Vietnam Veteran Roland Younce Fatally Shot by Police After Shooting & Wounding Tony Moore, a Child, & Two Police Officers in North Carolina (May 27, 2009)

Preview: In the rolling hills of Lenoir, North Carolina, retired Vietnam veteran Roland Younce sells off a patch of his land to Tony Moore and his young family to build their forever home on. Unfortunately, things turn ugly. -Lies, Lawns & Murder, Fear Thy Neighbor (S1, E1)

“Roland Younce, 63, of Caldwell County, North Carolina, allowed his pit bull to roam free in the small rural neighborhood. This decision would prove to have deadly consequences. In January 2008, Younce’s pit bull bit the two young daughters of his 44-year-old neighbor, Tony Moore. As a result, Moore sued Younce for the cost of the medical bills. The judge ruled in Younce’s favor and dismissed the lawsuit. This caused an 18-month feud between the two men. They called the police on each other over frivolous actions and filed several lawsuits against each other.”

Read more at Listverse: 10 Disturbing Cases of Neighbors from Hell

Tony and Amy Moore and their two daughters moved into a new home in Lenoir, North Carolina in 2007. Tony and Amy bought their home from Roland Younce, a Vietnam veteran in his 60s, and also their neighbor. Roland was a single man with a dog he considered family and his daughter and her husband lived with him. Tony survived a tragedy and lost one of his legs in a vehicle accident. As a result, Tony stayed home with the girls and Amy worked full-time to support the family. Tony depended on his 4-wheeler to get around the property. Tony and Amy loved their new home and appreciated all their kind neighbors. They all depended on one another to make it work. At first the Moores were friendly with Roland Younce. The neighbors would occasionally BBQ together but they noticed Roland didn’t leave his home very much. Roland’s daughter Alicia on the other hand was a breath of fresh air. She played with the girls and they had a lot of fun. One day, Alicia invited the two girls over to her home to check out her movie collection. The girls stayed on the porch while Alicia went inside Roland’s home to retrieve the movies. One of the girls admitted to opening the door and Roland’s dog Harley lunged towards them and began biting both of them. They were seriously hurt with puncture wounds and had to be taken to the hospital. Roland agreed to pay the hospital bills.

As the hospital bills started rolling in, Tony brought them over to Roland and Roland paid for the first bill he received. Meanwhile, the kids got back to playing and having fun in their backyard. According to Alicia, Tony brought Roland another hospital bill that was for the exact amount as the first one. Roland thought Tony was trying to get him to pay the same bill twice so he refused to pay it. Tony and Amy didn’t feel they should have to pay for any of the bills so Tony filed a judgement against Roland in civil court. Things only got worse when the court sided with Roland on the matter. Nevertheless, Roland asked his son-in-law to tell Tony he would pay $20 a month until it was paid off. Apparently, Tony said no to the offer and demanded all of it. This was when everything went to hell and the tension continued to simmer between the once friendly neighbors. At this point, the friendship was dead so Tony built a property border using some trees to help create more privacy. Roland didn’t like it because he felt they were getting too close to his property line. One day, Tony discovered his disability checks stopped showing up in the mail. He immediately suspected Roland of taking them from the mailbox but he couldn’t prove it. So in retaliation, he would get on his ATV, drive around the property, and make a bunch of noise.

The ATV noise annoyed Roland because he wanted peace and quiet at his home. Tony was on his ATV almost everyday and the blaring engine was getting on Roland’s last nerves. Alicia said Roland was triggered by the noise and he would have flashbacks from his time in the Vietnam war. His dog Harley helped comfort him but both sides were gearing up for combat and no one was backing down. Tony’s disability checks still hadn’t shown up so he asked Roland about it. Of course, Roland denied having any information about the missing checks. Then Roland started bringing his dog outside in what felt like an intimidation tactic to scare the Moore family. And not only was the Moore’s mail disappearing but some trees they planted on their property were missing too. The Moores put up a surveillance camera to see if they could catch the person who was removing the trees from their property. The video captured what looked like Roland Younce’s figure so they took it to the police. But the video wasn’t clear enough for the police to take action. They needed concrete evidence before they could do anything about it. Then one day, Roland went to his mailbox to get the mail only to discover it had been glued shut. He was not able to get the key in the keyhole to open the mailbox. Roland called the police department but they told him the same thing. If he didn’t see Tony do it then their hands were tied.

