HEATHER CENTER - 8 yo (2009)/ Convicted: Ricky Lee Blackwell - Chesnee SC

CHESNEE, S.C. — Police in
South Carolina say an 8-year-old girl has been shot to death by the
estranged husband of her father's girlfriend.
Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright says the man grabbed the girl in a headlock
Wednesday and shot her twice in the driveway of a home in Chesnee,
about 60 miles southwest of Charlotte, N.C.
He then shot himself in the stomach. He was taken to a hospital but his condition and identity weren't released.
The coroner's office identified the girl as Heather Brooke Center.
Wright says the shooter was driving his estranged wife and the girl to swim
and play. Investigators aren't sure why he shot the child.
The sheriff says the suspect has a long criminal record and will be charged with murder if he recovers.

CHESNEE -- An 8-year-old girl who wanted to spend Wednesday
afternoon swimming was brutally shot to death by the estranged husband
of her father's girlfriend, authorities say.
The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office plans to charge 50-year-old
Ricky Lee Blackwell, of 248 Ridings Road, with murder and kidnapping
once he recovers from surgery.Officials said Blackwell grabbed
the child, put her in a headlock and shot her once in the head not far
from his double-wide mobile home. The man proceeded to shoot her at
least three more times as she was falling to the ground, and perhaps
while she was on the ground, Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger
said.The tragedy occurred about 3 p.m. on 244 Ridings Road -- a
narrow road in a rural area of Spartanburg County not far south of
Highway 11 between Chesnee and New Prospect. A few mobile homes are the
only dwellings on the road.Blackwell and his wife used to live
together on Ridings Road, though the two are now separated. Their adult
daughter lives in a unit nearby, at 244 Ridings Road -- the scene of
the crime.Blackwell's estranged wife brought her boyfriend's child, Heather, to 244 Ridings Road Wednesday afternoon to go swimming."When
she got here, her estranged husband showed up -- he lives next door --
I don't know if he saw her pull in, if he knew she was coming or what,"
said Master Deputy Tony Ivey with the Sheriff's Office said. "That's
when everything took place."Heather Brooke Center, 8, of 981
Lightwood Knot Road in Woodruff, died from a gunshot wound to the head,
Clevenger said. He called the shooting "heinous."Deputies were dispatched to the scene just before 3 p.m., a criminal domestic violence call.They
arrived and saw the girl, Heather, lying facedown in a driveway. She
had a gunshot wound in one leg, a pool of blood in the center of her
back, and blood coming from her right ear, according to an incident
report. She did not show any signs of life.Witnesses said Blackwell fled into the nearby woods. Investigators arrived and began searching for him.Blackwell
emerged and shot himself in the side, Sheriff Chuck Wright said. When
asked whether that was an attempt at suicide, Wright said he thought so."Once
our officers got on the scene, people here, at the home, began to point
in the direction of Ricky's home and said, 'He's that way.' That's when
deputies began sweeping the area," Ivey said.Deputies had their
guns drawn and ordered the man to drop his weapon. He wouldn't, Ivey
said. They did not fire at Blackwell, Wright said.Late
Wednesday, Blackwell was just out of surgery. Wright said investigators
wanted to make sure he was fully coherent before they interviewed him
so there would be "no excuses" later on.How long Blackwell and his estranged wife have been separated wasn't immediately clear."It's a bad scene," Wright said. "You have a baby who is deceased who had nothing to do with it. It's pitiful."Neighbors, who asked not to be identified, said they rarely heard any commotion from the residences over on Ridings Road."He
must have just lost it," one neighbor said. "I really don't know why he
done what he done. But in my mind, Ricky has always been a fine man."

