Allen Blackthorne, also known as James Pendleton, died in prison in 2014. He was serving two life sentences for orchestrating the murder of his ex-wife, Sheila Bellush, in 1997.
Blackthorne’s story is a tragic and complex one, involving a bitter custody battle, a murder-for-hire plot, and a cross-country investigation. After a tumultuous marriage and a contentious divorce from Sheila Bellush, Blackthorne became embroiled in a custody dispute over their two daughters. The conflict escalated to the point where Blackthorne sought to have his ex-wife killed.
In November 1997, Sheila Bellush was found murdered in her home in Sarasota, Florida, with her quadruplets, fathered by her second husband Jamie Bellush, crawling around her. The investigation quickly led to a man named Jose Luis Del Toro, who was identified as the hitman. Del Toro testified that Blackthorne had offered him money to carry out the murder, a claim supported by evidence and testimony from others involved in the plot.
Blackthorne was arrested and tried in Texas, where he was living at the time. In 2000, he was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. His appeals were unsuccessful, and he remained incarcerated until his death in 2014, which was reported as being due to natural causes.
The case drew national attention and was featured on several true crime shows and in books, highlighting the extreme lengths to which Blackthorne went to gain control over his children and the tragic consequences of his actions. Sheila Bellush’s murder and the subsequent trial left a lasting impact on her family, particularly her children, who were left to grow up without their mother.