'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAb/xAAiEAABBAICAQUAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEBQARBzETITJBQmH/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC/8QAGhEBAQACAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIAAxESE//aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8Ai6KtVO4phVcNTKZ5Q9bokOt6GmVBJbJGz9vQ/nQ7ydHItKABIprFTw96kTUAFXyQPH1vGMXnFSNGKt1y9R4M/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The new episode of Dateline, titled, The Haunted House Confession, talks about the murder of Texas Resident Rhonda Chantay Blankinship. 25-year-old Chantay lived with her family in Brown County, Texas.
The synopsis of the episode states:
"After 25-year-old Chantay Blankinship’s remains are found at an abandoned building that locals call the Haunted House, investigators sort through dead-end leads until a stunning confession during a church service changes everything."
She was reportedly missing after she went on an evening walk on May 13, 2016. Two days later, her body was found in a storm cellar of an abandoned farmhouse known as the haunted house.
The Brown County police tried their best to investigate and find the killer but failed until the killer, Ryan Riggs, confessed his crimes in a church congregation of North Lake Community Church on November 15, 2018.
More on this in our story.
Dateline: What happened to Chantay Blankinship? Details explored
Rhonda Chantay Blankinship was a 25-year-old woman from Brown County, Texas. Chantay went on her usual evening walk on May 13, 2016, and informed her grandfather that she would be home soon. However, as she didn’t return home, her grandfather, Charlie Barnett, went to look for her but did not find her.
The next morning, the family reported her missing. Chantay had a speech disability, due to which she couldn’t read or write much. Therefore, the police didn’t require the usual waiting period and filed the missing report immediately.
Chantay was well-loved in the community. As the news of her missing broke out, several community people volunteered to search for her. Two of the community members, Jackie Neal and Charlie Radle, went inside the abandoned farmhouse, known as the haunted house among the community, after noticing a red rubber bracelet and a chunk of hair.
As they approached the storm cellar, they noticed another rubber bracelet, and when they looked inside the cellar, they found the body of Chantay, covered in blood on her face and neck, with only a T-shirt on her. Beside her body, there was a lawnmower blade with blood on it.
Chantay’s autopsy report revealed that she was killed by being hit by the landmower blade on her head and neck. Evidence of sexual assault was also found on her body, which helped in developing a DNA sample.
However, even with a DNA sample, the police were unable to track the murderer, and the case went on for more than a year. After getting no leads, Sgt. Scott Bird and Brown County Sheriff Investigator Carlyle Gover called Parabon Nanolabs to try DNA phenotyping.
With the help of the DNA samples from Chantay’s body, Nanolabs generated a visual image based on the result obtained by DNA phenotyping. The image was then shared on the Facebook page of the Brown County Sheriff. It was also shown to Chantay’s family.
The image was recognized to be of Ryan Riggs, a 21-year-old boy from Brown County.
Ryan Riggs murdered Chantay.
The police then started to look for Ryan, who was not found in his home or workplace.
On November 15, 2018, Riggs went to the local church, North Lake Community Church, with his parents and confessed to pastor Ron Keener that he had murdered Chantay. He also confessed to his crimes in front of the congregation before going to the police.
In the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, Ryan Riggs confessed to raping and murdering Chantay. On February 15, 2019, Riggs pled guilty to killing Chantay and was sentenced to life imprisonment without Parole.
The Dateline episode, reported by Balyne Alexander, will also have interviews with Captain Scott Bird, who led the investigation of Chantay’s murder, her mother, Michelle McDaniel, and her sister Destinee Jarvis.
Trending
Also Read: 1) Dateline: The Mystery On Albion Road - What happened to Kristen Grindley? Details of the 2009 incident, explored
Your perspective matters!
Start the conversation