A man accused of fatally shooting an 8-year-old girl at least four
times Wednesday received notification Thursday that prosecutors will
seek the death penalty while he was in a local hospital bed.
The notification informed Ricky Lee Blackwell Sr., 50, of 248
Ridings Road, Chesnee, that he will be the defendant in a capital
punishment trial. Blackwell had not been booked at Spartanburg County
jail at press time Thursday night because he was recovering from a
self-inflicted gunshot wound to the abdomen.Blackwell will be
taken to jail when he is released from Spartanburg Regional Medical
Center, sheriff's deputies said, and he will be charged with the murder
and kidnapping of Heather Brooke Center. Blackwell is accused of
putting the child, who went by Brooke, in a headlock, shooting her in
the head and shooting her at least three more times.After
conferring with Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright and Spartanburg
County Coroner Rusty Clevenger, Seventh Circuit Solicitor Trey Gowdy
said he has "exercised my discretion to seek society's ultimate
punishment.""Murder of a child under age 11 is a freestanding,
self-sufficient (aggravating circumstance) ... that qualifies the case
for the death penalty," Gowdy said.It is the first time in 2009
that Gowdy has requested a capital trial, and his office wrote S.C.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal, requesting that she assign a
judge to preside over the case."The paradigm we have always used
is threefold -- the circumstances of the crime, the character of the
defendant and the impact the crime has on the community as a whole,"
Gowdy said. "The execution of a child shocks the conscience of this
community and warrants seeking of society's ultimate punishment."Deputies
were called to 244 Ridings Road -- where Blackwell's daughter,
son-in-law and family live -- about 3 p.m. Wednesday to a
domestic-related shooting. They located the unresponsive child, who had
been brought to the residence by Blackwell's separated wife, Angela, so
Brooke could play with other children in a swimming pool. Angela
Blackwell has been romantically involved with the child's father, Bobby
Center, for about seven months, deputies said.
'Special' child
When reached by phone Thursday night, Center and another person at the
residence would not comment. Earlier in the day, Center told News
Channel 7, "(Brooke) was special from the day she was born" and had a
way of lighting up the lives of others.Deputies found the victim
face down near the above-ground swimming pool and were directed to
Blackwell's next-door residence, where they found him holding a pistol.
When ordered to put the pistol down, deputies said he fired it once
into his abdomen.Deputies then arrested Blackwell, but the horrific scene lingered in responding officers' minds Thursday morning.Spartanburg
County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Tony Ivey said those
officers met with a team of chaplains for a debriefing, a standard
procedure following "critical" incidents."It's a way to get together after the incident and realize it's OK that what you saw upset you," Ivey said.
'No right'
Ricky Lee Blackwell Jr., 22, who lives near the incident location, was
driving to work when he saw the deputies' vehicles, and he approached
the scene."Seeing that little girl hurt me worse than anything
in the world," Blackwell Jr. said. "I have no idea why he grabbed that
young'un. He had told her how beautiful she was. He had been nice to
that girl and her brother."He didn't have no right doing that," said Blackwell Jr., adding how sorry he feels for Brooke and her family.Blackwell
Jr. said "something flipped" in his father. He said his father had
never been violent but had attempted suicide early during the
separation from his wife of 33 years.Blackwell Jr. said his
father was a truck driver before he was diagnosed with cancer. After
the cancer went into remission, he got a job at a chemical plant, but
he was laid off. Blackwell Jr. said his mother alternated between
Blackwell Sr. and Center.The criminal record for Blackwell Sr.
had one grand larceny conviction from 1981, and deputies had not
responded to any domestic disturbances.Authorities were still trying to determine why Blackwell Sr. fired only at Brooke."There's only one person who can answer that question," Gowdy said, "and I just served him with a death penalty notice."

DUNCAN, S.C. -- A memorial service has been planned for an 8-year-old girl who was shot to death on Wednesday.

Ricky Lee Blackwell

Visitation
for Brooke Center is 1-3 p.m. on Sunday, with a memorial service to
follow at 3 p.m. at the Stribling Funeral Home in Duncan. The public is
welcome.A memorial fund has been set up to help pay for help
cover the funeral costs. Donations can be made at any Wachovia Bank
under the name "Heather Brooke Center."Ricky Lee Blackwell has been charged in Brooke's death.Deputies
that Brooke was killed after Blackwell's estranged wife, Angela,
arrived at a home at 244 Ridings Road on Wednesday. Heather is the
daughter of Angela Blackwell's new boyfriend.The home is next door to Ricky Blackwell's residence, and it belongs to his daughter and her husband.Brooke
planned to swim and play with friends at the home, police said.
Witnesses said, when Brooke got out of the car, Blackwell grabbed her,
put her in a headlock and shot her once in the head, and three more
times as she fell to the ground.

Brooke Center

Three other children and a teenager witnessed the shooting, police said.A
short time later, deputies said that Ricky Blackwell, who had run into
nearby woods, shot himself in the side when confronted by deputies.He was taken to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, where he remains in good condition and is expected to survive his injuries.The Seventh Circuit Solicitor Trey Gowdy said he will seek the death penalty in Blackwell's trial.

Another beautiful child's life senselessly and violently ended :( :.0 :( :.0 Sometimes my heart has had enough but I feel so hopeless feeling there is not much we can do

Susmihara wrote:Another beautiful child's life senselessly and violently ended :( :.0 :( :.0 Sometimes my heart has had enough but I feel so hopeless feeling there is not much we can do

---I totally understand. There is something we can do, by keeping these posts current and vibrant, we can show the world that we are watching and justice is our goal. Vigilance is the key and love is the answer. In each of these cases there was some person, usually close, who does/did not know what love for a young child is. By showing our love we are helping.

Ricky Lee Blackwell, who is charged with murder in the shooting
death of 8-year-old Heather Brooke Center, arrived at the Spartanburg
County jail Wednesday morning.
Blackwell, 50, is accused of shooting the child four times on July
8. He then shot himself in the side and has been at Spartanburg
Regional Medical Center since then.Seventh Ciruit Solicitor Trey Gowdy has served Blackwell with notice of his intention to seek the death penalty.Blackwell wore a bullet proof vest as he was taken to the jail. He did not respond to repeated questions from reporters.

