GUILTY IN - Amanda Blackburn, 28, pregnant, murdered, Indianapolis, 10 Nov 2015 #4

[Cardinal47]

Well that certainly comes as a shock. The Police Chief resigns. I would guess there is a lot of chatter going on about that.

It's strange because just before I read that I was about to ask if the Blackburns and members of their church were doing any counseling of gangs?

I know Amanda used to meet with young girls in the say 12 -18 age bracket and talk about sexual activity before marriage. I watched a video and am sorry I don't have the link now.

This just gets stranger and stranger. The Police Chief..resigns. Wow.

 

[Lilibet]

It appears that the Chief's resignation is because the new mayor wants to appoint the former Public Safety Director Troy Riggs as Chief.

Hogsett said Hite had served the city well, and said a new administration means there will inevitably be change.
Hogsett also announced a major shift in the city’s public safety chain of command. Effective January 1, Chiefs Malone and Riggs will both report directly to the mayor, rather than to a Public Safety Director.

http://fox59.com/2015/12/08/troy-ri...-indianapolis-metropolitan-police-department/

 

[meanmaryjean]

The Chief's resignation is solely because the new mayor takes over in a few weeks.

 

[MaxManning]

Well that certainly comes as a shock. The Police Chief resigns. I would guess there is a lot of chatter going on about that.

It's strange because just before I read that I was about to ask if the Blackburns and members of their church were doing any counseling of gangs?

I know Amanda used to meet with young girls in the say 12 -18 age bracket and talk about sexual activity before marriage. I watched a video and am sorry I don't have the link now.

This just gets stranger and stranger. The Police Chief..resigns. Wow.

I don't know, doesn't seem all that strange to me. I don't even get a sense that there is any pressure by the community or public regarding this case. Likely lots of pressure in the week leading up to the charges, but since then ? I don't think anyone outside Indy would know/care except for wanting to relate it to this case.

Just looking at the twitter feed for the guy who reported this, Indianapolis seems to have bizarre crime on a daily basis. Go down his twitter feed just for this week if you don't believe me

 

[jjenny]

Well that certainly comes as a shock. The Police Chief resigns. I would guess there is a lot of chatter going on about that.

It's strange because just before I read that I was about to ask if the Blackburns and members of their church were doing any counseling of gangs?

I know Amanda used to meet with young girls in the say 12 -18 age bracket and talk about sexual activity before marriage. I watched a video and am sorry I don't have the link now.

This just gets stranger and stranger. The Police Chief..resigns. Wow.

Resignation of Police Chief doesn't have anything to do with this case. Doesn't seem like Amanda's meeting with girls for discussions had anything whatsoever to do with the case either.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I kind of think all the activity before the blackburn's house makes that not very likely. I think if that is the motive, you just go to that house and do what you came to do.

Not sure if anyone has seen reports of kindergartner killed in Kentucky, but thats an example of what I would expect if someone came to kill someone. Everyone is searching for a motive there and there is talk of mental illness, but I just find it so hard to believe that a man would make such decisive decisions to kill a young child in his sleep. Maybe his father has gang ties ? Maybe the kid saw something this guy or a gang didn't want him to tell anyone about ?
But in this case, I see an awful lot of activity before the killing that would seem to just reduce the chances of accomplishing your objective, if you are doing this out of jealousy.

BBM

Are you talking about the 6 year old, Logan Tipton, from KY who was murdered by the stranger from Indiana? What do you mean his father may have been in a gang? From everything I have read the Tipton family are great upstanding law abiding citizens. I have seen nothing that shows me Logan's family is anything but a very close loving family. Why would a stranger travel 195 miles to murder a child he didn't even know?

The murderer wasn't even from KY so how could Logan see anything he shouldn't have seen? And he also attacked Logan's two brothers. Imo, the only reason he didn't kill everyone inside of the home is their father was able to take control of the knife and hold him until police arrived. I don't find it hard to believe at all. WS has had many cases of a stranger/s coming into homes of people they didn't know doing heinous acts to innocent people. Is it scary? Absolutely because it shows us none of us are safe no matter who we are or even if we try to live a moral upstanding life. Evil is everywhere and its bound to cross paths with those who are good.

As Bessie has said before when it comes to strangers invading homes and harming innocent others there is no rhyme or reasoning to their madness. It only makes sense to the invaders who turn rapists or torturers or murderers or all three. They do what they do and how they want to do it.

