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Charlotte -- October 24, 2023: U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina:
A grand jury in Charlotte has officially charged a Whittier man who was detained on a federal complaint for allegedly attempting to kidnap someone on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Evan William Blankenship, a 22-year-old man, is charged in the indictment with two counts of assault with the intent to commit a felony, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon with the intent to cause bodily damage and possession and discharge of a handgun in furtherance of violent crimes. It is said that the defendant tracked down one of the victims via Snapchat.
L.P. and another victim, L.M., were sitting in a parked car at Water Rock Knob Overlook off the Blue Ridge Parkway in the early morning hours of September 28, 2023, according to accusations in the indictment and details in the affidavit that was included with the criminal complaint. According to the affidavit, Blankenship drove his car to the victims' location and brandished a semi-automatic weapon at them. Blankenship made an attempt to yank L.P. from the car by the arm and hair. During the course of the encounter, Blankenship is accused of hitting L.P. in the face, temporarily impairing her hearing, and threatening to harm both victims. In addition, Blankenship is accused of firing his gun into the air before re-pointing it at the victims.
The affidavit states that L.M. eventually persuaded Blankenship to release them. The victims informed police enforcement of the incident shortly after it happened. L.P. informed detectives that she was acquainted with Blankenship via Snapchat and that she thought Blankenship had located her on the Blue Ridge Parkway by using the app's location-sharing feature.
Blankenship is still being held by the federal government after his arrest on October 11, 2023. The maximum punishment for the charge of kidnapping is life in prison. The maximum statutory punishment for each charge of assault is 10 years in prison. A minimum term of 10 years and a possible sentence of life in prison are associated with the charge of possessing and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime. The federal sentencing guidelines and other relevant statutory considerations will be taken into consideration by the court when determining the defendant's actual punishment.
The charges against Blankenship are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the National Park Service for the investigation that led to the charges, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance with the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is prosecuting the case.
WNCTimes