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The estranged wife of the
man accused of gunning down an 8-year-old Woodruff girl, Ricky
Blackwell, talked to FOX Carolina’s Cody Alcorn over the phone on
Wednesday.Blackwell, 49, is charged with murder and kidnapping in connection with the shooting death of Brooke Center last Wednesday.Authorities said that Blackwell put Brooke in a headlock and shot her at least four times.Angela
Blackwell said she witnessed her estranged husband kill the girl. She
said that she is sorry that he took such a selfish step toward an
innocent child.
“I hope he gets the death penalty for what he did to that innocent
baby,” said Angela Blackwell, as she broke down into tears. “She did
not deserve what she got. He had no right to harm that baby at all.”Investigators
have said that Angela Blackwell was dating Brooke’s father at the time
of the shooting. They said that Ricky Blackwell appears to have killed
Brooke to get revenge against his estranged wife.Angela
Blackwell said she is not going to talk about the details surrounding
the shooting. She said that she wants to wait until trial. She said
that is when the time will be right to have to relive the horror of
seeing Brooke gunned down.“She was precious,” Angela Blackwell said. “I loved her and still love her with all my heart.”Investigators
said that when they arrived at the home after the shooting Ricky
Blackwell shot himself in the stomach. He had been recovering from his
injuries at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center until Wednesday, when
he was transferred to the Spartanburg County Detention Center.Prosecutors have said they plan to seek the death penalty against Blackwell.

