Susan and Blane Barksdale: Killing, Escape, and Recapture

Blane and Susan Barksdale are a married Arizona couple who murdered 72-year-old Frank Bligh at his Tucson home in April 2019, then drew national attention months later when they overpowered guards and escaped a private prisoner transport van in Utah during extradition. U.S. Marshals recaptured them 16 days later in a remote stretch of the Tonto National Forest. Both took plea deals rather than go to trial, and in April 2022 they were sentenced to a combined 27 years in prison.¹

Who Frank Bligh Was

Frank Bligh was a retired Air Force veteran and gun collector living in Tucson. He had been close friends with Susan Barksdale for years. Susan’s daughter, Jada, told investigators that Bligh had confronted Blane about his treatment of Susan, describing Blane as “very verbally, emotionally, and eventually physically abusive” toward her mother. In Jada’s account, that protectiveness cost Bligh his life. “I believe Blane saw Frank as a threat,” she said. “I believe that Frank was trying to stand up for my mom, who was being terribly abused. And Blane ended his life for it.”²

The Killing and the Fire

On April 12, 2019, a confrontation over stolen guns at Bligh’s Tucson home ended with Blane Barksdale killing him.² Four days later, on April 16, Bligh’s house exploded and burned. Tucson police and fire crews determined the fire had been intentionally set.³ Bligh’s body was not in the wreckage, and one of his vehicles was gone. The next day, Pima County Sheriff’s deputies found that vehicle abandoned on South Wilmot Road.¹ The Barksdales also pawned guns that had belonged to Bligh.⁴

On April 24, 2019, detectives interviewed Blane’s nephew, Brent Mallard, who had burns over much of his body. Mallard said he had agreed to drive his uncle to Bligh’s residence in exchange for a gun, and that Blane then forced him to set the house on fire. He said he “never seen Frank Bligh” while he was there.² His statement was the first to directly implicate Blane in the arson. By May 2019, detectives had enough to obtain arrest warrants for both Barksdales.¹

Arrest in New York

The Barksdales had fled Arizona. U.S. Marshals and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department tracked them to Henrietta, New York, a suburb of Rochester, and arrested them there.¹ They were held to await extradition to Pima County on charges that included first-degree murder, first-degree burglary, arson, felony criminal damage, and auto theft.⁵

The Escape From the Transport Van

On the night of August 26, 2019, a private company called Security Transport Services was driving the Barksdales from New York to Arizona in a van that also held a third inmate. Near Blanding, Utah, Susan faked an illness to force the van to stop. When two unarmed guards opened the rear doors, the Barksdales overpowered them. A firearm was locked in a box inside the van but was never accessed by the fugitives.⁶ The couple bound the guards with shoelaces and drove off.⁷

They drove the van to Vernon, Arizona, abandoned it with the guards and the third inmate still locked inside, and switched to a red GMC Sierra pickup truck. The guards freed themselves two to three hours later by kicking out windows, giving the Barksdales a head start of roughly six or seven hours. Investigators believed the couple obtained the pickup through an acquaintance.⁶

The Manhunt

Blane Barksdale was added to the U.S. Marshals’ 15 Most Wanted list. Authorities offered rewards of up to $25,000 for information leading to his capture, $10,000 for Susan, and $5,000 for the stolen truck.⁸ U.S. Marshal David Gonzales, who led the investigation, warned that the couple should be considered armed and dangerous. He described Blane, then 56, as “very imposing,” noting swastika tattoos and ties to the Aryan Brotherhood and the Hells Angels.⁹ At its peak, 40 to 50 officers were on the ground.

Recapture at Punkin Center

Sixteen days after the escape, investigators received a tip that the Barksdales had an acquaintance in the Punkin Center area, a remote outpost in the Tonto National Forest south of Payson, Arizona. The acquaintance was reportedly on probation for methamphetamine sales.¹⁰ On the night of September 11, 2019, roughly 50 officers from the U.S. Marshals Service and the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office surrounded a modular home on the property.¹¹

The homeowner came out first, followed by Susan, who surrendered quickly. Blane refused to come out at first, yelling obscenities and making obscene gestures at officers. He was eventually subdued with a stun gun.¹¹ After his arrest, Blane reportedly told officers, “Be careful, it’s dangerous out there.”⁹ The arrest location was about 260 miles from where they had escaped in Utah.

