Every Breath You Take
Ann Rule
A book-length account for readers who want more detail.
1997 · Sarasota, Florida
Sheila Bellush
The story behind Every Breath You Take
Sheila Bellush was murdered in her Florida home in 1997 while her young quadruplets were there. Her teenage daughter discovered the scene. Investigators traced the hired killing to Sheila’s former husband, Allen Blackthorne, and a chain of intermediaries. The prosecution showed that the attack was an arranged murder, not a random intrusion.
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The Story
When1997
WhereSarasota, Florida
In this collection31 resources
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American Justice — Brutal Revenge (2002)
IMDb · TV episode
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Southern Fried True Crime — Sheila Bellush (Episode 144)
Spotify
An audio option for exploring this case while listening.
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Nicknames & media names
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Blogs & Essays
Read our articles here and explore outside perspectives, credited to their writers and publications. See this case in the Journal →
From the journal
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Blogs & essays
1 itemsAbout these sources
Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
True Crime Discussions
Allen Blackthorne
A retrospective blog account of Sheila Bellush’s murder and Allen Blackthorne’s role in the case.
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Books
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Books
1 itemsAnn Rule
Every Breath You Take
A nonfiction account of this case. See the linked edition for publication details and available formats.
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Movies & TV
Movies
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TV & documentaries
4 itemsAbout these sources
Episodes, documentaries and title listings. Season and episode numbers follow the linked catalog and can differ by service. Air dates are separate from crime dates. Playback availability varies by service and region.
IMDb · TV episode
American Justice — Brutal Revenge (2002)
IMDb episode reference connected to the Sheila Bellush case. Listed release: 2002. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
Screen TitleTitle Details · Not Playback
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Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
IMDb · TV episode
The New Detectives: Case Studies in Forensic Science — Murder for Hire (2002)
IMDb episode reference connected to the Sheila Bellush case. Listed release: 2002. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
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Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
IMDb · TV episode
48 Hours — Murder For Hire? (1999)
IMDb episode reference connected to the Sheila Bellush case. Listed release: 1999. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
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Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
IMDb · TV episode
48 Hours — Justice For Sheila? - Revisited (2000)
IMDb episode reference connected to the Sheila Bellush case. Listed release: 2000. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
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Search Amazon · paid linkCredits & title details on IMDb
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
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Audiobooks
Listen to a book connected to this story. Each edition below is matched to its author and audiobook source.
Audiobook
Every Breath You Take
Unabridged
Audio edition verified at the linked source. The Amazon button is a title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed.
Edition checked 2026-10-12
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Fiction Work
Fiction Work
Browse all →Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.
No verified fictional adaptation or inspiration has been identified in this collection. Nonfiction coverage is listed in the other media sections.
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Podcasts
Podcasts
15 itemsAbout these sources
Audio episodes and oral histories. Personal recollections are attributed perspectives; some services require sign-in.
Spotify
Southern Fried True Crime — Sheila Bellush (Episode 144)
Direct episode page for this case or its screen adaptation. Open it for listening options and the publisher’s episode notes.
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True Crime Brewery
Four Little Witnesses: The Murder of Sheila Bellush
Podcast coverage of the Sheila Bellush case. Released July 11, 2017. About 122 minutes.
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Southern Fried True Crime
144: Sheila Bellush
Podcast coverage of the Sheila Bellush case. Released March 1, 2022. About 93 minutes.
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LOVE MURDER
Revenge for Leaving: The Tragic Murder of Sheila Bellush
Podcast coverage of the Sheila Bellush case. Released February 2, 2022. About 157 minutes.
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48 Hours
Justice for Sheila?
Podcast coverage of the Sheila Bellush case. Released November 6, 2025. About 37 minutes.
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Casefile Confidential - Real Crime Podcast
A Gruesome Attack: Silent Witnesses in the Hallway
Podcast coverage of the Sheila Bellush case. Released March 3, 2026. About 38 minutes.
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The First Degree
Episode 85: Sheila Bellush Part 1
Podcast coverage of the Sheila Bellush case. Released March 25, 2020. About 48 minutes.
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Murder Unscripted
Ep:98 | The Murder of Sheila Bellush, Pt. 1 | How A Conman Became A Killer | Murder Unscripted
Podcast coverage of the Sheila Bellush case. Released April 7, 2026. About 66 minutes.
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The First Degree
Episode 86: Sheila Bellush Part 2
Podcast coverage of the Sheila Bellush case. Released April 1, 2020. About 65 minutes.
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Bless This Mess: A Southern True Crime Podcast
72. The Murder of Sheila Bellush Part 1
Podcast coverage of the Sheila Bellush case. Released January 19, 2023. About 87 minutes.
