THE LONE STAR FUGITIVE TASK FORCE ARRESTS WILLIAM HARRISON BLACKWELL
San
Antonio – William Harrison Blackwell had changed his name,
changed his look, changed his friends, and relocated after the 1988
murder in Ector County, Texas. All his efforts to avoid justice were
ended yesterday at approximately 4:30 PM when the Lone Star Fugitive
Task Force arrested Blackwell outside the Universal City apartment
complex in which he was staying.
Blackwell had assumed the identity of “John Downey,” acquiring
credit cards and a Colorado driver’s license under his new name. A
friend of over ten years who was present at the time of Blackwell’s
arrest said that they had only known the fugitive as John Downey. A
second acquaintance asked the pertinent question, “Well, who is John
Downey?”
The real John Downey is a convicted felon. In 2006, under the alias
of “John Downey,” Blackwell was arrested in North Carolina for
possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. At the time of the
arrest, Blackwell was accused of having 7 shotguns, 3 rifles, and 4
handguns in his possession. Blackwell, who gave the name “John
Downey” at the time of his arrest, received bond before a check of
his fingerprints revealed that it was not John Downey whom they had
arrested, but William Harrison Blackwell, a fugitive wanted for a
1998 murder in the Odessa, Texas area.
The Ector County Sheriff’s Office requested the assistance of the
Lone Star Fugitive Task Force in apprehending Blackwell. The Midland
Division of Lone Star Fugitive Task Force was able to track
Blackwell to a Universal City apartment complex. The Lone Star
Fugitive Task Force in San Antonio established surveillance at the
Palisades Park apartment complex located on Pat Booker Road. A man
now wearing a full beard, longer hair, and about twenty years older
than the time of the murder walked out of an apartment. Lone Star
Fugitive Task Force Officers and Officers from the Universal City
Police Department arrested Blackwell without incident. After
initially claiming to be “John Downey,” the fugitive recanted and
admitted to being William Harrison Blackwell.
Blackwell is currently being housed at the Bexar County Jail
awaiting extradition back to Ector County.
United States Marshal for the Western District of Texas LaFayette
Collins said, “The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force will not stop
pursuing a fugitive until they face justice. The teamwork
demonstrated by the law enforcement agencies in both Texas and North
Carolina led to the end of Blackwell’s 19 year run from justice.”
Participating
Agencies:
United States Marshals Service-Midland Division
United States Marshals Service-San Antonio Division
Ector County Sheriff’ Office
Universal City Police Department
Comal County Sheriff’s Department
Bexar County Sheriff’s Office
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