True crime fans get ready for a story that's both chilling and unbelievable. Dateline NBC is diving into a case out of Texas that started with a missing woman and ended with a confession you won't see coming. We're talking about Rhonda “Chantay” Blankinship and her truly shocking murder.
Nightly Walk Turns Deadly: Chantay Blankinship Vanishes in Rural Texas
Imagine a quiet rural neighborhood in Brown County Texas. That's where 25-year-old Rhonda “Chantay” Blankinship lived with her family. Friends and family called her Chantay and knew her as someone smiley and pleasant especially if you heard her sing in the North Lake Community Church choir. Sadly Chantay wasn't able to live completely on her own due to a developmental disorder and speech challenges but she was a beloved part of her community.
On Friday May 13 2016 Chantay went out for her usual evening walk. It was something she did all the time. But this time she never came home. When she vanished it kicked off a frantic search.
"Haunted House" Discovery: A Cellar and a Grisly Find
Two days after Chantay disappeared search volunteers made a terrifying discovery. Off a backcountry road they found an abandoned farmhouse known locally as the "Haunted House". Inside the cellar of this creepy old place they found Chantay's body. It was a scene straight out of a horror movie according to authorities.
The details were disturbing. Chantay's remains were blood-soaked lying face down and she was only wearing a t-shirt. An autopsy revealed the awful truth: she had been strangled and suffered blunt force trauma to the head. Even worse police determined she had been sexually assaulted and they found a bloody lawnmower at the house. This wasn't just a disappearance it was a brutal murder.
Dead Ends and Desperate Measures: The Investigation Grinds to a Halt
For investigators this case was a nightmare. They were trying to find a killer in a rural area and initial leads went nowhere. They took DNA samples from men in the community hoping for a match but nothing came up. Crime stoppers offered a reward hoping someone would come forward but still no solid leads. Months went by and the case was going cold. It felt like they were hitting wall after wall.
DNA Phenotyping to the Rescue: A Glimmer of Hope in the Darkness
Just when things looked bleak a detective on the case learned about a relatively new technology: DNA phenotyping. This tech uses DNA to predict what a suspect might look like physically. It is not like traditional DNA matching but it can give investigators clues about traits like eye color hair color and even facial structure.
Using DNA from the crime scene police created a mock-up image of a potential suspect based on phenotyping. And this is where things took an unexpected turn. One of Chantay's own brothers saw the image and was struck by a similarity to someone he knew: Ryan Derek Riggs.
Seven Words That Broke the Case: A Church Confession Shocks a Community
Based on this new lead investigators started building a case against Ryan Derek Riggs. But they might not have even needed to. In a truly stunning twist Riggs himself cracked the case open. Months after Chantay's murder on November 15 2017 Riggs stood up in front of his entire church congregation at Northlake Community Church and confessed.
In just seven words he changed everything: “I’m a murderer. I killed Chantay Blankinship.” Imagine the shock in that church that day. Riggs then went with his parents and pastor straight to the police station where he gave a full two-hour confession. He described how he lured Chantay assaulted her and ultimately murdered her at the abandoned "Haunted House."
Dateline NBC to Unpack "The Haunted House Confession"
This unbelievable case is the focus of a brand new Dateline NBC episode titled “The Haunted House Confession”. It marks the official debut of Blayne Alexander as a Dateline correspondent . Alexander a long-time NBC News journalist went to Brownwood Texas to really understand how this crime impacted the community. She says even years later people were brought to tears reliving the events.
The episode will feature interviews with Chantay's sister mother and law enforcement involved in the case. You can watch “Dateline: The Haunted House Confession” this Friday February 28 at 9/8c p.m. on NBC or stream it on Peacock starting the next day. It promises to be a gripping and emotional look at a case that took a truly bizarre and unexpected turn.
Key Facts of the Chantay Blankinship Murder Case:
- Victim: Rhonda “Chantay” Blankinship 25 years old.
- Disappearance Date: Friday May 13 2016.
- Body Found: In the cellar of an abandoned farmhouse known as the "Haunted House".
- Cause of Death: Strangled and blunt force trauma sexually assaulted.
- Killer: Ryan Derek Riggs 21 years old at the time of confession.
- Confession Location: North Lake Community Church on November 15 2017.
- Dateline Episode: "Dateline: The Haunted House Confession" airing February 28 on NBC and streaming on Peacock.
- Dateline Correspondent Debut: First official Dateline episode for Blayne Alexander.