Ex-Army recruiter blamed wife for his demotion. Did he kill her for revenge?

2 hours ago 4

This communicative primitively aired connected March 8, 2025. It was updated connected Feb. 21, 2026.

In the brushed South Carolina night, successful the metropolis of Simpsonville, Cati Blauvelt was missing. It had been 2 fearful days for her mom, Patti Piver.

Patti Piver: I conscionable was terrified that thing was gonna hap to her.

Then, past midnight connected Oct. 26 2016, investigators Cheryl Schofield and Keith Morecraft were dispatched to the scene. Cati's mangled assemblage had been recovered successful an abandoned farmhouse. She was 22 years old. A weapon leaf near successful her body.

Investigator Keith Morecraft: There was a rectangular factual container benignant of successful the halfway of the basement. … We recovered Cati's assemblage wrong that box.

Capt. Cheryl Schofield: Her assemblage had fundamentally been folded into this box. It was a representation of what you would spot successful a fearfulness movie.

Cati's ma was overwhelmed.

Patti Piver: I was wholly bare inside. … She did not merit to beryllium murdered.

Jennifer Piver is Cati's stepsister.

Jennifer Piver: I conscionable prayed and cried and … Just sick. Just sick.

Morecraft and different researcher went to archer John Blauvelt his wife's assemblage had been found.

Investigator Keith Morecraft: We went to marque the decease notification.

INVESTIGATOR (death notification visit): I'm truthful atrocious for your loss, sir.

At first, Blauvelt appeared distressed. But arsenic the speech progressed his demeanor changed.

Investigator Keith Morecraft: Didn't inquire mean questions … specified arsenic … wherever did you find her? How did she die?

Peter Van Sant: He wasn't shocked by the news?

Investigator Keith Morecraft: He didn't look to beryllium astatine all.

Peter Van Sant: What did that suggest to you?

Investigator Keith Morecraft: That helium knew however she died. He knew wherever her assemblage was.

John Blauvelt did person 1 question. But it wasn't astir Cati.

JOHN BLAUVELT (death notification visit): Am I being charged with a crime? Because he's signaling me. And I'm not comfy with that.

INVESTIGATOR MORECRAFT: You're not being charged —

JOHN BLAUVELT: OK.

INVESTIGATOR MORECRAFT: — with a transgression close now.

Peter Van Sant: Right distant you sensed this could beryllium our guy.

Investigator Keith Morecraft: I was beauteous assured astatine the time.

But they couldn't apprehension him connected a feeling. First Morecraft and Schofield had grounds to stitchery and a lawsuit to build. But conscionable arsenic they got started, John Blauvelt took to the road. Traveling with him was Hannah Thompson, his caller girlfriend, each of 17.

Peter Van Sant: How acrophobic were you astir Hannah's safety?

Capt. Cheryl Schofield: If helium was consenting to termination his ain wife, there's nary telling what benignant of information Hannah Thompson would've been successful by fleeing with him.

When Cati met John Blauvelt

But John Blauvelt hadn't ever been considered threatening. Back successful 2014, successful the quiescent metropolis of immoderate 20,000, helium was a invited portion of the assemblage — the larger than life, nationalist look of the U.S. Army.

Peter Van Sant: A idiosyncratic of principle, idiosyncratic consenting to sacrifice.

Patti Piver: Yes.

Peter Van Sant: For his country.

Patti Piver: That's what I think.

Peter Van Sant: These are each admirable traits, right?

Patti Piver: Yeah exactly.

It was past that John Blauvelt met Cati, conscionable yards from his recruiting bureau astatine a sub store wherever she worked. Cati turned 20 and Blauvelt was 26. They started dating.

Capt. Cheryl Schofield: And they conscionable deed it off.

Patti Piver: She's lovable, caring, funny. Who wouldn't autumn successful emotion with her?

In the summertime of 2015, recruiter Blauvelt convinced Cati to enlist. But aft conscionable 2 months, a wellness contented prevented her from finishing her training.

Patti Piver: They recovered a occupation with her spine. … She got a aesculapian discharge retired of the Army.

While Cati's subject hopes were dashed, Blauvelt told friends helium had recovered his calling.

With his warfare stories astir his deployments successful Iraq and his crisp azygous decorated with work ribbons, Blauvelt impressed section teenagers.

Aly Somerville: Like, to me, helium had each his ducks successful a row.

Peter Van Sant: Almost similar a relation model, right?

Aly Somerville: Almost similar a relation model. More like—it was decidedly similar a relation model.

Aly Somerville, a adjacent person of Cati, says she often ate luncheon with John Blauvelt astatine his recruiting booth successful her school. She adds helium besides sometimes showed up astatine section hangouts.

Aly Somerville: I thought helium was cool.

Peter Van Sant: He was funny successful your life, what you were up to and things?

Aly Somerville: Yeah, helium made definite I was OK.

But arsenic helium began dating Cati, her household was ne'er fractional definite astir Blauvelt.

Patti Piver: I don't deliberation I ever had a meaningful speech with him.

