PHOTO: 24-year-old Tyler Ryan Blansit of Mentone being escorted from the DeKalb County Courthouse this morning. Blansit plead guilty to the 2015 murder of his mother. (Tyler Pruett | Southern Torch)
By Tyler Pruett, Managing Editor
FORT PAYNE, Ala. — This morning (Thursday, September 14) 24-year-old Tyler Ryan Blansit of Mentone plead guilty to murdering his mother in 2015. Judge Shaunathan Bell of the 9th Judicial Circuit accepted the plea at the DeKalb County Courthouse in Fort Payne, Alabama at 8:30 am. Blansit had reached a plea deal with the State of Alabama to serve 25 years in the state penitentiary, with the eligibility of parole after 15 years.
On Friday, May 29, 2015,then 22-year-old Tyler Blansit notified emergency services that he had found his mother deceased in his back yard. When deputies arrived, they found 45-year-old Sherri Ann Blansit dead from apparent blunt force trauma. Initially, investigators questioned other suspects, but shortly after, Blansit confessed to the murder.
DeKalb County Sheriff Jimmy Harris told AL.com at the time that Blansit and his mother had been arguing about his academic performance at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Mentone Police Chief Brad Gregg described the scene as "brutal" and said that a baseball bat had been used and was taken from the scene as evidence.
Blansit recently reached a plea deal to the murder with the District Attorney's Office, and entered his plea of guilty this morning.
After reading aloud the plea, Judge Bell said, "I find that you have voluntarily entered and intelligently entered your plea of guilty, and I judge you guilty of murder. Do you have anything to say before your sentence is pronounced?"
"Just, I'm sorry," said Blansit.
"Pursuant to the plea agreement, I will sentence you to 25 years in the state penitentiary. I will order to you pay the costs and assessments laid out in your written plea agreement. I will give you 838 days jail credit, and I wish you the best, Mr. Blansit," said Judge Bell.
According to the plea reached with the state, read aloud earlier in the court room, Blansit will pay no restitution, no fine, no attorney fee reimbursement to state, will pay court costs of $495.50, no bail bond fee, no forensic fee, his driver's license will not be suspended, and was given for 838 days jail credit.
The state also agreed to not oppose parole after the defendant becomes eligible, and after 15 years have been served.
"You understand that generally that's 15 years that you've got to serve, and up until that point the state reserves the right to oppose parole, do you understand that?" Judge Bell asked of Blansit.
"Yes," Blansit answered.
"Is that your understanding as well?" Bell ask of District Attorney Mike O'Dell.
"Yes," O'Dell answered.
As part of the deal, Blansit also waived his right to appeal:
"You reserve no issue for appeal, and acknowledge that you have no right to appeal," Judge Bell said, as part of the plea.
After the conclusion of the sentencing, District Attorney Mike O'Dell said of the guilty plea: "We believe this is a very fair resolution to this cause. It's obviously a very serious and tragic one. After extensive conversations with both sides of the family, we've got unusual family dynamics going on here. We do believe that this sentence and this resolution is fair and just. And I believe the family members on both sides are willing to accept this as being such. We're satisfied, and I believe justice has been done again."
