Blainey Pleads Guilty to Murder of Motel Owner
By: Elsa Gillis
Updated: January 25, 2012
The man accused of raping and murdering Linda Turner at the Davis Motel in Utica --- admitted his crimes in Oneida County Court this morning.
By accepting the guilty plea, Blainey understands that he'll spend the rest of his life in prison without parole. He admitted today to squatting in the motel, strangling, raping, and stealing from Linda Turner.
"After she entered her home what happened?" asked Judge Barry Donalty.
"Well one of us had to go and it sure as hell wasn't going to be me."
After accepting the guilty plea, Judge Barry Donalty asked Blainey a series of questions regarding what happened on November 2nd, the day he attacked Linda Turner. Blainey's attorney says that his licensed psychologist found no existing psychiatric conditions in Blainey.
D.A. Scott McNamara says being a serial rapist, it's clear that there was a breakdown in the justice system, and Blainey should not have been out on parole in the first place. "The question continues to be why wasn't he put in the civil confinement program that the state has for sex offenders," said McNamara. He says in his almost 20 years in the D.A.'s office, Blainey is by far one of the most dangerous serial criminals he's seen.
Before he was taken away Donalty ended his report by saying, "There's a chill in the air Mr. Blainey, you're the coldest person I've ever seen in this courtroom."
"Thank you for the compliment," Blainey replied.
"I didn't mean for it to be a compliment," said Donalty, to which Blainey replied, "Thanks anyway."
Blainey's attorney says he was shocked by his client's insistence on pleading guilty, although he felt it was a well-reasoned decision on Blainey's part. The DA also says he was surprised, however, Blainey had already told officials in the past he wanted to go back to prison. Blainey is set to be sentenced on March 16th.