Peter Van Sant: Did helium look funny successful you and … the family?

Jennifer Piver: No. Not astatine all.

Then, aft astir a twelvemonth — and seemingly retired of the bluish — Cati amazed her household with an alarming announcement.

Patti Piver: She says, "Oh, by the way," she said, "me and John got joined today." … And I'm successful shock. .. Then she said, "Oh, we got joined astatine the courthouse."

Patti Piver: They went connected the honeymoon … But wrong 2 months, that honeymoon was over.

A imagination house-turned enactment house

Staff Sergeant John Blauvelt and his caller bride were putting down roots successful the community. Cati had taken a occupation astatine the section PetSmart.

Patti Piver: Yeah, she's gonna emotion that (laughs) and she did. …

Peter Van Sant: And she was passionate astir animals.

Patti Piver: She was.

Peter Van Sant: This could beryllium a vocation for her.

Patti Piver: Yes.

As for John Blauvelt, helium already owned a four-bedroom location successful Fountain Inn, close adjacent to Simpsonville, wherever Capt. Schofield worked.

Capt. Cheryl Schofield (with Van Sant extracurricular the Blauvelt's home): Once they got joined this is the location that they were expected to determination into and person a family.

Jennifer Piver: She wanted a family. She wanted to person kids.

Cati moved in. And soon the location was crowded with kids. But not the benignant Cati imagined.

Capt. Cheryl Schofield: Unfortunately the lone kids that were present were the teenagers that John Blauvelt invited.

John Blauvelt had invited Cati's niece to enactment with them, and aboriginal Hannah Thompson and Aly Somerville crashed there, too. Somerville says it became a enactment destination for kids from Hillcrest High School, wherever Blauvelt often worked arsenic an Army recruiter.

Aly Somerville: We were conscionable smoking weed each day, each day.

Peter Van Sant: And however aged were you then?

Aly Somerville: 16.

And Somerville claimed it wasn't conscionable weed that was the draw. She said, astatine times, determination was booze, acid, and cocaine.

Peter Van Sant: This is with the U.S. Army recruiter, right?

Aly Somerville: U.S. Army recruiter, yes. … Letting america enactment astatine his house. … Like, that — this is awesome.

Patti Piver says it wasn't agelong earlier Cati grew frustrated with each of the partying and told Blauvelt it had to stop.

Peter Van Sant: Her imagination location turned into a enactment house.

Jennifer Piver: Right.

Peter Van Sant: And that's the past happening your sister wanted, right?

Jennifer Piver: Absolutely.

As Cati and John Blauvelt drifted, Thompson was determination to substance the fire.

Investigator Cheryl Schofield: Hannah perfectly despised Cati.

Peter Van Sant: And what was the quality of Hannah's narration with John arsenic clip went on?

Capt. Cheryl Schofield: Hannah became John's puppy. Any clip that John would archer her to bash something, she would bash it.

It was each excessively overmuch for Cati. According to constabulary records, aft being joined little than 3 months, Cati moved out. Schofield says Blauvelt and Thompson wasted nary time.

Capt. Cheryl Schofield: She moved into John Blauvelt's chamber successful this location erstwhile Cati moved out.

Aly Somerville: Whoa, that's creepy. Like you're successful your precocious 20s and she's 17 dude. … Like, you're not expected to beryllium doing worldly similar this.

Thompson's begetter went to the constabulary and told them helium hadn't seen his girl for 2 weeks. That night, connected Feb. 26, 2016, cops showed up astatine Blauvelt's house.

Peter Van Sant: When they get what happens?

Capt. Cheryl Schofield (with Van Sant extracurricular Blauvelt's home): They tried to marque interaction with John … and John refused to travel outside.

Somerville was wrong the location with Blauvelt and immoderate different minors erstwhile constabulary arrived.

Aly Somerville: And John was similar "Lock the door. Nobody spell outside."

Peter Van Sant: What were they saying?

Aly Somerville: Like, "John Blauvelt," like, "come retired of the location with your hands up."

Peter Van Sant: You indispensable person been a small terrified. Were you not?

Aly Somerville: Terrified. Yeah.

Peter Van Sant: These were radical with weapons. Were weapons out?

Aly Somerville: Oh yeah. There were weapons drawn and everything.

Peter Van Sant: A seasoned of the Iraq warfare and they're having to propulsion their guns to get him retired of the house?

Capt. Cheryl Schofield: Yes.

Peter Van Sant: It's benignant of extraordinary, isn't it?

Capt. Cheryl Schofield: Yes, precise overmuch so.

John Blauvelt yet opened the doorway and was questioned by police. On Feb. 27, 2016, helium was arrested and charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. His soldier's representation was replaced with a mug shot.

Patti Piver: He's the nonstop other of what everybody thought helium was. The nonstop opposite.

And soon John Blauvelt's troubles would get adjacent worse. Police talked to Cati the time John was arrested. She told them astir a much troubling incidental she says happened a period earlier.

