Eugene Blake apparently has chosen to take the long road back to Ohio to face murder charges. Blake, 63, who is serving 15 years to life in the West Virginia penal system for the 1984 murder of 13-year-old Maryann Hope Helmbright in Wheeling, has not responded to a notice of indictment he received July 3 charging him with the March 19, 1982, murder of 21-year-old Mark Withers. Blake is eligible for parole in 2011. Withers, formerly of Lansing, was shot to death and his 17-year-old female companion was raped while the two were parked at Gould Park in Bridgeport. A Belmont County grand jury indicted Blake on June 4 on three counts of aggravated murder in connection with the Withers case. Belmont County Prosecutor Christopher Berhalter said he intends to seek the death penalty if Blake in convicted. Lori Burford, records supervisor at the maximum security Mount Olive Correctional Complex, said Tuesday that Blake was served a copy of the indictment on July 3 and that she has not heard from him since that date. Last month, Burford said, “I gave him a copy of the indictment on July 3. I explained the Interstate Agreement on Detainers (which allows for interstate transfer of accused offenders), but he did not ask for extradition documents. He said he is not ready to sign any documents and needs some time to think about it.” Berhalter said he signed the necessary paperwork Monday and forwarded the documents to Ohio Gov.