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

[MaxManning]

Googled for multiple burglaries same night :

http://whotv.com/2015/09/18/newton-police-investigating-string-of-burglaries-in-same-neighborhood/

Police Chief Rob Burdess said the three incidents took place during the afternoon on Monday and Tuesday of this week. They were reported in the 300 block of West 9th Street South and the 700 block of South 2nd Avenue.

** meaning two of the burglaries happened at the same basic location, on the same day.



"I'm hearing that they go to the front door, knock and read the bell. If someone answers, they give their pitch, if they don’t answer they try the doors and try to get in," said resident, Gary Parsons.

---- So you see, I'm not saying this is blueprint for every burglary, but it is indeed plausible. The knocking on the door is a means to determine if someone is home. But, if you se someone leave in only car and lights are off -- maybe you assume that the house is not empty.

 

[Sgt. Friday]

I don't know that he was cleared, but I believe he was held on charges "not related to the blackburn case" - parole violation ? maybe using that to keep him there until dna/prints come back from suv and/or house(s) burglarized ? or from the search warrant.

I think your 1 and/or 2 are plausible for sure.I agree but him having access to the credit cards or Atm cards is not going to convict him of murder. Just puts him in the circle of suspects. I hate to say this but this case may be giving law enforcement many difficulties in prosecuting. As I have said before the lack of information to the press indicates to me that they do not have a prosecutionable (if thats a word) case. They have a lot of loose pieces but need to carefully put the puzzle together in order to bring this case before a judge. Remember you only have ONe chance to get this case right otherwise the bad guy walks!

I don't know for sure if he was the one on camera at an atm with the bank card. but boy oh boy if he was and he is tied to burglaries on blackburn st -- doesn't that point to either really dumb or inexperienced burglar ?? i mean, using a bankcard from a murder scene ?!?!? haha -- fits the narrative I was posing that we shouldn't expect that these guys were "smart"

I agree but him having access to the credit cards or Atm cards is not going to convict him of murder. Just puts him in the circle of suspects. I hate to say this but this case may be giving law enforcement many difficulties in prosecuting. As I have said before the lack of information to the press indicates to me that they do not have a prosecutionable (if thats a word) case. They have a lot of loose pieces but need to carefully put the puzzle together in order to bring this case before a judge. Remember you only have ONe chance to get this case right otherwise the bad guy walks!

 

[MaxManning]

Lol. Since anyone involved with the second burglary is looking at a felony murder charge; I truly doubt that the others will ever say that they told him to scout anything. Jmo.

So hoodie guy is on his own. I'm sure they will say that they called it a night and he was 100% on his own and they had no clue that he planned on robbing anyone.

Jmo.

Not really sure how all that works, but I did see posts on the last thread about that scenario. Other than if the driver picks him up to escape, I don't see how they would be linked to that burglary/murder. Unless maybe they can in any way prove they planned to hit the blackburn house. I can't think of anyway that they could prove that definitively unless these guys record their adventures in burglary.

 

[DexterMorgan]

I agree but him having access to the credit cards or Atm cards is not going to convict him of murder. Just puts him in the circle of suspects. I hate to say this but this case may be giving law enforcement many difficulties in prosecuting. As I have said before the lack of information to the press indicates to me that they do not have a prosecutionable (if thats a word) case. They have a lot of loose pieces but need to carefully put the puzzle together in order to bring this case before a judge. Remember you only have ONe chance to get this case right otherwise the bad guy walks!

I think the suv owner knows something. And the cops know it too. Because the cops are still not stating when the suv was stolen or reported stolen and that the owner is cleared.

They never even showed the suv. Wow.

This a murder investigation but they don't show a supposed get away or dropp off car. Come on.

 

[MaxManning]

I agree but him having access to the credit cards or Atm cards is not going to convict him of murder. Just puts him in the circle of suspects. I hate to say this but this case may be giving law enforcement many difficulties in prosecuting. As I have said before the lack of information to the press indicates to me that they do not have a prosecutionable (if thats a word) case. They have a lot of loose pieces but need to carefully put the puzzle together in order to bring this case before a judge. Remember you only have ONe chance to get this case right otherwise the bad guy walks!

I actually am beginning to think that they have all the evidence they need, but it all means nothing until they find the perpetrator. If the guy wasn't already in the system with prints/dna, finding him will be alot of work. My assumption is that he is a young guy, and inexperienced ?

If he is not in the system already, you are relying on someone who knows him snitching ? If one of the other guys IS in the system with DNA and Fingerprints, and there is a hit on one of those in the suv. Those guys might be motivated to flip ? maybe... if they are told that they get a lesser sentence for not being at the murder or whatever. Or if they are told they won't bust them for whatever else they have them on the hook for.

but yeah, i think the issue right now is they really don't have any idea of what this guy's face looks like. Otherwise, we'd have seen that imo

 

[JoCoKSEyes]

I think the suv owner knows something. And the cops know it too. Because the cops are still not stating when the suv was stolen or reported stolen and that the owner is cleared.

They never even showed the suv. Wow.

