Forensic Files Premiered ‘Blanket of Evidence’: Michael Dean Overstreet Raped & Murdered Franklin College Student Kelly Eckart (April 4, 2007)

A young woman disappeared after working the late shift in a department store. Days later, her body was found in an isolated ravine. Tiny clues told police a great deal about the killer. He would own olive-colored carpeting, a white blanket, and distinctive bullets made from wax, not lead. -Blacket of Evidence, Forensic Files (S11,E38)

Editor’s Note: Full episodes of Forensic Files are available on a variety of media platforms. FilmRise Channel and Forensic Files Channel both feature full episodes of Forensic Files on YouTube. You can also find full episodes of Forensic Files on both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. On Netflix, the seasons are grouped as collection 1-9. On Amazon Prime Video, you can find Season 1-10 here; Season 11; Season 12; Season 13; Season 14; Season 15; Season 16; Season 17; Season 18; Season 19; Season 20; and Season 21. Start bingeing and see for yourself why Forensic Files is such a hit!

Related Links:
Blanket of Evidence | Forensic Files | IMDb
Blanket of Evidence | Forensic Files | FilmRise (S11,E38)
Blanket of Evidence | Forensic Files | Full Episode (YouTube)
Blanket of Evidence | Forensic Files | Netflix (Collection 1, E8)
Blanket of Evidence | Forensic Files | Amazon Prime Video (S11,E19)
Kelly Eckart Found Murdered in Indiana; Michael Overstreet Sentenced to Death But Court Ruled Not Competent for Execution (September 27, 1997)
Murder Comes to Town Premiered ‘All-American Sweethearts’ on ID: Kelly Eckart Found Raped & Murdered in Indiana State Park (January 27, 2014)
Evil Lives Here Premiered ‘First Love, Forever Evil’ on ID: Michael Dean Overstreet Abused Wife, Raped & Murdered Kelly Eckart (February 11, 2018)
Forensic Files: 6 Active Duty Military and Veteran Homicide Cases

Fort Hood Army Cpl. Christopher Ferguson Died of Undetermined Causes; CID Claimed Death Was Accident; CBS News Reported Suicide (March 25, 2007)

Christopher Ferguson
Cpl. Christopher Martin Ferguson, U.S. Army

Fort Hood Army Cpl. Christopher Martin Ferguson, 21, died of undetermined causes on March 25, 2007 in Killeen, Texas. Christopher was born and raised in Pataskala, Ohio and enlisted in the U.S. Army in May 2004 after graduating from high school. Cpl. Ferguson worked as a combat infantryman on behalf of the Bravo Company, 3-67 AR Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood in Texas. Cpl. Ferguson deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005; he conducted over 200 combat patrols and participated in over 30 joint operations with Iraqi counter-parts in Baghdad.

Christopher Ferguson was born on April 12, 1985, in Columbus, Ohio, the son of Theophil Ferguson of Florida, and Patty Gibson Ferguson of Pataskala. He attended the Watkins Memorial School system, and graduated from the Criminal Justice program at Licking Co JVS, Class of 2004. He was fascinated by security systems and the military since a small child. He was described as a “peacekeeper.” He entered the U.S. Army in 2004, spent one year in Iraq, and was stationed at Ft. Hood at the time of his death. Cpl. Ferguson was survived by his mother and two sisters of Pataskala, Ohio when he passed.

******************************************

July 13, 2020:

