Trial for Nixa man accused of killing his wife in 2019 begins this week
Update: Another continuance was filed in this case and the trial is now set to begin April 28, 2025.
Nearly five years after Todd Blankenship was accused of shooting and killing his wife at their Nixa home, the 51-year-old man's trial begins this week.
Jury selection is scheduled to commence Monday in Platte County, where Blankenship had been in custody after a change of venue. Opening arguments from Christian County prosecutor Kristen Tuohy and public defense attorney Anthony Davidson are expected to begin Monday afternoon or early Tuesday.
The COVID-19 pandemic and a litany of continuances delayed the trial, which was moved from Christian County to the Kansas City area six months after the July 19, 2019, homicide. Platte County Judge Ann Hansbrough is overseeing the week's proceedings.
Blankenship faces charges of first-degree murder, armed criminal action and domestic assault for allegedly shooting 46-year-old Staci Whiteley at their home on South Timber Ridge Drive.
Court records note that Blankenship was accused of assaulting Whiteley on April 13, June 5, June 25 and June 30 of that year, and that a temporary order of protection was filed on July 1, days before the woman's death.
According to a police report, officers said Blankenship was at the scene and that his hands smelled like bleach, in what authorities said was an apparent attempt to conceal the crime.
Whiteley, a mother of five, was described by family as an intensely supportive mom who was always smiling and enjoyed camping, kayaking, traveling, dancing, horseback riding, motorcycling and gardening.
The day before she was killed, according to court records, she told a relative she planned to move out of state and away from Blankenship.
"Everybody is capable of getting caught in an abusive-type relationship," Whiteley's daughter, Brittani Powers, told the News-Leader in 2019. "She was not weak, but his influence on her made her weak."
Ryan Collingwood covers a wide range of topics for the News-Leader with an emphasis on public safety. He can be reached by phone at 417-258-8174 and email at rcollingwood@news-leader.com. You can also follow Ryan on social media at X.com/rwcollingwood
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Trial begins for Todd Blankenship, Nixa man accused of killing wife