I don't think Logan's murderer is mentally ill. He seemed perfectly capable of becoming an RN who worked with those needing dialysis. Of course his family members will claim he is mentally ill but I don't think he will be declared mentally ill and will stand trial and will be found competent to do so. Now drugs may play a part in this ..maybe. Maybe he just wanted to know how it felt to kill children or wanted to wipeout an entire family and didn't only because he was stopped.

I just think it must be easier for some to believe that murderers targeted someone specifically for some reason or another rather than having to face the brutal truth, that home invaders..... who are perfect strangers to the victim/s can, have, and will strike unsuspecting good families right out of the blue with no warning just like they struck the Tipton and Blackburn family.

The consistent motive I see connected to strangers who invade homes who resort to murder is more and more will kill the people inside so that no living witness is left behind. The primary motive is to rob valuables in the home but they have become much bolder now and if there are people inside when they go in many of them are not scared away. It usually doesn't end well for the occupants. Bessie has linked several cases of home invasions and people have been beaten, stabbed, raped, and even murdered before Amanda was murdered by these criminals.

Sadly, Amanda is among those who lost their lives when evil strangers came into the sanctity of someone's home and shattered the families forever. Look at Dr. Petit, who miraculously survived the brutal bludgeoning he received from the two strangers who pierced his home and tragically ended the lives of his loving wife and his two beautiful daughters. It is a proven fact that strangers do horrific things even torture and overkills to those they don't even know. We have seen the many sad stories right here of when it happened and it will happen again and it will be just as senseless as all the others have been.

IMO

 

[jjenny]

Now you have me wondering why they didn't wake the occupants of the first house where the residents were sleeping and do what they did at Amanda's home.

There had to be a debit or credit card there also. That was early in the morning under cover of dark and there were the three of them.

Why didn't they go after them if it was money they were after?

You can't get into their heads. There is no way to figure out why they did this or that unless they talk.
Burglars aren't going to kill everyone they burglarize but if the homeowner is at home, anything can happen.
There was a medical student killed somewhat recently during a burglary. The perps also burglarized a home nearby and didn't kill anyone there. But when they went into student's room the student was there so he was killed.
It happens.

 

[bessie]

I think this cigar was planted. A burglar does not go inside someone's strange home and take out a cigar and not smoke it. If he stayed around and ate a bowl of ice cream or helped himself to a Popsicle, I could believe that. Not his own cigar tho. As it has been stated, LT was never once seen to be in a hurry. That tells me that he didn't leave the house in a hurry without taking his cigar with him. It was found at the home, on purpose. JMHO

IMO, he was in a hurry after he killed AB, and realized the others didn't want to go back for him. The fact that he was "talking loudly" on his phone suggests that he was agitated. I think he got out of the house very quickly to be sure he didn't miss his ride. Not to mention, he was walking in the wrong direction, which further shows he was discombobulated.

JMO

 

[DexterMorgan]

It appears that the Chief's resignation is because the new mayor wants to appoint the former Public Safety Director Troy Riggs as Chief.



http://fox59.com/2015/12/08/troy-ri...-indianapolis-metropolitan-police-department/

They need to make the lenient judges and parole hearing board members to resign as well. Because these guys shouldn't have been on the streets in the first place. Jmo.

It's always the long rap sheet guys in these home invasions and murders. Always. Or at least 90% of the time.

Jmo.

 

[MaxManning]

BBM

Are you talking about the 6 year old, Logan Tipton, from KY who was murdered by the stranger from Indiana? What do you mean his father may have been in a gang? From everything I have read the Tipton family are great upstanding law abiding citizens. I have seen nothing that shows me Logan's family is anything but a very close loving family. Why would a stranger travel 195 miles to murder a child he didn't even know?

The murderer wasn't even from KY so how could Logan see anything he shouldn't have seen? And he also attacked Logan's two brothers. Imo, the only reason he didn't kill everyone inside of the home is their father was able to take control of the knife and hold him until police arrived. I don't find it hard to believe at all. WS has had many cases of a stranger/s coming into homes of people they didn't know doing heinous acts to innocent people. Is it scary? Absolutely because it shows us none of us are safe no matter who we are or even if we try to live a moral upstanding life. Evil is everywhere and its bound to cross paths with those who are good.