“My brother is Corporal Christopher Martin Ferguson…he passed away March 25, 2007 at Scott and White Hospital in Texas…he was stationed at Fort Hood…he had just got back from Iraq and was at a party right off of base with fellow soldiers…story was that he fell from a three-story building on his head (alcohol involved or not, you don’t fall from a balcony to your head and not fracture one other bone, not have anything broken, only have your brain bleeding)…my mom, myself and my sister were flown out to see him and he was never awake…he was on life-support for seven days…everybody that came to the hospital was not allowed to talk to us…they told us that they had been told that they were not allowed to talk about anything that happened that night…we were left with no answers…my brother’s Sergeant brought us his blazer so we had something to drive while there and my sister and myself found a grocery bag in the back of his blazer that had the clothes he was wearing that night…the paramedics had cut them off him…it was just stuffed in the back of his blazer…there was a detectives card in there that was just placed in his shoe so I called and the detective let me know that the army had taken the investigation from Killeen PD…At the same time we found his camera and his blazer, there were fellow soldiers in the pictures with him that night who claimed that they were not there…my brothers death certificate says cause unknown [undetermined]…No one would tell us what happened and it was ruled as an accident years later…One of his fellow soldiers that does surfing for veterans put my brother on national news with his picture, his name along with saying that he committed suicide, but my family was never told that…there’s a lot more to the story…it’s very fishy and there was a lot of no talking or lies and I really want to know what happened to my brother.” -Christina McDonald (sister)

Christopher Ferguson Balcony
Christopher Ferguson with two Army soldiers. Picture taken on the balcony in question in 2007.

CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell:

About 20 veterans die by suicide each day. A hotline launched in 2007 has answered more than 3.5 million calls, sending help to thousands of people. Dean Reynolds got an inside look. -CBS News with Norah O’Donnell (August 26, 2019)

Christopher Ferguson CBS News
Screenshot of the soldiers Army veteran Danny O’Neel claimed died by suicide. (CBS News)

“This is the national news episode that a fellow soldier of my brothers did! He added my brother to posters and news saying he committed suicide! If this was the case, why weren’t we told this?! The Army took the investigation from Killeen Police Department. If there was a real investigation going on, why did my sister and I find my brothers belongings, clothes, and shoes from that night…there’s blood on them, they stuffed everything in a grocery bag, and had it in the back of his blazer…they treated it like it was trash…wouldn’t you think they would need that as part of their investigation? Cpl. Christopher M. Ferguson deserves justice..please help our family find out what exactly happened to him at Fort Hood.” -Christina McDonald (sister)

Additional Photos:

Related Links:
Obituary: Christopher Martin Ferguson
Suicide Prevention Call Center | CBS News with Norah O’Donnell (Facebook)
Inside a suicide prevention call center responding to thousands of veterans (YouTube)
Army Soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas Are Dying at Alarming Rates Stateside (January 1, 2016 to Present)

Air Force Reservist Karl Hoerig Murdered at Home; Suspect & Spouse Claudia Fled to Brazil to Avoid Extradition; 10 Years Later Back in US to Face Charges (March 12, 2007)

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Karl Hoerig, Air Force Reserve

48 Hours:

After “48 Hours” correspondent Erin Moriarty tracks down the accused killer of a decorated military pilot in Brazil, the woman is extradited to the United States . Will the pilot’s family get justice?

To get justice for his death, Karl Hoerig’s family in the United States must first navigate the Brazilian criminal justice system, which may keep his suspected murderer from facing extradition. -48 Hours

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio, 13th District) has appealed to three U.S. Presidents to try and help Major Karl Hoerig’s family get justice for the U.S. Air Force veteran’s murder. “48 Hours” Erin Moriarty talks to the congressman about his push to have Claudia Hoerig extradited to the United States to stand trial. -48 Hours

The family of a murdered military hero is embroiled in an international fight for justice. Karl Hoerig was killed in his Ohio home in March 2007. His family immediately suspected his wife, Claudia, but she boarded a flight to her native Brazil hours after her husband’s death. U.S. investigators charged Claudia with murder, but more than 10 years later, the Hoerig family is still seeking justice. Erin Moriarty, who traveled to Brazil to track down Claudia, joins “CBS This Morning” to preview her “48 Hours” report.