The family of 8-year-old Heather Brooke Center hopes that the
tragedy they've had to deal with, as horrific as it was, can in some
ways raise community awareness about domestic violence and abusive
relationships and help prevent similar events from happening to others
in the future. Brooke, as she was called, was shot to death by the estranged
husband of her father's girlfriend earlier this month, authorities say.
Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against Ricky Lee Blackwell,
the man charged in the crime.Brooke's mother, 38-year-old Kelly
Center, glows when she talks about the way her daughter used to come
with her to work, the way they'd read books together, how her daughter
loved to draw, and the way Brooke would line up her teddy bears and
stuffed animals and play school. She would use a dry-erase board that
she got for Christmas one year.But the smile turns to sobs when the topic returns to the violent act that took her baby from her."He
didn't just kill my baby," she said, breaking into tears. "He hurt all
her friends. Every one of them. They came up to me and handed me
blankets and cards, and … it's devastating to them. They're only 8, 9
years old. How do you explain that to a child?"Kelly Center and
her aunt, Terri Lynn Pulley, 53, have been in contact with the
Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office, the 7th Circuit Solicitor's Office
and SAFE Homes-Rape Crisis Coalition, talking about what can be done to
help people and collecting brochures and documents they hope will turn
up in schools, churches, businesses, libraries, recreation facilities
-- anywhere people congregate. They also hope the message in those
documents will be picked up, discussed and used in a positive way."We
want the community to know that there is information out there. We need
to take this information and put it through the schools, put it through
the different agencies and let them know that this is unacceptable,
that violence is unacceptable in daily living," Pulley said. "And so
many kids live with it as a daily routine; they don't know there's a
different type of life."They hope to see more education of
children and adults about the rights they have in situations that could
lead to violence. They hope Brooke's death sparks a community-wide
discussion. Center said she would like to see court-appointed guardians
in every divorce case -- amicable or not -- that involves children.
That way, she said, children have a neutral party to talk to, and they
wouldn't be forced to choose between mom and dad.Most guardians
are court-appointed at a judge's discretion, and they normally are
attorneys -- someone paid for jointly by the mother and father, said
Jean Bradley, coordinator of the Spartanburg County Volunteer Guardian
ad Litem Program. Bradley's group only gets involved when a child is
taken into protective custody.Center and her husband, Bobby,
have been separated for a year, though the divorce isn't yet final.
Brooke chose to spend alternating weeks with her mother and father,
Center said."I appreciate everything that's been done," she
said. "It doesn't matter that me and my husband were separated, but …
my daughter was put in a situation she shouldn't have been put in. So
it doesn't matter if it's domestic violence in your own home, or in
someone else's home.
"No more 'next time'
Some of what Brooke's family wants already is happening -- or, at least, the
information is available. Often, however, it takes a tragedy for the
larger community to notice, read, discuss or take advantage of options
and programs that are out there. Sometimes, it takes a death to raise
awareness."There's a wide variety of resources," said Dianne
Hipp, a victim's advocate. "Right here within the sheriff's office, we
have the capability of setting up appointments, or referrals to child
or adult therapists. We have several places that we have a very close
relationship with that offer therapy for children who are in situations
where there's the potential of danger. And the murder of this child is
a prime example of that."She continued: "The blame, I don't
think, is put on one certain person. Everyone involved in that
situation should have been more aware with the children, and of course
kept out of that."Blackwell's criminal history, officials say,
is limited to a few property crimes decades ago and a couple of
out-of-state traffic violations. Neither he nor his estranged wife
appears on any incident report at the Spartanburg County Sheriff's
Office, a spokesman said."That's real ironic, too," Hipp said.
"Most of the time, when things happen like this, you can look back and
you have domestic violence reports. That's another thing that shows how
quick these things could turn violent. There was not a history of
domestic violence. However, look what happened."Had such reports
existed, child safety advocates or law enforcement could have stepped
in or began monitoring the situation, she said.The Spartanburg
County Sheriff's Office handled 1,073 domestic violence and dispute
cases in 2007, about 1,030 last year and 563 so far this year. In the
past two years, fewer than one in five resulted in no arrest warrant or
citation being issued.Pulley, a former victim's advocate now
living in Maine, said people often wait until something happens a
second time before filing a police report."A lot of people don't know they have that opportunity," she said. "They have that capability to do so, and they should do so."Pulley
hopes people are encouraged to contact law enforcement, or agencies
such as SAFE Homes, at the first sign of trouble, even if they get
resistance -- even if they're told by an agency that nothing can be
done until something happens."Brooke's death, her murder, is not
the first child to be a victim of this type of situation," Pulley said.
"And the amount of community awareness … A lot of times, there's not
information available until you become a victim of crime. And in
Brooke's honor, and in remembrance of Brooke, we'd like to ask the
community to come together, to see what we can do to prevent something
like this from happening again.
"Recognizing abuse
SAFE Homes is a 24-hour agency that provides support, education, advocacy,
emergency shelter and counseling, among other services."There's
always opportunities to spread education," said Tonya Adams Brannon,
shelter director. "The more hands, and more volunteers we have … We're
always open to that. If we have an invitation to come and speak, we are
always open to that."The agency has curriculum tailored to
students of different age groups in technology violence, gender
violence, dating violence, stalking, date rape, healthy relationships
and sexual harassment, among others, Brannon said. Volunteer training
sessions are held in the spring and fall.Brooke was a rising
third-grader at Reidville Elementary School. Spartanburg School
District 5 spokesman Bobby Bentley was unable to provide immediately
any information on what is done at Reidville specifically, or
district-wide in general, on educating children about what to do in
potentially violent situations."If we can have our children talk
to us about things, if they know of another child or friend that has
been put in a position that endangers their safety, we need to tell
others," Pulley said. "The child should be able to feel comfortable
enough to tell someone, so there can be an extra eye and extra ear --
so there's care and consideration for all these children."Anything
schools can do to help children with life lessons -- like going through
a divorce -- would help, Center said. Pulley added that schools could
help by teaching children about becoming aware of a violent situation
and the need to talk to someone if they are being exposed to it."A
lot of children don't recognize abuse, because when you say that,
people think you've been hit. There's a bruise or a cut or something.
That goes away. Children do not understand -- and neither do most
adults -- the emotional abuse. And that's why I think the personality
of an abuser is so important for people to have as common knowledge,
whether you're a child or adult."SAFE Homes has a seven-page
document outlining personality traits of an abuser -- traits like
jealousy, controlling behavior, unrealistic expectations and blaming
others for their problems or behaviors.The sheriff's office has
discussed going into schools and talking about these issues, Hipp said.
They've worked on a presentation centered on elementary and high school
students."This is a warning that this needs to be done more --
law enforcement going into schools and educating teenagers that there
is a number they can call," Hipp said."Hopefully, (this) had
enough impact on some citizens that it will make them more aware and
not apt to involve their children in" violent situations.
'Most significant meaning'
Center works at a tanning salon.Sometimes,
Brooke would go with her and pull customers' cards for them to sign-in
on. The little girl loved to play baseball, and she often measured her
height against the tall sunflowers growing in her grandmother's yard in
Greer.Since the separation, Center has lived in Duncan.There,
Brooke "had her own special room. We had an upstairs and downstairs,
and under the stairs, that was her own special 'angel room.' And that's
where all her drawings were, where she kept all her 'secret stuff.' You
know kids, they have their secret stuff," Center said, the glow
returning. "Her room, she was to have clean. But she could do whatever
she wanted in her angel room. And only people she allowed could come in
her angel room."Now, Center is planning to move."Driving
down here from Maine, we realized on the license plates it's 'In God we
Trust.' And in talking with the solicitors's office and SAFE Homes,
they were talking about how South Carolina was number four in the
nation in domestic violence," Pulley said."A woman came up today
and said, 'You know, we need to do more than just pray over this. We
need to do something actively, and through the strength of the
community to make a difference and make a change.' "Pulley
added: "I know, as one individual, one person can make a difference. If
we can allow Brooke to live on through the differences we make, then I
believe we have allowed her life to have the most significant meaning
of all."

July 13, 2009

Funeral services for a eight year old girl tragically shot and killed Wednesday was held Sunday afternoon in Duncan.

More than 500 bikers showed up to the funeral for Heather Brooke
Center. “You look around look at the bikes that are here the love and
passion of motorcyclists,“ Ira Barrett with Black Stallion Motorcycle
Hearse said.

Rolling Thunder will be escorting the Black Stallion Motorcycle
Hearse, which will be carrying Center’s body “The little girl loved
riding bikes,“ Mike Dalton with Rolling Thunder said. “To give her one
last going away present, her last ride, what better way to do it?“
“She is looking down and smiling from ear to ear,“ Ira Barrett said.

