Porter County Sheriff's Department, Indiana
End of Watch Tuesday, November 28, 1961
Add to My HeroesEdward J. Blakely
Patrolman Edward Blakely was gunned down at County Road 475 West and U.S. 30 by a murder suspect.
The suspect had shot and wounded a man outside of a Gary tavern and stole his car. When the car broke down, he killed a Hobart Township resident outside his home and stole his car. Patrolman Blakely was called to investigate when the suspect got the car stuck in a ditch. Patrolman Blakely was found shot to death beside the stolen car. He was killed with a 16-gauge shotgun taken from the trunk of the murdered resident's automobile. The suspect was captured in Gary after crashing Patrolman Blakely's patrol car a few hours later.
The suspect, a 20-year-old ex-convict and dishonorably discharged from the Marine Corps, said he was so drunk that he could not remember anything. On March 14, 1962, a judge committed him to a mental hospital in Westville. In 1968, he was deemed fit to stand trial, convicted of murder, and sentenced to death. In 1972, the Indiana Supreme Court ordered a new trial. On June 20, 1973, he was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to life. He was paroled in 1988.
Patrolman Blakely had served with the Porter County Sheriff's Department for three years and previously served with the Chesterton Police Department. He was survived by his wife, daughter, three brothers, sister, and four grandchildren.
Bio
- Age 47
- Tour 3 years
- Badge Not available
Incident Details
- Cause Gunfire
- Weapon Shotgun; 16 gauge
- Offender Paroles in 1988
Most Recent Reflection
View all 11 ReflectionsRest in peace Patrolman Blakely.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis
November 6, 2022
Recent LODD Deaths

Officer Jeremy Labonte
Roswell Police Department, GA
EOW: February 7, 2025

Officer Jason Roscow
North Las Vegas Police Department, NV
EOW: February 4, 2025

Chief Deputy Burl Wesley Everman
Bath County Sheriff's Office, KY
EOW: November 9, 2024

Police Officer Philip J. Schifini
Nassau County Police Department, NY
EOW: November 27, 2024

Major Jeffrey A. Burke
New Jersey State Police, NJ
EOW: December 31, 2024

Corporal Dennis Francis Kelly
Delaware State Police, DE
EOW: December 21, 2024

Officer Baldino Morales-Sánchez
Mayagüez Municipal Police Department, PR
EOW: January 25, 2025

Border Patrol Agent David Christopher Maland
United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - United States Border Patrol, US
EOW: January 20, 2025

Sergeant Mark Butler
Navasota Police Department, TX
EOW: January 15, 2025