Related Links:
Justice for Karl Hoerig | Congressman Tim Ryan
Justice For Major Karl Hoerig | Representative John A. Boccieri
Brazil Uncooperative in Extradition of Suspected Murderer
Brazil Uncooperative in Extradition of Suspected Murderer
Woman accused of killing her husband, and a congressman is pursuing justice
State representative pushes for stronger response to Brazilian murder suspect
Family of murdered veteran battles to bring his wife to justice
US congressman: Ohio fugitive arrested in her native Brazil
Nine years later, local family hoping for justice after murder suspect arrested in Brazil
Trump must call for return of Claudia Hoerig
Newton Falls murder case gains national attention again on 48 Hours
Sneak peek: A Brother’s Mission | 48 Hours
“48 Hours” Preview: A Brother’s Mission
Congressman supports Ohio family’s 10-year quest for justice
“48 Hours” travels to Brazil with family seeking justice for military pilot
How does Brazilian punishment fit the crime?
Brazilian fugitive charged with murder of American husband
Brazilian fugitive charged with murder of American husband
48 Hours reporter explains what Claudia Hoerig’s been doing in Brazil
Wife of Murdered Newton Falls Pilot Karl Hoerig Arrested in Brazil, May Finally Face Extradition
‘Bingo! We got her back:’ Newton Falls thrilled to see Hoerig trial
Karl Hoerig case update: A family’s decade-long quest to get justice for murdered veteran
CBS News This Morning spotlights Karl Hoerig murder case
Timeline: Efforts to extradite Claudia Hoerig for husband’s murder
Fugitive jailed: A timeline in the fight to bring Claudia Hoerig to justice
Karl Hoerig’s Air Force friends praise effort to bring accused killer to U.S.
Woman indicted in ’07 slaying of husband returned to US
Woman accused of murdering Air Force husband fled to Brazil in 2007, extradited back to Ohio
Newton Falls woman accused of killing husband 10 years ago extradited from Brazil, arrested
Woman accused of killing Air Force veteran husband, fleeing to Brazil now in Ohio jail
Brazilian Woman Back in NEO, Charged With Husband’s Murder
Senator O’Brien Praises Extradition Of Claudia Hoerig
Bond set at $10 million for decade-old murder case
Bond set for woman who fled to Brazil after Air Force Reserve husband’s slaying
Hoerig pleads not guilty to murder, bond set at $10,000,000
Woman accused in 2007 Trumbull County murder of husband pleads not guilty, held on $10 million bond
48 Hours Premiered ‘A Brother’s Mission’ on CBS (2017)
The Wife from Hell | MilitaryCorruption.com

Two Unarmed Teens are Killed in Iraq, Army Sgt. Michael Barbera Charged with Murder, Charges Later Dropped by Military (2007)

barberajpg-f18e964405586ec4
Sgt. Michael Barbera, US Army

Related Links:
Rules of Engagement
U.S. Soldier Accused Of Murder In Deaths Of Deaf Iraqi Boys
US soldier charged with murder over deaths of two Iraqi civilians
U.S. soldier charged with murder in killing of two Iraqi civilians
A Soldier Accused, But Few Answers In Death Of Iraqi Teens
U.S. soldier accused of gunning down unarmed teens in Iraq
US soldier accused of killing two teens in Iraq as military investigates
Army Considers Court-Martial Of Soldier In 2007 Iraq Killings
U.S. Army sergeant charged with murdering two unarmed, deaf Iraqi teenagers due to appear in a military court today
U.S. Army drops murder charges against soldier in slaying of Iraqi boys
Army drops murder charges against soldier, Staten Island native Michael Barbera, over Iraqi boys’ deaths
Murder charges dropped against sergeant who shot 2 unarmed Iraqi boys
Army drops charges against paratrooper over 2007 killing of Iraqi boys
Soldier won’t face charges in deaths of Iraqi boys
No prison time for Army Sgt. Barbera for phone threat against reporter’s wife
The Silent Soldier: A Code of Silence
How an award-winning investigative reporter tracked killings in Iraq

Did the Army do enough to prevent soldier’s death? (2007)

Tina PriestPfc. Tina Priest of Smithville died in Iraq on March 1, 2006 and her family is worried that the Army botched its care for her after a rape claim that was followed by her apparent suicide.

