Front Page Detectives
BREAKING NEWS

Authorities Capture Fugitive Accused Of Going On Run With Teen Girlfriend After Fatally Stabbing Wife In 2016

fugitive arrest
Source: U.S. Marshals Service; Jackson County Sheriff’s Office

Jul. 23 2022, Published 9:05 a.m. ET

Link to FacebookShare to XShare to Email

A man on the run for six years following the slaying of his estranged wife in South Carolina has been captured thousands of miles across the country in Oregon, authorities announced.

Article continues below advertisement

John Tufton Blauvelt, 33, was using the alias “Ben Klein” when the Pacific North West Violent Offender Task Force and other law enforcement agencies took him into custody on July 20 for the murder of his wife, Catherine “Cati” Boyter-Blauvelt almost six years ago, WSPA reported.

The suspect was being held at the Jackson County jail in Oregon and expected to be extradited to South Carolina.

Family reported 22-year-old Boyter-Blauvelt missing in October 2016, and her body was found a short time later in an abandoned home in Simpsonville.

Article continues below advertisement

After the homicide, the victim’s husband, Blauvelt, fled the state with his then-17-year-old girlfriend, Hannah Thompson. Nearly two months later, Blauvelt abandoned the teenager in Oregon and she reconnected with her family.

“She went to a family friend’s home in Eugene and called her parents, saying she wanted to come home,” the U.S. Marshals said of Thompson. “She and Blauvelt had been homeless while in Oregon.”

MORE ON:
South Carolina

Arrest warrants police in South Carolina obtained in November 2016 state that Blauvelt, a former U.S. Army recruiter, allegedly used a knife to murder his wife.

Article continues below advertisement

“We knew he had a temper; we knew he had threatened her with a gun before,” Patricia Piver told WSPA of her son-in-law after his recent arrest. “He was the only suspect in our minds.”

Piver noted she was “still shaking” after learning the news. “It was the most amazing phone call I could’ve ever gotten.”

“I hope that the arrest of John Blauvelt brings Cati’s family some relief from the situation that they have had to endure the past few years,” Simpsonville Police Chief Mike Henshaw said. “I want to thank the U.S. Marshals Service and all the various agencies that assisted in making this arrest possible.”

Advertisement

Become a Front Page Detective

Sign up to receive breaking
Front Page Detectives
news and exclusive investigations.

More Stories

Opt-out of personalized ads

© Copyright 2024 FRONT PAGE DETECTIVES™️. A DIVISION OF EMPIRE MEDIA GROUP INC. FRONT PAGE DETECTIVES is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Cookies Policy. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Offers may be subject to change without notice.