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California authorities have charged a man in a violent spree that left three people dead and two more injured after he allegedly slashed their throats.
Ryan Scott Blinston, 37, faces charges of murder, attempted murder and arson. His alleged crimes carry special sentencing due to the alleged use of a weapon and the attack on an elderly victim, officials said.
Blinston worked for a tree-trimming business, including on the homes of some of his victims, according to the Butte County District Attorney.
He returned to the home of elderly couple Loreen and Homer Severs – 88 and 91, respectively – and allegedly slashed their throats on May 18, 2020. Loreen died immediately, but Homer survived the attack, later dying due to an unrelated illness in December of that year, authorities said.
Tree trimmer charged in California throat-slashing serial killing
14 May, 2021 04:44 AM
4 minutes to read
Ryan Scott Blinston, of Oroville, California. Photo / AP
AP
A tree trimmer in rural Northern California has been charged in throat-slashing serial killings that left three people dead, prosecutors announced on Thursday.
Ryan Scott Blinston, 37, of the small city of Oroville, was charged on Wednesday with murder, attempted murder and arson. The charges included special sentencing allegations that Blinston used a deadly weapon, attacked an elderly victim and committed multiple killings.
Blinston didn t enter a plea during his arraignment on Thursday. He was appointed a public defender and ordered held without bail pending a May 19 court hearing.
First Posted: May 14, 2021 03:23 AM EDT
Photo : Larry W. Smith/Getty Images
A tree trimmer from Butte County, California was charged with murder after police reported that the suspect slashed the throats of his victims.
The heinous crime prompted a multi-agency investigation between the Butte County Sheriff s Office and Tehama County Sheriff s Office.
The new charges were filed in Butte County Superior Court on Thursday by Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsay and Tehama County District Attorney Matte Rogers.
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Authorities identified the suspect as Ryan Scott Blinston, 37, of Butte County. Blinston was charged for the murders of Loreen Severs, Sandra George, and Vicky Cline.
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When Ryan Scott Blinston was arrested last year, authorities say he was trying to smash in a door with a hatchet to finish killing a man whose throat he had slashed.
That man would have become Blinston’s fourth victim, according to officials who call the Northern California tree trimmer a serial killer. Officials say that, before a SWAT team arrived to arrest him, he had left a bloody trail in an area where violence is usually about drugs, gangs and domestic disputes.
Blinston, 37, of Oroville in Butte County, was charged Wednesday with murder, attempted murder and arson. The charges included special sentencing allegations that Blinston used a deadly weapon, attacked an elderly victim and committed multiple killings.
Northern California tree trimmer charged in deadly throat-slashings
May 13, 2021
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This undated photo provided by the Butte County District Attorney shows Ryan Scott Blinston, of Oroville, Calif. Blinston, a tree trimmer in rural Northern California, has been charged with a series of throat-slashing serial killings that left three people dead. Prosecutors filed the charges on Wednesday, May 12, 2021, against Blinston. (Butte County District Attorney via AP)AP
OROVILLE, Calif. (AP) A tree trimmer in rural Northern California has been charged in throat-slashing serial killings that left three people dead, prosecutors announced Thursday.
Ryan Scott Blinston, 37, of the small city of Oroville, was charged on Wednesday with murder, attempted murder and arson. The charges included special sentencing allegations that Blinston used a deadly weapon, attacked an elderly victim and committed multiple killings.