Investigator Keith Morecraft: There had been a home unit incidental wherever John allegedly pointed a weapon astatine Cati.

Peter Van Sant: Pulls retired a gun, points it astatine her —

Jennifer Piver: Right.

Peter Van Sant: — caput ...

Jennifer Piver: Yep.

Peter Van Sant: Says what?

Jennifer Piver: That helium was gonna termination her. … And besides threatened the family.

Peter Van Sant: Threatened the family. What bash you mean?

Jennifer Piver: Threatened to termination the family.

Investigator Keith Morecraft: The Fountain Inn Police Department investigated the substance and ended up charging him with home violence.

A restraining bid was issued preventing John Blauvelt and Cati from seeing each other.

Jennifer Piver: He blamed her for ruining his life. Because determination was evidently gonna beryllium a effect from the military.

That effect came conscionable a fewer days later, erstwhile the Department of the Army chopped John Blauvelt's wage and suspended him from the recruiting work that defined him.

Patti Piver: You can't bash this and beryllium a subject recruiter.

The Army reassigned him to a tiny backmost bureau and began an probe that mightiness pb to his dismissal.

Aly Somerville: He was like, "I can't beryllium retired successful the field" … "like connected the beforehand lines" … "I'm not recruiting radical for the Army. Now I'm sitting down a desk" and that's what made him truthful mad.

Cati rapidly moved connected from her short, disastrous matrimony and told her parent she planned to divorcement John Blauvelt.

Peter Van Sant: Your girl moves out. Did she determination backmost with you?

Patti Piver: Yeah.

But But contempt the restraining order, Cati and John Blauvelt inactive had immoderate contact, including visits to the location she had shared with John.

Patti Piver: The lone crushed she would spell backmost implicit determination was due to the fact that she had her canine implicit there, Jupiter.

Patti Piver: For immoderate crushed I conscionable was terrified that thing was gonna hap to her.

As for John Blauvelt, the subject vocation helium cherished was successful tatters. And according to Somerville, helium planned to get revenge.

Peter Van Sant: Did helium ever accidental thing astir harming Cati?

Aly Somerville: Yes. He did accidental aggregate times that helium was going to termination Cati. …He said that she ruined his subject career, that's each he's ever wanted to bash successful life. …

Peter Van Sant: You destruct my vocation — I'm going to destruct you?

Aly Somerville: Yeah. …

Peter Van Sant: Did you deliberation he'd truly spell done with it?

Aly Somerville: No. Never.

Capt. Cheryl Schofield: He was precise vocal connected the information that helium wanted Cati dead. He wanted Cati gone.

A husband's choler and a program for revenge?

Police accidental Cati Blauvelt was past seen live connected Oct. 24, 2016, astatine her occupation astatine PetSmart. But travel greeting successful Simpsonville, nary 1 had heard from her. Calls to her went to voicemail. Her parent reported her missing.

Peter Van Sant: Did she archer the serviceman she spoke with that she was suspicious of John Blauvelt?

Investigator Keith Morecraft: She did.

The hopeless hunt and the achy waiting began.

Patti Piver: I didn't deliberation she was live anymore.

Jennifer Piver: It's terrifying. It's the worst feeling. You consciousness helpless.

After midnight, 2 of Cati's friends followed a hunch that sent them heavy successful the woods to an old, abandoned farmhouse.

Capt. Cheryl Schofield: Teenagers would spell there. And they would party, they would drink, they would fume marijuana.

Cati and John Blauvelt were known to person gone there, too.

The friends made their mode to the basement. They were horrified by what they found. One of them called 911.

911 OPERATOR: 911, What's the determination of your emergency?

FRIEND: …We recovered my person Cati ... dormant successful —

911 OPERATOR: OK.

FRIEND: — the house.

911 OPERATOR: OK. ... Are you saying she's dormant successful the house?

FRIEND: Yes, ma'am.

911 OPERATOR: Is she cold?

FRIEND: She's precise pale. And determination was nary response.

Cati Blauvelt's assemblage had been stuffed into a cold, factual box.

Peter Van Sant: You judge she — Cati was killed extracurricular the location and brought in?

Capt. Cheryl Schofield: Yes … And we judge that she was really killed connected the gravel driveway. And past cause connected her look done that window.

Peter Van Sant: And if she's screaming there's nary 1 to hear.

Capt. Cheryl Schofield: You wouldn't perceive it … from that location wherever that location was located.

Peter Van Sant: And you unrecorded with that each day.

Patti Piver: Every day.

Peter Van Sant: It doesn't get immoderate easier, does it?

Patti Piver: No.

It was Oct. 26, 2016. Investigators made that authoritative "death notification visit" to Blauvelt. They got their archetypal consciousness of the resentment helium held towards Cati.

JOHN BLAUVELT (death notification visit): She flipped my beingness upside down.

Morecraft and Schofield wanted much accusation from Blauvelt. And so, conscionable a week later, they spoke with him.

Capt. Cheryl Schofield: Didn't look to truly attraction that she was gone. Let unsocial had been murdered.