Investigators with the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office arrested
and charged Rickey Lee Blackwell with first-degree murder after they
say he went to a home on Ridings Road and shot Center four times during
a domestic dispute. Blackwell then shot himself and is currently
hospitalized and expected to survive. Solicitor Trey Gowdy says they
will seek the death penalty against Blackwell.

http://www2.wspa.com/news/2009/jul/16/funeral_services_for_slain_eight_year_old_to_be_he-ar-1942/
Child Murder Suspect Ricky Blackwell Arraignment Delayed


**Thursday 8:25 a.m.**
The Spartanburg County magistrate's office says Ricky Blackwell's arraignment has been postponed. The Spartanburg County solicitor's office requested to do the arraignment and bond hearing in circuit court. No date has been scheduled. **Thursday 5:35am Update**
Ricky Blackwell is due in court on Thursday morning for his arraignment. A judge will read the charges against Blackwell to make sure he understands them and how the criminal justice system will handle his case.
Blackwell's estranged wife is dating Brooke Center's father. Investigators said Blackwell grabbed the girl and shot her four times right in front of his wife.
Angela Blackwell did not want to go on camera but gave News Channel 7 a statement about her husband being taken to jail. "I hope they keep him there for the rest of his life. He killed an innocent little girl. brooke was the sweetest girl in the world. And he smiled at me when he did it", she wrote.
**Wednesday 1:35pm Update**Angela Blackwell, the estranged wife of the suspect spoke with News Channel 7 Wednesday in an interview and said "I hope they keep him there for the rest of his life. He killed an innocent little girl. Brooke was the sweetest girl in the world. And he smiled at me when he did it."**Wednesday 1:15pm Update**Ricky Lee Blackwell said nothing as he was taken into the Spartanburg County Jail. Blackwell was wearing a bullet proof vest. The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office says he wore the vest because of the nature of the crime. Blackwell is scheduled to be arraigned 11:00 a.m. Thursday morning.**Wednesday 9:40am Update**The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office expects Ricky Lee Blackwell will be released from Spartanburg Regional Medical Center Wednesday.Public Information Officer Tony Ivey expects Blackwell will have his arraignment Wednesday afternoon.Reporting by Chris Cato, Rob Landreth**Monday 10:30am Update**Ricky Lee Blackwell is still a patient at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center on Monday. Tony Ivey, Public Information Officer for the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office, says doctors feel it may be later in the week before Blackwell may be released from the hospital.Funeral services for a eight year old girl tragically shot and killed Wednesday was held Sunday afternoon in Duncan.More than 500 bikers showed up to the funeral for Heather Brooke Center. "You look around look at the bikes that are here the love and passion of motorcyclists," Ira Barrett with Black Stallion Motorcycle Hearse said. Rolling Thunder will be escorting the Black Stallion Motorcycle Hearse, which will be carrying Center's body "The little girl loved riding bikes," Mike Dalton with Rolling Thunder said. "To give her one last going away present, her last ride, what better way to do it?" "She is looking down and smiling from ear to ear," Ira Barrett said.Investigators with the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office arrested and charged Rickey Lee Blackwell with first-degree murder after they say he went to a home on Ridings Road and shot Center four times during a domestic dispute. Blackwell then shot himself and is currently hospitalized and expected to survive. Solicitor Trey Gowdy says they will seek the death penalty against Blackwell.

Court prepares for murder trial of man accused of killing 8-year-old girl


Ricky Lee Blackwell

Ricky Lee Blackwell appears in court during a hearing at the Spartanburg County Courthouse on Wednesday morning. Blackwell is accused of the murder of 8-year-old Heather Brooke Center in 2009. The prosecution is seeking the death penalty in the case. (TIM KIMZEY/tim.kimzey@shj.com)


By Kim Kimzey,kim.kimzey@shj.com
Published: Wednesday, November 6, 2013 at 11:26 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, November 6, 2013 at 11:26 p.m.

A Chesnee man accused of killing an 8-year-old girl appeared in court Wednesday for a pre-trial hearing.

Ricky Lee Blackwell Sr., 54, has been charged with kidnapping and murder in the killing of Heather Brooke Center. He's accused of putting the girl in a headlock, shooting her in the head, then shooting her three more times on July 8, 2009 on Ridings Road near Chesnee.

William McGuire, chief attorney of the Capital Trial Division of the S.C. Commission on Indigent Defense, and 7th Circuit Chief Public Defender Clay Allen represent Blackwell.

McGuire asked Circuit Court Judge Roger Couch to suppress any statements that Blackwell made to law enforcement at the crime scene or hospital. According to testimony, Blackwell made statements about shooting the girl while at the scene, in the hospital trauma bay and to a jailer at the Spartanburg County Detention Center.

Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office Investigator Loren Williams spoke with Blackwell at the hospital. Blackwell was hospitalized after shooting himself in the abdomen. Williams said Blackwell was asked to try and explain what happened. Williams said Blackwell had hard feelings about the breakup of his marriage and "wanted to hurt the child's father to feel the same pain that he had felt. … And that he did shoot the child in the presence of the (estranged wife). It was all in retaliation for the breakup."

At the time, Blackwell's estranged wife, Angela, was dating Brooke's father, Bobby Alvin Center Jr.

Williams testified that he asked Blackwell, "Tell me why it happened. Tell me that you're sorry. Tell me something. And that was when he made the statement that the only thing he was sorry about was that he had not done a better job on himself."