The police were frustrated by now because they were unable to get these two neighbors to settle down. It appeared both of them wanted to keep things going. Then in another act of intimidation, Roland would take his dog out when Tony’s two daughters came home from school. They were scared to get off the bus knowing the dog had hurt them in the past. Roland would allow the dog to lunge at them and then pull him back. They literally felt terrorized by Roland and the dog. In response, Tony threatened to kill the dog if the intimidation continued. Roland loved his dog and was deeply attached. Roland’s daughter Alicia felt like Tony was the one pushing buttons. Roland expressed concerned to Alicia and her husband that he was going to explode one day. Just months after Tony and Amy Moore bought their new home, they were locked in a war with their neighbor Roland Younce. In another act of aggression, Tony was out on his ATV one day with his daughters and ran over a board with nails in it. It flew up and hit the back of the ATV. Tony was furious because the nails could have seriously injured one of the girls. Tony reported the incident and once again because Tony didn’t see Roland put it there, there was nothing they could do. The Moore family felt isolated and alone in their battle with Roland because no one could help them. They thought Roland could do whatever he liked with no consequences.

Most thought Tony would back down for the sake of his kids but that’s not how things went down. Tony didn’t like feeling like a prisoner in his own home. The police tried to give them advice but neither side would budge. Then one day, the kids went outside and noticed someone had thrown logs in their yard. They alerted their father and all three of them threw the logs back on Roland’s property. Tony and the girls were caught red handed so Roland and his family started throwing the logs back on Tony’s property. Then Roland’s son-in-law Ricky threw a log that almost hit one of the girls. As a result, Tony pulled out a gun and threatened Ricky. He said if he hurt his daughters, he would shoot him. Ricky didn’t back down and told Tony to shoot him because he wasn’t scared. Tony indeed shot near them so Ricky threw a log at him and it hit and injured Tony. The police were called and Roland and Ricky got arrested for assault on a handicap person and a child. Ricky understood why the police arrested him but he didn’t understand why they arrested Roland. Roland didn’t have anything to do with this incident. It also seemed strange that Roland went to jail but Tony didn’t. Apparently, Tony didn’t get arrested because he was in a wheelchair. The two were jailed with no bond and couldn’t get anyone to help them. It took two weeks for Roland and Ricky to get out of jail and both came home with a new level of anger.

Ricky admitted he wanted to hurt people and eliminate the threat. And each time Roland was arrested, it just made him madder and madder. One day Roland threatened to kill Tony so Tony called 911 and the police suggested he leave the home. Roland blocked him in his driveway with his truck and Tony felt trapped. So he made the decision to back up anyways in an attempt to get out of the driveway and wrecked Roland’s truck. After this, Alicia and Ricky moved out of Roland’s home because the whole thing got to be too much and the situation was escalating. Alicia said Roland felt abandoned and the neighborhood feud with Tony continued. Both men were armed and dangerous. Tony felt like Roland was waiting for a confrontation and as a result Tony was always armed. Roland was pushing Tony’s limits too. The two just didn’t like one another. One day Amy left for an overnight trip with work. She said she hated leaving her family because she couldn’t make sure everything was okay at home. On May 27, 2009, Tony heard something on the back porch and when he looked to see what was going on, he was facing Roland’s angry dog at his door. In response, Tony shot the dog. Roland heard the shot and immediately went looking for his dog. Roland threatened Tony and told him if he shot his dog, he was going to kill him. Amy was in Springfield, Missouri (over 1000+ miles away) when she received a phone call from Tony who told her he shot the dog.

Amy knew right away this was not good because Tony took Roland’s best friend away from him. She knew things were fixing to get really bad. Roland called the police to report that Tony shot his dog and he begged the police to get to the scene as quickly as possible because he was going to kill Tony. Tony had called the police as well. When the police arrived at the scene, they didn’t observe anything unusual initially. When the Moores realized the police were there, they started coming out of the home and immediately they all heard gunfire. Roland was shooting at them with a rifle and Tony and one of the girls had been shot. They ran back into their home. Unbeknownst to them, one of the police officers had been shot as well. Roland continued shooting through the windows of Tony’s home. More police were dispatched to the scene. The unharmed daughter contacted her mom and told her what happened. Amy Moore told her to call the police because Roland was still at large. Once the additional officers arrived at the scene, they immediately started treating the officer who had been shot. Dispatch informed the police that Tony and one of the girls had been shot as well and needed their help. The police decided to chance it so they could get to Tony and Ashley. They did not know where Roland was but time was ticking because Tony and his daughter were losing blood. The police decided to use the car as a shield so they could get to them.

