Million dollar robber sentenced to 15 years

By Diane Hettrick

Judge Mariane Spearman gave prosecutors exactly what they asked for in sentencing Keith Blair - an extraordinary sentence of over 15 years in jail.

Blair, a one-man crime wave, was responsible for robberies from Ballard to Woodinville. He hit a lot of homes with expensive goods and cash, but he also hit many other homes and businesses.

Shoreline Detective Cary Coblantz, the lead on the case, said "He got up every day and went to work, only his work was robbery."

Police ended up with a storage locker full of stolen items that were difficult to match to owners. Sets of golf clubs, costume jewelry, watches. He would enter a house and take the owners' backpacks or sports bag and fill them.

In the police blotters, I had noticed a lot of burglaries. There was a pattern of business burglaries on Aurora where the thief would prop a ladder against the back wall and go in through a second story window, which typically would not be part of the alarm system. Even if it were, he would get what he wanted and leave before the police arrived, leaving the ladder in place.

In the end, it was apparently his scorned wife who brought him down, unhappy that he left her for a younger woman, who also has been charged.

The TV news showed the scene in court, as victims tearfully confronted him. He looked like a normal, everyday kind of guy. He looked at them when they were talking, but seemed quite detached from their pain.

Previous stories:

• Sentencing set for prolific robber
• Assist police to find owners of stolen property
• Shoreline Police may have your property