In the early morning hours of February 20, 2021, the life of 30-year-old Tashianna Blake was tragically cut short in her Colorado Springs, Colorado, home. A promising real estate agent and mother, her death sent shockwaves through her community and devastated her family. The incident unfolded in the 2000 block of Squawbush Ridge Grove, where Tashianna resided with her husband and two young children.
The events of that fatal night were set in motion by a chilling 911 call made by
Tashianna's husband, Dermot Andrew Blake, an active-duty Army sergeant stationed at Fort Carson. In the call, placed at 12:51 A.M., he stated that he had shot his wife. When officers from the Colorado Springs Police Department arrived at the residence, they found Tashianna Blake deceased inside. Her two daughters, ages five and seven, were also present in the home but were physically unharmed.
Subsequent investigation and court documents revealed a horrifying sequence of events. The couple had been involved in a heated argument. The altercation escalated to the point where Dermot Blake retrieved a gun and shot his wife multiple times. In a particularly cruel act, he allegedly forced Tashianna to apologize before shooting her in the head in front of their two daughters. An autopsy later confirmed that she had been shot six times.
Dermot Blake, who was 33 years old at the time of the incident, was immediately detained at the scene. He was later arrested and charged with first-degree murder and two counts of child abuse. Following a trial, he was found guilty of first-degree murder and child abuse, resulting in a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The two children were placed in the care of family members. Reports also indicated a history of domestic turbulence, with the couple having previously filed for divorce in 2019, though the case was later dismissed.