Seventh Circuit Solicitor Barry Barnette is prosecuting Blackwell. He was assisted at the motion hearing by Deputy Solicitor Derrick Bulsa and Assistant Solicitor Russell Ghent.

There was no ruling Wednesday on a motion to change venue. The defense requested to change venues because of pre-trial publicity and other potential influences on jurors. Couch said if there is a problem in seating a jury, the defense can renew its argument.

Another motion the defense made was for a hearing to determine if certain crime scene and autopsy photographs should be suppressed because their prejudicial value might outweigh probative value. Couch questioned whether the defense was requesting specific photographs.

McGuire said although a number of photographs could be "inflammatory," they likely would be admitted due to their probative value. He said certain things could be done to limit that, one suggestion was putting some photographs in black and white that would show the victim's condition "without having the gory blood…" or not introducing close-ups.

Couch preserved the defense's right to object to photographs at a later time.

The defense also asked that the jury not be sequestered. McGuire said the trend now is not to sequester juries. He said it was expensive and publicity was not an issue.

"The old fear that publicity would always be a factor is just really not the case," McGuire said.

Couch said McGuire had an outstanding motion to change venues and said that's probably one of the reasons the case hasn't moved because of the atmosphere in which the case might be held.

"In this point in time, I'm leaning toward sequestration," Couch said. He said he wanted a fair trial without outside influences.

Couch approved the prosecution's motion for a DNA sample that could be used by the S.C. Law Enforcement Division to verify forensic evidence.

Blackwell's trial was scheduled to begin on Jan. 27, 2014, but has been postponed until the first week in March.

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20131106/ARTICLES/131109784

Trailer park man found guilty of shooting dead ex-wife's step-daughter, eight, in revenge attack with gun SHE bought him

Ricky Blackwell lured ex-wife Angela Davis to his trailer for a swim
Blackwell told Davis to bring her step-daughter Heather

Blackwell shot Heather, eight, four times with a .357 Magnum
Jury took just 20 minutes to find Blackwell guilty of murder
Killer faces possible death penalty

By Darren Boyle
PUBLISHED: 06:17 EST, 13 March 2014  | UPDATED: 07:28 EST, 13 March 2014

A frantic mother pleaded with her ex-husband to release her step-daughter moments before he shot the child in the head in a planned revenge killing.

Ricky Blackwell, 55, from Chesnee, South Carolina was found guilty of murder after lured his ex-wife Angela Davis and her step-daughter, Heather Brooke Center, to come to his trailer for a swim on July 8, 2009.

Spartanburg County Court heard that Blackwell was angry because Ms Davis had left him 18 months earlier for the eight-year old's father, Bobby Center.


Ricky Blackwell (right) is facing the death penalty after being found guilty of murdering his ex-wife's step-daughter Heather Brooke Center (left) in South Carolina.

When the pair arrived, Blackwell grabbed the girl, Brooke, and put a .357 Magnum revolver to her head.

Ms Davis admitted she had bought the gun for Blackwell as a present during their 27-year marriage.

She said she pleaded with Blackwell to release her daughter and even offered herself in exchange.

She told the court she was screaming 'let her go Ricky, please it's me you want, take me,'
according to a report by GoUpState.com

Ms Davis said her ex-husband replied: 'You've pushed this too far. You did this and you tell me what Bobby thinks of this.

'Then the gun went off and it went off again.'

In total, Blackwell shot the youngster four times at point-black range.

Blackwell's solicitor Bill McGuire asked the court to consider his client's mental state at the time of the murder.

He said his client should not be judged entirely on what happened during those six seconds.

Mr McGuire said Blackwell's ex-wife 'was the air that he breathed, the sun in his universe. But she didn't stay there. She left. She took up an adulterous affair with Bobby Center'.

Master Deputy Bill Meyer of Spartanburg County Sheriff's office said he arrived at the scene less than five minutes after shooting

He said he saw a small child lying face down between a trailer and an inflatable swimming pool. He said an eyewitness identified Blackwell as the shooter.

The jury took just 20 minutes to find Blackwell guilty of murder.

The court will decide whether Blackwell will face the death penalty later today.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2579831/Man-shot-ex-wifes-step-daughter-four-times-revenge-killing.html

Justice finally. Hopefully he will get the death penalty.   William

Blackwell guilty of kidnapping, murder in 2009 shooting of child


By Kim Kimzey
kim.kimzey@shj.com

Published: Wednesday, March 12, 2014 at 4:47 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, March 12, 2014 at 4:47 p.m.

It's been 1,709 days since Ricky Lee Blackwell Sr. murdered 8-year-old Brooke Center, but it took jurors only 20 minutes to find him guilty.

Blackwell, 55, of Chesnee was convicted Wednesday of kidnap and murder. He shot Brooke to death on July 8, 2009.

The prosecution and defense asked jurors to return with guilty verdicts.

In closing arguments, Seventh Circuit Solicitor Barry Barnette held up the .357 Magnum used in the killing.

“Not one shot. Not two shots. Not three shots, but four shots,” Barnette said.

Blackwell wanted to ensure Brooke died, Barnette said.