The police went towards the home and Tony’s daughter summoned them from the garage. Roland started shooting at them again and this time he hit another police officer. The police shot back in the dark until all of a sudden the shooting stopped. The Police rescued Tony and his girls and took them to the hospital. Amy Moore got emergency flights back to North Carolina so she could get home to her family. Alicia headed to her father’s place after she heard about the chaos only to learn that her dad had been killed in an officer involved shooting. The police didn’t want to kill Roland but had no choice. The next day, Alicia and Ricky went to Roland’s home to see if they could figure out what happened. They found the dog certificate torn up and could see where he cried on those pieces of paper. Roland was devastated by the loss of his dog and he decided to take justice into his own hands. All those injured on the scene lived but they were seriously harmed with lasting impacts. One of the police officers lost his career because of the injuries. And after about a year on the job, the other injured police officer realized he just couldn’t do the work anymore. This one night of violence impacted all involved. It was traumatizing, preventable, and tragic that anyone had to lose their life because they couldn’t work out their differences.

Source: ‘Lies, Lawns & Murder’ Fear Thy Neighbor

ID Go: In North Carolina, a retired Vietnam veteran sells off a piece of his land to a young family. No one can predict the modern day Hatfield McCoy neighbor feud that will ensue and the midnight shootout that will end it. -Lies, Lawns & Murder, Fear Thy Neighbor (S1, E1)

Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch all of the 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. Download the ID Go app and binge away. 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 $2.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict.

Related Links:
5 shot in Caldwell County
Shooting Over Dog Ended With Four Injured, One Dead
Deadly feud: Gunman dead, 4 others shot in dispute over dog in Caldwell County
10 Disturbing Cases Of Neighbors From Hell
Fear Thy Neighbor’: A Grown Man Putting Children in Harm’s Way?
A Grown Man Putting Children in Harm’s Way? | Fear Thy Neighbor (website)
A Grown Man Putting Children in Harm’s Way? | Fear Thy Neighbor (YouTube)
Lies, Lawns & Murder | Fear Thy Neighbor | Investigation Discovery (S1, E1)

Army Soldier Ashley Barnes Stabbed to Death by Estranged Husband; Fort Campbell Army Soldier Khaleefa Lambert Sentenced to Life in Prison (2009)

Ashley Barnes-Lambert, US Army (2009)
Ashley Barnes-Lambert, US Army

Army soldier Ashley Barnes-Lambert, 18, was murdered by her husband, Khaleefa Lambert, also an Army soldier, on March 7, 2009. Ashley was home on leave from Afghanistan and was in the process of filing for divorce. Lambert drove up from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, kidnapped Ashley at knife point from her hotel room in Clarksville, Tennessee, and stabbed her to death in the parking lot of the hotel. The State of Tennessee sought the death penalty in this case but Lambert’s attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the death penalty notice. Lambert was charged with two counts of aggravated kidnapping and two counts of first degree/felony murder. A jury found Khaleefa Lambert guilty and he was given a life sentence in prison with eligibility for parole.

Related Links:
Wife found dead in Army soldier husband’s SUV
Female Army Soldier Found Dead in Husband’s SUV
Woman’s body found in SUV; Husband charged
First degree murder charges filed in murder of female soldier
Police: Wilmer soldier killed by estranged husband in Tennessee
State of Tennessee v. Khaleefa Lambert (March 4, 2013)
Husband of murdered Tennessee soldier given life sentence
Fort Campbell Soldier Murder Case
Trained in One Battle, Losing Another: PFC Ashley Cecelia Barnes

Marine Corps Veteran Carri Goodwin Died of Alcohol Poisoning in Alliance, Ohio; Dad Finds Evidence of Military Rape & Suicidal Thoughts in Journals (February 28, 2009)

Carri Goodwin
Carri Leigh Goodwin, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran

My original efforts were inspired by Carri Leigh Goodwin, LaVena Johnson, and the many other servicemembers who did not survive as a result of their service to this country. In honor of these men and women, we pledge to fight for justice on their behalf, amplify their voices, and support the families who deserve to know the truth.

In August 2007 at the age of eighteen (18), Carri Leigh Goodwin of Alliance, Ohio enlisted in the United States Marine Corps to make her Marine Corps veteran father proud. During her short time in the Marine Corps, Carri was sexually assaulted by two different men while serving, reported the crimes, and instead of being taking seriously was discharged with a mental health diagnosis and misconduct discharge. Like most rape survivors, Carri had acute Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD) from the brutal assaults she endured. Carri Leigh Goodwin died on February 28, 2009 from alcohol poisoning only a few days after being discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps. Gary Noling wants to honor her and all the families who have lost their child to the sexual assault and violence epidemic in the U.S. military. Gary wrote about his experience with the tragic loss of his daughter in the New York Times in August 2016: What the Military Owes Rape Survivors Like My Daughter.