Investigations did not find sufficient evidence to continue the rape inquiry, but the family, skeptical of what it sees as holes in the Army’s information, is waiting for a final review by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command.

Family members also say Army officials told them that the investigation was concluded in September, but their requests for the final report are being denied. A recent article in the Hartford Courant newspaper citing that final report has heightened the Priests’ anger.

“I need some closure,” said Joy Priest, Tina Priest’s mother. “I want to know. Why can a newspaper get a copy of that report and we can’t?”

An investigation conducted in Iraq by Fort Hood’s 4th Infantry Division, in which Priest served, was conducted after her death, and its findings — which the family was given — are an accurate portrayal of events, said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, a spokesman for the division. He said the Criminal Investigation Command report will be the last one issued, “and we do still owe that to the family.”

Continue reading “Did the Army do enough to prevent soldier’s death? (2007)”

Marine Veteran Joseph Kerekes & Navy Veteran Harlow Cuadra Murdered Bryan Kocis in Pennsylvania Home; Sentenced to Life in Prison (2007)

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Bryan Kocis, Pennsylvania

Marine veteran Joseph Kerekes and Navy veteran Harlow Cuadra murdered Porn Producer Bryan Kocis and set his home on fire in Pennsylvania on January 23, 2007. They drove from their Virginia Beach, Virginia home to Pennsylvania to commit the homicide of Kocis which automatically made the crime an across state line matter that involved law enforcement agencies from three states and the federal authorities. Eventually investigators gathered enough evidence to arrest Kerekes and Cuadra and charge them with first degree murder and other charges. Joseph Kerekes pleaded guilty to second degree murder and is serving a life sentence without parole; he cannot appeal his sentencing. Harlow Cuadra was convicted of first degree murder in 2008 and was sentenced to life in prison; he’s appealing his case. The case garnered some attention from Hollywood and was the inspiration for a film called King Cobra featuring Christian Slater.

“Law enforcement officials from three states and at least three federal agencies aggressively investigated the crimes, and in May police arrested Harlow Cuadra, 26, a former Navy enlisted man, and Joseph Kerekes, 33, a one-time youth pastor who was briefly in the Marines. From their home in Virginia Beach, Va., the couple who, like Lockhart and Kocis, also met on the Internetran a gay escort service, which they say employed active-duty servicemen from military bases in the area, and they produced and starred in bareback porn on their military-themed Web site, Boybatter.com.” –Out Magazine

Related Links:
Death of a Porn King
Update: The Case of the Cobra Killer
Affidavit lays out details in porn producer’s slaying
Gay porn murder trial underway; Brent Corrigan expected to testify
Porn Star Testifies in Murder Trial
The Fate of Harlow Cuadra: Will There Be Justice for Bryan Kocis?
Cuadra Found Guilty of Murder of Kocis
Cuadra to Serve Life in Prison
Cuadra sentenced to life for Kocis murder
Brent Corrigan Turned Down Role in James Franco’s Gay Murder Movie ‘King Cobra’
James Franco porn murder film King Cobra finishes shoot
‘King Cobra’: Trailer For Dramatized Version Of Murder Of Adult Filmmaker Bryan Kocis Released
“Cobra Killer” reveals how a real-life, gay-porn murder mystery unraveled on Black’s Beach
‘King Cobra’: The Debauched True Story Of Brent Corrigan, Corruption And Murder
What James Franco’s Movie ‘King Cobra’ Gets Wrong About One of Gay Porn’s Wildest Stories
Brent Corrigan Opens Up On Murder Scandal
King Cobra: Christian Slater on relating to his role, examining Keegan Allie’s skivvies
Cobra killer: “We were blurred and blinded by greed, and we thought that we were Gods.”
The real ‘King Cobra’ killer speaks out from prison, shares his thoughts on James Franco’s film
Real-Life “King Cobra” Killer Joseph Kerekes On James Franco’s Adaptation
Family of Bryan Kocis Not Looking Forward to Film Movie Details Kocis’ Murder
Harlow Cuadra & Joe Kerekes | Snapped: Killer Couples
Snapped: Killer Couples (Harlow Cuadra & Joe Kerekes)
“Snapped: Killer Couples” episode retraces murder of Dallas Township’s Bryan Kocis
Crime Watch Daily investigates the true story behind ‘King Cobra’ film
Crime Watch Daily investigates true story behind ‘King Cobra’ film (Pt. 1)
Crime Watch Daily investigates true story behind ‘King Cobra’ film (Pt. 2)
Crime Watch Daily investigates true story behind ‘King Cobra’ film (Pt. 3)


