbery turned deadly I don't think there will be any firestorm about any of this case.


IMO.

You don't think that if the police said this gun was the blackburn's gun, that people would not be questioning the husband davey in a firestorm of questions -- without a whole lotta other evidence to explain that.


imo, that's implausible.

 

[MaxManning]

Even if she was shot with a weapon they owned it in no way means PDB was involved in any manner.



IMO.

I was not implying this at all, actually if you check my running theory, it's actually what makes it unlikely he was.

If amanda had the gun initially to protect herself and her baby, and the struggle ended in murder, it was exactly as LE has said - burglary gone bad.

If the gun originated in the house, amanda's prints are on the gun and bullets she loaded, that fully supports the narrative of davey being 100% innocent as police say.

Not saying that to debate davey, but to say that the gun being the blackburn's is maybe the very reason they are positive he's innocent and all the elaborate alternatives are moot.

Again - just a theory I am throwing out there, I have others as well. But to me, given LE's narrative, this seems plausible to me given what we know - and explains so much about exclusion of certain evidence.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I'm troubled by the 2 arrests they've made on "unrelated" charges. The one hasn't been named but the other has, and has zero prior history with either gun-related crimes or sexual assault. Of course there's always a first time for those that do this kind of thing but let's assume for a moment, the NAMED guy, isn't the guy we should be looking at - or isn't the guy LE is looking at. We know nothing of the other one (unless folks are digging around on SM and found out, because people LOVE to talk) so we know nothing of his prior criminal history.

The other part I'm having trouble with is the earlier reports that they (LE) have video of the burglars inside the other house. I know I've seen that video, but for the life of me I can't locate it now. At least some are wearing hoodies, and one is holding what looks like a woman's tote bag or very large purse. I suppose LE has better footage (and more of it) but there's no way you can make out faces in that video (at least the part that's been made public).

Can someone link me to that video/article again, if you have it handy?

BBM

Actually I found that very promising. Lately we have seen several cases where LE seems to be using this same tactic. They will first arrest them on unrelated charges or violations of parole/probation and this gives them ample time to continue investigating the case against them even getting some of the DNA back that may have been fast tracked.

I remember LE did the very same thing in Jesse Mathew and Guy Heinz Jr.'s case. They both were picked up on unrelated charges and then later on murder charges were filed against both of them. Honestly I think it is a great strategy which it seems more LE are using now. Jesse Mathew didn't have much on his record when it came to convictions but he turned out to be a cold blooded murderer who had done this before beyond the several rapes he had done but was never convicted of at the time.

I have never seen the video of this killer when he was seen in the footage inside the first home. I think LE is holding that one close to their vest at this time. I believe the one you are talking about is the other home invasion where the mother and her children were inside but didn't wakeup?

IMO

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I was not implying this at all, actually if you check my running theory, it's actually what makes it unlikely he was.

If amanda had the gun initially to protect herself and her baby, and the struggle ended in murder, it was exactly as LE has said - burglary gone bad.

If the gun originated in the house, amanda's prints are on the gun and bullets she loaded, that fully supports the narrative of davey being 100% innocent as police say.

Not saying that to debate davey, but to say that the gun being the blackburn's is maybe the very reason they are positive he's innocent and all the elaborate alternatives are moot.

Again - just a theory I am throwing out there, I have others as well. But to me, given LE's narrative, this seems plausible to me given what we know - and explains so much about exclusion of certain evidence.

So sorry, Maxie. I should have read further back but my time is limited today.

ITA with everything you have said, and again, I am so sorry for misunderstanding you. I will read more closely next time rather than blindly jumping right into the middle of the pond.

 

[Ontario Mom]

I have never seen the video of this killer when he was seen in the footage inside the first home. I think LE is holding that one close to their vest at this time. I believe the one you are talking about is the other home invasion where the mother and her children were inside but didn't wakeup?

IMO

I think you're probably correct.