Katherine Paquin: The Tragic Case of a Vulnerable Woman and a System That Failed Her

Author

Benjamin Hayes

Publication Date

September 4, 2025

In the heart of Albuquerque, New Mexico, near the intersection of Eubank and Indian School, a vulnerable woman named Katherine Paquin lived quietly in her neighborhood home. At 62 years old, Paquin suffered from mental health issues and lived a relatively solitary existence. Little did she know that her neighbor would become her killer, and that a catastrophic failure in the state's corrections system would seal her tragic fate.

Paquin was last seen at her home near Eubank and Indian School in Albuquerque, New Mexico on August 15, 2012. She has never been heard from again. Known to friends as Kathy, Paquin's nickname is Kathy. She was described as a Caucasian female with gray hair and blue eyes.

The Neighbor Next Door

Living nearby was Christopher Blattner, a man with an extensive criminal history who had been serving time for drug trafficking convictions. Blattner began serving time in 2009 for drug trafficking convictions and should have remained incarcerated until the fall of 2015. However, due to a devastating error by the New Mexico Corrections Department, he was instead released in February 2012.

Christopher had a prior criminal record for methamphetamine and heroin charges, and had been paroled in February 2012, just a few months before Paquin's disappearance. Authorities later admitted they had miscalculated his sentence and he should have been incarcerated until September 2015. This wasn't merely an oversight but a fundamental failure in the system designed to protect the public.

Once released, he connected with Paquin, who was sixty-two years old and suffered from mental health issues. Paquin's neighbors reported seeing Blattner at Paquin's home frequently. What began as neighborly contact would soon turn sinister as Blattner took advantage of Paquin's vulnerable state.

A Disappearance and Disturbing Discovery

In August 2012, roughly six months after Blattner's mistaken release, Katherine Paquin vanished without a trace. In August 2012, approximately six months following Blattner's release, a missing person report was filed for Paquin. What happened next revealed the depth of Blattner's criminal behavior and his complete disregard for human life.

Authorities learned that Christopher Blattner and his wife, Brittany Blattner, who were Paquin's neighbors, had secretly withdrawn $63,000 from Paquin's bank account using her ATM card, including $25,000 taken in a five-day period just after she disappeared. The couple bought computers, clothing, jewelry and two motorcycles with Paquin's money.

In the days that followed, Blattner made numerous withdrawals from Paquin's bank account totaling approximately $63,000. This systematic draining of Paquin's accounts suggested premeditation and a callous disregard for the woman who was now missing.

The Arrest and Horrifying Confession

The investigation into Paquin's disappearance led authorities directly to the Blattner couple. Later in August, both were charged with fraud and forgery in connection with the thefts. However, what emerged during the investigation was far more disturbing than financial crimes.

Police officers obtained arrest warrants for Blattner and his wife, and after a standoff, arrested Blattner. The arrest itself was dramatic, involving a SWAT standoff when Blattner refused to surrender peacefully. During this confrontation, Blattner used firearms against law enforcement, further demonstrating his dangerous nature.

The most chilling revelation came from Blattner's own wife. Eventually, Blattner's wife told police that Blattner had killed Paquin and hid her body. According to court documents, Christopher told his wife he had murdered Paquin, dismembered her body and disposed of the parts. This gruesome confession painted a picture of a cold-blooded killer who not only took Paquin's life but desecrated her remains.

Legal Proceedings and Justice Delayed

The legal proceedings that followed revealed the complex web of crimes that Blattner had committed. In August 2012, he was charged with second-degree murder in Paquin's case. However, Blattner's criminal history extended far beyond Katherine Paquin's murder.

In 2014, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter in Paquin's case, second-degree murder in the 2007 death of George Orozco, and aggravated assault on a police officer in an altercation with police in 2013. This plea deal revealed that Paquin wasn't Blattner's first victim. Years earlier, he had killed George Orozco, another drug-related homicide that demonstrated his pattern of violence.

Christopher was sentenced to 28 years in prison. Additionally, in 2015, he also pleaded guilty to federal narcotics charges and was sentenced to 30 more years. The combined sentences ensured that Blattner would spend the rest of his natural life behind bars.

Per the terms of the agreement, the forgery and fraud charges against him were dropped, as well as all the charges against Brittany. While Brittany Blattner faced charges initially, Brittany Blattner entered a guilty plea to a felony information charging her with simple possession of methamphetamine and was sentenced on June 29, 2015, to two years of probation.

The Search for Katherine

Despite the confession and legal proceedings, one crucial element remained missing: Katherine Paquin herself. Although the terms of his plea agreement required Christopher to disclose the location of Paquin's body, her remains have never been recovered. This failure to locate Paquin's remains has denied her family the closure they desperately seek.

He later attempted to withdraw the federal plea, claiming he'd been under the influence of drugs and didn't know what was going on when he made it, but this was refused. Even faced with the consequences of his actions, Blattner continued to show no genuine remorse or cooperation in helping authorities locate Paquin's remains.

Now that his federal sentencing is done, Blattner is required under his state plea agreement to reveal the location of Paquin's remains. However, despite these legal requirements, Blattner, Paquin's neighbor, later told his wife he had killed her and hid the body, but it still hasn't been found.

