Son of slain trooper buried next to father

Tye Blanton died Thursday from serious health problems he suffered since birth.

Tye was born two weeks before his father, Trooper David Shawn Blanton, was shot to death during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 near Canton in June.

Tye underwent heart surgery at Duke University Children's Hospital in Durham in September. At the time, hospital officials said he had a number of serious medical conditions, including heart problems.

The State Employees Credit Union set up a fund for the family – including Tye's mother and David Blanton's widow, Michaela.

Donations can be made at any North Carolina SECU branch.

In July, a Haywood County Superior Court judge ruled that prosecutors could seek the death penalty against Edwardo Wong III, 37, of Ormond Beach, Fla., who is charged in Blanton’s death.