This a murder investigation but they don't show a supposed get away or dropp off car. Come on.

They certainly don't seem to need help from the public.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Sgt. Friday]

Scouting and robbing solo is 2 different things though. You don't scout 2 doors down since you are only 2 doors down.

He would have noticed Davey while he was still with the others and said something like; He is leaving y'all. So let's hit that one. Or if he stayed behind in the burgled house; Then it was because he was on his own solo mission when he noticed Davey leaving. Jmo.

Also imo. Criminals don't trust each other. So the others wouldn't want him to stumble on and pocket major cash or jewelry without them knowing.

So I don't think they sent hoodie guy to scout. I think he knew that his friends wasn't going to cut him a fair share. So he stayed behind for a solo jewelry and cash mission.

And now his friends may be mad because the heat is on due to the murder. And they probably are saying that we told you not to go there because it was too risky since we just left there. Jmo

That is the key to this investigation, if it is gang related as some on here have intimated pressure on the group such as warrant enforcement, special attention to the group which means full enforcement such asspitting on the sidewalk etc and having all these arrests go through the sysytem which means no summonses spending days ,weeks in jail, on minor offenses would generate information which would lead to a successful prosecution.

 

[MaxManning]

If this is the case people in the neighborhood might be used to seeing them around and not alarmed when they're walking around. "Oh, that's the guy who cleans the gutters." Although 6am would still be weird. JMO

I have no context as to how people dress in this neighborhood, but the fact that some eyewitnesses made note of him being suspicious seems to indicate he stuck out maybe ? At least to those eyewitnesses. I get the impression this street is not too active at that time in the morning. Which fits the description of a good place for burglary.

 

[bessie]

Not really sure how all that works, but I did see posts on the last thread about that scenario. Other than if the driver picks him up to escape, I don't see how they would be linked to that burglary/murder. Unless maybe they can in any way prove they planned to hit the blackburn house. I can't think of anyway that they could prove that definitively unless these guys record their adventures in burglary.

Good reading for anyone following this case -- interesting discussion of the Indiana felony murder statute.

How 4 teens became murderers without killing anyone
Kristine Guerra, kristine.guerra@indystar.com 12:12 p.m. EDT September 18, 2015
Editor's note: This story originally published April 19, 2015.

[...]
Her son's life changed forever on the afternoon of Oct. 3, 2012, when he and four friends broke into a house, hoping to steal some money.

They thought the house was empty. None of the teens expected an armed homeowner to be inside. None of them was armed. None foresaw a shooting. But the homeowner, who was sleeping upstairs, did rush downstairs and did fire a handgun — killing one of the teens.

And all four of the surviving teens were charged and convicted for the death. Levi Sparks, now 20; Jose Quiroz Jr., 19; Blake Layman, 18; and Anthony Sharp Jr., 20, are each serving a five-decade sentence in the Indiana Department of Correction.

They may not have pulled the trigger. But, as far as the law is concerned, the rash decision to try to score some cash turned them into murderers.

[...]

Under Indiana's felony murder statute, a person can be charged with murder if someone is killed while he or she is committing or attempting to commit another crime. That crime could be arson, burglary, robbery, carjacking, human trafficking, sexual trafficking, or sex and drug crimes — acts that the law considers inherently dangerous.

Elkhart Four felony murder convictions overturned by Indiana Supreme Court
Kristine Guerra, kristine.guerra@indystar.com 11:11 p.m. EDT September 18, 2015

The Indiana Supreme Court threw out the felony murder convictions of inmates connected to the Elkhart Four, a group of four young men who gained international attention after they were convicted for the shooting death of their friend even though none of them pulled the trigger.

Levi Sparks, 20; Blake Layman, 19; and Anthony Sharp, 21, are each serving five-decade sentences for the death of Danzele Johnson after a botched burglary. While the state's highest court overturned the felony murder convictions, the justices ruled that they're guilty of burglary, a Class B felony punishable by six to 20 years in prison.

[...]
The case of the Elkhart Four brought attention to a controversial and highly criticized doctrine of criminal law. Critics say the felony murder statute goes against a basic principle of criminal law: culpability. Supporters of the statute say it's a crime deterrent that holds people accountable for committing dangerous acts that result in deaths.

(much more, including the court's ruling, at the link)

 

[Hippiemomof5]

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I believe the burglary of the first home was planned. I don't believe they or the solo guy were "casing" the neighborhood. I think they all went straight to a selected target for a reason - both at 5:30am and when Amanda Blackburn was killed.

If you're going to assume the empty house was targeted and the perps knew the house was empty (whether you believe as a decoy or not), then why can you not assume they also know when DB leaves??

Hit first house, head across town and hit empty house, hit neighboring house where the guy always leaves at 6am.

None of that means AB was target.

 

[bluesneakers]

I have no context as to how people dress in this neighborhood, but the fact that some eyewitnesses made note of him being suspicious seems to indicate he stuck out maybe ? At least to those eyewitnesses. I get the impression this street is not too active at that time in the morning. Which fits the description of a good place for burglary.

