Police Eye Suspect in Pastor’s Wife Amanda Blackburn’s Murder

Indianapolis police on Friday said they have surveillance photos of a man they suspect murdered the 28-year-old pregnant wife of a pastor during a burglary this week, saying he may have also broken into a nearby house. 

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department detectives told a news conference they would not release the images until forensic experts had finished analyzing them. 

However, they described a man dressed in light pants and a two-toned hoodie, who they also suspected of breaking into a house two doors down from the north side Indianapolis home of Amanda Blackburn, who had been home with her 1-year-old son at the time of the Tuesday shooting. The son was unharmed. 

Blackburn’s husband Davey, with whom she moved to Indianapolis from South Carolina in 2012 to start the independent Resonate Church, came home from the gym to discover his wife, who was rushed to the hospital and later died, the church said in a Wednesday statement. 

Police said the suspect also has been linked to a dark SUV that was seen in the neighborhood that same morning. Police said there is other evidence, but they did not release details. 

Officials said the burglary of a television and computers from a home two doors west of the Blackburn house occurred at about 5:30 a.m. and Davey left for the gym shortly after 6 a.m., Chief Rick Hite said. Neighbors reported hearing shots fired at about 6:45 a.m., but there were no signs of forced entry and police said they have not ruled out that others were involved. 

Davey Blackburn, who was eliminated as a suspect during the investigation, said in a statement on the church website that he had lost his ministry partner and best friend. 

“There is no way to prepare yourself for circumstances like these,” he said in the statement. “As deeply as I am hurting I am hopeful and confident that good things will come of this. I rest in the truth of Romans 8:28 that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose.” {eoa}

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