On October 7, 2017, 22-year-old Kelsie Blankenship burst out of her Conneaut, Ohio apartment, carrying the limp body of her almost-13-month-old daughter, Sereniti. When the police arrived, Kelsie was screaming, “Help my baby!” It was too late, however, and Sereniti was pronounced dead at the hospital. After both Kelsie and her live-in boyfriend, Joshua Gurto, were questioned, Joshua went on the run, resulting in a 3-week manhunt that culminated with his capture in Franklin Park, Pennsylvania. He was charged with the rape and murder of his girlfriend’s baby girl. A full year later, Kelsie Blankenship was apparently blindsided when she, too, was arrested in connection with her daughter’s death.
This is the horrific story of Sereniti Sutley.
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Hi Laine, you’re doing such great work with your podcast. I feel compelled to listen because these children need their stories to be heard. A case local to me has stuck with me for years and if you’re interested, I’d love to hear your take on it. It’s the case of Rowan Ford of McDonald County, Missouri. Reading about her life broke my heart and I’ve never forgotten it.
Thank you so much, Jessica! I know it’s a very hard subject to hear, so I really appreciate you listening. I will definitely look into Rowan’s case!
[…] I discussed in detail on episode 21 of Suffer the Little Children Podcast, Sereniti Sutley was barely three weeks past her first […]