John Joseph DeBlase was born in 1983 in Mobile, Alabama. He grew up in what was described as a relatively stable and normal household. He attended public schools and graduated high school in 2003. After school, DeBlase took on various jobs and eventually married Corrine Heathcock. The couple had two children: Natalie Alexis DeBlase, born on November 4, 2005, and Jonathan Chase DeBlase, born on December 29, 2006.

The marriage, however, was plagued by conflict and ultimately ended in divorce. In June 2009, DeBlase was granted custody of the children. Corrine later testified that she last saw her children on November 17, 2009, and admitted that due to financial difficulties, she had relinquished custody. She described DeBlase as a loving and caring father at the time.

After the divorce, DeBlase began a relationship with Heather Leavell-Keaton, a legally blind woman and student at Spring Hill College. Though they were never legally married, they lived together as a common-law couple. Leavell-Keaton moved in with DeBlase and the children, forming what would soon become a highly abusive household.

Witnesses later testified to signs of mistreatment. Friends described seeing Leavell-Keaton yelling at the children and physically mishandling Natalie during a cookout. At a birthday party, Chase appeared severely hungry and sick. These red flags painted a chilling picture of a home filled with neglect and escalating abuse.

Between March and June 2010, John DeBlase and Heather Leavell-Keaton committed two horrifying murders—their own children. Natalie was killed on March 4, 2010, after being gagged, taped, and placed in a suitcase by Leavell-Keaton, with John’s knowledge. She was also allegedly poisoned with antifreeze and left to die locked in a closet.

Just a few months later, on June 20, 2010, 3-year-old Chase DeBlase met a similar fate. He was bound and gagged, forced to stand overnight in a corner while the couple slept. He too was poisoned with antifreeze. Both children died under horrific conditions, their deaths the result of months of abuse and neglect.

Following Chase’s death, the couple fled Alabama for Kentucky. John was arrested in November 2010 on unrelated traffic charges. A family argument involving Heather’s mother led to suspicions, which triggered a full police investigation. Heather initially blamed John, but evidence pointed to her direct involvement.

On December 3, 2010, investigators launched a formal search for the bodies. Natalie’s remains were found on December 11, buried in a wooded area near Citronelle, Alabama. Chase’s body was discovered two days later in a forested area near Vancleave, Mississippi.

On December 8, 2010, DeBlase was officially charged with abuse of a corpse and aggravated assault. Four days later, murder charges were added. He pleaded not guilty, claiming diminished responsibility and blaming Leavell-Keaton for the killings. Despite this, jailhouse letters and testimonies showed that DeBlase confessed to "putting his kids out of their misery" due to the abuse they were facing.

His trial began on October 14, 2014. On November 5, he was found guilty of three counts of capital murder. The jury recommended the death penalty two days later, and on January 8, 2015, Judge Rick Stout sentenced him to death by lethal injection.

DeBlase’s appeals were denied in both state courts—the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals (2018) and the Alabama Supreme Court (2019). He remains on death row.