Grand jury indicts Blackburn's relatives

The jury on Wednesday indicted Blackburn's brother, Terry Blackburn, on a charge of aiding and assisting an escape, and Terry Blackburn's wife, Seila Lim, on a charge of giving federal authorities a false statement.

Timothy Blackburn escaped from jail on Aug. 11 with the help of his wife, who used a drill to dislodge thick glass separating visitors from inmates in the visiting area. He traded shots with officers as they fled.

According to court records, Terry Blackburn gave his brother a driver's license and other forms of identification between Aug. 11 and Aug. 14.

Lim told FBI agents during the search for Blackburn that the Nissan Pathfinder sometimes driven by her brother-in-law was being repaired at an auto dealership when it was not, court records show.

FBI Special Agent Kevin Caudle said the false statement charge falls under the same statute as signing a false tax statement or FHA loan.

The driver's license Terry Blackburn allegedly gave his brother was his own, Caudle said.

"It was Terry's actual driver's license," Caudle said. "They look very much alike, and it was for Tim to have after the escape so that if he was pulled over his ID wouldn't show it was Tim."

After receiving a tip that Timothy Blackburn was staying at the Budget Suites on Boulder Highway with his family Saturday, SWAT team members spent three hours negotiating with Blackburn. They finally stormed into the family's room.

Blackburn's had killed his daughters, Tiana, 5, and Tiara, 4, and was in the process of shooting his wife, Puthea Lee, 24. Sheriff Jerry Keller said officers opened fire on Blackburn, striking him five times, but Blackburn fired the fatal shot into his own head.

archive