Man sentenced to death for deadly sexual assault: MCAO
PHOENIX - A man who was found guilty of murder, kidnapping and sexual assault charges has learned his fate in court.
Big picture view:
According to a statement released on Nov. 10 by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, 35-year-old Humphry Dixon Dogbe was sentenced to death for his role in the sexual assault and murder of Lori Lynn Blankenship in 2020.
"In addition to today’s death sentence, Dogbe was sentenced in October to 48 years in prison for the kidnapping, sexual assault, and sexual abuse counts. That sentence will be served concurrently," read a portion of MCAO's statement.
Humphry Dixon Dogbe (Courtesy: Maricopa County Sheriff's Office)
The backstory:
According to MCAO, Phoenix Police officers responded to an emergency call on the morning of May 8 in the area of I-10 and 27th Avenue, where Blankenship was found in a state of undress and with signs of trauma.
"Officers noticed she had been dead for a few hours before they were called to the area," read a portion of the statement.
What they're saying:
"The fueling station’s surveillance cameras showed Dogbe dragging the victim across the pavement, choking her and sexually assaulting her before leaving," an MCAO spokesperson wrote.
Dig deeper:
As for Dogbe, investigators say he was a registered sex offender who lived in the area where the incident happened. He was identified via a photo lineup by a witness who said he tried to get him to stop during the attack.
What's next:
In their announcements on execution warrants in 2026 and 2025, the Arizona Supreme Court notes that under state law, "once a person’s conviction and death sentence have been affirmed and no further legal challenges remain, the Supreme Court must issue [an execution warrant] when the State requests one."
Meanwhile, the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry notes that since 2013, the nine inmates they executed had spent an average of around 25 years on death row.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from an official statement with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, the website of the Arizona Supreme Court, and the website for the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry.