WACO, Texas — McLennan County Criminal District Attorney Josh Tetens said an anonymous letter submitted to the Waco Police Department naming Tammy Blankenship as the driver in a 2016 hit and run that killed a Baylor University sophomore underscores the importance of the anonymous tips process.
"We’ll never know who that person [who made the tip] is, but it was a tip provided to Waco PD that Tammy Blankenship was the individual driving that evening that struck and killed David Grotberg," Tetens said. "Through that tip, they were able to seek out and research and find evidence to, in fact, prove that it in fact was her."
Blankenship was sentenced to 10 years in prison last week on second-degree felony counts of failure to stop and render aid and manslaughter. She will serve the sentences concurrently.
Tetens said a thorough analysis of the letter and envelope sent to Waco PD in 2018 was conducted, but investigators were unable to determine the sender of the letter by fingerprint, DNA, or otherwise.
"This was an incredible break in the case, it was late at night in 2016, there isn’t a Ring camera on every doorstep, this is in a commercial district, it was dark, it was almost 11 o’clock and there weren’t many people out and about," Tetens said.
Through the tip sent in via the anonymous letter, Tetens said Waco PD was able to trace Blankenship's steps the night of the hit and run through cell phone records. By talking with other friends and family of Blankenship, Tetens said "It was very clear she was at that intersection at the time of the accident and the damage to her vehicle supported that as well."
"She did not murder David, but the fact that her actions had so many little waves of consequences, not only for her family but for years now for David's family," Tetens said. "For somebody to not stop, to intentionally run and not do something about it, we're glad justice was served."
Tetens encourages anyone with information on a crime that has been committed to contact authorities or submit tips to Crime Stoppers at 254-753-HELP.
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