ROBERT blake Blurton

Current Proceedings: State Post Conviction 29.15 in Circuit Court.

Case Number: 16CY-CV06541; 10CY-CR01475; SC93648

Judge: David P. Chamberlain

Demographic Information: White Male

Current Counsel:

Jeannie Willibey Office of the State Public Defender 920 Main Street, Suite 500 Kansas City, MO 64105 816.889.7699 (tel.) 816.889.2001 (fax) email: jeannie.willibey@mspd.mo.gov

Pete Carter Woodrail Center, 1000 West Nifong Building 7, Suite 100 Columbia, MO 65203 573.777.9977 (tel.) 573.777.9973 (fax) email: pete.carter@mspd.mo.gov

 

Legal Status: Order Dissolving Writ Polycom filed on 08/23/2021.

Significant Legal Issues:

  • Trial court’s failure to instruct jury on felony murder as a lesser-included offense

  • Trial court’s exclusion of evidence implicating an alternative perpetrator

  • Trial counsel failed to investigate, develop, and present mitigating evidence about the abuse, neglect, and violence of Mr. Blurton's childhood and failed to present a child development expert.

  • Improper and excessively theatric penalty phase closing argument by Missouri Attorney General (who served as trial prosecutor)

Last Judicial Decision Related to Conviction or Sentence:

  • 10/17/2016 SCOTUS Denied Petition for Writ oF Certiorari to the Supreme Court of Missouri, See Blurton v. Missouri, 137 S. Ct. 333 (Mem) (2016)

Reported Opinions:

  • SCOTUS Denied Petition for Writ oF Certiorari to the Supreme Court of Missouri, See Blurton v. Missouri, 137 S. Ct. 333 (Mem) (2016)

  • MO Supreme Court affirmed Conviction and sentence, See State v. Blurton, 484 S.W.3d 758 (2016)

Prior Counsel:

  • Craig Allan Johnston

  • Deborah B. Wafer

Conviction County: Clay (on change of venue from Benton County)

Counts: 3

Victim Demographic:

  • White Female

  • White Female

  • White Male

Crime Date: 06/07/2009

Sentencing Date: 08/09/2013

Trial Counsel:

  • Janice Zembles

  • Charles Moreland

Trial Judge: Larry Dale Harman

Trial Prosecutor: Kevin Zoellner