Army Reservist Joshua Omvig Died by Suicide; Parents Lobby for Change, Congress Passes Veterans Suicide Prevention Act in His Name (December 22, 2005)

Joshua Omvig

Joshua Omvig, U.S. Army Reserve Veteran (Photo: The Courier)

“On December 22, 2005, Joshua Omvig, a 22-year-old reservist from Davenport, Iowa, committed suicide with a gun in his pickup truck, after returning from a tour of duty in Iraq a year earlier. He suffered [from] post traumatic stress disorder, a common problem with soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Omvig’s parents, Randy and Ellen, began lobbying for comprehensive PTSD care for all veterans.” Read more from The American Prospect here.

Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act Signed Into Law:

[Former] Rep. Bruce Braley speaks in favor. -Nancy Pelosi (October 23, 2007)

Congressman Boswell’s floor statement before the final passage of the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act. (October 23, 2007)

Related Links:
Giving Vets Their Due
Families blame vet suicides on lack of VA care
The Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Act
Omvig bill addressing suicide among veterans moves closer to law
President Bush Signs H.R. 327 and H.R. 1284 into Law
Rep. Walz on Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act
Rep. Braley on Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act
Boswell – H.R.327 Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention
Iowa lawmakers honor Iowa soldier, family (part 1)
Iowa lawmakers honor Iowa soldier, family (part 2)
Iowa lawmakers honor Iowa soldier, family (part 3)
Rep. Leonard Boswell on Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act
Boswell Speaks on Floor for Increased Funding for Soldier Suicide Prevention
H.R.327 – Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act
H.R. 327 (110th): Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act
Public Law 110 – 110 – Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act
House Passes Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act
HOR: Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act
S.3808: Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act
S. 479, Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act | CBO
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention | Senator Patty Murray
Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act | Cornell Law School
Vets’ Mental Health Bill Becomes Law
The Full Story: Veterans And Suicide | CBS News
National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide – VA Mental Health
Suicide rate for veterans far exceeds that of civilian population
Voices: The heartbreak of veterans’ suicides
Parents on VA mental health care: ‘No one was there to help’
Leonard Boswell, Veterans’ Champion in the House, Dies at 84
President George W. Bush Signed the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act Into Law (November 5, 2007)
Timeline of Veteran Suicides, Legislative Efforts, and Nationwide Negligence at the Department of Veterans Affairs

Navy Reservist Paul Berkley Murdered While Home on Leave From Middle East; Wife Monique Berkley Sentenced to Life in Prison (December 18, 2005)

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Paul Berkley, US Navy Reserve

Navy Reservist Paul Berkley was murdered by his wife, Monique Wallace Berkley, her teenage lover, and his friend in Raleigh, North Carolina on December 18, 2005. Paul was home for Christmas on leave from a deployment in the Middle East. Monique, Andrew Deshawn Canty, and Latwon Darrell Johnson were all charged with first degree murder. The motive was the $400,000 Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance payout. Monique pleaded guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. The state announced it was going to seek the death penalty if Berkley had gone to trial. Andrew Canty pleaded guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Latwon Darrell Johnson pleaded guilty to second degree murder and conspiracy to commit first degree murder. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison. Johnson appealed his sentence claiming that it was too harsh given his role in the slaying and his cooperation with police and prosecutors.

Paul Berkley survived his deployment in the Middle East without any injury, but he couldn’t survive one week with his wife Monique. -Profiler Candice DeLong

Oxygen:

A military wife is caught in deadly love triangle. -Monique Berkley, Snapped, Oxygen (S8,E8)

Investigation Discovery:

The young and wild Monique Wallace is married to 40-year-old Paul Berkley, a navy reservist and father of two in suburban North Carolina. But with Paul leaving on a mission overseas, temptation and lust will lead them all down a dark path to murder. -Rules of Engagement, Scorned: Love Kills (S2,E7)

Some women like others to do their dirty work. A drama queen brings her love triangle to a permanent end; an intimate betrayal turns friends into deadly foes; and a loose woman will do anything to protect her freedom. -Murder for Me, Deadly Women (S9,E11)

Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $3.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict. Download the ID Go app or purchase ID True Crime Files & binge away.

Related Links:
Rapist on the Loose; Police Investigate Murder of Navy Reservist
Slain sailor’s knowledge, skills lauded at Bahrain memorial service
Wife, Teen Lover Held in Slaying of Sailor
Tampa Native Accused in Husband’s Slaying
Wife Charged In Reservist’s Murder
Wife, her teen lover charged with killing husband in park
Reservist Slain Allegedly by Wife and Teen Lover
Berkley frantic on 911 tape
Bizarre Murder Case Raises New Blogging Issues
Wife Of Murdered Navy Reservist Gets Life
Wife of murdered reservist gets life
Wife in Fatal Love Triangle Admits Guilt, Gets Life Sentence
Man Appeals Sentence in Naval Reservist’s Slaying
Murder of SP native takes new turn with appeal filed by one defendant
Home From Iraq and Dead Within Days
Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance is a Common Motive for Murder
Navy Reservist Murdered by Cheating Wife’s Teen-age Lover
Monique Berkley | Snapped | Oxygen (S8,E8)
Monique Berkley | Snapped | Oxygen (Amazon)
Rules of Engagement | Scorned: Love Kills | Investigation Discovery (S2,E7)
Rules of Engagement | Scorned: Love Kills |Investigation Discovery  (website)
Rules of Engagement | Scorned: Love Kills |Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Murder for Me | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (S9,E11)
Murder for Me | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (website)
Murder for Me | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Murder for Me | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (Hulu)
Snapped Premiered ‘Monique Berkley’ on Oxygen: Navy Reservist Paul Berkley Shot and Killed While Home on Leave for Christmas (May 26, 2011)
Scorned, Love Kills Premiered ‘Rules of Engagement’ on Investigation Discovery: Navy Reservist Murdered While Home on Leave (March 9, 2013)
Deadly Women Premiered ‘Murder for Me’ on ID: Greedy Navy Spouse Plans Murder While Paul Berkley was Home on Leave (October 23, 2015)
Scorned, Love Kills: 6 Active Duty Military Homicide Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery
Deadly Women: 30 Military and Veteran Homicide Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery