By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

Mark Edward Blankenship

WARSAW — A Warsaw man received a 2 1/2 year sentence after helping burn a vehicle used in a fatal hit-and-run.

Mark Edward Blankenship, 50, 116 N. CR 300E, Warsaw, was charged with obstruction of justice, a level 6 felony. An arson charge was dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Blankenship was sentenced in Kosciusko Superior Court 3 on Wednesday, Feb. 10.

On April 7, 2019, a Kosciusko County Sheriff’s officer responded to a vehicle fire in Milford. Upon arrival, the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames.  The vehicle belonged to Blake Dull, Pierceton. Dull told the officer he set the vehicle on fire because he owed money on it and his mother couldn’t afford the payments “because he was going to jail for a long time.”

That same day, the Warsaw Police Department responded to the 700 block of North Lake Street regarding an unresponsive person, identified as Matthew C. Hoshal, 27, Warsaw. Hoshal was taken to Fort Wayne Lutheran Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead by medical staff.

An officer learned that Blankenship had additional information about Dull being involved in Hoshal’s death.

Blankenship told the officer that he met with Dull on April 7, 2019. Dull told Blankenship he hit a pedestrian on Lake Street and thought he killed the pedestrian.

Blankenship helped Dull set his vehicle on fire and then took Dull to a Pierceton residence.

Dull was sentenced on April 15, 2020, to seven years in the Indiana Department of Corrections. His projected release date is July 12, 2030, due to a second sentence he’s serving in a drug dealing case.

During court proceedings, Defense Attorney John Clifton said that Blankenship told him he was approved for Serenity House and Michiana Community Corrections. However, no Serenity House representative was in court and an approval letter from MCC was not presented as evidence.

“His want for drugs overweighed the common sense decision to call authorities,” said Clifton on Blankenship’s involvement in the case. Clifton said Dull provided Blankenship with drugs on several occasions.

Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Brad Voelz asked Kosciusko Superior Court 3 Judge Chad Miner to consider Blankenship’s criminal history and the gravity of the incident upon sentencing.

“This is extremely offensive behavior,” said Voelz.

Blankenship apologized for his actions and said he wants to participate in the Serenity House program to receive help for substance abuse.

For obstruction of justice, Judge Miner sentenced Blankenship to 2 1/2 years in the Kosciusko County Jail, with one year executed and 1 1/2 years suspended on probation. He was remanded to KCJ until evidence is presented in court for Blankenship to serve the executed portion through either MCC or at Serenity House.

“Substance abuse issues are a significant aspect of this,” said Judge Miner. “I hope this is an opportunity for you to get help and re-evaluate your decisions.”