Systemic Failure and Legal Accountability

The Katherine Paquin case represents more than just the actions of one violent criminal. It exposes a systematic failure within New Mexico's corrections system that had deadly consequences. The crime happened after Blattner was mistakenly released from prison three years early because of a paperwork error while he was serving a sentence in a drug case.

The family of Katherine Paquin refused to let this systemic failure go unchallenged. Plaintiff Maureen A. Sanders brought a wrongful death lawsuit as personal representative of the Estate of Katherine Paquin after Paquin was killed by Christopher Blattner, an inmate who had been erroneously released from custody. Plaintiff sued the New Mexico Corrections Department (NMCD), NMCD Secretary Gregg Marcantel, and Bureau Records Chief Cathleen Catanach (collectively, Defendants) on the theory that Defendants had negligently released Blattner before he had completed the full term of his sentence.

The legal battle to hold the state accountable was long and complex. Initially, a district court judge originally ruled the Department of Corrections (DOC) would not be responsible for damages like the murder of Paquin that occurred off prison property, and that New Mexico state law provides immunity for government entities against claims like this.

However, in a significant victory for accountability, the State Supreme Court ruled that immunity does not apply here, and Paquin's estate may sue the DOC for what Blattner did when he was out because his release was the result of negligence by prison staff. The New Mexico Supreme Court ruled in a unanimous opinion Thursday that the family of Katherine "Kathy" Paquin can move forward with a decade-old lawsuit against the state Corrections Department in the Albuquerque woman's killing.

A Broader Pattern of Negligence

The Paquin case wasn't an isolated incident of prison mismanagement. Plaintiff also submitted evidence indicating the premature release of inmates at NMCD was not isolated, and pointed to late-disclosed discovery apparently showing that NMCD had erroneously released hundreds of inmates prematurely. This revelation suggests that Katherine Paquin's death was preventable and part of a wider pattern of dangerous negligence.

In July 2012 approximately one month before Paquin was killed NMCD Secretary Marcantel acknowledged that NMCD had a problem with accounting for inmate sentences and stated there would be a statewide audit of inmate records to evaluate NMCD's procedures. The fact that officials knew about problems with their recordkeeping system just one month before Paquin's murder makes her death even more tragic and preventable.

Christopher Blattner: A Career Criminal

Christopher Blattner's criminal history reveals a pattern of escalating violence and disregard for human life. Blattner's prior criminal history includes four prior narcotics trafficking convictions in the 2nd and 13th Judicial District Courts for the State of New Mexico, demonstrating his long involvement in illegal activities.

The case also revealed connections to other crimes, including weapons trafficking. During the investigation, authorities discovered that Elizabeth P. Taylor, 30, allegedly purchased at least four handguns for 32-year-old Christopher Blattner, aka Chris Blatiner, who used at least one of them to fire shots at officers who were trying to arrest him on a warrant at his Albuquerque home on Aug. 22. Taylor was later revealed to be the wife of an Albuquerque police officer, adding another layer of corruption to the case.

The Ongoing Impact

Katherine Paquin's case continues to resonate more than a decade after her disappearance. Now, 12 years after Paquin's murder: "I'm just so happy that we can now take this case to trial," Flores said. Her daughter, Cheri Rodriguez, has fought tirelessly for justice for her mother, not just against Blattner but against the system that allowed him to be free to commit murder.

Flores said the Supreme Court ruling provides a measure of justice for Rodriguez in the tragic death of her mother. "She was in disbelief to learn that courts could throw these claims out," he said.

The legal victory in the Supreme Court case has broader implications beyond the Paquin family. In a broader sense, it allows governmental agencies to be sued by individuals harmed by an inmate mistakenly released from prison because of employee negligence. "There is really no downside in incentivizing the Department of Corrections and jails across the state to be more careful when dealing with inmate release."

Legacy and Lessons

Katherine Paquin's story serves as a stark reminder of how systemic failures can have deadly consequences for innocent people. Her case highlights several critical issues: the vulnerability of elderly individuals with mental health challenges, the importance of accurate record-keeping in corrections systems, and the need for accountability when government agencies fail in their duty to protect the public.

"Her mother was brutally killed by a prisoner who had a history of felonies, who had previously murdered someone, and who should have been behind bars for the next three years," said Adam Flores, an attorney representing the family. This statement encapsulates the preventable nature of Katherine's death and the complete failure of the systems designed to protect society from dangerous criminals.

The fact that Blattner has never been convicted of Paquin's murder or the murder of a drug dealer he was accused of in 2007. The charges in those cases have been dismissed for now while Blattner serves a 30-year federal prison sentence on drug charges adds another layer of complexity to seeking justice for Katherine Paquin.

Katherine Paquin deserved to live out her golden years in peace and safety in her Albuquerque home. Instead, she became the victim of a violent criminal who should have been safely behind bars. Her story stands as a testament to the need for vigilance in our justice system and the importance of holding institutions accountable when their failures cost innocent lives. Though her remains may never be found, Katherine's legacy lives on in the legal precedents established by her family's pursuit of justice and in the systemic changes her case may inspire.

Sources

Benjamin Hayes

Benjamin Hayes is a blogger with a passion for true crime and unresolved mysteries. In his free time, Benjamin is an avid hiker and photographer. He finds solace and inspiration in nature, often trekking through the scenic trails of the Appalachian Mountains.