Harlow Cuadra & Joe Kerekes: A Virginia couple’s desperation leaves their gay porn empire in ashes. -Snapped: Killer Couples

MA1 Jennifer Valdivia, US Navy, Died in a Non Combat Related Incident in Bahrain, NCIS Ruled Death Suicide by Carbon Monoxide Poisoning (2007)

Honoring Jennifer Valdivia @USNavy (2007)
Jennifer Valdivia, US Navy

MA1 Jennifer Valdivia, 27, US Navy, died in a non combat related incident in Bahrain on January 16, 2007. MA1 Valdivia was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom on behalf of the naval security force for Naval Support Activity in Bahrain. At the time of the press release the Department of Defense announced that her death was under investigation and Bahrain was located within the designated hostile fire zone. Naval Criminal Investigation Services (NCIS) eventually ruled her death suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning.

Toussaint, who led the Bahrain unit until March 2006, was at the center of a 2007 command investigation that documented more than 90 instances of abuse, including sailors being ordered to simulate homosexual sex in training videos, hogtied to chairs and force-fed dog treats. “If my daughter didn’t do what he told her to do, he would embarrass her in front of everybody in the kennel, belittle her,” Young said. “Everybody who was friends with Jennifer tells me the same story: She was the fall person. She was the scapegoat.” ~Pilot Online

Jennifer was at the center of command directed investigation of abuse of prisoners in Bahrain. It was reported that she did not want to participate in war crimes yet was belittled, harassed, and abused by a supervisor if she didn’t do what he told her to do. If she had a way out, could this suicide have been prevented? Was it a suicide? Was it ever investigated as a homicide? Who found her? Was it reported to the Commander first? Did the Commander do an initial investigation? Does the Navy have NCIS located in Bahrain? How quickly did NCIS respond to the scene located in what is described as a designated hostile fire zone?

Related Links:
DoD Identifies Navy Casualty
Navy Master-at-Arms 1st Class Jennifer A. Valdivia
Report Leaked on Navy Suicide
Report: Sailors hogtied, fed dog treats
U.S. Navy sailors say they were hazed, abused
Abuse Probe May Have Pushed Navy Sailor To Suicide
Navy: Investigation drove sailor in dog-handling unit to kill self
Report outlines security unit hazing, assault
Gay Sailor: My Comrades Locked Me In A ‘Feces-Filled Dog Kennel’
‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Didn’t Protect Me From Abuse in the Navy
Ex-sailor denies hazing by senior
Brutal Navy Hazing Rituals Probed
Navy petty officer to face punishment in hazing
Navy Admits it Was Wrong in Case of Dog Handler
Navy Chief in Anti-Gay Hazing Case to Retire with Full Rank and Pay
Navy’s reprimand of leader not enough for man who lost daughter
Two years later, sailor to be forced out for role in hazing scandal
AP’s Misleading Report on Navy Reversal: I Did Not Ask for Anti-Gay Hazing
Navy veteran combats ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’
Is There an Army Cover Up of Rape and Murder of Women Soldiers?
The Deadliest Year, In ’07 the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars Claimed More Than 1,000 U.S. Lives, Bringing the Death Toll to 4,354
Top female navy commander sacked over humiliating initiation ordeals on board ship
Non Combat Deaths of Female Soldiers in the US Military (Other Areas)

