New trial begins for Indiana man 'who murdered and ATE his ex-girlfriend' after first ended in mistrial on Day 1
A NEW trial begins for an Indiana man who stands accused of murdering and eating parts of his ex-girlfriend's body after the first ended in mistrial on Day 1.
Joseph Oberhansley, 39, is charged with the murder, rape and abuse of a corpse of Tammy Jo Blanton in her Indiana home in a scene prosecutors described as "worse than a horror movie".
Oberhansley allegedly slaughtered Blanton, 46, after breaking into her home and using an electric saw to open her skull.
Blanton had called the police to report that Oberhansley was trying to break into her home about 3am Septermber 11, 2014.
When police arrived, he agreed to leave but when Balton didn't turn up to work the next morning, cops arrived at her home to find Oberhansley answered the door.
Tammy Jo was discovered with parts of her skull removed under a tent draped over her bath.
It is the second murder trial Oberhansley will face after the first ended as soon as it began when a witness mentioned Oberhansley's prior criminal past which was deemed inadmissible.
The case has been dogged by delays after Oberhansley was declared unfit to stand trial.
The jury – who was brought in from Allen County, in northern Indiana – heard opening statements Friday morning.
Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull described what investigators found in Blanton’s home after her murder as "worse than anything you would see in a horror movie".
Four witnesses testified including Sabrina Hall, one of Blanton’s best friends.
Hall told the court that she called Blanton’s cell when she didn’t show up to work on Sept 11, 2014.
She said she believes Oberhansley picked up Blanton’s phone pretending to be her brother.
Raelyn Mitchal, the 911 dispatcher that took the call from Blanton the day she was murdered, also took the stand.
The call was played in court but the quality of the live stream made it difficult to understand the audio.
Jeffersonville police officers – Officer McGee and Corporal Anderson – responded to Blanton’s home on the night of the murder.
They each described finding a “very upset” Oberhansley outside of Blanton’s home.
They claim Blanton wanted her ex-boyfriend to leave and changed the locks.
The officers said they ordered Oberhansley to leave her property and watched his vehicle drive away.
A few hours later, investigators found Blanton murdered in her Jeffersonville home.
Tammy Jo was discovered with parts of her skull removed under a tent draped over her bath.
Cops also found a “plate with what appeared to be skull bone and blood” on it and a pair of tongs with blood on them in the bin.
An autopsy revealed she died from multiple stab wounds and parts of her heart, lungs and brain were missing.
At the time of the murder, Oberhansley was free on parole for fatally gunning down his girlfriend Sabrina Elder, 17, in a drug-fuelled jealous rage in 1998.
He also shot his mum in the back and fired at his sister before tucking the weapon under his chin and pulling the trigger to give himself a “partial lobotomy.”
The prosecution and defense agreed to take the death penalty off the table if Oberhansley’s attorneys agreed not to use insanity as a defense.
Obrehanley’s defense attorneys Bart Betteau and Brent Westerfeld asked the jury to look at the evidence from all sides.
The trial will resume on Monday in Clark County.
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