Blackwell's attorney, Bill McGuire with the S.C. Commission on Indigent Defense, told jurors, “Go do your duty. Don't deliberate long. Convict Ricky - he'll go to prison for the rest of his life.” McGuire said.

Whether Blackwell spends life in prison or is sentenced to death has yet to be determined. The sentencing phase in the capital case is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

Prosecutors said Blackwell killed the girl in an act of revenge. Brooke was the daughter of Bobby Center. At the time, Center was in a relationship with Blackwell's estranged wife, Angela Davis, who has since divorced Blackwell.

Davis testified against Blackwell on Tuesday.

Davis wept as she recalled how Blackwell placed Brooke in a chokehold and held the girl at gunpoint. Davis said she pleaded with Blackwell to let Brooke go, but he refused. Davis said Blackwell told her “You did this…tell me what Bobby thinks of this,'” before shooting Brooke.

McGuire told the jury that Davis was not a credible witness.

Davis, McGuire said, frequently returned to Blackwell “not to reconcile, but to take advantage of him.” McGuire said Davis returned for money and took most of the furniture from the home on Ridings Road where they lived before she left him.

“In her testimony, she gave sort of a heroic speech saying, 'At the moment he pulled out the gun and had Brooke, I said, Ricky, take me. Take me instead. I'm the one you want. Take me and let Heather drive Brooke home,'” McGuire said.

Listening to a recording of the 911 call that Davis made right after the shooting, McGuire said it was apparent that “she's not the kind of woman who would ever make that statement.” McGuire said she was concerned only for her safety.

The recording of Davis' 911 call was played in court Wednesday. She was frantic – screaming that her husband had shot her boyfriend's daughter and begging for responders to hurry.

“He shot that baby! Jesus Christ — he shot the baby!”

Over and over she wailed and screamed out to God to help her.

Davis returned to the witness stand Wednesday morning after a motion hearing in which Circuit Court Judge Roger Couch ruled Davis' medical records would not be admitted.

The defense attempted Tuesday to use statements that Davis made to a counselor to impeach her.

Barnette argued the medical records had been illegally obtained because Davis did not authorize their release.

Dr. David Wren, an expert in pathology, performed the autopsy on Brooke. He testified Wednesday that there were nine gunshot wounds to Brooke's body — entry and exit wounds from four bullets.

Wren said the immediately fatal wound was the one to Brooke's head. The other wounds also could have caused her death.

Wren said Brooke also was shot in her back, left leg and another bullet grazed the lower part of her right cheek before making “a deep grazing wound in her right neck that went under the skin and came back out and went into her left arm where it fractured her humerus.”

That bullet was removed from Brooke's body in the autopsy.

An expert in ballistics and tool mark identification testified that the bullet removed from Brooke had been fired by Blackwell's .357 Magnum.

Spartanburg County sheriff's deputies recovered the gun at the crime scene after they say Blackwell shot himself in the abdomen. An officer testified that he looked at the handgun and found that five rounds had been fired and there was a live round in the cylinder.

Blackwell's son-in-law, Mark Bryant, testified that he saw Blackwell holding Brooke and later saw the end of a gun and told his two sons to get back in the house. Bryant said Davis ran inside the trailer, followed by him and the children. Bryant said he did not witness the shooting, but heard two shots.

Bryant searched for his own daughter — 2 years old at the time — and became hysterical when he couldn't find her inside the trailer. He said he later learned that Davis had grabbed the toddler and ran.

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20140312/articles/140319910?p=3&tc=pg

Ricky Lee Blackwell sentenced to death for killing 8-year-old girl
 
By Kim Kimzey
kim.kimzey@shj.com
Published: Sunday, March 16, 2014 at 1:17 p.m.

Jurors sentenced Ricky Lee Blackwell Sr. to death Sunday night for the 2009 kidnapping and murder of 8-year-old Brooke Center.

Blackwell, 55, placed Brooke in a chokehold and shot her four times as his former wife and grandsons watched.

At the time, Blackwell and his ex-wife, Angela Davis, were separated and Davis was dating Brooke’s father, Bobby Center. The prosecution said Brooke’s murder was an act of revenge.

The jury of five women and seven men deliberated more than five hours before reaching the unanimous decision.

Circuit Court Judge Roger Couch set Blackwell’s execution for June 14, but it will likely be delayed for “an extended period” while the case is appealed.

Seventh Circuit Solicitor Barry Barnette became emotional during closing arguments. On Saturday, he and the jury saw photographs and home videos of Blackwell and his family. They were moments of happier times – family celebrations and vacations.

Barnette gestured to Brooke’s parents on Sunday and said they would never have such moments with their murdered daughter. And they lost so much more.

“They’ll never see her go on her first date. They won’t see her go to her first prom. They won’t see her graduate from high school,” Barnette said. “How much would they pay to have one phone call, to send a piece of mail to her?”

Barnette pointed to the man responsible — Blackwell.
The solicitor argued that Blackwell was not mentally retarded as the defense had asserted. Barnette said a forensic psychologist who testified for the defense was not “credible” and her methods to diagnose Blackwell were “junk science.” She was the only person who diagnosed Blackwell “mentally retarded;” two other psychologists found he was not intellectually disabled.

