Episode two of the docuseries Blood & Money which starts off exactly like Law & Order, covered the case of Sheila Bellush, 35, who was brutally murdered in front of her children on 7th November, 1997. 

Sheila married rich businessman Allen Blackthorne in 1982, and they had two daughters together- Stevie and Daryl. The marriage lasted only five years as Balckthorne became extremely violent with Sheila. Their divorce was a lengthy ordeal which continued for ten years. 

When Sheila won custody of the two children, Balckthorne was beyond angry. He claimed that Sheila was a negligent mother and that she cannot win against him. Following this, Sheila married pharmaceutical sales representative Jamie Bellush. They had quadruplets together, and soon moved to Sarasota, Florida to get away from the constant harassment of Blackthorne. 

However, Blackthorne did not stop. Hiring he PI, he found out the Bellush residence. He then with the help of his golf acquaintance, Daniel Rocha, hired a shooter. Jose Luis Del Toro was tasked with assaulting Sheila, for which Blackthorne paid him $14,000.

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When Jose broke into Sheila’s Sarasota home on 7th November, he alleges that he almost did not go through with the murder. Watching Sheila take such good care of her four children almost made him change his mind. However, Sheila had spotted him, and an alarmed Jose shot her in the face. He also slit her slit. The entire murder was carried out in front of the four toddlers.

13 year old Stevie Bellush was the first one to discover Sheila’s body upon coming back from school a few hours later. She stood in shock as her four half-siblings walked around covered in their mother’s blood, completely unaware of what had happened. 

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Stevie immediately called 911 from the bedroom phone but immediately hung up. Perhaps she was too shaken to talk. Then she used the kitchen phone to call the police where she tried her best to tell the operator what had happened through tears in her eyes. 

The police arrived immediately to the Sarasota home, but had not much information to start their investigation with. Only one of the quadruples had just started to speak, and could not say anything to the police. With Jamie Bellush’s help the police understood that Stevie’s biological father, Allen Blackthorne was the culprit behind this.

It was finally in the year 2000 that Blackthorne was apprehended and taken to trial. There, he was declared guilty and charged with two life sentences without the possibility of parole. He dies in prison without ever getting to see Stevie and Daryle Bellush again.