GUILTY TX - Kathy Blair, 53, Sidney, 85, & Billie Shelton, 83, Murdered, Austin, Dec 2014

OkieGranny

Retired WS Staff
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
21,516
Reaction score
1,505
4569d391-9ced-4d30-8c3e-1b11993ce7e1_zpsd38b3bec.jpg


http://www.statesman.com/news/news/...t-austin-homicide-victim/njNLW/#__federated=1

Police have identified the woman found dead in her Northwest Austin home Saturday as 53-year-old Kathy Blair, a longtime choir director.

Investigators concluded Saturday night that Blair was killed. A police spokeswoman said Saturday that they have not made any arrests, but do not believe there is a threat to the public. “It wasn’t a stranger,” Surei Scanlon said at a Saturday news conference ..

Police were called to the home at 12:12 p.m., and said a relative had discovered Blair’s body. As police taped off the home and street, neighbors said they saw a man in his 20s nervously pacing the street in front of Blair’s home with blood on his pants.

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/loca...uspicious-death-in-northwest-austin/20034623/

Austin Police closed off a portion of Tamarack Trail for much of Saturday as they investigated how a woman in her mid-fifties died in her home. They say the woman's body had obvious signs of trauma. Investigators also say there was a weapon involved, but couldn't tell us what kind.
 
http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/27579497/students-friends-remember-murdered-choir-director

Police are still searching for who murdered a well-known choir director in north Austin over the weekend. Police aren't releasing much information at this time...

We're told for the past 20 years Blair operated the Christian Choral Society of Austin.

It provided a comprehensive music education experience to the home-schooled community, teaching children how to read music and sing everything from jazz to classical works.
 
I searched the net today but found NO current news on this sad case. I wasn't aware of it until my sister emailed me this afternoon (personal connections to the victim's father).

LE has indicated that Kathy's murderer was likely known to her, so my first thought was an ex - married or not. Her two surnames mentioned in articles are NOT her maiden name, btw and afaik.

Then I read the article that mentioned reports of the man in his 20s at the scene, pacing nervously and with blood on his pants. Perhaps a former student?

Saddening that her son reportedly was the relative who found her body.

I feel that this case will be solved and surely hope so, asap.

Meanwhile, this post is a somewhat of a BUMP.

~jmo~
 
So I'm guessing Blood On His Pants Guy is in some sort of custody or another -- perhaps commitment to a mental institution by family with the means to pull strings till a plea at trial time and a bargained sentence? We'll see. A damned shame, whatever the case. Rest in peace Kathy Blair.
 
So I'm guessing Blood On His Pants Guy is in some sort of custody or another -- perhaps commitment to a mental institution by family with the means to pull strings till a plea at trial time and a bargained sentence? We'll see. A damned shame, whatever the case. Rest in peace Kathy Blair.

One would think/hope something would have been done with him, but the article fails to say more (surprised, not).

Yes indeed, a shame.

I echo your RIP (and thank you for responding).
 
So I'm guessing Blood On His Pants Guy is in some sort of custody or another -- perhaps commitment to a mental institution by family with the means to pull strings till a plea at trial time and a bargained sentence? We'll see. A damned shame, whatever the case. Rest in peace Kathy Blair.
I think it's possible that was the family member that found her since there hasn't been anything else in the news about this person. Local news broadcasts have said law enforcement is asking the public for any leads and there are no suspects. Would the family member have been asked to wait outside while the authorities inspected the crime scene?
 
Two arrested in death of Austin choir director
http://kxan.com/2015/01/10/man-charged-with-capital-murder-in-death-of-austin-choir-teacher/
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police have arrested two men in connection to the death of an Austin choir director. Shawn Gant-Benalcazar, 30, is charged with capital murder after police say he killed Kathy Blair while trying to steal jewelry from the home she leased on Tamarack Trail. Police also arrested Timothy Parlin in connection to Blair’s death.
According to court documents, Gant-Benalcazar entered Blair’s home from an unlocked back door and went into the bedroom where Blair was sleeping. Gant-Benalcazar told police he stabbed Blair in the neck when she woke up and “lunged” at him. Gant-Benalcazar told detectives he then took a pillowcase from another bedroom and filled it with jewelry from Blair’s jewelry box. Gant-Benalcazar also told police he wore a pair of Shoes for Crews — the same kind investigators found prints from — when he was inside Blair’s home.
 
An absolute shame - truly.

I can't imagine something like this happening to my choir director - or anyone I sing with :no: You become like a second family when you lift your voices and make joyful noise together. This woman appeared to not only lead her choir but teach as well. Now she has been silenced forever. :rose

My condolences to her family and those who love and miss her. I have a feeling it will take a tremendous amount of time for this community to recover from her loss - if they ever do.

:(



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Thankfully an arrest has been made and am curious what charges Parlin is facing, perhaps as an accessory?

Sad and tragic that this poor woman wasn't even safe in her own home.

:(

Neighbors Recording Leads to Arrest in Choir Teacher Murder
http://www.keyetv.com/news/features...eads-arrests-choir-teacher-murder-23427.shtml

Another man, Timothy Parlin, is jailed on a parole violation, but he’s expected to face charges related to Blair’s murder.
According to court documents, in May of 2014, Blair’s landlord hired a man to replace a French drain and lay some sod at Blair’s home on Tamarack Trail in northwest Austin. During their investigation, police learned in December, Parlin returned to Blair’s home with an acquaintance, Gant-Benalcazar.
Police say, Gant-Benalcazar entered Blair’s home through a back door, robbed and killed her.

If there was no sign of forced entry and Kathy didn't wake up until Gant-Benalcazar was in her bedroom, it does sound like Parlin might have had a key from his previous service calls for her landlord. He did provide the transportation.
Police say a key piece of evidence came from a neighbor who had thermal imaging cameras set up to record deer in the neighborhood. According to court documents, that neighbor’s cameras captured the suspect’s vehicle parking near Blair’s house around the time of the murder.

“It showed a male getting out of the vehicle and then walking up the sidewalk and going towards the address on Tamarack,” Spangler said.

Police say the vehicle captured on camera belonged to Parlin’s sister. After interviewing the sister, police learned she had leant her car to her brother, Timothy Parlin, for most of December.
 
Neighbors Recording Leads to Arrest in Choir Teacher Murder
http://www.keyetv.com/news/features...eads-arrests-choir-teacher-murder-23427.shtml
Thank you for the additional information which explains why her home was targeted and what role Parlin played in her murder. And most of all, a huge 'thank you' to that neighbor with the thermal imaging cameras!!




If there was no sign of forced entry and Kathy didn't wake up until Gant-Benalcazar was in her bedroom, it does sound like Parlin might have had a key from his previous service calls for her landlord. He did provide the transportation.
Thank you for the additional information which explains what role Parlin had in her murder and what charges he could be facing. Most of all, however, a huge 'thank you' to the neighbor for having the thermal imaging cameras installed!
 
http://www.kvue.com/story/news/loca...ct-to-arrests-in-kathy-blair-murder/21579989/

"I'm not sure why he would have been here," Spangler said. "He may have been here visiting another relative, you're right. It's something else that brought him here. I don't think he came here specifically to do this from Galveston"...

Benalcazar is being held on a million dollar bond. He will be extradited to Austin within the next couple of days. Benalcazar does not appear to have a criminal record.

As for Timothy Parlin, he served 15 years for a robbery, before being released in Austin.

Police still are trying to figure out where the jewelry he stole ended up.
 
http://www.khou.com/story/news/crim...-suspected-in-austin-womans-slaying/21661819/

The affidavit states Austin police detectives contacted Blair's landlord, who told them that he had hired Parlin in May 2014 to landscape Blair's home, and that Blair had complained to the landlord about Parlin's work.

When police contacted Parlin, he denied any knowledge of the murder, but investigators later matched Parlin's sister's car, which police said he had been driving, to a video that Blair's neighbor had captured on the day of the murder, the affidavit states.

Police said they found a blood stain later matched to Blair in the car.
 
KXAN video
After teacher killed, parents keep choir singing
http://youtu.be/3Efr0M1GKiY
Published on Jan 12, 2015
Just days after she was found murdered in their home, Kathy Blair’s choir went through with their Christmas concert. They felt it is what their teacher would have wanted.

Classes resumed this week from the semester break. Her friend and colleague says most of the students returned but a few or couple couldn't without Kathy. Also, near the end of the video, KXAN states APD disclosed today that their Public Information Officer goofed in saying there was no public threat when there really was, while this case was under investigation.

ETA: print article of same. http://kxan.com/2015/01/12/after-teacher-killed-parents-keep-choir-singing/
 
These same suspects are now POI in the murder of the elderly couple not far from Kathy Blair's home.

Acevedo: 2 suspects identified in Brentwood murders
http://www.kvue.com/story/news/loca...-update-on-brentwood-couples-deaths/22212817/
AUSTIN -- The two men charged in connection with the murder of an Austin choir director have also been identified in connection with the murders of an elderly couple on Brentwood Street in December, according to Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo.

Acevedo said in a press conference Friday that Shawn Gant-Benalcazar and Timothy Parlin were suspects in the murders of 85-year-old Sidney Shelton and 83-year-old Billie Shelton on Dec. 15. The two men are already charged in connection with the death of 53-year-old Kathy Blair on Dec. 6.

KVUE's FB post of same article - https://www.facebook.com/KVUEinsider/posts/10153122973901178
All the words we can't put here are there in comments.
 
Son testifies about discovering body of choir director Kathy Blair

In a conversation with a 911 dispatcher, Hargis said “I think my mom is dead.”

Hargis was the first witness to testify Monday in the capital murder trial of Shawn Gant-Benalcazar.

Police said Gant-Benalcazar admitted to entering Blair’s Northwest Austin home as she slept and stabbing her in the neck when she lunged at him. His attorneys said they intend to present evidence showing police coerced his confession and that the real killer “is not in this courtroom.”
 

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
193
Guests online
1,901
Total visitors
2,094

Forum statistics

Threads
589,949
Messages
17,928,071
Members
228,012
Latest member
cbisme
Back
Top