SC v. John Tufton Blauvelt: Military Wife Murder Trial

GREENVILLE, S.C. (Court TV) — A man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for murdering his estranged wife before deserting his position with the U.S. Army and running off with his teenage girlfriend.

photo of John Blauvelt and Cati Blauvelt

John Blauvelt (L) is charged with murdering his estranged wife, Catherine ‘Cati’ Blauvelt (R) in 2016. (Greenville County Jail/Simpsonville Police Dept.)

A jury convicted John Tufton Blauvelt, 33, on charges of murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime in the death of Catherine “Cati” Boyter Blauvelt. Cati, 22, served in the U.S. Army and worked at Pet Smart when she died, according to her obituary. Cati was reported missing on Oct. 23, 2016, after she failed to meet with her friends after work. Her body was found the next day inside an abandoned house in Simpsonville. Investigators said she was stabbed to death.

Police obtained an arrest warrant for John on Nov. 18, 2016, but were unable to find him. Shortly after Cati was found, John allegedly fled the area with his 17-year-old girlfriend, Hannah Thompson. John, who had worked as a recruiter for the U.S. Army in Greenville County, was classified as a deserter. Thompson’s parents reported her missing on Nov. 21, 2016.

The U.S. Marshals joined the search and located Thompson in Oregon on Dec. 12, 2016. The teen said that John had abandoned her and that the two had been homeless while living in Oregon. Thompson was later charged with obstruction, accessory after the fact and neglect in reporting a crime. She is currently awaiting trial.

In 2022, a U.S. Marshals cold and complex case investigative team joined the investigation and was able to locate John, who was living under the name “Ben Klein,” and took him into custody.

John was sentenced immediately following his conviction to life in prison without the chance of parole.

DAILY TRIAL UPDATES

DAY 4 – 9/20/24

Prosecutors say John Blauvelt murdered his estranged wife, Catherine Blauvelt, and went on the run with his 17-year-old girlfriend. The defense claims investigators had tunnel vision.
- WATCH: Military Wife Murder Trial: Closing Arguments
The jury returned a verdict.
- WATCH: Verdict Reached in Military Wife Murder Trial
The victim’s family delivered impact statements and the judge sentenced John Blauvelt.
- WATCH: Victim’s Sister Calls John Blauvelt ‘Twisted and Evil’ at Sentencing

DAY 3 – 9/19/24

Prosecutors rest its case-in-chief after calling 17 witnesses in the case against a former U.S. Army recruiter.
The defense rest without calling any witnesses or presenting any evidence.
John Blauvelt told the court he did not wish to testify.
Allison Somerville, who knows both John Blauvelt and “Cati” Blauvelt, told jurors that John asked if she wanted to go to Charleston, South Carolina, so he could “kill” his wife. He then told Somerville that he was “born to kill people both good and bad.”
- Somerville said John Blauvelt convinced her and other “people” that “Cati” was trying to stop them from hanging out at the abandoned house. Somerville, 16 at the time, wrote a “To Do List” and placed it on the refrigerator where she was staying with John and “Cait” that read, “Get rid of Cati for good.”
Results from a DNA found John Blauvelt’s DNA under the “Cati” Blauvelt’s right fingernails.
- Catherine “Cati” Blauvelt last used her cell phone on October 24, 2016, at 4:17 p.m. She had taken a selfie from inside her car.
John Blauvelt called his teenage girlfriend, Hannah Thompson, on October 24, 2016, at 5:03 p.m. He then sent Thompson an Instant message at 5:04 p.m. asking her to “Check out your Snapchat.” The contents of the message were deleted from Blauvelt’s cell phone.

DAY 2 – 9/18/24

Shocking Google search history retrieved from John Blauvelt’s cell phone was read to the jury – including “How to sharpen a knife,” “When can police tap your phone,” and “What do I do when my wife dies?”
Between October 18 and November 1, 2016, the search also included many entries for “Cati and Simpsonville,” “Blauvelt Greenville,” and Googling his name.
John Blauvelt’s then-17-year-old girlfriend told police where they could find Catherine “Cati” Blauvelt’s cell phone in the abandoned house in Simpsonville, South Carolina. The same location where “Cati’s” body was located two days after she was reported missing on October 24, 2016.
Surveillance video from Joe’s Autos was shown to the jury depicting the exact moment when “Cati” Blauvelt’s vehicle was abandoned on White Horse Road in Greenville, SC.
Catherine “Cati” Blauvelt last used her cell phone on October 24, 2016, at 4:17 p.m. She had taken a selfie from inside her car.
John Blauvelt called his teenage girlfriend, Hannah Thompson, on October 24, 2016, at 5:03 p.m. He then sent Thompson an Instant message at 5:04 p.m. asking her to “Check out your Snapchat.” The contents of the message were deleted from Blauvelt’s cell phone.