As Bessie has said before when it comes to strangers invading homes and harming innocent others there is no rhyme or reasoning to their madness. It only makes sense to the invaders who turn rapists or torturers or murderers or all three. They do what they do and how they want to do it.

I don't think Logan's murderer is mentally ill. He seemed perfectly capable of becoming an RN who worked with those needing dialysis. Of course his family members will claim he is mentally ill but I don't think he will be declared mentally ill and will stand trial and will be found competent to do so. Now drugs may play a part in this ..maybe. Maybe he just wanted to know how it felt to kill children or wanted to wipeout an entire family and didn't only because he was stopped.

I just think it must be easier for some to believe that murderers targeted someone specifically for some reason or another rather than having to face the brutal truth, that home invaders..... who are perfect strangers to the victim/s can, have, and will strike unsuspecting good families right out of the blue with no warning just like they struck the Tipton and Blackburn family.

The consistent motive I see connected to strangers who invade homes who resort to murder is more and more will kill the people inside so that no living witness is left behind. The primary motive is to rob valuables in the home but they have become much bolder now and if there are people inside when they go in many of them are not scared away. It usually doesn't end well for the occupants. Bessie has linked several cases of home invasions and people have been beaten, stabbed, raped, and even murdered before Amanda was murdered by these criminals.

Sadly, Amanda is among those who lost their lives when evil strangers came into the sanctity of someone's home and shattered the families forever. Look at Dr. Petit, who miraculously survived the brutal bludgeoning he received from the two strangers who pierced his home and tragically ended the lives of his loving wife and his two beautiful daughters. It is a proven fact that strangers do horrific things even torture and overkills to those they don't even know. We have seen the many sad stories right here of when it happened and it will happen again and it will be just as senseless as all the others have been.

IMO

I apologize, I knew almost nothing about the case except the top level. The articles I found basically all described the crime in very little detail, and gave no info on the family or the killer besides he was from Indiana, confessed, and public defender said was mentally ill. But I guess my assessment is what you could expect from any case with limited details.

I don't know anything about the Logan family, but wouldn't you say that's quite a bit more odd than this blackburn case ? 195 miles to murder someone he supposedly didn't know. Yes, I question if there indeed was a motive related to parents or some other relative. Or, of course, it could be just random burglary turns into homicide. It's oh so very common to hear the victims characterized as "great upstanding law abiding citizens", and maybe they are, but that kind of things can sometimes get modified after an investigation and you find out about the skeletons in the closet.

I do agree with the concept that ANYONE that has morals compromised to the point of even burglarizing, has the potential to get caught in a situation where a murder or an opportunistic rape might occur.

It's all just horribly sad.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I haven't seen any evidence that Amanda was specifically targeted herself. I don't think these lowlifes ever knew who Amanda Blackburn was nor did they care. Nor do I think any of them knew she was a Pastors wife nor would they have cared if they had known. The homes invaded were simply the ones these goons selected and it was totally at random.

Invaders have to pick someone's home and unfortunately they randomly picked the home where the woman was sleeping with her cell phone by her head, and they got lucky by picking an unoccupied home before they went on to continue their crime spree at the Blackburn home. It just as easily could have been any homes they selected but tragically when they selected the Blackburn home they found Amanda awake inside of her home. When that happens we often see where it didn't end well for the people inside just like it didn't end well for Amanda.

I see the subject come up often about 'but why this victim?' or 'but why this home' and have never really understood why that even seems to be a question some seem to always have. We could say that very same thing about all cases where the suspect didn't know the victims. I don't even try to figure it out any longer why they select a particular victim/s to kidnap or a particular home to invade. All I know is they do, and it just seems to be the choice they made at the time based on what they saw as an opportunity.

Most of these home invasions committed by total strangers are done completely randomly and if the victims are inside of the home they go in to realize they are there that is why they are selected to be murdered or whatever sadistic things they decide to do to the families caught inside with them.

The Husted parents were murdered when a complete stranger invaded their home to rob them and they found him inside of their home. There were other very nice homes in the neighborhood to choose from but he decided to enter their home instead of the others.

Sometimes I think its just easier if we think we can find out why they selected certain homes or certain victims thinking that may give us a clue so we can prevent it somehow from happening to any of us. It just isn't possible to do though.