Related Links:
Carri Leigh Goodwin (1989 – 2009)
Carri Leigh Goodwin MST
More charges in court brawl
Speaking Out: US Military Sexual Violence and Trauma Against Women
In Harm’s Way: Non-combat deaths of Ohio soldiers raise questions about U.S. military’s treatment of female members
The Tragic Case of Maria Lauterbach
Military Sexual Trauma: Is this how we treat women in the military?
Military Sexual Trauma: The Women’s War
Sexual Assault Prevention & Response Services: The Invisible War
Military Fails to Protect Service Members from Rape— Class Action Lawsuit filed against the Pentagon
Why suicide rate among veterans may be more than 22 a day
Tammi Sue Goodwin-Smith Obituary
What the Military Owes Rape Survivors Like My Daughter | NY Times
What the Military Owes Rape Survivors Like My Daughter | SOFREP
Petition: Support Victims Of Military Sexual Assault
RAPE & SEXUAL ASSAULT are Dirty Little Secrets for the Military, Especially the US Navy
‘Military Sexual Trauma’: the victims behind allegations of abuse in the U.S. Armed Forces
Carri Leigh Goodwin | Wikipedia

Nellis Air Force Base Airman Jason Klinkenberg Murdered his Wife Crystal & Then Killed Himself After a Stand-off with North Las Vegas Police (2009)

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Jason & Crystal Klinkenberg

On February 20, 2009, US Air Force service member Jason Klinkenberg murdered his wife Crystal Louise Gray and then committed suicide in North Las Vegas after a stand-off with police. Jason was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. The family believes that Jason was never the same after returning home from a deployment to Iraq in 2005. Jason was plucked from his base to be a member of Detachment 2632, a unit assembled to augment the Army and provide security for cargo trucks on Iraq’s bomb laden roads. Jason witnessed a fellow soldier die after the vehicle they were driving was struck with a rocket-propelled grenade. The family shared that Jason had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and continued to see images of his friend in his last moments. Jason’s sister shared that Jason attempted to get help for PTSD but the Air Force called him a liar. The Air Force denied this assertion. They claimed they regularly assess for mental health issues and referred Jason to counseling off base.

“Veterans advocates like Manji Varghese say nothing excuses violence. But they say military and veterans officials too often ignore a pattern of problems that has played out again and again, with deadly results.” -Salt Lake Tribune

Related Links:
Airman, wife die in shooting
Murder Suicide is Official Cause of Couple’s Deaths
Iraq vet struggled with PTSD then killed wife, himself
Air Force joins investigation into deaths of former airman and wife
Family: Post-traumatic stress led to tragic murder-suicide
Police had earlier responded to location of murder-suicide

Army Veteran Nicholas Michael Jean Murdered Susana De Jesus After a Carjacking; Discharged From Military Two Weeks Prior for Violence Issues (2009)

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Susana De Jesus and Nicholas Michael Jean, US Army Veteran

The murder of Tina Davila was the start of a scourge of violence in Houston, Texas. On April 16, 2008, Tina Davila, a mother to five children. was out running errands with her four month old daughter. She made a quick stop at the cellphone store. After exiting her vehicle, two guys pulled up beside her and one of them jumped out and ran up behind her. A struggle ensued for Tina’s car keys because Tina immediately went into mother mode and began worrying about her baby she left in the car. The assailant was able to take the keys away from her so Tina ran after him in an attempt to get her keys back. It was at this time she was stabbed and the assailant changed plans and took off in the car he came in.

Tina stumbled to the front desk of the cellphone store and asked the employees to get her baby from the car. The employees got her baby for her and laid the baby next to her mother on the floor. The cellphone store employees called 911 and Tina was rushed to the hospital. The family was notified and arrived at the hospital only to learn that Tina had died; they also learned from media reports that she was stabbed during an attempted carjacking. Tina’s family was devastated. Fortunately, there was an eye witness who was able to provide a good description of the attacker and driver of the car. They were both described as Hispanic males and a composite sketch was created. A $10,000 reward was offered for any information leading to an arrest.

Meanwhile, the Houston police learn that there was a robbery at a beer store four hours before Tina was stabbed. Both the store and the parking lot had surveillance cameras and a witness identified two Hispanic males in the aggravated robbery. The witness also provided a license plate number and police learned the car was registered to Stacy Bailey. She reported her car stolen the day before the robbery of the store and the stabbing of Tina Davila. Stacy also described the two assailants as Hispanic males. Police were able to determine that this was the same car used in the aggravated robbery and homicide. The police fed leads to the media in an attempt to get more tips but they got no new information and the cases went unsolved.

