Woman Brutally Murdered with Large Sword, Run Over with Truck

jnjkoz · #1 ● 04-04-2017, 08:08 AM

HERNANDO (CITRUS) – Early this morning news broke the of a possible homicide investigation underway at a residence on East Benjamin Street, in the city of Hernando. Officials have now confirmed that a woman has died as the result of numerous stab wounds from a large sword. ORIGINAL REPORT

According to officials, just before 10:30 p.m. deputies responded to a home on E. Benjamin Street after receiving a call from the woman while she was being stabbed. When deputies arrived, they found Brandi Blevins, 42, of Hernando, dead in the front yard. A witness who was also staying at the home told deputies that the suspect, 41-year-old Eric Huffman had fled on foot.

The Sheriff’s Office immediately issued an Alert Citrus notification to every resident within a one-mile radius, asking them to lock their doors, to be on the lookout for an armed subject, and to call 9-1-1 if they saw anyone suspicious. While deputies, K9 teams, and an aviation unit were canvasing the area, a nearby neighbor told deputies there was a man on her back pool deck. Deputies responded to the residence and took Huffman into custody without incident. During the investigation, detectives discovered Huffman had stabbed his ex-girlfriend with a large sword. Blevins was found at the base of the front porch with multiple deep lacerations to her legs, thighs, and torso. Blevins also had a large wound on the back of her head. According to one witness, after Huffman stabbed Blevins, he got into his truck and proceeded to run the victim over before crashing into a nearby tree.

Huffman is charged with one count of premeditated murder and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Huffman has a lengthy criminal history including burglary, resisting law enforcement and two recent arrests of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

“First and foremost – our thoughts and prayers are with those who were impacted by this horrible crime,” says Sheriff Mike Prendergast. “This is a perfect example of why Alert Citrus is such an important tool for our agency. We captured this extremely dangerous man quickly because we were able to warn nearby residents immediately.”