Rina Shimabukuro Found Raped & Murdered in Japan; Marine Vet & Civilian Contractor Kenneth Gadson Found Guilty, Sentenced to Life, Hard Labor (April 28, 2016)

Posted on April 28, 2016 by Administrator

Rina Shimabukuro, Japan (May 19, 2016)

Marine Veteran & Civilian Contractor Kenneth Gadson Found Guilty of the Rape & Murder of Rina Shimabukuro; Sentenced to Life in Japanese Prison (December 1, 2017)

Never forgotten Rina Shimabukuro.

Related Links:
Former Marine is prime suspect in murder of Okinawa woman
Ex-marine now prime suspect in Japan rape-murder
Okinawa suspect married to local woman; couple have infant
Former U.S. Marine arrested in Okinawa over murder case
U.S. military contractor arrested after Japanese woman’s body found, sparking outrage on Okinawa
Ex-U.S. vet’s arrest in Okinawa woman’s death stirs outrage
Ex-U.S. Marine charged in 20-year-old woman’s rape, murder
U.S. Contractor Kenneth Shinzato Charged in Okinawa Murder
Former Marine charged with murder, rape in Okinawa woman’s death
US military worker on Okinawa is arrested on suspicion of killing Japanese woman, 20, just days before Obama is due to visit Hiroshima
Outrage in Japan as U.S. Marine veteran arrested in connection with death of woman on Okinawa
Massive rally to protest ex-Marine’s arrest in killing of Okinawa woman
Thousands to call for US troops’ exit from Okinawa
Abe Voices Outrage After Former U.S. Marine Is Arrested in Okinawa Killing
Japan ‘outraged’ after US airbase worker arrested in murder case
Okinawa base imposes curfew on US troops after woman’s death
4th of July canceled after ex-marine’s rape & murder of Japanese woman
US military lifts some restrictions on sailors in Japan
The Suitcase Murder Tearing the U.S. and Japan Apart
Trying to find U.S.-Japanese harmony amid the discord of a death in Okinawa
Defense attorney says Okinawa confession made in a daze
Defendant in Okinawa slaying seeks change of venue
US Military Worker Wants His Murder Trial Moved off Okinawa
Shinzato’s murder trial must be held in Okinawa: Supreme Court
Former Kadena worker reveals gruesome details of Okinawan woman’s death
Former U.S. Marine charged with raping, killing Japanese woman says he heard voices in his head and fantasized about kidnapping
Gadson pleads not guilty to Okinawan woman’s murder, but admits other charges
Base worker sentenced to life with hard labor for slaying of Okinawan woman
Retired US Marine sentenced to life in Japan for rape-murder of Okinawa woman
Okinawan murder victim’s family to seek compensation from US government
Appeal denied for ex-base worker convicted of Okinawan woman’s slaying
Okinawa has been eager to expel U.S. troops. A murder-suicide is pouring fuel on those flames.

Air Force Veteran Tricia Todd Vanished in Florida; Air Force SSgt Steven Williams Pleaded No Contest to Murder, Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison (April 26, 2016)

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Administrator

Tricia Todd, U.S. Air Force Veteran (Photo: HuffPost)

SSgt Steven Williams, 30, US Air Force, and USAF veteran Tricia Todd, 30, were married for 11 years and had one child
Williams and Todd divorced on February 2, 2016
Williams was stationed at Seymour Johnson AFB in North Carolina
Tricia Todd lived in Hobe Sound, Florida with their only child
Williams traveled to Florida to visit their only child
Tricia vanished from Florida on April 26, 2016
Williams is accused in May 2016 of murdering Tricia Todd
Williams admitted to getting in an argument about finances & pushed Todd
Williams pleaded no contest to the second degree murder of Tricia Todd
Williams was sentenced to 35 years in prison if he led investigators to the body
Williams led investigators to her mutilated body in Florida
Williams could face additional federal penalties under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) as he was an active member of the armed forces at the time the crime was committed
According to The Object of Murder (Investigation Discovery), civilian prosecutors want the Air Force to try Williams in a military death penalty trial but the Air Force has not taken any action thus far