Ten months later on February 2, 2009, as Susana De Jesus was leaving her place of employment with a co-worker, she was accosted by a masked gunman parked. He demanded that she get in her car and drive; Susana’s co-worker Karen Davis retreated in her own car where she remained until she felt safe. Karen called the police but could only provide a vague description of Susana’s car. While Susana was driving, the assailant demanded she go to a bank and was worried about her On-Star tracking system. Susana didn’t know if it was working and said she needed to call her boyfriend. He knew something was wrong because of her impersonal phone call.

Susana’s boyfriend called On-Star to find out whether or not they were able to track her but they couldn’t give out any information unless there was a missing person’s report. Susana’s boyfriend then went to her apartment and her car was not there. He was very worried now and went to the police station to file a missing person’s report. The car was tracked down in a parking lot but Susana and her abductor were gone. Police were concerned the assailant would cross state lines so the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was contacted to assist because they have more resources. These attacks were random and it illicited fear in the community.

The FBI learned that Susana’s debit card was used to purchase fuel and the gun left in Susana’s car was stolen the same day Susana was abducted. The woman who reported the gun stolen also reported the assailant tied her up, gagged her, and shoved her in a closet. She managed to get herself untied and escaped while the assailant was robbing her home. She ran to a neighbor’s home then called the police. The assailant was gone by the time the police arrived and only managed to steal the gun. These two crimes were now connected. The police wondered if Tina’s case was connected too. After three days, there was still no sign of Susana. Texas Equusearch was called in to help them find Susana. The search lasted for three weeks but came up empty.

Sabrina Piña was the third person accosted in a parking lot in the course of a couple years in Houston. In this case, she was taken but her car was left behind and there were no witnesses. Texas Equusearch was called again, this time to look for Sabrina. And then a $30,000 reward was offered for the resolution of Susana De Jesus and Sabrina Piña’s disappearances. Then two days after Sabrina’s abduction, someone found an unidentified woman’s body laying in a ditch. On February 2, 2009, Sabrina Piña was found with duct tape wrapped around her eyes and wrists, and she had been shot in the back of the head. Forensic scientists were able to extract a finger print from the duct tape that matched Theodore Schmidt. He was arrested. Police learned Schmidt knew Sabrina from college and had an unhealthy obsession with her. When she didn’t appear to recognize him in the parking lot, he got angry and kidnapped her. Schmidt was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life without parole.

A month after Sabrina Piña was found, another man contacted police to report an attempted abduction and murder. This assailant forced him into the trunk of his own car but when the gunman has trouble starting the car, the victim was able to escape. When the assailant realized he escaped, he began chasing him down and shooting at him but he made it to safety. The police responded and an intensified attempt to find this dangerous assailant was initiated. Police asked people in the surrounding area to stay in their homes and report any suspicious activity. Ten hours later, a woman called to report a person wearing a mask in a carport. The Police responded, apprehended the suspect, and learned it was Nicholas Michael Jean.

Jean’s behavioral problems in the U.S. Army also are likely to surface during the trial. He served at Fort Sill, Okla., for three months before being discharged two weeks prior to De Jesus’ murder because his supervisors found him “unfit for military service,” according to a military separation letter. Army records show Jean was accused of fighting with and threatening other soldiers in his platoon, trying to choke another serviceman, hitting another private in the face and abusing sick leave time. He had also been discharged from the U.S. Navy in 2006 for a serious offense of misconduct, court files show. –Houston Chronicle

Nicholas Jean was an Army veteran who was recently discharged for being unfit for military duty after only three months of service. According to the Army, he did not respect authority and punched an officer. Investigators questioned Nicholas who tried to stick with the story that he was only a driver for the gang. After a few hours, Detectives began to lose their patience and demanded that Jean tell them what happened because they knew he had information. At this point, they had tons of evidence and knew all these crimes were connected. In this case, two crimes remained unsolved: one was dead; one was missing. and perpetrators were still on the loose. They needed Jean to give up the names of those who were involved. Jean eventually told the detectives that ‘the group’ took Susana in a semi trailer and killed her. Jean led the police to Susana De Jesus’ body.

On March 10, 2009, police found the badly decomposed remains of Susana De Jesus in an abandoned semi trailer. Nicholas Jean admitted to murdering Susana within two hours of her abduction. Jean also admitted to killing Susana so he could give her vehicle to the girl he wanted to marry as a wedding present; she turned him down.  Jean was charged with capital murder and was facing the death penalty. But the jury spared his life and he was instead sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Wallace Ledet drove Jean to the abduction so he was apprehended too and charged with manslaughter. Ledet pleaded guilty and was sentenced to thirteen years in prison. Neither Ledet or Jean could be tied to Tina Davila’s murder.