INVESTIGATOR MORECRAFT (Nov. 2, 2016 interrogation): Anything you accidental tin beryllium utilized against you successful court

JOHN BLAUVELT: I mislaid a friend. Maybe not the champion wife, but I mislaid a f******* friend.

He told them helium visited Cati astatine the ceremonial home.

INVESTIGATOR MORECRAFT (Nov. 2, 2016 interrogation): Did you spell by yourself?

JOHN BLAUVELT: Yeah. Well, I took Hannah with me.

Blauvelt said helium hadn't seen Cati successful months. Their matrimony had been a nonstop argument.

INVESTIGATOR MORECRAFT (Nov. 2, 2016 interrogation): What benignant of worldly were y'all arguing about?

JOHN BLAUVELT: Um. Everything. (Laughs)

INVESTIGATOR MORECRAFT: Just normal?

JOHN BLAUVELT: Just mean stuff.

Investigator Keith Morecraft: He seemed precise arrogant, cocky, narcissistic.

Then the bull fired that point-blank question.

INVESTIGATOR MORECRAFT: Did you termination Cati?

JOHN BLAUVELT: No.

INVESTIGATOR MORECRAFT: OK. Do you cognize who killed her?

JOHN BLAUVELT: No.

Peter Van Sant: Sitting across, talking to this man, what are you sensing successful John Blauvelt?

Capt. Cheryl Schofield: That helium precise overmuch is the 1 who much than apt … committed this murder.

Investigator Keith Morecraft: Like helium was enactment off. Like we were taking up his time. … That helium was smarter than we were, and that helium was gonna get distant with this.

Next up: Hannah Thompson.

HANNAH THOMPSON (interrogation): I don't cognize thing astir her murder.

INVESTIGATOR: You do.

HANNAH THOMPSON: I don't.

INVESTIGATOR: You do.

Investigators face Thompson, sensing she indispensable cognize something.

CAPT. SCHOFIELD (interrogation): Tell america precisely what happened to Cati.

HANNAH THOMPSON: I truly don't know.

And portion they suspected Thompson mightiness cognize something, they did not cognize precisely what.

INVESTIGATOR MORECRAFT (interrogation): I tin archer you already you're lying to me. OK? You bash not wanna get wrapped up successful catching a execution charge.

HANNAH THOMPSON: Right.

INVESTIGATOR MORECRAFT: You're 17 years old. You person your full beingness up of you.

HANNAH: Mm-hmm.

INVESTIGATOR MORECRAFT: You whitethorn emotion John … and you whitethorn deliberation you 2 are going to get joined and … locomotion down the yellowish ceramic road, OK? But nary antheral and nary pistillate is worthy going to situation for.

HANNAH THOMPSON: Mm-hmm.

INVESTIGATOR MORECRAFT: Do you agree?

HANNAH THOMPSON: Yes, sir.

CAPT. SCHOFIELD: If you cognize something, and you're trying to screen up for it … you're gonna spell down with the idiosyncratic who did this to her. For — for knowing anything, whether it was beforehand oregon aft the information — you're gonna spell down with them.

Investigators showed Thompson an autopsy photograph of Cati.

INVESTIGATOR: Look astatine her. She's close here.

HANNAH THOMPSON: I don't wanna look astatine her.

INVESTIGATOR: That's your friend.

HANNAH THOMPSON: I don't wanna bash this anymore.

INVESTIGATOR MORECRAFT: Don't wanna bash what? Don't wanna assistance america find retired who killed her?

HANNAH THOMPSON (crying): Can I delight leave? Can I delight leave?

CAPT. SCHOFIELD: Hannah, this is simply a person of yours that we're trying to bash —

HANNAH THOMPSON: I know. And I wanna help, but I can't.

With nary assistance from Thompson, constabulary hands were tied.

Investigator Keith Morecraft: We had to fto him go.

Potential hard grounds had to beryllium processed, including John Blauvelt's cellphone records and his DNA.

Capt. Cheryl Schofield: It's precise aggravating. … due to the fact that we cognize we're sitting crossed from the idiosyncratic who killed his wife. … And soon aft that interrogation is erstwhile helium fled the state.

Investigator Keith Morecraft: He had taken his reddish GMC Yukon.

Peter Van Sant: And helium was gone.

Investigator Keith Morecraft: He was.

John Blauvelt, trained successful endurance and combat, was abruptly escaped connected the unfastened road.

Patti Piver: I didn't deliberation they were ever gonna find him. He conscionable disappeared disconnected the look of the map.

And truthful did Thompson. Police believed she was with Blauvelt.

Prosecutor Kinli Abee would statesman gathering the lawsuit with the chilling grounds she says helium near behind.

Kinli Abee: First, what I privation to benignant of amusement is, you know, the weapon that was recovered successful Cati's cervix … And truthful what you tin spot present is this X-ray, that the existent weapon leaf broke disconnected wrong of Cati.

Peter Van Sant: What you're holding determination —

Kinli Abee: Yep.

