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JOHNSON COUNTY COUPLE
Son Charged With The Murders Of His Parents; Bodies Found Buried In Ky.

Reported by: Send eMail Tiersa Davis
Web Producer: Jeff Morris
Reported: Mar. 7, 2013 3:57 PM EST
Updated: Mar. 20, 2013 8:24 PM EDT

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Oil Springs , Johnson County , Kentucky

The son of a Kentucky couple, whose remains were found months after they went missing, has now been charged with their murders.

William Blanton, 29, of Oil Springs was indicted by a grand jury on Wednesday on two counts of murder, two counts of tampering with evidence and on being a persistent felony offender.

Blanton was charged with killing his parents, Sandra and Larry Blanton. The Johnson County couple went missing in September 2012, and their bodies were discovered buried behind a barn on their property in February.

Blanton's girlfriend, Amanda Fannin, struck a plea deal with investigators to locate the couple's bodies.




A coroner said an eastern Kentucky couple whose remains were found nearly six months after they were reported missing died of blunt force trauma.

Johnson County Coroner J.R. Frisby told the Lexington Herald-Leader that the deaths of Larry and Sandra Blanton have been ruled homicides. Their remains were found in February, buried behind a horse barn on property they owned in Oil Springs.

They had been reported missing in September. Police have said that the last time anyone spoke to the couple was Sept. 7, and had classified the disappearance as suspicious.

Evidence in the case will be presented to a grand jury later this month.

Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.




A coroner has confirmed the identities of Sandra and Larry Blanton, their bodies were found on their Oil Springs farm this past weekend. They had been missing since September.

Deputies say information provided by the suspect's girlfriend lead them to the discovery.
Willie Blanton is the prime suspect. He's currently in jail on drug charges. Willie Blanton's girlfriend, Amanda Fannin took a plea deal providing the whereabouts of the bodies.

According to the plea deal obtained from the Johnson County circuit court clerk, Fannin had no involvement in the couple's death and her knowledge of the murder came after the fact.

In the deal, Fannin will be released from jail to enter a rehab program. Authorities say Willie Blanton will not face the death penalty if convicted.

The Johnson County Sheriff Department is expected to release the causes of death later this week.




A coroner has confirmed the identities of two bodies found on property owned by a missing eastern Kentucky couple.

Johnson County Coroner J.R. Frisby told the Lexington Herald-Leader that autopsy results found the bodies were those of the owners, Larry and Sandra Blanton.

They had been reported missing in September. Their bodies were found buried behind a horse barn on property in Oil Springs that belonged to them.

Police have called the couple's disappearance suspicious.

Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.



Police say two bodies have been found on a farm owned by an eastern Kentucky couple reported missing almost six months ago.

Investigators with the Johnson County Sheriff's Department say the bodies have not been identified, but were found on the property in Oil Springs belonging to Larry and Sandra Blanton. The couple was reported missing in September.

Investigators say the disappearance is suspicious and say their son William Blanton is a person of interest in the case. Blanton is currently in jail for allegedly trying to fill his parents' prescriptions at a local pharmacy.

We have a crew in Johnson County, Kentucky. Stay tuned to Eyewitness News for more information on this continuing story.

AP contributed to this report.



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