SC v. John Tufton Blauvelt: Trial for murder of military wife

GREENVILLE, SC (Court TV) — A man is on trial accused of murdering his estranged wife before leaving his post in the U.S. Army and running off with his teenage girlfriend.

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

Police obtained a warrant for John's arrest on November 18, 2016, but were unable to locate 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 recruiting officer for the U.S. Army in Greenville County, was classified as a deserter. Thompson's parents reported her missing on November 21, 2016.

The U.S. Marshals joined the search and found Thompson in Oregon on December 12, 2016. The teen said John abandoned her and the two were homeless while in Oregon. Thompson was later charged with obstruction of justice, aiding and abetting after the fact, and failure to report a crime. She is currently awaiting trial.

In 2022, a U.S. Marshals Cold Case Investigation Team joined the investigation and was able to locate and take John, who lived under the name “Ben Klein,” into custody.

Prosecutors have asked a judge to allow them to present evidence that there had been previous domestic violence incidents in the home. One of those cases resulted in charges that were still pending at the time of the victim's murder. In that case, John was accused of threatening Cati with a gun over her cellphone during an argument.

If John is convicted of murder, he faces a minimum sentence of 30 years to life in prison.

DAILY TEST UPDATES

DAY 1 – 17.9.24

• The jury hears opening statements
• Hannah Thompson, the defendant's girlfriend at the time, takes the stand