Child Murder Suspect Ricky Blackwell Arraignment Delayed
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Child Murder Suspect Released From Hospital
Ricky Blackwell?s estranged wife says ?He Smiled At Me When He Did It?
Murder Victim Brooke Center
Published: July 16, 2009
Updated: July 16, 2009
**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.
Heather Brooke Center
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Reader Reactions
How did he even know the child was coming over? Apparently…he was waiting…..with a gun. So…who told him? WHY would anyone make it a point to tell him?
Makes you wonder, huh?
maybe the way he grabbed her when she got out of the automobile….and acted like he was going to take her then he did what he did
Does anyone know where the kidnapping charges came from against Ricky blackwell? Murder…yes, but I do not understand where the kidnapping charge came from since he is not the one who brought her there. Have not heard this on the news but it is posted on the Spartanburg County Jail website.
Just use common sense. Alot more was going on we don’t know about. Ricky did kill her but Angie should not have had this child anywhere near were he lived whether daughter live close by or not. He will pay here on earth and in the afterlife for what he has done. We all can become spiteful when dealing with enstranged spouses. So really we don’t know what was going on with Ricky and Angie in there personnel life. It is always a she said he said situation. I just pray for all involved.
AMEN MICKID75 - I dont know the families at all. But put the blame on the person who pulled the trigger. I DONT THINK ANY CHARGES SHOULD BE PUT ON THE LADY WHO TOOK THE LITTLE GIRL OVER THERE TO SWIM. She had NO idea that idiot would be there waiting on her .......!!!! That man lost it..it seems like one of those cases where he sat and thought about things WAY TOO MUCH and took the wrong actions to handle his heart ache - or whatever he was going thru…..HIS DAY WILL COME - AND THAT DAY WILL BE WITH THE LORD - HE WILL PAY FOR WHAT HE DID - and in jail - he better sleep with his eyes open…because someone will get him…thats for sure - GOD BLESS
I’ve sat here and read all the comments made on this horrific ordeal.I know this family personally and I know how much pain they are going thru and I agree with the comments made towards Ricky Blackweel he deserves whats coming to him and so much more,but i don’t agree with comments made towards Angie I have known her for years now and she would never rub anyones’face in her happiness she is not a spiteful person and had no idea that Ricky was capable of such a horrible thing as murdering an innocent child so if you wanna blame someone put the blame where it belongs..with the murdering ba***rd that pulled the trigger.I love ya Angie you too Bobby if you need me you know my number just give me a ring
Felix-I know if I was the mother of Heather I would see what I could legally do to see if charges could be brought against Angie. I wonder if Heather’s dad gave permission for Angie to take her there. So many questions that I am sure we will never hear the answers too.
yes i would if it were my daughters house.there is no way she thought he was capable of that.come on he raised a daughter himself.and if she were trying to make him jealous why wouldnt she take her boyfriend.people who dont know this creep is shocked,so how can anyone think she would feel threatened.
Deal Little Lulu. But we DO agree on a thing or two. He SHOULD suffer greatly for what he did. Yes…she did have the right to go where she wanted…but she didn’t have the right to expose that child to the personal problems that she and her ex (or soon to be ex) were having. It wasn’t intentional but it wasn’t very smart either.
We’re not really on opposite sides - just looking in from different perspectives. That doesn’t make one view right NOR does it make the other one wrong.
debjam…I don’t see why she couldn’t or shouldn’t be charged with Child Endangerment at the very least! I hope the authorities are thinking along these same lines also. She should at least be questioned at length (interrogated) as to her motives…if she was playing some kind of mind game with Ricky, trying to make him jealous or make him feel bad about how “happy” she was without him then I say she is just as morally guilty as he is. A polygraph, while not admissible in court, would certainly tell the story. I really doubt she could fool a polygraph examiner. I wonder if gretal1213 would let HER daughter go next door to a distraught “estranged” husband to play..
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