When the news first broke about a missing Army recruiter and his teenage girlfriend, it felt like something out of a bad thriller movie. You've probably seen the headlines. John Blauvelt, a man who was supposed to be a leader in his community, and Hannah Thompson, a 17-year-old girl who vanished with him. It's a story that started in Simpsonville, South Carolina, and didn't end until years later in the Pacific Northwest.
Most people think they know the basics: a wife was murdered, a soldier fled, and a teen went with him. But honestly, the details of how this actually went down—and where the case stands now in 2026—are a lot more complicated than a simple "manhunt" narrative.
The Night Everything Changed in Simpsonville
October 2016 was when the wheels totally fell off. Catherine "Cati" Blauvelt, John’s 22-year-old estranged wife, was found stabbed to death. Her body had been left in a concrete box in an abandoned farmhouse. It was brutal. Police found the knife blade still in her neck.
John Blauvelt was the prime suspect almost immediately. When investigators told him his wife was dead, he didn't ask how it happened or where she was found. He just sat there. Cold.
But by the time the police were ready to make a move, John was gone. And he wasn't alone. Hannah Thompson, who was still just a kid in the eyes of the law, had disappeared with him.
Why Hannah Thompson Was Even There
A lot of folks wonder how a 17-year-old high schooler ends up on the run with a 28-year-old Army recruiter. It started long before the murder.
✨ Don't miss: Ukraine War Map May 2025: Why the Frontlines Aren't Moving Like You Think
John’s house had basically become a "party house." While he was working as a recruiter at Hillcrest High School, he was inviting teenagers over to drink and do drugs. Cati wanted a family; John wanted a crash pad. Hannah was one of those kids. Friends at the time said she was "100%" in love with him. Investigators later described her as being like "John's puppy." She’d do anything he asked.
And, according to those same investigators, Hannah absolutely hated Cati.
Six Years in the Shadows
The manhunt lasted much longer than anyone expected. John and Hannah headed west in a pickup truck, pinging license plate readers in Alabama and Texas. They eventually hit the West Coast.
After about a month of being homeless in Oregon, Hannah had enough. She called her parents from Eugene and said John had abandoned her. She came home to South Carolina, but for a long time, she didn't tell the cops much. She acted like she didn't know where he was.
The "Ben Klein" Alias
While Hannah was back in Simpsonville, John Blauvelt was living a whole new life. He was in Medford, Oregon, going by the name "Ben Klein." It took a dedicated cold case team from the U.S. Marshals to finally track him down in 2022. They found him because of a very specific detail: a pirate tattoo on his arm. When they nabbed him, the six-year run was finally over.
🔗 Read more: Percentage of Women That Voted for Trump: What Really Happened
The 2024 Trial and the 2026 Reality
In late 2024, the legal system finally caught up with everyone. The trial was a mess of grim details.
- DNA Evidence: Investigators found John’s DNA under Cati’s fingernails. She had fought for her life.
- The "To-Do List": A friend of the couple testified about a literal list on a refrigerator that included the phrase "Get rid of Cati for good."
- The Sentence: John Blauvelt was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
As of right now, John is behind bars, though he has attempted to appeal his conviction.
What Happened to Hannah?
This is where it gets sticky. Hannah Thompson wasn't just a "victim" of an older guy in the eyes of the prosecution. She was charged with five felony counts, including accessory after the fact and obstruction of justice.
The state argues she helped John hide evidence and lied about his whereabouts for years. Even though she eventually provided the tip that led to his arrest in Medford, the police believe she knew a lot more than she let on during those first few years back home.
Hannah has pleaded not guilty. She’s currently out on bail, but she’s facing up to 55 years in prison. A judge is set to decide her fate, and the community is still pretty divided on whether she was a brainwashed kid or a willing accomplice.
💡 You might also like: What Category Was Harvey? The Surprising Truth Behind the Number
Key Insights and What to Take Away
The Hannah Thompson and John Blauvelt case isn't just a true crime story; it's a massive failure of multiple systems.
- Recruitment Oversight: There were red flags about John’s behavior with minors long before the murder. He had already been charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor months before Cati was killed.
- Domestic Violence Patterns: Cati had reported that John threatened her with a gun before she moved out. It's a textbook example of how domestic situations can escalate to lethality.
- The Digital Trail: Even though John deleted Snapchat messages to Hannah on the day of the murder, digital forensics played a huge role in piecing together the timeline.
If you are following this case, the next big thing to watch for is the final sentencing or trial outcome for Hannah Thompson. While John is put away for good, her legal battle is the final chapter that hasn't been fully written yet.
Keep an eye on the South Carolina Attorney General’s filings for the latest on her hearings. If you're interested in the deeper psychological aspects, the 48 Hours episode "Death of a Soldier's Wife" covers the interviews with the lead investigators in much more detail than the initial news blurbs ever did.
Next Steps for Following the Case:
To stay updated on the legal status of Hannah Thompson's charges, you should regularly check the Greenville County 13th Judicial Circuit public index. Most major updates regarding her trial dates and bond status are posted there before they hit the national news cycle. Additionally, the U.S. Marshals Service often releases statements when major fugitives from related cases are processed, providing more context on the "Ben Klein" years in Oregon.