Trial begins for South Carolina man accused of killing his wife in 2016, living under assumed identity for years after

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – An upstate murder suspect, who is accused of killing his estranged wife in 2016, appeared in court today.

In October of 2016, Cati Boyter-Blauvelt was reported missing by her family. Two days later her body was discovered in an abandoned home in Simpsonville.

Police believed that the suspect was John Blauvelt, and that he allegedly killed his estranged wife by stabbing her to death.

Blauvelt was not arrested until six years later in Oregon, where he was reportedly found going by the name of “Ben Klein.”

The pre-trial began late Monday afternoon, with testimony from the U.S. Marshall in charge of arresting Blauvelt. He testified Blauvelt was in “pure shock” when officers took him to the ground and asked “if he was John Blauvelt.”

Blauvelt told officers that his name was “Ben.”

A video was then shown where officers interviewed a woman who was Blauvelt’s girlfriend at the time, who said she knew him as “Ben.” The U.S. Marshall described her reaction as “absolutely shocked.” In the video you can see her extremely upset.

Boyter-Blauvelt’s family was also in the courtroom today. 7News spoke with the family previously in 2022.

“We knew he had a temper,” Patricia Piver, the victims mother said. “We knew he had threatened her with a gun before. He was the only suspect in our minds.”

The judge said he expects the trail to last a week, if not longer.

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