Timothy Blaney to stand trial for murder in beating death case - East Idaho News
Pocatello

Timothy Blaney to stand trial for murder in beating death case

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POCATELLO – Timothy Blaney will stand trial for first degree murder in the beating death of Skylar Huffield in May.

Following a preliminary hearing that lasted a day and a half, Sixth District Magistrate Judge Rick Carnaroli forwarded the case to the trial court.

In closing statements Wednesday, Bannock County Deputy Prosecutor Zach Parris told the court Blaney acted with malice and forethought and his action caused Huffield’s death.

“Make no mistake, this was a defenseless victim,” Parris said. “He was asleep and there is no indication that he ever woke up.”

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Parris told the court Blaney considered his action, and even had conversations with other people in the house before finding the weapon and returning to the bedroom.

“He thought about it, he got the two-by-four and he beat Huffield to death,” Parris said.

Blaney’s estranged wife, Diana Shaeffer testified Tuesday that she and Huffield were sleeping together in a bedroom at the house and she woke up to see Blaney standing in the room.

Shaeffer, 18, stated that she awoke a second time to see Blaney striking Huffield in head and back with a 3-foot-long two-by-four. She told the court Tuesday that she jumped out of the bed and grabbed Blaney around the waist in an attempt to stop him.

The couple have a son together and Shaeffer stated she believed Blaney was still in Oregon on the night Huffield was killed. Shaeffer said she had been in contact with Blaney earlier that night when she asked him to have a pizza delivered to the Hawthorne address.

Shaeffer is currently incarcerated, she was arrested on Nov. 24 for felony possession of meth and misdemeanor trespass.

Her parents, Ron Shaeffer and Marcella Knapp, who also testified Tuesday, about the events on the evening of May 24, are being held at the Bannock County Jail as well. Knapp was charged with possession of meth with the intent to deliver on Nov. 25 and Ron Shaeffer has 10 felony, forgery and grand theft charges pending in the county.

Blaney was represented by public defenders Dave Martinez and Kent Reynolds during the preliminary hearing.

On Wednesday, the defense team recalled Diana Shaeffer to the stand.

Shaeffer told the court that she left Blaney in February because he was abusive. She left the house on Hawthorne and moved in with a boyfriend. Shaeffer testified Wednesday she was involved in two other relationships before meeting Huffield and Blaney was aware of them.

She met Huffield on Facebook and they had been dating for about two weeks when he was killed.

Shaeffer said she knew that Blaney wanted to reconcile and while she told other people that wasn’t a possibility, she allowed him to believe that there was a chance for them to get back together.

“Would it be fair to say that you lie to people to get what you want,” Martinez asked.

Shaeffer denied the accusation and stated: “We were with each other for a long time, it was hard.”

In closing, Martinez called the death a tragedy that was painful for a lot of people, but he said it was a crime that happened in the heat of passion, not a premeditated murder.

“(Blaney) came into the house thinking he was getting back together with his wife,” Martinez said.

Pocatello police Cpl. Detective Brian Harris was the state’s final witness Wednesday.

Harris said a search of the residence at 3842 Hawthorne Road was conducted and among the items seized in the search was a piece of lumber matching the description of the two-by-four witnesses said Blaney used to beat Huffield to death after finding him and Shaeffer, sleeping together in a bedroom at the house.

Harris said that Huffield was an organ donor and on May 28, he was present when that process took place and that he attended an autopsy performed on May 31 in Ada County.

In handing down the decision, Carnaroli said evidence presented during the case determined that a crime had been committed and that Blaney committed that crime.

After making the ruling Wednesday, the judge also addressed Huffield’s family.

“Thank you for the dignity that you have shown during this process,” Carnaroli said.

Blaney will be arraigned in Sixth District Court later this month. Bannock County Prosecutor Steve Herzog said he has not ruled out the death penalty in the murder case.

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