Peter Van Sant: — is what I'm seeing connected this X-ray.

Kinli Abee: Exactly. Matches precisely close there. That's what was recovered and lodged successful her neck. And that's however she died.

Simpsonville constabulary knew they needed assistance to find John Blauvelt.

Investigator Keith Morecraft: I contacted the United States Marshals.

Marshal Will Cook: The probe is let's find him, let's find him, let's find him.

The hunt for a fugitive

On Nov. 18, 2016, John Blauvelt — inactive connected the tally — was charged with Cati Blauvelt's murder.

Peter Van Sant: What benignant of fugitive are you dealing with?

Marshal Will Cook: A cocky one. … John thought … we were ne'er going to find him.

U.S. Marshal Will Cook, based adjacent Simpsonville, would go the constituent idiosyncratic successful the hunt for John Blauvelt, who had been skilled astatine evasion.

Marshal Will Cook: He had grooming from the Army that … the authorities provided him to —

Peter Van Sant: — debar you guys.

Marshal Will Cook: Avoid us. And helium was bully astatine it.

John Blauvelt and Hannah Thompson surveillance

Investigators remained uncertain astir Thompson's engagement successful the execution — if any. But they knew for definite she was traveling with Blauvelt. They uncovered photos of Blauvelt and Thompson buying and Blauvelt astatine an ATM. His reddish Yukon motortruck passing done Texas and New Mexico, heading west.

Peter Van Sant: Were you capable to get hits connected wherever this conveyance was from clip to time?

Cook: So determination were a mates of licence sheet scholar hits.

But by the clip constabulary were capable to respond, Blauvelt was gone.

Marshal Will Cook: And successful a crippled similar this, each the seconds count.

Then, aft a month, investigators caught a break. Thompson made interaction with her household from Eugene, Oregon. She wanted to travel location to Simpsonville. Schofield couldn't hold to speech to her.

INVESTIGATOR SCHOFIELD (Dec. 20, 2016 interrogation): We are precise gladsome that you're back, and that you're safe, and that thing atrocious happened to you.

HANNAH THOMPSON: Mm-hmm.

Thompson's communicative was that Blauvelt had near her successful Eugene. Just up and walked away.

INVESTIGATOR SCHOFIELD (Dec. 20, 2016 interrogation): Did you ever spot John again?

HANNAH THOMPSON: Mm mm. [shaking her caput no]

And, Thompson added, she had nary thought wherever Blauvelt was headed. But apparently, she had capable of beingness connected the run.

Marshal Will Cook: She thought it was going to beryllium a fairy tale. You know, they were going to unrecorded connected the lam and marque things happen. But aft a fewer weeks of that, world acceptable in.

Any romanticist conception Thompson whitethorn person had was derailed erstwhile Blauvelt got the Yukon stuck successful the mud successful the Pacific Northwest.

Peter Van Sant: Couldn't get out?

Marshal Will Cook: Could not get out.

HANNAH THOMPSON (Dec. 20, 2016 interrogation): He said that we would hike. We had to hike, like, locomotion disconnected the upland basically.

Marshal Will Cook: Miles and miles.

The mates was reduced to panhandling for change.

Peter Van Sant: And they utilized that for food?

Marshal Will Cook: Sustainment.

Thompson says portion connected the road, Blauvelt confessed — sharing the atrocious details of the killing.

HANNAH THOMPSON (Dec. 20, 2016 interrogation): He told maine that the weapon broke. … I can't judge that helium would bash thing similar that. … (crying)

INVESTIGATOR SCHOFIELD: What — what other did helium archer you astir it? I cognize it's — it's hard.

HANNAH THOMPSON: He told maine that the past happening she — she said was … that if helium fto her go, that she wouldn't telephone the police.

INVESTIGATOR SCHOFIELD: Where were they, Hannah?

HANNAH THOMPSON: The abandoned house.

Peter Van Sant: An big tin psychologically instrumentality vantage of a child. Do you judge successful a mode that's what was going connected betwixt John and Hannah?

Investigator Keith Morecraft: Absolutely, yeah.

HANNAH THOMPSON (Dec. 20, 2016 interrogation): And helium was conscionable crying and screaming and similar … helium was like, saying that helium did each that worldly for me, similar —

INVESTIGATOR SCHOFIELD: Did each what stuff?

HANNAH THOMPSON: Like termination Cati. Like — helium was like, "I did that for you" and like, each that benignant of stuff, similar trying to marque maine consciousness similar it was my fault.

Thompson told conflicting stories astir her involvement, yet saying she dropped John Blauvelt disconnected by PetSmart the time Cati disappeared and past left. Thompson says she did not cognize helium planned to termination Cati. But aboriginal that day, helium asked her to assistance fell Cati's car. She besides admitted she had lied successful her archetypal interrogation conscionable days aft Cati's murder.

HANNAH THOMPSON (Dec. 20, 2016 interrogation): He told maine that if I lied to the police, that helium would support maine safe.

Investigators did not complaint Thompson close distant due to the fact that they needed her.

