By CHRIS COLLINS

Baker City Herald

A Baker City man pleaded guilty this morning to shooting his wife to death last summer in the couple’s home, and he will spend a minimum of 25 years in prison.

Kevin Michael Blankenship, 41, of 3500 Auburn Ave., was sentenced this morning in Baker County Circuit Court for the Aug. 26 murder of his wife, Christina Dawn Blankenship, 38.

Kevin Blankenship had pleaded not guilty to the murder charge in November.

In changing his plea to guilty this morning, Blankenship also waived his right to appeal either the conviction or the mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years, District Attorney Matt Shirtcliff said.

Blankenship has been held at the Baker County Jail since Aug. 26. He

was arrested that day shortly after the shooting, which happened around

midnight.

Before Blankenship’s sentence was imposed, Shirtcliff outlined the

facts of the case to Judge Jeffrey Wallace, a Umatilla County judge who

was assigned the case after Blankenship asked that Baker County Judge

Greg Baxter be disqualified.

Shirtcliff said Blankenship shot Christina in the side of the head with a .17-caliber rifle.

The defendant originally told police that he accidentally shot Christina while he was cleaning the gun.

“The evidence didn’t match his story,” Shirtcliff said.

Police found a gun-cleaning kit under a bed at the couple’s home, but

the kit had not been used recently, Shirtcliff said. The rifle was

found in Blankenship’s vehicle along with clothes that had been packed

as if he planned to leave the area.

Had the case gone to trial, Blankenship’s half-brother, Darrin

Blankenship, who lives in Central Oregon, was prepared to testify that

Kevin, during a phone call after the murder, told him he “shot his

wife in the face because she was divorcing me.”

In an attempt to keep Kevin from traveling to his home, Darrin

Blankenship “put the accident theory in his brother’s mind so he would

turn his vehicle around and be apprehended,” Shirtcliff said.

Kevin and Christina had each consumed a large amount of alcohol the

night of the murder, especially Kevin, Shirtcliff said. Neighbors

reported hearing the couple arguing prior to the shooting.

“There was some indication of bruising on (Christina’s) body …

indicating the shooting was a domestic assault and was no accident,”

Shirtcliff said.

Christina’s aunt, Carol Free of Baker City, spoke for family and

friends in telling the judge how her niece’s death has affected them.

“Our family has seen many deaths, but none so horrible as this,” Free

said in a prepared statement. “No one deserves what she went through.

The years of physical and mental abuse. She deserved so much more.

“A selfish act of violence has changed all our lives forever,” Free said.

Christina’s four children lost a mother and a father the night she was

killed, Free said, describing her niece as a “wonderful mother, niece,

daughter and friend.”

“The night Kevin took Christina’s life, I wonder, was she in pain, did

she know it was coming?” Free asked. “This is a selfish, cowardly act

that took our beautiful girl and killed her.”

Kevin is no longer a part of their family, and today’s sentencing was like his funeral for them, Free said.

“From these days forward, our family will look to the future with

strength in each other and all the wonderful memories of Christina,”

she said.

The judge expressed his sympathy to family and friends gathered in the courtroom before proceeding with the sentence.

Kevin Blankenship, who was represented by attorneys Dan Cronin of John

Day and Robert Whitnah of Baker City, made no comment during the

hearing other than to acknowledge his change of plea and to confirm

that he understood the rights he was giving up by forgoing a trial.

As part of the sentencing, Wallace also ordered Blankenship to pay

$2,000 restitution to the Crime Victims Compensation Fund for his

wife’s funeral expenses.

The murder weapon was forfeited to the Baker City Police Department.

“This was a senseless act that created a tragedy to this family and to

you as well,” Wallace said. “Mrs. Free said it very eloquently and I

will let it stand at that.”