Taiwan Blandin gets nine life sentences for crime spree and killing of Frostproof woman

A judge has imposed nine life sentences against convicted killer Taiwan Blandin for the 2019 slaying of an 80-year-old woman in Frostproof as she held onto her pet dog Kelly, which was also injured in gunfire.

Blandin, 34, of Wauchula, was convicted on June 19 of first-degree murder, attempted sexual battery of a teenager, robbery, arson, animal cruelty and other charges for his Oct. 1, 2019, crime rampage across Polk County.

Blandin shot to death Peggy Schiering, 80, of Frostproof, and held a knife to the throat of a teenager forcing her to perform sex on him, according to a 2019 Polk County Sheriff's Office news release.

Schiering was holding her dog, Kelly, at the time of her death, and Kelly was also shot, the sheriff's office said. The 10-year-old dog was treated for her wounds at Polk County Sheriff's Office Animal Control.

A week ago, at a June 28 hearing and sentencing, the prosecution sought and gained imposition of the maximum sentences for several of the crimes Blandin was found guilty of during his trial.

Under Florida’s Prison Release Reoffender Act, when a former inmate commits a felony offense within three years of their release — including violent crimes such as robbery and aggravated battery, among others — the maximum sentence for those crimes becomes mandatory.

At the hearing, Assistant State Attorney Ralph Guerra provided information to the judge to show the defendant qualified as a PRR. The information included Department of Corrections fingerprints and his prison release date.

Guerra said Blandin had been released from state prison about five months and one day before his crimes were committed in 2019. He noted that some of the criminal convictions also fell under sentencing guidelines in Florida’s 10-20-life statute. Under that law, individuals convicted of certain felonies involving the use or attempted use of a firearm face mandatory maximum sentences.

In all, Blandin was sentenced by Senior Circuit Judge Dennis P. Maloney to life in prison for the first-degree murder conviction and then eight more life sentences due to the PRR statute.

Those felony convictions included armed burglary with assault and battery, robbery with a firearm, armed burglary of a dwelling with battery, sexual battery, kidnapping, attempted first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence.

Blandin received credit for time already served in the Polk County Jail, which was nearly five years.

At his sentencing, Blandin was told he has 30 days to appeal the jury verdict and the sentence. Court records show that since then, he has requested an attorney from the Public Defender’s Office to represent him on appeal.

The crimes Blandin was convicted of occurred across three crime scenes in Polk County. First the sexual battery was alleged to have been committed in Fort Meade, and then Blandin took the teen who had been tied up in his vehicle to Frostproof, where the murder took place.

While Blandin was inside the Frostproof home, he had left the teen alone in his car as the engine remained running. The teen then untied her hands and drove away in his car to Fort Meade. Blandin followed her in the murder victim’s van. He then opened fire at another residence in Fort Meade before leaving Florida for Georgia.

Defense attorney Wilson said during the trial the defense alleged that the young woman was involved in a relationship with Blandin so the sex was consensual and her statements leading to the sexual battery charge were fabricated.

The gun was also alleged by the defense to belong to another man, who was the girl’s boyfriend. The defense said they had gone together to Frostproof to sell the gun. But the pair argued, and she was actually the person who shot and killed the murder victim.

The defense also attacked the prosecution’s timeline in further attempt to raise doubts about Blandin’s involvement in all the crimes. But ultimately the jury sided with the prosecution’s version of events.

For example, the teen said she had her work clothes in Blandin’s car, Wilson said. The defendant was supposed to drive her to work after their stop at Frostproof. Also, the phones of both of them had been destroyed but a screenshot survived from his phone to bolster a consensual relationship.

Following the crime spree, a nationwide manhunt ensued, with Blandin finally being apprehended two weeks later in Atlanta.

The Atlanta Police Department arrested him after authorities said he committed a carjacking at a convenience store, fled from law enforcement during an attempted traffic stop, then crashed the vehicle during an ensuing chase.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Taiwan Blandin gets life sentences for Frostproof murder