Barnette pointed out that Blackwell had a commercial driver’s license and could transport hazardous chemicals, including gasoline, in tanker trucks.

Barnette said the murder was premeditated. He held up the .357 Magnum gun used to shoot Brooke to death.

Blackwell took the weapon from his father’s home and parked his truck in the garage at the home where he and Davis used to live before approaching and murdering Brooke.

“He wanted that man right there to pay. He wanted to send a message to him,” Barnette said of Center. “He could have easily grabbed Angie and took her. But, no, he didn’t. He took Brooke.”

Officers recovered more than $1,000 from Blackwell, Barnette said, adding he probably did not anticipate law enforcement would respond so quickly. Blackwell shot himself in the stomach after officers arrived.

Barnette suggested that suicide attempt and others leading up to it were bids for attention.

Barnette quoted Nelson Mandela, “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats children.”

Society, Barnette said, cannot tolerate these acts.

Brooke was a “wonderful” girl who impacted the community of Reidville and beyond, the solicitor said. Now all her parents have to show is a birth certificate and death certificate.

Barnette said Blackwell took the life of “the most innocent person you could imagine.”

Brooke played right field, a position where they tried to keep her from getting hurt.
Barnette displayed two pictures of her side by side. One was a color photo of Brooke playing baseball. The other was a gruesome black-and-white photograph of Brooke shot to death.

“They didn’t want that on a ball field,” Barnette said of the second photo. “They just enjoyed life on it – just like this little girl did. Ricky Blackwell took that away from her, took that away from her parents. They won’t see her on the ball field again, never share anything with her again.”

Blackwell’s attorney, Bill McGuire with the S.C. Commission on Indigent Defense, asked the jury to look at Blackwell and the man he is.

“He is a tender, gentle, good person. You couldn’t find one person to say a mean thing about him. He never had a mean word for anybody,” McGuire said.

Blackwell “adored” his wife and family and had no previous convictions for violent crimes, McGuire said.

“If he had the opportunity to step into a time machine, knowing that his death was the fuel used to bring Brooke back, he’d open and shut the door. But we can’t. We can’t bring her back. So now what do we do?” McGuire asked.

He said Brooke’s memory had been celebrated with flowers, balloons and love by classmates and the community.

“Let’s let that be Brooke’s legacy,” he said.

Execution, McGuire said, was society’s last resort. He asked jurors to consider if “six seconds” in Blackwell’s life overrode everything else and was proof that he was beyond redemption.

The jury was not swayed. They did not find Blackwell mentally retarded and unanimously agreed there were aggravating circumstances to the crime. Each juror had to sign the recommendation of death.

Barnette thanked the jury on behalf of Brooke’s family at a news conference after the sentencing.
Barnette displayed two pictures of her side by side. One was a color photo of Brooke playing baseball. The other was a gruesome black-and-white photograph of Brooke shot to death.

“They didn’t want that on a ball field,” Barnette said of the second photo. “They just enjoyed life on it – just like this little girl did. Ricky Blackwell took that away from her, took that away from her parents. They won’t see her on the ball field again, never share anything with her again.”

Blackwell’s attorney, Bill McGuire with the S.C. Commission on Indigent Defense, asked the jury to look at Blackwell and the man he is.

“He is a tender, gentle, good person. You couldn’t find one person to say a mean thing about him. He never had a mean word for anybody,” McGuire said.

Blackwell “adored” his wife and family and had no previous convictions for violent crimes, McGuire said.

“If he had the opportunity to step into a time machine, knowing that his death was the fuel used to bring Brooke back, he’d open and shut the door. But we can’t. We can’t bring her back. So now what do we do?” McGuire asked.

He said Brooke’s memory had been celebrated with flowers, balloons and love by classmates and the community.

“Let’s let that be Brooke’s legacy,” he said.

Execution, McGuire said, was society’s last resort. He asked jurors to consider if “six seconds” in Blackwell’s life overrode everything else and was proof that he was beyond redemption.

The jury was not swayed. They did not find Blackwell mentally retarded and unanimously agreed there were aggravating circumstances to the crime. Each juror had to sign the recommendation of death.

Barnette thanked the jury on behalf of Brooke’s family at a news conference after the sentencing.
“They were very thankful for everything that’s been done from the sheriff’s office, from the community and from our office, they were very appreciative. And they were very appreciative of what the jury did in this case,” Barnette said.

“Ricky Lee Blackwell is a coward who acted out of jealously and anger. There is no other way to explain his actions. He took the life of an innocent child,” Barnette said later in a written statement. “Brooke’s tragic death just didn’t affect her family. It affected the school she attended and the community she lived in. I hope people look at today’s verdict and realize crimes against children will not be tolerated.”

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20140316/ARTICLES/140319805?p=1&tc=pg

We'll see how long it take now to carry out the sentence.  Story also on the UK news here below.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2582473/South-Carolina-man-sentenced-death-kidnapping-murder-8-year-old-girl.html

He'll appeal for years and decades.   Heather had no appeals.