# The Tragic Murder of Rhonda ‘Chantay’ Blankinship

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/murder-files-unsealed-6698983/the-tragic-murder-of-rhonda-chantay-blankinship
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/murder-files-unsealed-6698983/the-tragic-murder-of-rhonda-chantay-blankinship.md
Podcast: [Murder Files Unsealed](https://stenobird.com/podcast/murder-files-unsealed-6698983)
Published: 2026-07-22T03:52:24+00:00
Episode link: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-tragic-murder-of-rhonda-chantay-blankinship--73099045
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73099045/the_dna_sketch_that_broke_ryan_riggs.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/murder-files-unsealed-6698983/episodes/the-tragic-murder-of-rhonda-chantay-blankinship
Duration seconds: 2973

## Resource

The episode details the investigation into the 2016 murder of Rhonda "Chantay" Blankinship, a vulnerable young woman from a small community in Brown County, Texas. After her body was discovered in an abandoned cellar with signs of extreme physical and sexual violence, local authorities struggled for over a year to identify a suspect using traditional methods. The case eventually reached a breakthrough when investigators utilized DNA phenotyping, a cutting-edge forensic technology that generated a visual profile of the killer based solely on genetic material. This digital sketch led relatives to recognize Ryan Riggs, a neighbor who eventually provided a public confession at a local church. The sources conclude by noting that Riggs pleaded guilty to capital murder and received a sentence of life without parole, providing closure to a case that had previously gone cold. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/murder-files-unsealed--6017387/support . This episode includes AI-generated content.

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## Transcript

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