Robert Blackledge

Robert Blackledge

OBITUARY

Robert (Bob) D. Blackledge, of El Cajon, CA passed away on June 4, 2024, at home with his family after a short illness.

He was born in Manila, the Philippine Islands, on February 8, 1937, the son of William Clinton Blackledge and Helen Louise VanCuren Blackledge. He is survived by his spouse Sally McCollum Blackledge, his three children, James Blackledge, Andrea Beach and Stephanie Henry, and seven grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother David William Blackledge and nieces, nephews and great-nieces and nephews.

Bob was an avid basketball player and was a member of the Citadel Bulldogs team in college. Graduating with a degree in chemistry, he served two years in the US Army and then went on to teach chemistry and physics. He subsequently turned to a life of crime, becoming a criminalist for the state of Florida, working in the crime labs in Tallahassee and Fort Pierce. He later worked for the Dept. of Defense Criminal Investigation Division as a criminalist stationed in Frankfurt, Germany. He wound up his career working for Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS) in San Diego, CA. Bob was a passionate and well-published scientist and mentored several young scientists over the course of his career. He developed novel techniques for the detection and characterization of condom lubricants in cases of sexual assault, earning him the nickname “the Condom King.” During his time at NCIS, he was a consultant for the television series in the early years, and appeared as himself in one of the Harry Bosch novels by Michael Connelly. He remained active in independent forensics research well into his retirement.