Webb Charged with Murder; A Second Indictment Charges Him With Possession of a Handgun
By Roberta Cantrell
BSN Editor
A West Van Lear man was officially charged by a grand jury on Thursday, Oct. 15, on a charge of murder, tampering with physical evidence and promoting contraband in the 1st degree.
Blake Allen Webb, 27, is accused of the shooting death of Richard Roberts, of River on Saturday, Aug. 1.
Court documents state that Webb admitted to shooting Roberts but only after he brandished a handgun, that Webb took from him. The arrest citation said Webb told officers that Roberts then produced a knife and “advanced toward him,” at which time Webb shot Roberts in his face.
Witnesses stated after the shooting, Webb fled on foot into the woods and mountain area behind the Thealka residence.
In his report, Kentucky State Trooper Jonathan Rouse wrote while officers were on the scene the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by Webb saying he wanted to surrender and told police after shooting Roberts, he dragged him by the feet from the area where he was shot to the driveway so he could check Roberts’ pulse and determine whether CPR could be performed.
The citation said Webb also admitted to officers that he threw the handgun into the weeds while fleeing. However, officers conducted multiple searches, but were unable to locate the firearm.
According to a statement from KSP, Roberts was pronounced dead at the scene by the Johnson County Coroner’s Office.
It was reported that Webb was currently serving a five-year on probation sentence according to records from Kentucky Department of Corrections.
The sentence stems from a 2022 conviction from, according to court records, Webb forced himself into the bedroom of a Flat Gap residence and stabbed a man in the back of the head several times. In that crime he was charged with assault under extreme emotional disturbance.
Since his arrest in August, Webb received a charge of promoting contraband when he was accused of unlawfully obtaining or possessing dangerous contraband into the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center. He also received a separate indictment for being in possession of a .22 caliber handgun after previously being convicted of a felony in Johnson County Circuit Court.
If convicted of the capital offense of murder, he could receive a sentence of life without parole. Webb is currently incarcerated at BSRDC.
(Editor’s note: An indictment is not an indication of guilt but a determination by a grand jury that criminal charges warrant further judicial review.)