Investigator Keith Morecraft: We had a semipermanent extremity of, A, uncovering John, B, prosecuting him. And she was the cardinal to a batch of that.

CAPT. SCHOFIELD (Dec. 20, 2016 interrogation): We're inactive hunting for John.

HANNAH THOMPSON: Right.

CAPT. SCHOFIELD: OK?

HANNAH THOMPSON: Mm-hmm.

They hoped she mightiness pb them to Blauvelt.

INVESTIGATOR MORECRAFT (Dec. 20, 2016 interrogation): Has John contacted you by Facebook astatine each since you separated? Or since contacted you by immoderate means astatine all?

HANNAH THOMPSON: No.

CAPT. SCHOFIELD: But delight don't support it a concealed —

HANNAH THOMPSON: Mm-hmm.

INVESTIGATOR SCHOFIELD: — from — from us.

HANNAH THOMPSON: OK.

INVESTIGATOR SCHOFIELD: OK?

HANNAH THOMPSON: Mm-hmm.

But if Thompson knew wherever John Blauvelt was, she wasn't acceptable to archer them.

HANNAH THOMPSON (Dec. 20, 2016 interrogation): I inactive truly attraction astir him, adjacent though helium did something, like, truly bad. Like I consciousness similar I should hatred him. A portion of maine does, but a portion of maine conscionable keeps reasoning astir however helium utilized to be.

Blauvelt was inactive retired there. Months turned into years and lives changed.

Marshal Will Cook: He's beating us. And we don't similar to lose.

Peter Van Sant: It's driving you crazy.

Marshal Will Cook: It's driving america crazy.

Peter Van Sant: Was it frustrating that you retired with this lawsuit inactive retired there?

Investigator Keith Morecraft: It was precise frustrating. … And it was the lone lawsuit that I inactive had that was open.

Those who knew John Blauvelt thought justness for Cati mightiness ne'er come.

Ali Somerville: John is the benignant of idiosyncratic that if idiosyncratic was gonna get distant with it, it would beryllium John.

Patti Piver: I ne'er truly thought that they would get him.

The constabulary successful Simpsonville interviewed Thompson repeatedly implicit the years. Then successful 2022 – six years aft Cati's execution — Thompson yet revealed a secret. She had been successful regular interaction with Blauvelt for years.

HANNAH THOMPSON (June 2022 interrogation): We had been talking — the full time. … Like, astatine archetypal we were talking each azygous day, aggregate times, like, for hours a day. …

CAPT. SCHOFIELD: Did anybody cognize you were inactive talking to him?

HANNAH THOMPSON: Nope.

Thompson told investigators however they communicated.

HANNAH THOMPSON (June 2022 interrogation): At the precise opening we were communicating connected Facebook Messenger. And past aft that we were talking connected Snapchat.

She said their conversations ended successful 2019.

Authorities judge Thompson had matured, with clip and region distant from Blauvelt. She told them she realized what she had done was wrong, and gradually offered much leads. Blauvelt mightiness inactive beryllium successful Oregon. And she added Blauvelt told her helium had been surviving with different pistillate for years.

CAPT. SCHOFIELD (June 2022 interrogation): 'Cause honestly, she's successful danger, too.

HANNAH THOMPSON: I know.

Marshal Will Cook: Based connected immoderate of the accusation that Hannah gave america … zoned america successful connected … John's caller woman successful Medford, Oregon.

Medford is tiny metropolis successful the northwest. Investigators jumped connected the pb and discovered a telephone fig that Blauvelt had utilized to substance a enigma woman.

Peter Van Sant: And this sounds tantalizing, isn't it.

Marshal Chris Tamayo: Very tantalizing.

Marshal Chris Tamayo is Cook's workfellow successful the Northwest. His squad got an code that corresponded with the enigma woman's house. He took "48 Hours" to the scene.

Peter Van Sant: They started to involvement retired the house?

Marshal Chris Tamayo: Stake retired the location … And …they followed a taxable retired — a antheral that appeared to lucifer our description.

But six years aft Blauvelt allegedly murdered Cati, however could investigators beryllium definite they had their man?

Marshal Will Cook: John has immoderate unsocial tattoos.

Peter Van Sant: Can you amusement me?

Marshal Will Cook: This is simply a inactive changeable — from 1 of John's archetypal interviews with Simpsonville Police.

The tattoo of a pirate.

It was a quiescent greeting successful Medford.

Marshal Chris Tamayo: As I'm starting to propulsion done this vicinity my bosom is racing.

The Marshals made their move.

Marshal Chris Tamayo: That's the location close there.

Peter Van Sant: And did you spot immoderate activity?

Marshal Chris Tamayo: We — did spot him travel out.

Marshal Chris Tamayo: He's coming retired shirtless.

But was it for definite John Blauvelt? A pirate told the tale.

Fugitive John Blauvelt captured

On July 20, 2022, immoderate six years aft Cati Blauvelt's death, Chris Tamayo joined Marshals and different instrumentality enforcement for the takedown of the antheral they believed killed her.

