No contest in brutal killing

A Paradise man facing a murder charge in Butte County Superior Court pleaded no contest Monday, June 1.

According to a press release from the Butte County District Attorney’s Office, on March 31 last year, 42-year-old Charles Blalock (pictured) beat his landlord to death. The 6-foot, 7-inch, 230-pound Blalock reportedly “sucker punched” the much smaller and disabled Brian Clouser, 54, over a so-called “peeping incident.”

After an hour of getting beaten, Clouser reportedly asked Blalock, “What are you going to do, kill me, Charlie?” Witnesses said Blalock intensified the beating, eventually breaking Clouser’s eye sockets, nose and ribs, stabbing him in the back with a pocket knife, then burning and burying his body in Concow.

Of the four co-defendants who witnessed the beating, two received prison time and two were placed on probation. The press release says “Blalock is an active white supremacist gang member and used that to intimidate and manipulate his co-defendants.” He’s facing 25 years to life in prison when sentenced Aug. 13.