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all right this week 48 Hours investigating the murder of a 22-year-old woman in South Carolina back
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in 2016 and the yearslong hunt for the prime suspect correspondent Peter Van Sant looks into that search and shows us
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the surprising twists and turns in this case on October 26 2016 the body of 22-year-old Katie Blauvelt was found at
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an abandoned farmhouse in Simpsonville South Carolina there was a rectangle concrete box we found Katie's body
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inside of that box investigators Keith morecraft and Cheryl scoffield were dispatched to the
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scene how had she died she' been stabbed in the neck Katie's friend Ally Somerville instantly had a suspect in
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mind I immediately thought John John Blauvelt Katie's a stranged husband a once respected Army
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recruiter a very honorable outstanding man is what he appeared to be but blav and Katie had a short disastrous
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marriage Katie moved out and filed a report of domestic violence Jon's career was on the line he was very vocal on the
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fact that he wanted Katie dead he was brought in for questioning I'm just going to ask you point blank did you K
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Katie no up next Hannah Thompson a 17-year-old who had moved in with John as his marriage fell apart tell us
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exactly what happened to Katie I really don't know convinced Hannah knew more than she was telling they showed her a
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picture of Katie's body look at her she's right here look at her who's your friend I don't want to do this
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anymore don't want to do what don't want to help us find out who killed her can I please leave can I please
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leave Hannah this is a friend of your trying to I want to help I with no hard evidence police hands were tied we had
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to let him go and shortly after that interview is when he flood the state lelt believed to be armed and dangerous
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took to the open road with him Hannah Thompson How concerned were you about Hannah's safety
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if he was willing to kill his own wife there's no telling what kind of danger Hannah Thompson would have been in by
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fleeing with him I was like oh my God you're never going to find him Peter vanand joins us now Peter good
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morning wow okay uh so John and his 17-year-old girlfriend run off to where well they head out west in his pickup
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truck they make it to the West Coast and then up to the Pacific Northwest along the way you know they have those license
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plate readers there law enforcement is alerted several times uh as to the location of his pickup truck but they're
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never able to find him how was how old was he again he was 26 26 you said they never found Hannah and John no Hannah
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does surface in about a month into their into their flight uh in Eugene Oregon suddenly she calls her parents she says
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John Blauvelt abandoned her just walked away so she goes back to South Carolina but she doesn't really help
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investigators she does she acts as if she doesn't know much almost six years past then she reveals that she's been in
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contact with John blel the information that she has eventually lead to authorities to a house in Medford Oregon
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US Marshals surveil it they see a man out front and he has a pirate tattoo on his arm and they knew that blav had this
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tattoo he's arrested and sent back to South Carolina for trial wow sounds like he needs to be in police custody sounds
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like based on what I'm from you it's a sorted story he was an Army recruiter and he would party with these kids and
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that's how we ended up hanging out with 17year olds Peter V thank you very much appreciate it you can watch Peter 48
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Hours report Katie Blauvelt death of a soldier's wife Saturday 910 109 Central right here on CBS and streaming on
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Paramount Plus