In the News:

Part 1: Tricia Todd’s life was filled with intense moments of both love and violence. She wrote in great detail about those moments on her online blog. -True Crime Daily (November 11, 2016)

Part 2: Murdered Woman’s Journal Helps Catch Her Killer -True Crime Daily (November 11, 2016)

Part 1: Tricia Todd divorced her husband Steven Williams after more than ten years of marriage. Before Tricia went missing, she wrote in an online journal about falling for another man, and that her husband had a dark side. She was later found dead. -True Crime Daily (March 30, 2017)

Part 2: Murdered Woman’s Diary Helps Catch Her Killer -True Crime Daily (March 30, 2017)

Tricia Todd’s life was filled with intense moments of both love and violence. She wrote in great detail about those moments on her blog. -True Crime Daily (November 16, 2018)

Investigation Discovery:

In 2016, 33-year-old Tricia Todd was reported missing after failing to pick up her daughter from a babysitter. As her family hoped and prayed, investigators found her online journal that revealed the true horror of what had happened. -Beauty for Ashes, The Object of Murder (S1,E1)

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.

Video Links:
Murdered Woman’s Journal Helps Catch Her Killer (Part 1)
Murdered Woman’s Journal Helps Catch Her Killer (Part 2)
Murdered Woman’s Diary Helps Catch Her Killer (Pt 1)
Murdered Woman’s Diary Helps Catch Her Killer (Pt 2)
How her journal helped solve her own murder
Beauty for Ashes | The Object of Murder | Investigation Discovery (S1,E1)
Beauty for Ashes | The Object of Murder | Investigation Discovery (website)
Beauty for Ashes | The Object of Murder | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)

Related Links:
Facebook: Search for Tricia Williams Todd
Florida detectives travel to NC to interview ex-husband of missing mom
SJAFB Airman Confesses To Killing Ex-Wife
Ex-Husband Arrested in Murder of Missing Air Force Vet Mom Tricia Todd
Airman charged with murder of missing Florida woman, his ex-wife
North Carolina airman charged with second-degree murder in death of ex-wife
Airman who killed ex-wife in Florida lived in Raleigh
Ex-husband killed missing Florida mom, search for body underway, sheriff says
Family of Murdered Air Force Vet Forgives the Ex-Husband Who Killed Her: ‘If You Allow Bitterness and Anger to Grow, It Eats You Alive’
Steven Williams’ jail records reveal threat; bizarre mattress incident while behind bars
Body of Air Force veteran killed by her ex-husband found in Florida; ex-husband pleads no contest
Tricia Todd death: Authorities find partial remains in container
Remains believed to be Fla. mom found in acid-filled barrel
Tricia Todd Update: Former Husband Charged with Cutting Up Her Remains
Florida sheriff says NC man used chainsaw to cut up ex-wife
Police Allege Air Force Sgt. Used Chainsaw to Cut Up Remains of Ex-Wife Air Force Veteran Who Had Been Missing Since April
Ex-husband ‘killed Air Force veteran mother and then disposed of her remains with a chainsaw’
Florida Man Charged With 2nd-Degree Murder of Ex-Wife Accepts Plea Deal
The Object of Murder Premiered ‘Beauty for Ashes’ on Investigation Discovery: Air Force Veteran Tricia Todd Vanishes in Florida (November 7, 2019)

Fort Carson Army Soldier Branden Harms Pleaded Guilty to Child Abuse Resulting in Death; Faced 40-48 Years in Prison at Sentencing (2016)

Posted on April 18, 2016 by Administrator

Branden Harms, US Army

Fort Carson soldier Branden Harms, 28, admitted to raising his hand against 4-month-old Ava Bermudez inflicting injuries severe enough to kill her on April 18, 2016. Harms was entrusted to care for his girlfriend’s newborn daughter. Investigators say the injuries were inflicted while the child’s mother, also his live-in girlfriend, Jessica Bermudez, went out with a friend. Harms was arrested by the Fountain Police on April 19, 2016. Branden Harms pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in death and also admitted to withholding medical care. He faced 40-48 years in prison at sentencing on May 16, 2017.