Guilty Pleas and Sentencing

Both Barksdales avoided trial. Susan pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter in November 2021.³ Blane pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder the following month. As part of his plea deal, he was required to reveal the location of Bligh’s remains, and he led authorities to a remote wash over a cliff in the Salt River Canyon in Gila County.⁴ Bligh’s remains were recovered on January 4, 2022, nearly three years after the killing, and officially identified on January 12, the day before what would have been his 75th birthday.¹²

On April 29, 2022, Pima County Judge Brenden Griffon sentenced Blane to 22 years in prison, with credit for approximately three years already served. Susan received five years, with credit for about 2.8 years of time served.¹² Blane’s projected release is around 2041; Susan was expected to complete her sentence years earlier.²

The Dispute Over Susan’s Role

The sentencing hearing surfaced sharply different accounts of Susan Barksdale’s part in the crime. Bligh’s brother, Skip, who attended by audio, called Susan “the instigator.” Blane took full responsibility. Addressing Skip Bligh directly, he said: “She was very good friends with your brother. She’s not responsible for this. This was my actions, my actions alone.”⁴

Susan told the judge she was sorry she had not sought help, adding, “I don’t see a day in my future when I won’t be afraid, or not sorry.” Her attorney argued that her actions were driven by fear of domestic violence from Blane. Her daughter Jada said Susan had been under “extreme duress” and that “the only reason my mom went anywhere with that man was in an effort to protect her family.”² Bligh’s family thanked the Tucson Police Department, the Pima County Attorney’s Office, and other agencies for locating his remains so he could be given a proper burial.¹

Fallout for the Transport Company

The escape put a spotlight on Security Transport Services, a Topeka, Kansas company that had been moving prisoners for roughly 30 years. Previous escapes from STS custody included a 2011 incident in which a prisoner stole a company vehicle near Topeka, a 2012 escape by a convicted sex offender in Lawrence, Kansas, and a 2018 escape from a van in New Mexico after an inmate found a handcuff key inside the vehicle. Former employees alleged the company paid drivers $9.25 per hour and offered virtually no training beyond a booklet of statutes. Travel logs reviewed by reporters showed drivers on the road for 17 to 19 hours at a stretch, exceeding the 15-hour standard suggested by Jeanna’s Act, a federal law governing private prisoner transport.¹³

STS owner Tom Baumann blamed the Barksdale escape on “complacent drivers” rather than systemic failures, and confirmed the two guards involved remained employed with the company months later.¹³ An internal review by the Pima County Sheriff’s Office concluded the drivers were at fault for “improperly detaining the prisoners.” The county suspended its contract with STS, which was already set to expire in November 2019, and noted that procurement rules prevented it from immediately switching to another provider.¹⁴

1
Tucson.com. Blane and Susan Barksdale Sentenced in Murder of Frank Bligh
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Oxygen. Blane and Susan Barksdale Convicted in Killing of Old Friend Frank Bligh
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KOLD News 13. Susan Barksdale Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter in Death of Frank Bligh
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KGUN9. Blane and Susan Barksdale to Be Sentenced Friday in Frank Bligh Murder Case
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CNN. Husband and Wife Escape Custody While Being Extradited on Murder Charges
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ABC News. Police Searching for Couple Wanted on Murder Charges Who Escaped Custody
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NBC News. Husband and Wife Murder Suspects Captured Two Weeks After Escape
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ABC News. Escaped Murder Suspect Added to 15 Most Wanted List
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ABC15. Navajo County Sheriff’s Office: Blane and Susan Barksdale Taken Into Custody
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The New York Times. Fugitive Couple Accused of Murder Are Caught After Weeks on the Run
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Fox 10 Phoenix. Officers Surrounded House to Capture Fugitives Blane and Susan Barksdale
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KOLD News 13. Man’s Remains Found Before Couple Sentenced for His Death
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KSNT. A Look at Policies From Local Security Transport Company With Multiple Prisoner Escapes
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WIBW. AZ County Suspends Contract With Topeka Company After Murder Suspects Escape