Marshal Chris Tamayo (with Van Sant extracurricular location successful Medford, Oregon): John's astir 3 quarters distant down the driveway, and the guys commencement going close astatine him, giving him commands: "Police amusement america your hands. Get down connected the ground!"

Peter Van Sant: And what does helium do?

Marshal Chris Tamayo: His eyes got wide, axenic shock. And helium drops down to the crushed fast.

John Blauvelt was handcuffed and nether arrest.

But the fishy told the Marshals they had the incorrect man.

Marshal Chris Tamayo: He said, "I'm Ben Klein." … I said, nary you're not. … And helium stuck with Ben Klein.

Ben Klein? Had the Marshals marque a mistake?

Marshal Chris Tamayo: We person a instrumentality that allows america to mobile people idiosyncratic successful the field.

Peter Van Sant: Fingerprint.

Marshal Chris Tamayo: Fingerprints.

It took little than 5 minutes for Ben to go John.

Marshal Chris Tamayo: "Your fingerprints amusement that you are John Blauvelt. … you're wanted retired of South Carolina."

Peter Van Sant: He knew it was over?

Marshal Chris Tamayo: He knew it was over.

When the Marshals went wrong the house, they realized the raid could person taken a fatal turn.

Marshal Chris Tamayo: There was a firearm, a handgun sitting close connected the nightstand.

Peter Van Sant: What did that archer you?

Marshal Chris Tamayo: That was an denotation to america that … helium astir apt would've fixed a fight.

All of it was seemingly quality to the pistillate Blauvelt was surviving with, erstwhile she returned to the location aboriginal that day.

Marshal Chris Tamayo: Pure shock. She was visibly shaking, crying, scared.

Tamayo recorded audio with her astatine the scene:

MARSHAL TAMAYO: So he's being arrested … connected charges retired of South Carolina.

GIRLFRIEND: For what?

MARSHAL TAMAYO: For murder.

GIRLFRIEND: Are you serious? (crying)

MARSHAL TAMAYO: Yeah …

GIRLFRIEND: I can't judge immoderate of this. This is similar a f******* nightmare. I'm sorry.

Blauvelt's woman told the Marshals she had nary thought who helium truly was.

GIRLFRIEND: We been unneurotic for similar six years … He would bash random unusual jobs …

GIRLFRIEND: He was fundamentally present watching my cats and my … my canine each the time.

Peter Van Sant: She loved him.

Marshal Chris Tamayo: She loved him.

The quality deed Simpsonville similar thunder.

Patti Piver: I was implicit the moon, conscionable freaking — that was specified a large day.

Capt. Cheryl Schofield: And I was wholly elated.

John Blauvelt would spell cross-country again. This time, handcuffed and brought backmost to a South Carolina jailhouse to await trial. Just 3 months later, Hannah Thompson would beryllium charged with 5 felonies including obstruction of justness and accessory after-the-fact. She would plead not blameworthy and beryllium released connected bail.

Prosecutor Kinli Abee, who began putting the lawsuit against Blauvelt unneurotic a fewer months aft Cati was killed, would squad with John Meadors, preparing the lawsuit for proceedings starting with that leaf investigators recovered successful Cati's neck.

John Meadors: Doesn't get immoderate worse than that and that's what she died from.

Kinli Abee (Holding the bluish garment Cati was wearing): You tin really spot done the collar of the garment wherever that weapon leaf entered. And you tin spot it close there.

Peter Van Sant: Right there?

Kinli Abee: Yeah. Right into her neck

They focused connected that abandoned farmhouse wherever kids erstwhile partied, wherever they recovered Cati.

Kinli Abee: They would propulsion their bottles, their bare brew cans … And that's precisely wherever helium discarded Cati's body.

Peter Van Sant: So bash you deliberation John was making a connection by placing her assemblage —

Kinlee Abee: Absolutely.

Peter Van Sant: — successful this bin that usually you enactment trash.

Kinli Abee: Yeah, absolutely.

Prosecutors accidental Blauvelt blamed Cati for the abrupt extremity of his subject career.

Kinli Abee: It's each Cati's fault.

Peter Van Sant: He's not liable for what helium did. He's blaming his wife?

Kinli Abee: Yes.

And determination were John Blauvelt's ain words. While connected the run, helium kept a journal—that the Marshals found.

Peter Van Sant: Like a diary, correct?

Marshal Chris Tamayo: Correct.

And it held a damning entry.

Marshal Chris Tamayo: So astatine the extremity … it says boldly, "I did it."

Peter Van Sant: And for you that's what?

Marshal Chris Tamayo: That's grounds and impervious that helium murdered Cati.

The proceedings of John Blauvelt

In September 2024, 8 years aft Cati's death, John Blauvelt went connected proceedings for murder.

Patti Piver described the kid she adored.

Patti Piver (in court): She was sunshine. I mean everybody loved her.

Aly Somerville stared astatine the antheral she erstwhile called a relation model.

