1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,680 Mountain State Mysteries contains adult content that may not be suitable for all audiences. 2 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:07,600 Listener discretion is advised. 3 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:08,640 I'm your host Mark. 4 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:09,680 And I'm Courtney. 5 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:39,520 And this is Mountain State Mysteries. 6 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:53,360 The case we have for you today is about a serial killer who committed murders in Ohio and West 7 00:00:53,360 --> 00:01:06,160 Virginia between 1982 and 1984. This is the case of Eugene Blake. On January 16, 1967, 18-year-old 8 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:12,800 Donna Jean Ball was driving along West Virginia Route 75 near Cereto. When out of the blue, 9 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:19,840 she was forced off the road by a man driving a 1958 Chevrolet. Eugene Blake stopped his car, 10 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:26,400 approached her, and demanded money. After Donna gave him some, Eugene stabbed her eight times 11 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:33,440 in the face and chest. Somehow Donna managed to survive the initial attack and ran down the road. 12 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:40,240 That's when she was spotted by her neighbors, Kenny Ward and Dallas Campbell. They picked her up 13 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:46,560 and contacted the police. The two went to the car and confronted her attacker, but Eugene sped away 14 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:51,520 before they could. After they told her family what happened, they drove her to the Cabell 15 00:01:51,520 --> 00:02:00,720 Huntington Hospital. Donna Jean Ball was pronounced dead on arrival. On January 17, 1967, 21-year-old 16 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:07,840 Eugene Blake, who was a truck driver, was actually just released on a one-to-ten-year suspended sentence 17 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:14,480 for burglary. Eugene was arrested and charged with the murder of Donna Jean Ball. His trial began 18 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:20,640 later that year. The state presented strong evidence that implicated him in the seemingly 19 00:02:20,640 --> 00:02:26,000 unprovoked attack. Blake was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole, 20 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:32,400 which he then started an appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeals, arguing that he had not received a 21 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:39,600 fair trial. His appeal was rejected and he remained incarcerated at the West Virginia State Penitentiary 22 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:46,560 in Moundsville. Do you ever find yourself searching for a true crime podcast focused on West Virginia? 23 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:51,680 Well, I have you covered. I'm Mark Covey, the creator of Mountain State Mysteries, where every 24 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:58,320 Friday my co-host Courtney and I will tell you about one of West Virginia's coldest unsolved cases. 25 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:02,240 Tune in to Mountain State Mysteries on your favorite podcast platform. 26 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:12,640 It is said that during his time in prison, Eugene Blake was described as a model inmate 27 00:03:12,640 --> 00:03:18,160 who had managed to gain the trust of the guards to the point they allowed him to visit the prison 28 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:26,960 warden's house. In 1976, the governor of West Virginia, Arch A. Moore, Jr., commuted his sentence 29 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:35,440 to life with parole for his good conduct while in Moundsville. In February of 1979, Eugene Blake 30 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:42,560 was paroled. After this, he moved to Morgantown, where he reportedly violated his parole on more 31 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:49,680 than one occasion, but Eugene was never arrested. In March of 1982, he moved to Willing West Virginia, 32 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:56,080 where he would obtain a license to run a local bar despite being a felon. One week later, 33 00:03:56,080 --> 00:04:02,560 after his arrival, on March 19th, Eugene went to Gold Park in Bridgeport, Ohio, 34 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:10,800 where he came across the car of 21-year-old Mark Withers. He was making out with a 17-year-old girl 35 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:16,880 whose name has actually never been released. He went up to the two in the car, knocked on the 36 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:22,560 window, and started screaming at Mark to open the door and give him all their money. When he 37 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:28,720 rolled down the window, Eugene started to shoot Mark and later threw his body over a fence. Then 38 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:34,640 he raped the girl. Then he just left. Despite the female victim surviving the attack and giving 39 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:40,960 police the information, they were unable to arrest any suspect in the case when called. 40 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:15,360 On October 26, 1984, the body of 13-year-old Mary Ann Helmbrite was found in Osage, West Virginia. 41 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:23,200 She had been raped and strangled to death. In June of 1985, Eugene Blake was indicted for the murder 42 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:29,920 in two counts of statutory rape. In 1997, Eugene played guilty on all charges relating to the 43 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:37,280 Helmbrite murder and was sentenced to a 15-year life term, which he was ordered to serve at the 44 00:05:37,280 --> 00:05:46,320 Hunton'sville Correctional Center in Hunton'sville, West Virginia. In 2008, Eugene Blake was charged 45 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:52,640 with the murder of Mark Withers after his DNA was connected to the crime scene. He was soon 46 00:05:52,640 --> 00:06:00,320 extradited to Ohio, where prosecutors sought out the death penalty against him for three counts 47 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:07,600 of aggravated murder. In order to avoid potential death sentence, Eugene played guilty to all charges 48 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:15,680 in 2010 and was given a 20-year to life sentence. He is eligible for parole after serving at least 49 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:26,480 70% of his sentence. In May of 2022, Eugene Blake applied for parole before the Ohio Parole Board, 50 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:33,280 which sparked protests from the prosecutors and family members of his victims. In response to this, 51 00:06:33,280 --> 00:06:40,400 the Belmont County prosecutor, Kevin Flanagan, wrote a response to the parole board, pointing out 52 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:46,480 that Eugene committed more violent crimes after his first parole. He also called him a monster in 53 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:52,400 the letter. Do you ever find yourself searching for a true crime podcast focused on West Virginia? 