But once again, Bessie is right, there is no rhyme or reasoning when trying to figure out what these type of criminals do or why they do them the way they do them. There is no crystal ball that lets us know which home they will strike next or which victims they will find next inside of another home they enter. They know occupants aren't expecting them to enter or be there. They use the element of surprise against their victims knowing they will be caught off guard.

IMO

 

[Lilibet]

I agree with you completely OBE. I've thought about this a LOT and come to the same conclusions, whether it's a case on WS or something on a national or international level. The desire for a "reason" reflects our normal human desire to be safe, whether it's a home invasion, a rape, a murder or a terrorist attack. If we can find something, anything that "explains" why it happened, we feel we can take precautions and it won't happen to us. Better yet, if we can zero in on something the victim might have done differently (whether it's an individual or a government), we can feel that a change will make a difference and keep us safe. Or if we can see that the victim was targeted for some reason, we feel safe because the bullseye isn't on our back (at least, not that we know).

It's hard to come to grips with the fact that there are evil people who will do whatever it takes to commit their evil acts, and circumvent most reasonable precautions. They don't need a reason to do evil. Sadly, we may be their next victim, as Amanda was and as the county employees in San Bernardino were. It is what it is. I will take reasonable precautions and I expect that governments both locally and internationally will also take reasonable precautions. But the sad fact is that all the coulda-woulda-shoulda, looking for reasons and preventive precautions in the world won't guarantee our safety. JMO

So we go on living our lives, minimize our risks in a reasonable way, and hope for the best. What else can we do?

 

[MJPeony]

...The desire for a "reason" reflects our normal human desire to be safe, whether it's a home invasion, a rape, a murder or a terrorist attack. If we can find something, anything that "explains" why it happened, we feel we can take precautions and it won't happen to us. ....

snipped for focus.

Yes, I suppose this is true at least for me... agreed.

 

[MJPeony]

....

I do agree with the concept that ANYONE that has morals compromised to the point of even burglarizing, has the potential to get caught in a situation where a murder or an opportunistic rape might occur.

It's all just horribly sad.

snipped for focus.

Hm, I respectfully disagree with this part. Which is part of why I've been perplexed by motive. I just don't see murder (or opportunistic rape, but primary murder) as a natural understandable escalation of burglary. Takes a "special" kind of someone to shoot a person 3 times, once in the head. Not the same MO as previous datapoints. I will agree though that there is a point at which any murderer does it for the first time. Just don't agree that anyone who would burglarize would be inclined to murder under the right circumstances.

and public defender said was mentally ill

I totally missed this. Do you know where this was mentioned?

 

[bessie]

ADMIN NOTE: DB is OFF LIMITS here. Period. The "Victim Friendly" rule has been posted multiple times in these threads.

Unless LE gives us a clear indication that he is under suspicion, don't even mention him.

 

[Lilibet]

This is just my personal observation, but the more we try to figure out why this creep shot Amanda the closer the reasoning can veer to veiled implications that we can't discuss here. We may never know why Amanda was killed, even if this goes to trial. These guys did three burglaries and only Amanda ended up dead. The killer knows why, maybe or maybe not. But he had to be talked out of killing earlier, so it may have been an itch he felt compelled to scratch whenever he could. Some people kill for no motive other than wanting to kill. Sadly, Amanda was the available victim.
JMO, MOO, etc.

 

[katsrfun]

Hello, all. Very sad. Not pertaining to this case in particular, but just a note on how brazen criminals can be, in general. My brother (who lives in New York state) was visiting me in Florida, and while he was visiting his house got broken into. Not only did they steal all they could find of value, they drank all the liquor, making mixed drinks with evidence of this left. They also played pool, and video games. To add insult to injury, they stole two of his guns; which were very well hidden. They used his guns to rob a convenience store, and shot both of the people who were working, using his guns, that very night, shortly after they did the burglary. Fortunately, they didn't die and were able to identify the criminals. MY brother had left two people with keys to check on the house and feed his cats; one was his mother-in-law and the other a state trooper, who lived next door. Either could have gone over at any moment (although Thank God) they didn't. Or the neighbor could have seen the lights on, knowing they were away, and gone over. He, the neighbor, also had a K-9 dog. I wished he had seen lights and gone there, dog in tow. Anyone, just to let you know, criminals are either incredibly brazen, or totally stupid. As a side note, the guns were so well hidden, that the police thought at least one of them had to know they were going away, and possibly peaking in the windows when the guns were hidden. I pray for Amanda, and her unborn child, as well as for her family, as I know everyone here does. Thank you to Websleuths for giving us these forums. It is good to know when the bad guys are caught. God Bless All. Katt

 

[DeDee]

My responses are in purple.