Taking a deep breath in court, Harms described how he “almost saw black” and then began to “excessively spank her. Sometime after that, I began to choke her,” he said. “Further after that, when I was putting her in her crib, I wasn’t gentle.” The former soldier suggested that he threw the girl into her crib with enough force to split its wooden bottom, sending the infant to the floor beneath. “After that,” he added, “I kind of snapped to, and it was too late.” –Colorado Gazette

Related Links:
Fountain man accused of murdering 4-month-old baby
Arrest made following death of 4-month-old
Fort Carson soldier arrested for death of 4-month-old
Fort Carson soldier charged in death of 4-month-old girl
Fort Carson soldier charged in death of 4-month-old girl
Fort Carson infantry scout jailed in connection with child’s death
New Information About Man Arrested For 4-Month-Old’s Death
Soldier to face trial in beating death of 4-month-old girl in Fountain
Fort Carson soldier acknowledges killing infant girl
Fort Carson soldier acknowledges killing infant girl
Ex-Fort Carson soldier admits to baby’s fatal injuries
Former Fort Carson soldier, Branden Harms, acknowledges killing infant girl
Man accused of killing infant pleads guilty
Violent Crime, Suicide and Non Combat Death at Fort Carson, Colorado (US Army)

Air Force Veteran John Tessier (aka Jack McCullough) Freed from Prison After Maria Ridulph Cold Case Homicide Conviction Overturned with New Evidence (2016)

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Administrator

Captain John Tessier, US Air Force

aka Jack McCullough

Maria Ridulph, 7, disappeared on December 3, 1957 in Sycamore, Illinois. She was found stabbed to death a few months later. Air Force veteran John Tessier (aka Jack McCullough) of Seattle, Washington, 17 at the time, was convicted in 2012 of the kidnapping and murder of Maria and sentenced to life in prison. It was the oldest cold case in the country to be solved but soon that victory would be lost and conviction overturned on appeal. A prosecutor found evidence that supported McCullough’s long-held alibi that he had been 40 miles away at the time of the disappearance. As a matter of fact, the former Captain was enlisting in the Air Force and left for active duty service a few days later. A certificate of innocence was issued and Jack McCullough was set free on April 15, 2016. Despite the past sexual abuse of minors allegations, which McCullough doesn’t deny, he wants to clear his name of the homicide. McCullough is suing the State of Illinois for wrongful conviction. The case remains unsolved to this day.

1415749226165_Image_galleryImage_Jack_McCullough_as_a_Hugh

Maria Ridulph, 7, Illinois

Related Links:
Jack McCullough: The Last Man Standing
48 Hours: Cold as Ice
Jack McCullough Case: A Timeline
Footsteps in the Snow: The Cold Case Murder of Maria Ridulph
Train ticket could solve 50-year Maria Ridulph murder mystery
Maria Ridulph Alleged Killer Arrested: How Cops Finally Found Jack McCullough
Man guilty of murder in 1957
Jack McCullough, 72, convicted in 1957 murder of Maria Ridulph, 7
Former cop convicted in 1957 murder of 7-year-old Illinois girl
McCullough gets life for 1957 killing of 7-year-old
Ex-police officer convicted in murder of 7-year-old Illinois girl ,Maria Ridulph, snatched from a small-town street corner 55 years ago
Oldest U.S. cold case closed in Illinois
The murder that became the oldest solved cold case in America
Illinois: People v. McCullough (2015)
Newly discovered evidence in one of the oldest unsolved crimes in U.S. history to ever make it to trial means a 76-year-old convicted and sentenced to life in the 1957 slaying of a 7-year-old Illinois girl has a chance to go free
Prosecutor moves to dismiss 1957 cold case murder conviction
Police eye new suspect over 1957 murder of seven-year-old girl after receiving an anonymous letter in the mail possibly naming her real killer
Illinois prosecutor: Wrong man convicted of 1957 murder of 7-year-old girl
Judge: I’m not ready to free ’57 cold case convict
Jack McCullough freed after conviction vacated in ’57 Sycamore murder
Prosecutor: Man wrongly convicted of 1957 cold-case murder
Man wrongfully convicted in 1957 cold case murder declared innocent
Schmack: Jack McCullough falsely convicted in 1957 Maria Ridulph murder
Man wrongfully convicted in 1957 cold case killing of Maria Ridulph, 7, ruled innocent
Jack McCullough Free After Judge Orders New Trial In 1957 Murder Of Maria Ridulph
Wrong Man Convicted of 1957 Murder in Illinois, Prosecutor Says
Seattle man wrongly convicted in 1957 child’s killing goes free
Schmack Posits McCullough’s Innocence
The Sad Tale Of Maria Ridulph’s Disappearance And The Trial Of Jack McCullough
The Bizarre Murder Of Maria Ridulph — Still Unsolved!
Police eye new suspect in 1957 abduction, murder of 7-year-old girl
Man wrongfully convicted in coldest murder case: ‘I want my name back’
Maria Ridulph A Tragic Case
BrainScratch: Maria Ridulph

