Nephew of Blane Barksdale agrees to plead guilty to arson

Sep 16, 2019, 7:18 AM | Updated: 9:06 am

Brent Mallard (Tucson Police Department Mugshot)

(Tucson Police Department Mugshot)

A man accused of setting fire to the Tucson home of an alleged murder victim and whose uncle was the subject of a recent national manhunt has agreed to plead guilty to arson charges.

Brent Mallard, 30, is the nephew of Blane Barksdale, who is charged with his wife, Susan, in the presumed homicide of 72-year-old Frank Bligh.

At a plea hearing Friday in Pima County Superior Court, Mallard said he had no knowledge of the actual alleged murder plot.

Authorities said Bligh’s home was burned down in April, but his body hasn’t been found.

The Barksdales were recaptured Wednesday in a remote Arizona community after escaping from a prison transport van in Utah 16 days earlier.

Blane had been added to a federal most wanted list.

David Gonzales of the U.S. Marshals District of Arizona told KTAR News 92.3 FM early Thursday the couple was found in Punkin Center, about 88 miles northeast of downtown Phoenix.

He said Blane put up a struggle at the compound where they were found and was shocked with a Taser before he was finally subdued.

The couple was said to have overwhelmed private security guards who were bringing them back from upstate New York to Tucson to face prosecution in the Bligh case.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Frank Bligh (Tucson Police Department Photo)

This photo provided by the Navajo County Sheriff's Office shows Blane Barksdale. A tip pointing to a remote Arizona community is what led to the end of a manhunt for Blane and Susan Barksdale, fugitives who overpowered their guards and escaped prison transport last month, authorities said Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. (Navajo County Sheriff's Office via AP)

This photo provided by the Navajo County Sheriff's Office shows Susan Barksdale. A tip pointing to a remote Arizona community is what led to the end of a manhunt for Blane and Susan Barksdale, fugitives who overpowered their guards and escaped prison transport last month, authorities said Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. (Navajo County Sheriff's Office via AP)

FILE - These undated file booking photos provided by the Tucson Police Department show 56-year-old Blake Barksdale, left, and his 59-year-old wife Susan Barksdale. Authorities say the husband and wife fugitives on the run for over two weeks in the killing of an Arizona man have been captured. The U.S. Marshals Service announced Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019 that 56-year-old Blane Barksdale and 59-year-old Susan Barksdale are in custody. (Tucson Police Department via AP, File)

FILE - This undated file image provided by the U.S. Marshals Service shows Blane Barksdale, 56, and Susan Barksdale, 59. Authorities believe husband and wife fugitives wanted in the killing an Arizona man have been able to stay under the radar for more than a week because they are getting help from multiple people. David Gonzales, the U.S. Marshal for Arizona, said Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019, that deputy marshals are looking at several possible persons of interest in the search for Blane Barksdale and Susan Barksdale. (U.S. Marshals Service via AP, File)

David Gonzales, U.S. Marshal for Arizona, speaks about the capture of husband and wife fugitives on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019, at the Sandra Day O'Connor Federal Courthouse in Phoenix. Blane and Susan Barksdale, who have been on the run for over two weeks, were taken into custody Wednesday in a rural community about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Phoenix. (AP Photo/Terry Tang)

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