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