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Murder Unscripted
Ep:99 | The Murder of Sheila Bellush, Pt.2 | "If she leaves me, I'll kill her!" | Murder Unscripted
Podcast coverage of the Sheila Bellush case. Released April 14, 2026. About 59 minutes.
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Gruesome: Horrific True Crime
Sheila Bellush
Podcast coverage of the Sheila Bellush case. Released July 21, 2021. About 72 minutes.
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Cuppa Crime
The Murder of Sheila Bellush
Podcast coverage of the Sheila Bellush case. Released February 27, 2022. About 81 minutes.
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Bless This Mess: A Southern True Crime Podcast
73. The Murder of Sheila Bellush Part 2
Podcast coverage of the Sheila Bellush case. Released January 26, 2023. About 78 minutes.
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Burden of Proof
Case Number 62: The Murder of Quad Mom, Sheila Bellush
Podcast coverage of the Sheila Bellush case. Released November 2, 2023. About 72 minutes.
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Social Media
BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
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News & Reading
More Reading & Audio
4 sourcesExplore book records, previews, library audiobooks and selected documents. Access labels distinguish free material from library loans and paid subscriptions.
OverDrive · Library Access
Every Breath You Take — Ebook
Ann Rule. Related reading for Sheila Bellush. Check participating libraries for this edition. Borrowing requires an eligible library card; availability and waits vary.
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Open Library · Catalog / Availability
Every breath you take by Ann Rule
Bibliographic record for related reading. Check the edition page for previews, lending and other access options; full text has not been confirmed.
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Google Books · Catalog / Availability
Every Breath You Take
Related book record. Google may offer selected pages or another edition; full-book access is not confirmed.
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Everand · Subscription Access
Every Breath You Take — Ebook
Ann Rule. Related reading for Sheila Bellush. Check the current subscription terms and available sample; trial offers are not permanent free access.
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Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-16. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine, Google Books (case/title search), Scribd, Everand, OverDrive and hoopla (combined title search). Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait. Everand titles may need a paid subscription; a trial is not permanent free access. Scribd documents are third-party uploads, with uploader details noted where checked. We link to source pages and write our own descriptions rather than reproducing copyrighted books.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Newspaper clippings
1 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
Read our original summary below. The archive link opens the newspaper’s own clipping viewer.
Sarasota Herald-Tribune · 1997-11-12 · Page 1
Police name a suspect in Sheila Bellush’s killing
Local reporters trace the evidence behind an arrest warrant for Jose Luis Del Toro Jr.
Early police allegations, before the later trials; includes other front-page material.
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Read the original at Newspapers.com. Access and subscription requirements are set by the archive.
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Internet Archive
1 itemsAbout these sources
Library records and preserved media. A catalog listing does not guarantee full reading or playback.
Internet Archive · Library record · 2001
Every breath you take : a true story of obsession, revenge, and murder
Rule, Ann. A library catalog record for a book connected with Sheila Bellush. The record may offer a preview or borrowing options; full reading access is not guaranteed.
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Court & Files
Court records & documents
1 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
Court opinionArchive copy
United States v. Blackthorne — new-trial appeal
Federal appellate review of Allen Blackthorne’s request for a new trial in the murder-for-hire prosecution involving Sheila Bellush.
- Court / agency
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- Document date
- July 15, 2004
- Hosted by
- Justia
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Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
No case-specific reform has been verified for this collection yet.
Social Media
7 itemsAbout these sources
Case-specific posts, videos and communities. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting. Platforms may require sign-in.
Southern Fried True Crime
Episode 144: Sheila Bellush
Video from Southern Fried True Crime covering the Sheila Bellush case. Length: 1:27:45.
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The New Detectives
The Murders Of Wendy Kratzert And Sheila Bellush | The New Detectives
Video from The New Detectives covering the Sheila Bellush case. Length: 7:22.
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Radio Daily News
THE FIRST DEGREE | Justice: The Sheila Bellush Story, Part II
Video from Radio Daily News covering the Sheila Bellush case. Length: 1:05:19.
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48 Hours
Justice for Sheila? | Full Episode
Full episode or film as labeled by the publisher from 48 Hours covering the Sheila Bellush case. Length: 42:11.
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The New Detectives
Murder For Hire | FULL EPISODE | The New Detectives
Full episode or film as labeled by the publisher from The New Detectives covering the Sheila Bellush case. Length: 48:54.
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True Crime Brewery
Four Little Witnesses
Video from True Crime Brewery covering the Sheila Bellush case. Length: 1:59:08.
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Show 1 more social media
10 Tampa Bay News
Man convicted in gruesome death in of Sarasota woman in 1997 asking for a new trial
Video from 10 Tampa Bay News covering the Sheila Bellush case. Length: 1:23.
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