Armed Kidnapping on Blue Ridge Parkway Lands Whittier Man in Prison
A Whittier, N.C. man has been sentenced to 120 months in prison following his conviction for possession of a firearm during an assault on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Evan William Blankenship, 23, pleaded guilty to possession and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He will serve three years of supervised release after his prison term.
The charges stem from an incident on September 28, 2023, at Water Rock Knob Overlook off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Blankenship drove his vehicle to where the victims were located and pointed a semi-automatic pistol at them. He tried to pull one of the victims out of the vehicle by the hair and arm, threatened to harm both victims, and struck one of the victims in the face, causing temporary hearing loss. Blankenship also fired his firearm into the air before pointing it again at the victims.
One of the victims convinced Blankenship to let them go, and the victims reported the incident to law enforcement. It was later discovered that Blankenship had used Snapchat’s location-sharing feature to find one of the victims on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Blankenship was arrested on October 11, 2023, and has remained in federal custody since. He will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
U.S. Attorney Dena J. King thanked the National Park Service for their thorough investigation and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance with the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex M. Scott prosecuted the case.
According to court documents and court proceedings, Blankenship attempted to kidnap the victims, striking one in the face and causing temporary hearing loss. He also fired his firearm into the air before pointing it at the victims.
Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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