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Man Held In Tampa Slaying Tried Suicide, Ga. Police Say

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By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 10, 2007

Updated: 12/10/2007 02:34 pm

Previous Coverage: Suspect Questioned In Murder; Widow Released

TAMPA - Timothy Craig Blackwelder, who has been charged with killing a Tampa man, tried to hang himself Sunday night while in custody in Georgia, Tampa police say.

   Timothy Blackwelder

Friday afternoon, Blackwelder shot and killed George Anthony Stewart Jr., the father of twin 2-year-old girls, police said. They say Blackwelder also drove off with the Tampa man's estranged wife, Brittani Stewart, who was not injured.

Detectives plan to meet with state attorney's office officials today about possibly filing kidnapping charges against Blackwelder.

Blackwelder tore his jumpsuit Sunday and tried hanging himself in jail, according to a television news report. He is in stable condition in a Valdosta-area hospital.

His injuries prevented his first-appearance hearing in court today, WALB-TV reported.

When told by News Channel 8 that Blackwelder had tried to hang himself, Brittani Stewart's mother said, "Please tell me he succeeded. Sounds morbid, but. ..."

When told he hadn't succeeded, she said, "God almighty. Oh, Lord, have mercy."

Detectives returned from Valdosta, Ga., on Sunday after interviewing Blackwelder, 24, and Stewart.

After the shooting, Blackwelder traveled north with Stewart in her 2006 silver Dodge Caravan.

"The suspect called a close confidant multiple times asking to have money wired to him," a Tampa police release today says. "This confidant promptly alerted police."

The U.S. Marshals Service tracked Blackwelder to Valdosta and worked with Georgia authorities to take him into custody Saturday night, the release states.

Blackwelder should be extradited to Tampa in about a week, Tampa police Lt. Charles Stanbro said Sunday.

Stewart, 22, told Tampa police she left her home at 910 W. Sitka St. with Blackwelder because she was worried about her safety.

"Brittani Stewart's involvement is still being evaluated," the release states. "She has not been charged with any crimes at this time."

Stewart's mother, Kim Tibby, said outside her home today that her daughter would be unavailable to comment.

Tibby defended her daughter, describing her as a traumatized victim.

"He took her at gunpoint after he killed her husband at my home," Tibby said.

Funeral arrangements for George Stewart have not been finalized, Tibby said.

Stewart and Blackwelder have known each other since 1998 and had, at one point, lived together, court records show.

She asked for a domestic violence injunction against him in November. In the request, she said he had a problem with marijuana and was supposed to be taking medication for mental health problems but wasn't.

On Oct. 30, he sat on her, held down her wrist and said that if he couldn't have her, no one would, she wrote in the request.

On Halloween, she threatened to leave again, so he snatched her by the shirt and pushed her to the ground, then held her arms behind her back and put his knee in her back, she wrote. He threw her on the bed, pulled off her pants and sat on her. She screamed for help, she wrote, and he placed a pillow on her face. She had an asthma attack, she wrote, and then he pulled a knife from his pocket and threatened to kill her.

Blackwelder left but still called her repeatedly at her home and the home of her family members, she said.

"I have twin babies and he is also calling saying he will kill me, my babies and himself so he can be with me!" she wrote. "Please help us!"

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at jpoltilove@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7691.

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