ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A 23-year-old man was sentenced to 10 years in prison after attempting to kidnap two victims on the Blue Ridge Parkway in September of 2023.
Evan William Blankenship, 23, pleaded guilty to a charge for possessing and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
In the early morning hours on September 28th, 2023, Blankenship drove behind the victims’ parked vehicle at Waterrock Knob Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway and pointed a gun at them.
Blankenship pulled one of the victims out of the vehicle by her hair and arm before striking her in the face. This victim suffered temporary hearing loss.
Blankenship then fired the weapon into the air before pointing it at the victims again.
The victims convinced him to let them go before they reported the incident to police.
One of the victims told police that she knew Blankenship on Snapchat and said he used it to find her location.
Blankenship was arrested on October 11, 2023, and has remained in custody since then. He will also have three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