Videos:
McCullough at the Seattle Police Department June 2011
Woman Explains Why She Turned Her Brother in for Murder — Dr. Phil
Sister, Stepdaughter of Convicted Murderer Square Off — Dr. Phil
Cold Case Prosecutor Explains Why Convicted Murderer Gave Him the “Creeps” — Dr. Phil
Dr. Phil Analyzes Convicted Murderer’s ‘Telling’ Body Language
Jack McCullough interview
Jack McCullough questioned at Seattle Police Department
Interview with Jack D. McCullough about the new book, PIGGYBACK
Cold-case conviction overturned
Jack McCullough Exonerated of Murder in 1957 cold case
Jack McCullough freed after conviction for 1957 murder vacated
Wrongfully convicted man walks free in murder cold case
Cold-Case Convict Grateful For New Freedom
Jack McCullough plans to sue for wrongful conviction
Jack McCullough: ‘I was self-raised’
Twists and turns never end in kidnapping case

Retired police officer Jack McCullough was convicted of murder in Illinois more than half a century after the crime. But he was released Friday after a prosecutor found he could not have done it. McCullough says he will sue the state for the suffering five years of imprisonment. “48 Hours” correspondent Erin Moriarty reports.

Air Force A1C Nathaniel McDavitt Died In Jordan After Extreme Winds Caused Structural Damage to Building he Occupied (2016)

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Administrator

A1C Nathaniel McDavitt, US Air Force

Air Force A1C Nathaniel McDavitt, 22, of Glen Burnie, Maryland died April 15, 2016 as a result of injuries sustained after extreme winds caused structural damage to the building in which he was working. A1C McDavitt was temporarily deployed to Jordan with the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing for joint training exercises with the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF). He was an F-16 crew chief supporting Operation Inherent Resolve on behalf of the 52nd Equipment Maintenance Squadron, 407th Air Expeditionary Group at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany. According to The Jordan Times, the US embassy in Amman was looking into the cause of the accident that killed A1C McDavitt. His family set up a memorial scholarship fund in his name.

There is no indication yet whether the building in question was on or off a U.S. military base in the region. A spokesperson for AFCENT said the 407th group is part of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, but that the unit is geographically separated from the wing. Due to “host nation sensitivities,” the Air Force won’t release the 407th’s location. –Air Force Times

Related Links:
Obituary: Nathaniel H. McDavitt
DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty
Microburst Kills Airman in Southwest Asia
Wing mourns loss of deployed Airman
Air Force identifies airman killed by storm in Jordan
Air Force airman from Maryland dies in Southwest Asia
Air Force airman from Maryland dies in Jordan
Airman Nathaniel H. McDavitt, 22, of Glen Burnie
Air Force Airman From Maryland Dies In Southwest Asia
Glen Burnie Airman lived a happy life in short time
Glen Burnie airman Nathaniel H. McDavitt dies in building failure
Nathaniel H. McDavitt, airman from Glen Burnie, assured parents he was safe in fight against ISIS
US embassy probing airman death in Jordan
Maryland flag lowered in honor of Nathaniel Henry McDavitt
UPF team marches in honor of fallen soldiers
Cardin Applauds Myriad Contributions of Service Members, Families on Veterans Day 2016
La Plata senior receives scholarship in honor of fallen serviceman
Airman First Class Nathaniel H. McDavitt Memorial Scholarship Fund
Tribute To Our Fallen Soldiers – USAF Airman First Class Nathaniel H. McDavitt, of Glen Burnie, Maryland