Then one day a high school principal called the Houston police to report a student thought her boyfriend may have been involved in Tina Davila’s murder. She named seventeen year old Kennedy Escoto. As a result, Escoto was arrested and admitted to his involvement but tried to pin everything on his passenger Timoteo Rios. Escoto also admitted they stole some beer in the morning and because they were getting low on gas, they needed another car; Tina was a victim of opportunity. Kennedy Escoto was convicted of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and sentenced to forty years. Timoteo Rios was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Related Links:
Obituary: Susana “Susy” De Jesus
Search for Susana DeJesus Changes Focus
Investigation into Woman’s Murder Continues
Suspect Arrested in Attempted Carjacking
De Jesus kidnapping suspect indicted on capital murder charge
Man Charged with Killing Kidnapped Woman
Recent attack in Pearland linked to Susana De Jesus’ abduction
Second Man Arrested in de Jesus Case
Second Suspect Arrested in Susana DeJesus Case
Police say Pearland woman was shot after abduction
Woman’s abduction, shooting death set up by relatives, jurors hear
Jean’s Mental Health in Question
Friends Remember Susana DeJesus One Year After Murder
Bringing Up Painful Memories
Pearland man pleads guilty to killing Houston woman
Sentencing phase of DeJesus murder trial begins
Army reject faces death penalty in fatal abduction in Pearland
Confessed Killer Nicholas-Michael Edwin Jean: Using A Cops Episode To Avoid The Death Penalty
Jury spares killer’s life in carjacking-slaying
Susana de Jesus’ killer gets life in prison without parole
Susana de Jesus’ killer gets life in prison without parole
Wallace Ledet, IV v. State of Texas (2010)


In April 2008, 39-year-old Houston native and mother of five, Tina Davila, runs errands with her 4 month old infant when she’s attacked in a parking lot. In the next year, a rash of similar crimes breaks out across the city. Are they related? -Investigation Discovery

History: The Military And Domestic Abuse (January 28, 2009)

Critics say the military needs to do more about domestic violence against women. A CBS News investigation found more than 25,000 women have been victimized over the past decade. Katie Couric reports. -CBS

Related Links:
A Silent Struggle (2009)
Domestic Abuse In The Military (2009)
The Army And Domestic Abuse (2009)
Abused Military Wife Speaks Out (2009)
Bringing The War Home (2009)
Tonight: Investigating Domestic Violence In The Military (2009)
When War’s Violence Comes Home (2009)

MJFA Research:
Fort Bragg Army Nurse Lt Holley Wimunc Murdered by Marine Husband the Day After She Announced Divorce, John Wimunc Sentenced to Life in Prison (2008)
Rep. Braley introduces Holley Lynn James Act (2011)
Army Spouse Katherine Morris Found Dead in Car Near Mall; Cause of Death Initially Ruled Suicide But Further Investigation Suggests Homicide Motivated by Insurance Fraud (2012)
Evidence Reveals Army Reserve Recruiter Adam Arndt Murdered HS Student & Recruit Michelle Miller, Then Killed Self; Army Claims Double Suicide (2013)
Army Sgt Michael Walker Allegedly Conspired to Murder Wife with Prostitute for Insurance Money; Awaiting Murder Trial in Hawaii Civilian Court (2014)
Army Pfc Karlyn Ramirez Found Shot to Death in Home, Army Veteran Dolores Delgado Plead Guilty & Army Sgt Maliek Kearney Awaiting Trial (2015)
Army Pfc. Shadow McClaine Reported Missing at Fort Campbell on 9/2; Spc. Charles Robinson Pleaded Guilty to Murder, Sgt. Jamal Williams-McCray Awaiting Trial (2016)
Life Insurance Fraud is a Common Motive for Murder in the Military
A List of Soldiers Targeted & Murdered for Military Survivor and Life Insurance Benefits
30 Domestic Abuse Cases in the Military That Ended in the Murder of Female Partners
Military Policy and Legislation Considerations for the Investigations of Non Combat Death, Homicide, and Suicide of US Service Members

History:
Spouse Abuse A Military Problem (1999)
Pentagon Reveals 50,000 Abused Military Spouses (1999)
General: The Good Soldier Doesn’t Beat His Wife (2001)
Retired judge remembers ‘60 Minutes’ Ed Bradley (2006)
When Strains on Military Families Turn Deadly (2008)
PTSD and Domestic Abuse: Husbands Who Bring the War Home (2010)
Domestic violence: end of your time in the military? (2011)
Reports of family violence, abuse within military rise (2011)
A Silent Epidemic: Spousal Abuse is the Military’s Best Kept Secret (2012)
High risk of military domestic violence on the home front (2014)
How The Military Failed This Victim Of Domestic Violence (2014)
DoD Highlights Programs to Prevent, Treat Domestic Violence (2014)
After Combat Stress, Violence Can Show Up At Home (2016)
Sutherland Springs Church Killer Was Kicked Out of Air Force for ‘Bad Conduct’ (2017)
An Air Force error allowed the Texas gunman to buy weapons (2017)
Air Force Failed to Report Texas Church Gunman Devin Kelley’s Domestic Violence Convictions (2017)
Here’s the Document That Should Have Prevented Devin Kelley From Buying Guns (2017)
Read Devin P. Kelley’s assault and domestic violence court documents (2017)
The loophole that may have given the Texas church gunman access to his arsenal (2017)
A Domestic Violence Loophole In The UCMJ? [Update: Kelley Was In A Mental Health Facility] (2017)
Texas shooting puts scrutiny on military’s criminal reporting system (2017)
The military reports almost no domestic abusers to the main background check database for guns (2017)
Defense Department has Reported Only One Domestic Abuser to Federal Gun Database (2017)
US military consistently fails to report domestic violence to gun database, senators say (2017)
The Air Force Error That Let the Texas Church Shooter Buy a Gun Is Just One of ‘Thousands’ (2017)
There Is No Domestic Violence Loophole in Military Law (2017)
Assault charges erased by veterans’ ‘Valor Act’ (2017)
Clarifying Our Reporting on the Military, Domestic Violence Records, and Gun Background Checks (2018)

Congressional Action:
Jeff Flake, Martin Heinrich introduce bill to close domestic violence loophole in military (2017)
Hirono Bill Closes Military Loophole On Firearm Purchases (2017)
Sen. Hirono Introduces Military Domestic Violence Reporting Enhancement Act (2017)
Rep. Rosen Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Close Loophole in Military Justice System that Allows Convicted Domestic Abusers to Buy Guns (2017)
Following Shooting in Texas, Kaine Introduces Bill to Close Loophole in Military Justice System that Enables Convicted Abusers to Purchase Guns (2017)
Military wife alleges abuse in the Army (2018)
Victims can face obstacles in domestic violence cases involving soldiers (2018)
Tillis Chairs Hearing on Domestic Violence and Child Abuse in the Military (2018)
YouTube: Tillis Chairs Hearing on Domestic Violence and Child Abuse in the Military (2018)
C-SPAN: Hearing Focuses on Domestic Violence & Child Abuse in the Military (2018)
SASC: Hearing Focuses on Domestic Violence & Child Abuse in the Military (2018)
Mother of sexually abused child: The military is failing victims (2018)
Lawmakers move to make domestic violence a crime under UCMJ (2018)
The UCMJ May Get A Domestic Violence Update To Prevent The Next Texas Church Shooting (2018)
UCMJ domestic violence overhaul aims to prevent another mass shooting (2018)
Rosen Amendment to Make Domestic Violence a Crime Under the U.S. Military Code of Justice Passes the House Armed Services Committee (2018)
S. 2129: Military Domestic Violence Reporting Enhancement Act

Army Veteran Allan Kowalski Found Buried in Shallow Grave on Texas Property; Charles Tidwell Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Murder (November 6, 2008)

Allan Kowalski
Allan Kowalski, U.S. Army Veteran (Photo: Bonnies Blog of Crime)

Army veteran Allan Kowalski, 51, was found buried in a shallow grave on his Ingram, Texas property on November 6, 2008. A routine traffic stop on October 22, 2008 lead police to learn of Al’s fate. Charlie Tidwell was pulled over by the police and presented with Al’s identification. The police found Al’s birth certificate, credit cards, and Tidwell was driving Al’s vehicle. Charlie Tidwell also forged Army 1st Lt. Al Kowalski’s active military ID by cutting out Al’s picture and inserting his own. As a result, Charlie Tidwell was arrested for failure to present an ID and an outstanding warrant. Initially, Charlie Tidwell told investigators Al was in Africa. The police were concerned about him because no one had seen or heard from Al since August 26 and his dog was still at his house. Al never went anywhere without his dog. Police visited Al’s house and it was ransacked, furniture had been stolen, and all of Al’s cars were gone.

