Boyfriend of Slain Woman Arrested for Forging Will

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.