Boyfriend of Slain Woman Arrested for Forging Will

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In an epilogue to the Goleta Postal Distribution Center shooting last January, Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Deputies arrested the boyfriend of one of victims Wednesday on charges of forging her will in an attempt to steal approximately $750,000 of the her estate.

After a six-week investigation, sheriffs concluded that Santa Barbara resident Edward Blomfield, 57, had fabricated a will and forged the name of Beverly Graham, the first victim in the shooting spree that eventually left eight dead, including killer Jennifer Sanmarco. Also arrested were two women who claimed to have been present at the signing of the will: Blomfield’s sister, Jeanne Blomfield, 59, of Goleta; and Lenae Stahr, 48, of Carpinteria. In addition to forgery, the three were also charged with burglary, financial elder abuse and conspiracy. There bails are currently set at $500,000.

Immediately after the murders, Graham’s family found that she had not made a will, thus making her next of kin — her parents — the heirs to her estate. Weeks later, however, Edward Blomfield produced a will — purportedly signed by Graham in the presence of the two witnesses — that left him Graham’s entire estate. Blomfield then allegedly entered Graham’s apartment and removed the contents. Graham’s family, however, had been suspicious of Blomfield’s claim and contested the will in civil court. A forensics expert then determined that the signature on the will was likely forged. According to a press release from the sheriff’s office, detectives Shawn O’Grady and John Maxwell obtained search warrants for the apartments of the three arrested parties and gathered conclusive evidence that the three had conspired to falsify a will.

In the wake of the shootings at the postal distribution center, investigating officers determined that Sanmarco had also murdered her former neighbor, Graham, after breaking into her Santa Barbara home. Graham and Sanmarco had allegedly had tense encounters with each other during a period when they lived in the apartment complex.

Any persons with information about this case are asked to call the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department Detective Bureau at 681-4150.

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