In the winter of 2015, the life of 20-year-old Blake Gradon Crews was tragically cut short in Henderson, Kentucky. A student at both Kentucky Wesleyan College and Henderson Community College, Blake was a talented drummer with a bright future, even designing business cards for his own drum lesson business on the day he was taken. He was known as a people person, always willing to help others.
On January 17, 2015, Kentucky State Police responded to a call about a burglary in progress at a
residence on Fairmont Avenue. Inside, they discovered Blake Crews, who had been house-sitting for a friend, deceased from multiple gunshot wounds to the face. The front door of the home had been kicked in. While the house was connected to drug trafficking, law enforcement has stated they are unsure if Crews was aware of this. His family and friends maintain that he was not involved in drugs or any criminal activity.
The investigation into Blake's murder remains ongoing, and as of now, it is an unsolved case. In the course of their investigation, police arrested at least eight individuals on charges of failing to report a death, though none have been charged directly with Blake's murder. Among those arrested for not reporting the death was Garrett Eblen, the friend for whom Blake was house-sitting. It is believed that at least ten people discovered Blake's body before law enforcement arrived on the scene.
The brutal nature of the crime, with multiple gunshots to the head, has led law enforcement to believe the act may have been personal. The Crews family, along with Henderson County Crime Stoppers, have offered a significant reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for his death. Kentucky State Police continue to seek new leads and have even utilized new technologies in the hopes of identifying the killer. The case remains a painful open wound for his family and the community, who remember Blake as a kind and talented young man with a promising future ahead of him.
