Murder Motive Still A Mystery
Why North Park woman was killed remains unclearBy GABE WELLS Staff Writer
Article Photos
WHEELING - Wheeling police on Monday arrested Jarell L. Hurt for the murder of Ashley Blankenship. Now, they are trying to figure out why she was killed.
Ohio County Magistrate Joe Roxby on Tuesday arraigned Hurt, 21, on a charge of murder via teleconference from the Northern Regional Jail. He is accused of killing the 19-year-old Blankenship on Sept. 13 with a single gunshot to the back of the head in the North Park apartment in which he was staying.
A warrant was secured Monday for Hurt's arrest. The murder suspect turned himself into authorities later that night. He is being held in the Northern Regional Jail.
On Tuesday, Wheeling's acting police chief, Lt. Mike VanKirk, said investigators are confident the man who killed Blankenship is Hurt, but they still are working to determine a motive.
"We are sure (Hurt is the murderer) or we wouldn't have gotten the arrest warrant," VanKirk said. "At this point, we still don't know a motive, unfortunately. You would like to know why someone lost their life, but there is no good reason."
Ohio County Prosecutor Scott Smith on Tuesday declined to comment on a potential motive in the case. He noted, however, that the case still is being investigated.
VanKirk said the investigation still may reveal the reason for Blankenship's slaying. He said there still is much to learn regarding the relationship, if any, between Hurt and the woman he is accused of killing.
"There are a lot of questions to be answered, and I believe they will be answered before this case is closed," VanKirk said. "I don't know the intimate details or if they knew each other before. ... We are not giving up hope on learning the reason why."
Smith and VanKirk said Tuesday they were not aware of the extent of Hurt's criminal background. VanKirk said he believes Monday's arrest was the first felony charge the murder suspect has faced.
Hurt requested a court-appointed attorney during his arraignment. He now may choose to have a preliminary hearing in Ohio County Magistrate Court or he can wait for the case to be presented to an Ohio County grand jury. Hurt will remain in jail pending a circuit court bond hearing.
According to the criminal complaint in the case, Blankenship's body was found inside an apartment at 39 Eagle Ave. Responding officers found the body lying beside a couch in the living room with a gunshot wound to the head. Blankenship was identified through a cellular telephone found at the scene and by the word "Ash" tattooed on her body.
A witness reportedly told police she and Blankenship were together at a 15th Street residence prior to the murder. The witness said Blankenship had been speaking to and texting another individual throughout the night and Blankenship later left the home in that individual's car.
At a later date, the complaint notes, the individual said he and Hurt took Blankenship to the Eagle Avenue apartment. He said Blankenship was sitting on the arm of a couch when Hurt shot her in the head.
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msnice
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10-23-09 7:43 PM
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Drugs is everywhere in wheeling and there is a lot of violence here too. There is nothing here in wheeling so what do young people do turn to drugs? I think if some people raise thier children right they will turn out to be a good person. i think drugs=crime!
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msnice
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10-23-09 7:43 PM
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Drugs is everywhere in wheeling and there is a lot of violence here too. There is nothing here in wheeling so what do young people do turn to drugs? I think if some people raise thier children right they will turn out to be a good person. i think drugs=crime!
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Zipperhead
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10-23-09 1:30 PM
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Bet he looks very stylish in dreadlocks and blaze orange.
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msnice
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10-23-09 3:27 AM
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this city has got soo bad i dont even know i mean is it drugs? crazy people? boring? nothing here?.isnt it suppose to be friendly?...someone please let me know...some people gets up one day and move, and i think i am too.
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msnice
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10-23-09 3:21 AM
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this guy is more than very wrong!!!! and I think there is no such thing as a gang here in wheeling,its just people out here trying to act like there something there not people just dont understand bullets dont have eyes!i just want to say young kids when u grow up make something good out of yourself and get away from here there;s more out there to do with your life then being on drugs or on the streets or behind bars.
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formerohvalleyresident
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10-21-09 7:51 PM
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Ellis, yep heard about it. Can we say "Tawanha Brawley"? Duke LaCrosse players? BTW, what happened to the story about the Island woman pulled from her car and beaten "beyond recognition" on Saturday? Another crime that "doesn't count" in the Friendly city?
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Graysongs
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10-21-09 7:31 PM
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Ellis - Sharpton, Jackson and the NAACP can't see a way to use that as a fund-raising tool. Therefore, the less said, the better.
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EllisWyatt
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10-21-09 6:41 PM
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Lay down with dogs, come up with fleas. Maybe this poor fellow killed the girl because of the unemployment rate. Maybe he lost hope. Maybe he had a rough childhood.....sorry, I think I was temporarily posessed by a liberal social worker. We need to bring back public executions. In the Roman Republic, criminals were often crucified along the Appian Way, Rome's I-70. We should hang people on crosses on either side of I-70 between Cabela's and the Wheeling Tunnel. Places like Singapore don't have drug crimes, sex crimes, child molestation and gang banging. They just put you to death. Apparently, the death sentence IS a deterrent-when it doesn't take 20 years to apply it. BTW, did anyone hear about the black girl in WV who is now renouncing her testimony that put 9 white people in jail? Yes, I know, they plead guilty-because they were poor and they were told to plead or else face long prison sentences. Where are Jackson, Sharpton and the local NAACP?
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Zipperhead
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10-21-09 2:44 PM
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Maybe Hurt and Eugene Blake can share a cell together and talk over how to find a liberal judge, game the system and obtain a get out of jail free card.
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Zipperhead
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10-21-09 2:33 PM
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You mess around with mutts it comes back to bite you.
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ChaplineRow
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10-21-09 1:05 PM
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Look at this piece of crap. If this young lady was killed by this "person" and she was involved with him you "reap what you sow". She certainly did not deserve to lose her life but one needs to pick and choose their companions carefully. If he did it and it was premeditated as they say, fry his ass. Wheeling needs to clean up the garbage and make our city a better place for all.
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rogers7
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10-21-09 12:33 PM
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This is most likely a result of the massive amount of drug activity that we have here in the valley. People using drugs = crime.
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BurningUp07
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10-21-09 11:50 AM
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They seriously need to do something about that crap that goes on around 15th street. Cmon. This is a classic case of a young woman getting mixed up with the wrong crowd for whatever reason.
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Graysongs
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10-21-09 11:46 AM
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Gosh, he doesn't LOOK like a gang-banging drug dealer. Are you sure he's not an "honor student"?
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acousticportal
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10-21-09 11:34 AM
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You're right meyers.. the amount of crack that is openly sold, and tolerated by police is ridiculous. BTW... anyone who wants some crack just come on to 14th or 15th street Friday and Saturday...it's a free for all. No worries for the dealers. Is Wheeling about to be taken over by the feds until something can be done? hmmm.?
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acousticportal
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10-21-09 10:01 AM
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Drugs, jealousy, ignorance.
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RudyKing
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10-21-09 8:51 AM
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Looks like tht young man was improperly socialised.
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meyers
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10-21-09 6:45 AM
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Its a drug deal when they get high they do stupid stuff and this looks like the results of it.Its started at 15th street whats that tell you?
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