Aly Somerville: He looked similar a stone-cold slayer to me.

The prosecution's cardinal witnesser was Hannah Thompson. She would admit to helping Blauvelt the time Cati died.

PROSECUTOR MEADORS (in court): You loved John Blauvelt, didn't you?

HANNAH THOMPSON: Yes.

PROSECUTOR MEADORS: You helped him ... fell Cati's car aft helium killed her, didn't you?

HANNAH THOMPSON: Yes.

PROSECUTOR MEADORS: You didn't cognize he'd killed her astatine that point?

HANNAH THOMPSON: No.

PROSECUTOR MEADORS: But you did assistance him?

HANNAH THOMPSON: Yes

And prosecutors played grainy video that Thompson says shows John Blauvelt getting retired of Cati's car and into his. Thompson was astatine the instrumentality of his Prius.

JOHN PROSECUTOR MEADORS (in court): But that was you connected that video?

HANNAH THOMPSON: Yes.

PROSECUTOR MEADORS: In those cars?

HANNAH THOMPSON: In the Prius, yes.

Once connected the tally she says helium told her the details of the murder.

HANNAH THOMPSON (in court): He had told maine that helium killed her ...

HANNAH THOMPSON: He told maine that … helium stabbed her … successful the cervix ...

HANNAH THOMPSON: He said that helium threw her telephone into h2o … that was connected the ground, successful the abandoned house.

HANNAH THOMPSON: And helium said that … helium had to screen up the—her humor with dirt.

But Blauvelt's defence team, Paul Neely and Ana Walker, made Thompson admit that her communicative changed implicit the years.

DEFENSE ATTORNEY WALKER (in court): You've lied to your friends and your family?

HANNAH THOMPSON: Yes …

DEFENSE ATTORNEY WALKER: And you kept lying.

HANNAH THOMPSON: Yes.

Then the defence zeroed successful connected the deficiency of DNA grounds astatine the scene.

Peter Van Sant: Was determination immoderate DNA that tied John Blauvelt to this murder?

Paul Neely: No.

Ana Walker: There was nary DNA matched to John Blauvelt.

And what astir John Blauvelt's journal, successful which helium wrote "I did it…"? His lawyers told "48 Hours" overmuch of it was a fantasy.

Ana Walker: A batch of this diary is filled with these fictional stories of observations. It's filled with poems, drawings, each kinds of things.

As for Hannah Thompson —

KINLI ABEE (in court): You heard she has 5 pending charges for the accusation she yet provided to instrumentality enforcement.

The prosecution pointed to the value of her testimony.

KINLI ABEE (in court): She is facing 55 years successful jailhouse upon condemnation for those crimes and she got up present with nary deal. The State didn't connection her a azygous thing, nary statement to disregard her charges, nary practice agreement, nary nudge nudge, wink wink — nary of it. She got up present and testified. And she told you due to the fact that she thought it was the close happening to do.

Capt. Cheryl Schofield: She did a large job, going up determination and telling the information and giving the cardinal details of what John had told her, what helium had done to Cati …

The proceedings lasted 4 days. The assemblage was retired immoderate 5 hours.

COURT CLERK (reading verdict): As to the complaint of murder, we the assemblage unanimously find the defendant, John T. Blauvelt, guilty.

Reporter Taylor Farmer covered the lawsuit for WSPA.

Taylor Farmer: And it was precise affectional successful the courtroom, benignant of quiescent but you could archer Cati's household was precise emotional.

Patti Piver: As soon arsenic the jurors got out, I conscionable started crying.

John Blauvelt was sentenced to beingness successful situation without parole.

Patti Piver: He's a monster. … She was helpless.

And what did the household deliberation astir Hannah Thompson, who allegedly covered for Blauvelt for truthful long?

Jennifer Piver: I would deliberation she was a anserine 17-year-old until astatine proceedings erstwhile I heard however agelong she'd been successful interaction with him. … You are not willing, astatine that time, to crook him in. … I person hard feelings astir that. … it's unfathomable.

Peter Van Sant: What would you accidental to your sister contiguous if you could.

Jennifer Piver (crying): That I'm sorry. … That I emotion her. And that I deliberation she was brave.

On Aug. 20, 2025, Hannah Thompson pleaded blameworthy to 1 number of obstruction of justness and 1 number of misprision of a felony. She was sentenced to 3 years of probation.

"48 HOURS" POST MORTEM PODCAST

Host Anne-Marie Green, analogous Peter Van Sant, and tract shaper Kat Teurfs sermon grounds successful the lawsuit — the execution weapon, the pirate tattoo authorities utilized to place John Blauvelt, and the diary wherever helium wrote "I did it."

Produced by James Stolz. Kat Teurfs is the tract producer. Ryan Smith, Charlotte Fuller, Michelle Sigona are the improvement producers. Michael Vele, Greg McLaughlin and Marcus Balsam are the editors. Peter Schweitzer is the elder producer. Nancy Kramer is the enforcement communicative editor. Judy Tygard is the enforcement producer.

Read Entire Article