Navy Seaman Sandra Grant Died of Natural Causes While Aboard the USS Eisenhower in Support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (December 31, 2006)

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Seaman Sandra Grant, US Navy

Navy Seaman Sandra Grant, 23, died of a natural causes (cardiac arrest) while aboard a ship in the Arabian Sea on December 31, 2006. Seaman Grant was a Damage Control Fireman supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. Naval officials reported the death was under investigation but preliminary findings pointed to natural causes. Sandra was a sailor, a family member, a friend, a wife, and the mother of a baby boy. She was also one of three sailors announced in the Department of Defense press release that died of ‘natural causes’ or an ‘accident’ in a hostile fire zone in support of OIF.  Lt. Cmdr. Jane Lanham, 43, died from natural causes on September 19, 2006 in Bahrain. Petty Officer 3rd Class Roger Napper, 20, died of trauma from a single motor vehicle accident on October 7, 2006 in Bahrain.

[Sandra’s] father said the news came as a total shock because she was always healthy and didn’t have any prior medical condition. –The-Dispatch.com

Related Links:
DoD Identifies Navy Casualties
Navy Seaman Sandra S. Grant
SMN Sandra Stephanie Grant Fry
Sandra Stephanie Grant, US Navy
Sailor carried on family’s legacy

Forensic Files Premiered ‘A Novel Idea’: Michael Peterson Convicted of Murdering Two Women for Life Insurance Money (December 13, 2006)

Full Episode: Emergency Dispatch in Durham, North Carolina received a frantic call from a man who said his wife had fallen down the stairs; she was unconscious but still breathing. When paramedics arrived, they could do little more than pronounce the woman dead. The number and volume of bloodstains at the scene was greater than usual. It was up to forensic scientists to find out why. -A Novel Idea, Forensic Files (S11,E22)

Editor’s Note: Full episodes of Forensic Files are available on a variety of media platforms. FilmRise Channel and Forensic Files Channel both feature full episodes of Forensic Files on YouTube. You can also find full episodes of Forensic Files on both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. On Netflix, the seasons are grouped as collection 1-9. On Amazon Prime Video, you can find Season 1-10 here; Season 11; Season 12; Season 13; Season 14; Season 15; Season 16; Season 17; Season 18; Season 19; Season 20; and Season 21. Start bingeing and see for yourself why Forensic Files is such a hit!

Related Links:
A Novel Idea | Forensic Files | IMDb
A Novel Idea | Forensic Files | FilmRise (S11,E22)
A Novel Idea | Forensic Files | Full Episodes (YouTube)
A Novel Idea | Forensic Files | Netflix (Collection 2, E36)
A Novel Idea | Forensic Files | Amazon Prime Video (S11,E7)
Military Widow Elizabeth Ratliff Found Deceased at the Bottom of Stairs in Germany; Michael Peterson Last Person to See Alive, Adopted Ratliff’s 2 Daughters (Nov. 25, 1985)
Kathleen Hunt Found Deceased at Bottom of Stairs in NC Home; Spouse Michael Peterson Pleaded Guilty to Manslaughter to Avoid Second Trial (Dec. 9, 2001)
Marine Corps Veteran Michael Peterson Convicted of the Murder of Wife Kathleen; Sentenced to Life in Prison, No Parole (October 10, 2003)
Marine Veteran Michael Peterson Pleaded Guilty to Manslaughter of Wife Kathleen to Avoid 2nd Trial; Agreed to Alford Plea, Released with Time Served (Feb. 24, 2017)
Investigation Discovery Premiered ‘An American Murder Mystery: The Staircase’ (April 8, 2018)
Netflix Premiered ‘The Staircase’: A Docuseries Examining Marine Veteran Michael Peterson’s Durham, North Carolina Murder Trial (June 8, 2018)
Forensic Files: 7 Active Duty Military and Veteran Homicide Cases