Every Breath You Take: A True Story of Obsession, Revenge, and Murder

900 Pages·2001·5.65 MB·English

by  Ann Rule

Also by Ann Rule
in Large Print:
. . . And Never Let Her Go
Bitter Harvest
The Stranger Beside Me
Empty Promises
A Rage to Kill
The End of the Dream
In the Name of Love
The 1-5 Killer
This Large Print Book carries the
Seal of Approval of N.A.V.H.
Thorndike Press • Waterville, Maine
Copyright © 2001 by Ann Rule
Photo Credits:
Author’s collection: pages 448-458; 461, bottom; 465; 467,
top; 471, bottom
John Davenport: pages 467, bottom; 472
Police photo: pages 459; 460; 461, top; 462-464; 471, top
Leslie Rule: pages 466, 468-470
All rights reserved.
Published in 2001 by arrangement with The Free Press.,
a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Thorndike Press Large Print Distribution Series.
The tree indicium is a trademark of Thorndike Press.
The text of this Large Print edition is unabridged.
Other aspects of the book may vary from the original edition.
Set in 16 pt. Plantin.
Printed in the United States on permanent paper.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rule, Ann.
Every breath you take : a true story of obsession, revenge,
and murder / Ann Rule,
p. cm.
ISBN 0-7838-9680-8 (lg. print : he : alk. paper)
1. Murder — Florida — Sarasota — Case studies.
2. Bellush, Sheila, 1962-1997. 3. Murder victims — Florida
— Sarasota — Biography. I. Blackthorne, Allen, 1955­
II. Title.
HV6534.S34 R85 2001b
364.15 230975961—dc21 2001056303
For Sheila and her children, who
MEANT MORE TO HER THAN LIFE ITSELF:
Stevie, Daryl, Frankie, Joey, Timmy,
and Courtney
With the hope and belief that their lives will be
Happy and successful and forever influenced
By the memory of her love.
Every Breath You Take
Every move you make . . .
I’ll be watching you
— song lyric, Sting
Acknowledgments
As I researched this book, I ventured into cit¬
ies where I had never been before. Were it not
for the graciousness and cooperation of so
many representatives of law enforcement and
the justice system, I could never have un¬
earthed the details that follow. A trial reveals
only part of any case. After the trial is over, I
always try to learn more about the personali¬
ties involved and the back stories that make
the case complete. My sincere thanks go to
the Texas Rangers; the Sarasota County,
Florida, Sheriffs Office; the Florida State
Attorney’s Office; the FBI (San Antonio Of¬
fice); the San Antonio Police Department;
the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District
of Texas; the Bexar County District Attor¬
ney’s Office; the U.S. Marshal’s Office (San
Antonio); and the Honorable Edward Prado,
U.S. District Judge, Western District of
Texas.
Dozens of private citizens’ lives were
touched by Sheila Bellush or Allen Black­
thorne. Somehow they found me — or I
found them — often through the Internet.
Their memories added dimension to Sheila’s
story. I cannot thank them enough: Lisa and
Carl Glenn, Sheldon “Guy” Van Houte,
Bruce, Randy, and Nick Van Houte, Rick
and Kerry Bladorn, Gene and Don Smith,
Stevie and Daryl Bellush, Debbie and Tom
Oliver, Mary Fenlon, “MariMargaret,”
“Mysterybabyluv,” Effie Woods, Jim
Bingham, Susan Glenny, Susan Hedding,
Pam Harrell, Kelly McGonigal, Mary Jeffus,
Barbara Lilly, Wayne Cannon, Tracy Ray,
Glyn Poage, D’Ann Wernick, and “Dr.
Susie.”
As I often say, my readers choose the sub¬
jects for my books. My mailbox was full of
suggestions and help postmarked from
Florida to Texas: Irene Lewis, Jolie Green,
Carla Sue Baker, Dori Donovan, Alice
“Bonnie” Bonbright, Susan Brandenburg,
Judy McDonald, Patsy Asher, Sherry and
Mike Shefman, Joanne Cotter, Julie
Reynolds, Barbara Koch, Anne Meyer,
Glenna Austin, Angie Semple, Courtney
Semple, Kim Ferguson, Rita Herron, and
Mary Wehmeyer.
And more thanks to my fellow media bench
warmers at Allen Blackthorne’s San Antonio
trial: Kim Dean, WWSB-TV, Sarasota,
Carey Codd, SSN6, Sarasota, Leanora
Minai, St. Petersburg Times, Isabel
Mascarenas, WTSP-TV, St. Petersburg,
Paul Venema, KSAT-TV, San Antonio,
Mike Zientek, KENS-TV, San Antonio,
Brandy Ralston, KENS-TV, Jose Luis