Credit: Montgomery County Jail
Credit: Montgomery County Jail
Dayton police officers on patrol downtown early Aug. 2, 2023, heard gunshots and found 51-year-old Robert Michael Blackstone shot in the chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
An investigation determined Murray shot Blackstone following a brief encounter in the 100 block of North Main Street near East Fifth Street, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office.
The defense claimed Murray was acting in defense of a woman who was reportedly known to Blackstone.
Prosecutors countered Murray’s claim is not credible and that surveillance video from the Reibold Building did not support his defense. They added Murray told police multiple different stories about what happened and continued to claim someone else shot and killed Blackstone despite video evidence.
Blackstone, who is survived by his four children and two grandchildren, was an artist who began doing paintings and art pieces with broken mirrors, shattered glass and shoes in 1992. His projects were displayed at the Dayton Art Institute, where some were sold. Blackstone also created a giant found-object installation called “Crystal City” that is on display in a former bank lobby on West Second and North Ludlow streets downtown.
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