54 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:57,520 Well, I have you covered. I'm Mark Covey, the creator of Mountain State Mysteries, where every 55 00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:04,160 Friday my co-host Courtney and I will tell you about one of West Virginia's coldest unsolved cases. 56 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:11,840 Tune into Mountain State Mysteries on your favorite podcast platform. 57 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:21,040 Eugene Blake's next bid for parole is scheduled for April of 2032, which would make him 87 years old. 58 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:27,600 Courtney, do you have any final thoughts on this case? I just think it's a little ridiculous 59 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:40,400 that it took all the years to get him connected to all the cases. And this is the problem I have 60 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:48,800 with the system is how long that they'll have rape kids, things of that nature before they will 61 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:56,240 move forward with testing and DNA testing to find out who it is and things of that nature. 62 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:04,640 It just pisses me off. Mark, do you have any final thoughts? In all honesty, I kind of feel 63 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:11,600 like there could be more victims of him. They're just either not wanting to talk about being raped 64 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:19,360 or maybe the murder is just unknown. But that would have to have him coming out and talking about it, 65 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:29,920 which we both know doesn't really happen that much. And I think if he did get paroled, I think he would 66 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:39,360 still commit crimes even at his age today. I mean, it was proven before that him being paroled 67 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:46,720 wasn't a good idea in the first place. He should just stayed in prison. But our governor let him out 68 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:54,080 and that just was not a good idea whatsoever. Well, our governor was also in prison too at that time. 69 00:08:54,080 --> 00:09:01,440 So yeah, get a lot more. Was he really? Absolutely. Like God's on the strength. My mom says she can 70 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:09,440 remember when he was reelected the night that he was reelected governor that national news 71 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:16,720 broadcasters were talking about how only West Virginia would re-elect someone who had been imprisoned. 72 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:23,280 I had no idea. Yes. Well, it's definitely not the first time that's happened. No, it's not. And I think 73 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:33,840 another thing with this too is we have such a society of victim blaming on rape victims that 74 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:40,560 it makes it so hard for someone to come. For them to speak up. Yes. Because, you know, it's, 75 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:48,400 well, she was asking for it. Nobody asked for it. Nobody asked for it. Right. And, you know, 76 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:53,920 it's one of those things if you are a victim, there are resources out there that you can talk to 77 00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:58,880 and things of that nature and just know that you were not at fault. Oh, another thing I want to 78 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:05,680 talk about. It literally just like popped in my head how he was able to go to the warden's house 79 00:10:05,680 --> 00:10:10,720 in Moundsville, which his house was actually in Moundsville. When I did a tour there, they were 80 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:18,960 like, yeah, no prisoners were allowed up here. And I guess somehow he got special privileges, but 81 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:25,440 they never let them up there because of his kids. And like when fights broke out and all that, 82 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:32,640 it was like somehow on lockdown that no one would get in there because in Moundsville, 83 00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:36,000 have you ever been? I haven't been in Moundsville, Baba, in Tulliall Link. 84 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:40,880 Well, we're going to take a trip one day. So they have this thing that you kind of walk through. 85 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:50,160 And depending on what way you're going to go, it like turns to where it leads you to that direction. 86 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:57,760 And I think it's one the only ones still around to this day I could be wrong. But I'm guessing it just 87 00:10:58,560 --> 00:11:04,400 no one was allowed to go there unless I guess they got special permission, which it just honestly 88 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:10,800 blows my mind they let a prisoner up there. That is like just so odd. And it's so odd that he served 89 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:20,320 in Moundsville. Left came back to willing. I mean, these people know who he is. Could there be money 90 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:33,200 involved? Oh, no. It just makes you wonder. We'll be back next week with a brand new episode. If you 91 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:38,320 find yourself enjoying Mountain State Mysteries, take a second to follow, download, and rate us on 92 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:44,560 your favorite podcast platform. It helps others find good West Virginia true crime podcasts. 93 00:11:44,560 --> 00:11:50,960 Don't forget to follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. I'll at Mountain State Mysteries. 94 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:58,880 Do you have a case you want us to cover? Send us an email at Mountain State Mysteries304 at gmail.com. 95 00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:04,880 For the show notes, check out our website, mountstatemistriespodcast.com.