I was speaking in general. It would be one way to get into a neighborhood but you would have to do it at whatever time you usually clean gutters. So probably not 6am.

 

[MaxManning]

Good reading for anyone following this case.

I did see something on TV about one of these kids I think. It did come to mind when the discussion about being involved in a felony where a murder occurred. The ages of the offenders is what made me think it was excessive. You'd hope that it's an event that could change the trajectory of their life and not just crush it.

 

[DexterMorgan]

Good reading for anyone following this case. More reason why LE and prosecutors will work this investigation with the utmost care, as a new precedent has been set. JMO

How 4 teens became murderers without killing anyone
Kristine Guerra, kristine.guerra@indystar.com 12:12 p.m. EDT September 18, 2015
Editor's note: This story originally published April 19, 2015.

[...]
Her son's life changed forever on the afternoon of Oct. 3, 2012, when he and four friends broke into a house, hoping to steal some money.

They thought the house was empty. None of the teens expected an armed homeowner to be inside. None of them was armed. None foresaw a shooting. But the homeowner, who was sleeping upstairs, did rush downstairs and did fire a handgun — killing one of the teens.

And all four of the surviving teens were charged and convicted for the death. Levi Sparks, now 20; Jose Quiroz Jr., 19; Blake Layman, 18; and Anthony Sharp Jr., 20, are each serving a five-decade sentence in the Indiana Department of Correction.

They may not have pulled the trigger. But, as far as the law is concerned, the rash decision to try to score some cash turned them into murderers.

[...]

Under Indiana's felony murder statute, a person can be charged with murder if someone is killed while he or she is committing or attempting to commit another crime. That crime could be arson, burglary, robbery, carjacking, human trafficking, sexual trafficking, or sex and drug crimes — acts that the law considers inherently dangerous.

Elkhart Four felony murder convictions overturned by Indiana Supreme Court
Kristine Guerra, kristine.guerra@indystar.com 11:11 p.m. EDT September 18, 2015

The Indiana Supreme Court threw out the felony murder convictions of inmates connected to the Elkhart Four, a group of four young men who gained international attention after they were convicted for the shooting death of their friend even though none of them pulled the trigger.

Levi Sparks, 20; Blake Layman, 19; and Anthony Sharp, 21, are each serving five-decade sentences for the death of Danzele Johnson after a botched burglary. While the state's highest court overturned the felony murder convictions, the justices ruled that they're guilty of burglary, a Class B felony punishable by six to 20 years in prison.

[...]
The case of the Elkhart Four brought attention to a controversial and highly criticized doctrine of criminal law. Critics say the felony murder statute goes against a basic principle of criminal law: culpability. Supporters of the statute say it's a crime deterrent that holds people accountable for committing dangerous acts that result in deaths.

(much more, including the court's ruling, at the link)

But the kid who decided not to go wasn't charged because he wasn't there. You have to be there or in a getaway car or playing some kind of planning or looking out part or something in order to be eligible for that. Jmo.

But you're right. It doesn't matter who dies. The criminals involved in that will be charged.

 

[DexterMorgan]

I was speaking in general. It would be one way to get into a neighborhood but you would have to do it at whatever time you usually clean gutters. So probably not 6am.

The paper boy would know as well of certain movements at that time of morning. And he could have blabbed to the gang. Idk.

 

[bessie]

But the kid who decided not to go wasn't charged because he wasn't there. You have to be there or in a getaway car or playing some kind of planning or looking out part or something in order to be eligible for that. Jmo.

But you're right. It doesn't matter who dies. The criminals involved in that will be charged.

What's important to note, is that when saying who can, or cannot, be charged and convicted, one has to consider not only the statutory law, but case law, i.e., precedent set by court rulings and interpretations of the statute.

 

[Dum-Dum Sucker]

http://www.wthr.com/story/30582162/man-questioned-in-amanda-blackburn-case-arrested-for-murder

Man questioned in Amanda Blackburn case arrested for murder

 

[DexterMorgan]

INDIANAPOLIS -

Eyewitness News Crimebeat reporter Steve Jefferson says Indianapolis Metro Police have*arrested 18-year-old*Larry Taylor of Indianapolis on murder charges. *

Taylor is one of four men who were questioned in the Amanda Blackburn murder. Taylor is currently in the Arrestee Processing Center. Undercover officers spent all day Sunday to get Taylor in custody.*

Sources say police were warned that Taylor may have been armed. *

See more stories about the Blackburn case here.

The 28-year-old pastor's wife*was found dead by her husband on November tenth when he returned home from a workout at the gym.*

 

[DexterMorgan]

We finally have a murder charge. Yes.

I never doubted LE for a second. Lol.

Wake up folks.

 

[Msskeptic]

It's go time ladies (I assume most of us are woman, am I right?) what do we know about the named suspect. I'm not very sleuthy yet but hoping to learn from you.

 

[DexterMorgan]

Along with Larry Taylor the murderer Two other men have also been arrested in the case, according to police. Jalen Watson and Diano Gordon have also been tied to the Blackburn case, as well as to other burglaries in the area.