No clemency for Christopher Blank

Below is my letter, which is not just a plea for justice – it is a call to action. To every law enforcement officer, every family member, every community leader: Speak up. Stand up. Let your voice be heard. Write to the Governor. Write to the Parole Board. Remind them that Christopher Blank’s clemency request is a cruel reminder of the trauma he inflicted.

He seeks freedom, but his only freedom will come from admitting the truth, not from walking free while his victims remain haunted by that night.

Governor Murphy, Parole Board members – deny Christopher Blank’s clemency request. Stand with us – the officers who responded that night, the victims who still bear the scars, and the community that refuses to forget.

______________________________________

May 13, 2025

Subject: Opposition to Clemency for Christopher Blank

Dear Governor Murphy and Members of the New Jersey State Parole Board,

I write to you today, compelled to speak out against Christopher Blank’s request for clemency. I was there that night as a Detective Sergeant, responding to the scene in Egg Harbor Township where Blank’s senseless, calculated attack forever changed the lives of three courageous officers and their families.

I witnessed firsthand how hundreds of officers throughout South Jersey rushed to aid their fellow officers, united in their resolve to protect and serve despite the chaos and carnage that Blank unleashed. I spent time with Officer William Loder, a new officer at the time, who was thrust into the unthinkable – facing down a gunman and narrowly escaping death. I saw the shock in his eyes as he tried to process the horror of that night.

Many of us visited Clear Costantino and Christopher Leary as they lay in hospital beds, struggling to recover from Blank’s brutal assault. Costantino’s abdomen and thigh were riddled with gunshot wounds. Leary, saved only by his vest, bore both the physical and emotional scars of a man who narrowly escaped death. The images of their suffering and pain linger with us, and the trauma inflicted upon them continues to this day.

Now, Blank seeks clemency, but where is his remorse? Where is his accountability? Nearly two decades later, Blank has yet to accept responsibility for his heinous actions. Instead, he continues to manipulate, spinning self-defense claims that were rejected by a jury and every appellate court since. He reopens the wounds of his victims, forcing them to relive the worst night of their lives each time he files another appeal, another request for mercy.

Blank seeks freedom, but the only freedom he will ever truly have is in his mind. He will not walk free – not after the pain he caused, not after the terror he unleashed, and certainly not after the lives he shattered. If he seeks to liberate himself from his crimes, he must first confess to what he did. Only then can he ask for forgiveness. Only then can he seek redemption – not through the parole board, but through the courage to finally admit the truth.

Governor Murphy, Parole Board members, I implore you to stand with us – the law enforcement community that responded that night, the officers who bear the scars of Blank’s brutality, and the citizens who believe in justice. Deny Blank’s clemency request and send a clear, unwavering message that those who attempt to murder our protectors will not find mercy where they showed none.

Blank’s violent rampage forever altered the lives of Officers Costantino, Leary, and Loder. Let us honor them by refusing to grant leniency to a man who continues to deny responsibility for the horrors he inflicted.

Respectfully,

Raymond Davis, Chief of Police (Retired, Forever 15)  1583

Egg Harbor Township Police