Manhunt For Florida Murder Suspect Expands Into Georgia

FROSTPROOF, FL — The manhunt for Florida murder suspect Taiwan Blandin expanded into neighboring Georgia Wednesday as Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd appeared at a news conference holding a wounded dog that belonged to the 80-year-old Frostproof woman killed in an execution-style slaying one day earlier.

Blandin is not only suspected in that grisly murder, but he is also suspected of sexual battery on an 18-year-old Fort Meade woman earlier in the day. The woman told sheriff's deputies that she awoke to find Blandin "standing over her bed with rape on his mind.”

Later in the day, he was suspected of shooting an 81-year-old woman in a wheelchair when he allegedly opened fire on the 18-year-old after she managed to escape from the back of his car, where she had been hogtied.

"Taiwan Blandin for whatever reason — and we do not know what that reason is — went on a killing spree and a sexual battery spree yesterday," Judd told reporters on Wednesday. "We don’t know where he is."

He said Blandin allegedly made the 18-year-old perform a sex act on him before driving her to the trailer of the murder victim. The murder victim's dog suffered a broken leg and cuts when a bullet from the victim passed through him. The dog named Kelly will be turned over to family members.

"After he executed her, he piled plastic bottles and some kind of cloths on top of the stove, turned the stove on in an effort to set the mobile home on fire," said Judd.

The elderly victim in the wheelchair was shot in the foot in Fort Meade, which is about 19 miles away from Frostproof.

Blandin was identified by the 18-year-old woman who remembered that he went to school with her brother.

The Frostproof murder victim was shot once in the stomach and once in the head in what Judd described as an execution.

"These are wonderful folks living in small, safe communities," said Judd of the victims. "This is like the last place in the world you would ever expect a murderous rampage."

The Polk County Sheriff's Office said Blandin was last seen driving a 2011 dark red Chevy Cruze with Florida tag NAG K37 and tinted windows.

Blandin is described as black, 6 feet tall and 190 pounds. He should be considered armed and dangerous.

Judd said Blandin told his sister and brother that he didn't plan to give himself up.

"Our prayer is that he turns himself in. Our prayer is that if he doesn’t turn himself in that when we find him, he peaceably surrenders," said Judd. "But make no mistake about it. He has put us on notice that he is capable of killing himself or engaging us in a gunfight. And if he does not surrender peacefully and he points a gun at us, we will shoot him a lot. That’s a promise."

To report a tip, call the Heartland Crime Stoppers at 800-226-TIPS (8477).