DeBlase Children Murders

Natalie Alexis DeBlase (born November 4, 2005) and Jonathan Chase DeBlase (born December 29, 2006) were the children of John Joseph DeBlase and Corrine Heathcock. Following their parents' divorce, John DeBlase gained custody of the children in June 2009 and began a common-law relationship with Heather Leavell-Keaton, a visually impaired college student. Witnesses later described observing the children being mistreated, including an incident where Leavell-Keaton was seen screaming at and roughly handling the children, and another where Chase appeared severely malnourished and required hospitalization.

According to official and news sources, Natalie died on March 4, 2010, and Chase died on June 20, 2010, after prolonged abuse that included restraint and antifreeze poisoning. The couple disposed of both children's bodies and later relocated from Alabama to Kentucky.

The case came to light in November 2010 after DeBlase was arrested on traffic charges in Kentucky. A subsequent argument between the couple was overheard by Leavell-Keaton's mother, who alerted authorities. Leavell-Keaton, when questioned, said the children had been found unresponsive and their bodies removed from the home; police also suspected her involvement. A search of DeBlase's impounded van turned up photographs of the children, stuffed animals, a duffle bag, and a container of antifreeze. DeBlase later admitted to burying the children's bodies but claimed Leavell-Keaton had killed them.

Searches for the remains began December 3, 2010. Natalie's remains were found near Citronelle, Alabama, on December 11, 2010, and Chase's remains were found near Vancleave, Mississippi, two days later. Autopsies could not determine an exact cause of death, though a pathologist concluded the deaths were consistent with homicidal violence. DeBlase was charged with felony murder and corpse abuse; Leavell-Keaton's charges were later upgraded to capital murder.

DeBlase was tried first. Prosecutors introduced confession letters he had written admitting to killing the children, which he said was to end their suffering at Leavell-Keaton's hands. On November 5, 2014, a jury convicted him of three counts of capital murder, and on November 7, 2014, recommended death by a 10–2 vote. He was formally sentenced to death on January 8, 2015.

Leavell-Keaton was tried separately in 2015. On May 27, 2015, a jury convicted her of capital murder for Chase's death but of reckless manslaughter for Natalie's death. The jury recommended death (11–1) for the capital murder count, and she received an additional 20-year sentence for the manslaughter count; she was formally sentenced on August 20, 2015, becoming the first woman sentenced to death in Mobile County.

Both defendants pursued appeals. DeBlase's appeals were rejected by the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals (2018) and Alabama Supreme Court (2019). Leavell-Keaton's death sentence was initially overturned on procedural grounds in October 2020 and reinstated at a re-sentencing hearing in January 2021; her further appeals were rejected by state courts and, on June 5, 2023, by the U.S. Supreme Court. As of 2025, both remain on death row in Alabama, with no execution dates scheduled.