Bio

Blake Carter Stryker was born on July 20, 1988. He grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida. Blake lived with his father, Bruce Stryker. His mother, Jacqueline, passed away in 1997 due to chronic alcoholism when Blake was just a child. She was 33 years old at the time of her death. After his mother's death, Blake's family life was troubled. His father had several legal issues, including arrests for theft, driving under the influence, and drug possession.

Growing up, Blake was described as a loner. He often kept to himself and was not very social. A former football coach noted that Blake would often be isolated from other kids during practices. Blake attended Boca Ciega High School, where he was a senior at the time of his arrest.

Blake lived next door to Jennie Dianne Hartley, a woman in her 40s. Jennie had a history of being reclusive and had issues with trust. She was known to keep her windows closed and had even put up "No Trespassing" signs in her yard. Despite this, she had trusted Blake enough to babysit him when he was younger. In the days leading up to her death, Blake helped Jennie with the burial of her dog that had recently died.

Blake's home life and his relationship with Jennie were complex and tied to various challenges. The neighborhood saw their home as troubled, as police had been called multiple times to address incidents at their address.

Murder Story

On June 10, 2006, Blake Carter Stryker, a 17-year-old, murdered his next-door neighbor, Jennie Dianne Hartley, who was 47 years old. The incident occurred inside Hartley's home in St. Petersburg, Florida. Prosecutors later reported that Stryker stabbed Hartley 50 times.

After the murder, Stryker left the scene and attempted to dispose of the evidence. He threw the knife used in the stabbing into Boca Ciega Bay and discarded his clothes in several trash bins in Gulfport.

Hartley’s body was discovered by her mother two days later on June 12, 2006. Following this, Blake Stryker was arrested on June 14, 2006, after police received anonymous tips linking him to the crime. During questioning, he initially denied involvement but later confessed to killing Hartley.

Stryker explained that he had snuck out of his house around 2 a.m. to visit a friend. Failing to find his friend, he encountered Hartley outside, asked for water, and requested to use her bathroom. He claimed that after he returned from the bathroom, a confrontation occurred, and Hartley displayed a knife. Stryker stated that during the struggle for the weapon, he ended up stabbing her multiple times.

The prosecution presented evidence that led them to classify the act as premeditated, pointing out the number of times Hartley was stabbed. Stryker's defense focused on the argument that the attack was not planned and claimed that he lost control during the incident due to past trauma. However, Stryker was charged with first-degree murder.

On November 16, 2007, Stryker was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Jennie Dianne Hartley.