A1C Nathaniel H. McDavitt, US Air Force

A Stranger in My Home Premiered ‘Shades of Jade’ on ID: Nevada Escort Murders Air Force Retiree Philip Inhofer Because Greed (April 8, 2016)

Posted on April 8, 2016 by Administrator

A lonely ex-military man meets up with a much younger beautiful woman, and together they fall in love. Or so they think. Until a deadly combination of greed, worry, and secrets leaves one dead and the other on the run… wanted for murder. -Shades of Jade, A Stranger in My Home (S3,E8)

Related Links:
Shades of Jade | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (S3,E8)
Shades of Jade | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (website)
Shades of Jade | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Air Force Retiree Philip Inhofer Murdered by Escort for Money & Mercedes Convertible; Michelle Cummiskey Sentenced to 25 Years to Life (March 7, 1991)

TSgt Steven Bellino, US Air Force (2016)

Posted on April 8, 2016 by Administrator

TSgt Steven Bellino, US Air Force

TSgt Steven Bellino, 41, US Air Force, passed away on April 8, 2016 at Joint Base San-Antonio in Texas.

Related Links:
Obituary: Steven D. Bellino
Technical Sgt. Steven D. Bellino, Save Our Heroes
Two Airmen Fatally Shot at San Antonio Base Identified
Air Force Officials Identified Two Men Killed In Workplace Violence
Lackland AFB shooting victims identified as TSgt and squadron commander
Victims in Lackland shooting ID’d as former FBI agent, squadron commander
Gunman in Texas Air Force Base Killing Had Gone AWOL
Lackland AFB Shooter Was Facing Disciplinary Action For Going AWOL
Training Squadron Commander, Student ID’d as Airmen Dead in Air Force Base Shooting
Lackland Air Force Base Gunman in Murder-Suicide was Ex-FBI Agent
Official: Ex-FBI Agent Was Gunman in Texas Base Shooting
Suspect in Apparent Murder-Suicide at Texas Air Force Base Was a Former FBI Agent
Lackland base shooter ID’ed as former FBI agent, Iraq war veteran
Air Force: Student from Northeast Ohio killed commander at Lackland AFB
Texas Air Force base gunman was from Parma Heights, reports say
Commander ‘went out swinging’ in Lackland murder-suicide
Air Force commander ‘went out swinging’ during deadly shooting with former FBI agent at Texas base
Special Operations airman killed his squadron commander in apparent-murder suicide
Gunman in Texas Air Force base killing had gone AWOL, then taken mental health exam
A Long Career in Military’s Elite Spirals Into a Killing and a Suicide
Lackland gunman had been a standout soldier
Air Force: PTSD, other factors led airman to kill commander
Air Force reports: PTSD, other factors led airman to kill commander
Special Forces Vet Killed Himself, Commander Because Of Failing Career
Special Forces vet took two guns, a knife and a grudge into fatal meeting
In wake of Lackland shooting, Air Force aims to remove dropouts quicker
Family of Spec Ops Airman, who killed commander, alleges a USAF cover-up
A disputed suicide note and other documents trace Steve Bellino’s descent
Violent Crime, Suicide & Non Combat Death at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas

The gunman behind the fatal shooting at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland has been identified as Steven D. Bellino, a former FBI agent who later enlisted in the US Air Force. Bellino was an FBI agent for less than two years before resigning in 2013. Authorities have not confirmed why Lt. Col. William A. Schroeder was targeted in the murder/suicide attack.

MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL

No affiliation with the Department of Defense or any of the Armed Forces.

Monthly Archives: April 2016