We have never heard drugs were involved have we? That's something being assumed.

Re the early morning rash of burglaries that is the first thing that is so strange to me. I know a couple of appraisers and they always go into the ghetto areas early in the morning because most folks that don't work are sleeping then. A bit safer for the appraising work.

Then they go into a home close by with I think a mother and a couple of daughters sleeping and steal only a car.

" What you are saying here is very close take on the timely events in mhoo."

Drive quite a distance from that first house to enter a home where the occupants are gone at 5am..out of town. Load up tv's and laptops. Eat oranges and no hurry.

"They drove directly to the unoccupied home where they hang out. In fact, I assume they had prior knowledge regarding the dwelling being unoccupied at the time of their entry."

Then go into Amanda's home knock her tooth out, remove her clothing and shoot her three times. Take her Debit card.

"The perps hang out at the unoccupied neighbor's home for a while and, then, they head to Amanda's. Now they have a stolen vehicle, the Sebring, multiple TVs and a debit card from Amanda. What did Amanda do while LT went to the car to hand off the debit card? Surely, if not incapacitated, she would look for the nearest weapon, such as a sharp knife from the wooden block or drawer. I keep a sharpened ice pick and a small metal hammer in a kitchen drawer. Maybe she had been shot but was still conscious. The Sebring had to be in the Blackburn's driveway when the perps took the debit card from LT. Nobody witnesses this. They only see LT at the B's front door."

Those are three completely different burglaries by the same goons.

It is almost as their crimes grow bolder with each homes' intrusion or invasion.
1. Steal vehicle.
2. Steal 4 tvs, oranges and sheets. Drink beer.
3. Assault Amanda. Steal debit card. Shoot her three times. Gets $400 from her ATM.

Why so different? Why so violent with Amanda?

From what I read early on Davey and Amanda did their early morning devotions and with him leaving to go to the gym and the baby still sleeping I would think she would be in a peaceful mood.

We know she saw the good in everybody and I don't see her violantly attacking LT. I would think she would want to 'save' him. Of course she was pregnant and had a tiny one in the bedroom upstairs so maybe that mother tigress came out of nowhere.

Also something I think about is Amanda was a restorer of furniture and her husband just a pastor at a small church I think about 100 members. They had no money to speak of. She worked in her garage fixing broken things.

Whatever made them think there would be $400 in the account??? When we were young and raising our children we would be lucky to have $40 bucks in an account.

Some way I think there is a connection. Might be through the church or the gym or somebody they counseled. Might be somebody in the neighborhoods nephew or cousin. Somebody bad knew something about the Blackburns. I think somebody also knew that house two doors away had owners out of town and that's why they took their time. MOO

I also agree with this:

Some way I think there is a connection. I think somebody also knew that house two doors away had owners out of town and that's why they took their time.

 

[MaxManning]

snipped for focus.

Hm, I respectfully disagree with this part. Which is part of why I've been perplexed by motive. I just don't see murder (or opportunistic rape, but primary murder) as a natural understandable escalation of burglary. Takes a "special" kind of someone to shoot a person 3 times, once in the head. Not the same MO as previous datapoints. I will agree though that there is a point at which any murderer does it for the first time. Just don't agree that anyone who would burglarize would be inclined to murder under the right circumstances.

I completely disagree. If someone has a gun, and whoever you are pointing that gun at tries to take it from you, I can see someone being many times more likely to shoot whoever they are struggling with. People don't just shoot once, hope everything is ok and then shoot again. Someone in a struggle with a gun is very likely to unload multiple shots to stop someone from hitting them or whatever. You speak of datapoints, but as I have said, if you are in a situation like a burglary where you have a gun and are attacked by your victim - you will likely shoot them in that situation. In any struggle for a gun, I'm sure the probability for one of the two struggling getting shot is extraordinarily high.

It doesn't take someone who WANTS to murder. It just takes a situation for calls for that as a means of self preservation. That is what I was speaking to, and is why I use the word "potential".

 

[MaxManning]

I totally missed this. Do you know where this was mentioned?

The mentally ill part was in regards to the Kentucky case where a indiana man killed a 6 year old boy. It was mentioned in every article I read on the crime.