James Blake Colburn

Case identification

James Blake Colburn

The offence

Colburn murdered Peggy Murphy in Colburn’s apartment. On the morning of June 26, 1994, he spotted a hitchhiker near his home and invited Murphy into his home. Once inside the apartment, he offered to show Murphy some of his artwork, but when she entered his bedroom, Colburn grabbed her and attempted to rape her. When Murphy resisted, Colburn strangled her until she stopped breathing. Colburn then stabbed her in the neck with a steak knife to make sure she was dead.

Colburn then went to a neighbor’s apartment and asked the neighbor to call the police. After he was arrested, Colburn gave a videotaped confession. In that confession, he admitted that he killed Peggy because he wanted to go back to prison.

Murphy was 56 years old at the time of the murder. Colburn was previously convicted of burglary of a building (1977), attempted burglary (1978), theft (1979), aggravated robbery (1980), arson (1990), and false statement in acquisition of a firearm (1991). His prior convictions also included unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and arson and assault of his wife with a motorcycle helmet with a fractured cheekbone and nerve damage.

Colburn later stated in a videotaped confession that he cooked a steak for breakfast and went outside, noticed Murphy hitchhiking, introduced himself and invited her into his home, and that Murphy asked for a beer. He went next door and returned with a beer. He then offered to show Murphy some of his artwork, but when she entered his bedroom, Colburn grabbed her and attempted to rape her. When Murphy resisted, Colburn strangled her until she stopped breathing and stabbed her in the neck with a steak knife to make sure she was dead. He went to a neighbor’s apartment and asked the neighbor to call the police.

Colburn told police in the videotaped confession that he killed Peggy because he wanted to go back to prison.

Verbatim statements

Colburn’s final words were:

"The statement that I would like to make is, none of this should have happened and now that I'm dying, there is nothing left to worry about. I know it was a mistake. I have no one to blame but myself. It's no big deal about choosing right from wrong. I pray that everyone involved overlooks the stupidity. Everybody has problems and I won't be a part of the problem anymore. I can quit worrying now, it was all a mistake. That's all I want to say."

Colburn made one final comment as the lethal dose of drugs entered his system:

"It's going to be like passing out on drugs."

A prosecutor’s opening statement during trial included:

"You are going to hear evidence that the defendant is a paranoid schizophrenic…You will hear evidence that he’s heard voices and you are going to see him on tape. He’s shaking or fidgeting. The State is not going to contest or deny any of that…”

A separate quoted statement attributed to Colburn in interviews included:

"this one impulse came over me said to kill her…I couldn’t stop myself."

Another quoted statement attributed to Colburn included:

"I knew what I was doing when I killed her. When I laid her on the bed, something snapped"

"I panicked and ran to the kitchen. I got a steak knife and plunged it into her throat."

"I won't be a part of the problem any more."

Another quoted statement attributed to