They also found most of Al’s personal effects in trash bags. The police suspected a murder but now they had to find the body. They brought in a cadaver dog and the dog hit on a spot on the property; Al was buried in a shallow grave not far from the house. Charles Tidwell was charged with murder and after several interviews, Charlie admitted shooting Al but he claimed it was self-defense. An autopsy revealed Al was shot twice in the back of the head; authorities were unclear of motive. In the end, twelve people were indicted in the theft of Al’s property including Charlie’s wife Lisa. Lisa Rassi was sentenced to 10 years in prison for organized crime; Jeremiah McGregor was sentenced to 10 years in prison; and Wayne Christiansen was sentenced to 20 years in prison. In 2010, Charlie Tidwell was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 45 years in prison.

Other individuals who were indicted are: Wayne Earl Christiansen, 35 and Jeremiah Jason McGregor, 31 (both charged with aggravated assault and organized crime). The rest have been charged with organized crime: Theresa Jo Bruffett, 43; Elizabeth D. Carmona, 43; Amanda Rassi Contreras, 20; Raymundo Daniel Contreras, 24; Andrea Helen Cooper, 25; Michael Rene Garcia, 25; Richard Alcorta Garza, 39; Silver Star Hernandez, 24; Danita Dee Horner, 20; Kelli Rae Lagrone, 52; John Centeno Moreno, Jr., 26; and Lisa Gale Rassi, 41. Charles Tidwell and Ricado Ricky Giovannetti are both being held on charges of murder, with a $500,000 bond, and of organized crime (theft) with another $100,000 bond. Hierholzer said that there are likely more charges to be filed on several defendants. –West Kerr Current (2008)

Investigation Discovery:

Al Kowalski is new to Hill Country, Texas. He plans to spend his early retirement hunting and fixing his vintage vehicles. Al welcomes meth-addicted mechanic Charlie Tidwell into his home to help with the cars, but Charlie has a different plan. -Buried Secrets, A Stranger in My Home (S1,E3)

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:
Man charged in death of retiree who befriended him
Man charged in death of retiree who befriended him
Man pleads guilty to 2008 Kerr County murder
Charles Tidwell admits to killing Ingram man
Second man charged in murder; 16 indicted in ‘bizarre’ case
Man accused of taking life, identification
Man gets 25 years for disposing of retiree’s body
Man gets 25 years for disposing of retiree’s body
Buried Secrets | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (S1,E3)
Buried Secrets | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (website)
Buried Secrets | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
A Stranger in My Home Premiered ‘Buried Secrets’ on ID: Army Veteran Allan Kowalski Found Buried in Shallow Grave on Texas Property (October 27, 2013)

Deadly Women Premiered ‘Dark Secrets’ on ID: Black Widow Judy Buenoano Murdered Family Members for Life Insurance Benefits (October 30, 2008)

Deadly Women 2
Dark Secrets are the stock-in-trade of Deadly Women (S2,E4)

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:
Lethal Dosage | The New Detectives | YouTube (S3,E5)
Dark Secrets | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (S2,E4)
Air Force Sgt. James Goodyear Died of Arsenic Poisoning; Judy Buenoano Murdered Husband and Son Michael for Military Life Insurance Benefits, Executed in Florida (September 16, 1971)
Army Veteran Michael Buenoano Drowned in Canoe Accident; Judy Buenoano Murdered Son for Life Insurance Benefits, Executed in Florida (May 13, 1980)
‘Black Widow’ Judy Buenoano Executed by the State of Florida for Three Homicides; First Woman to Die by Death Penalty in Florida Since 1848 (March 30, 1998)
Deadly Women: 30 Military and Veteran Homicide Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

Forensic Files Premiered ‘Double Cross’: Navy Sailors Elise Makdessi & Quincy Brown Found Murdered in Makdessi’s Virginia Home (October 24, 2008)

Full Episode: Virginia Beach police arrive at the Makdessi apartment to find Elise Makdessi and her lover, Quincy Brown, dead. Elise’s husband Eddie had reported that he killed Quincy Brown in self-defense after Brown had murdered Elise. Eddie gave the police a videotape Elise had made a week before, alleging that she had been the victim of sexual harassment. -Double Cross, Forensic Files (S13,E5)

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:
Double Cross | Forensic Files | IMDb
Double Cross | Forensic Files | FilmRise (S13,E5)
Double Cross | Forensic Files | Full Episode (YouTube)
Double Cross | Forensic Files | Netflix (Collection 9, E35)
Double Cross | Forensic Files | Amazon Prime Video (S21,E1)
Navy Petty Officer Elise Makdessi Murdered in Virginia Home; Spouse Eddie Makdessi Found Guilty of Murder, Sentenced to Life in Prison (May 14, 1996)
Navy Petty Officer Quincy Brown Murdered by Military Spouse Motivated to Kill by Wife’s $700,000 Life Insurance Policy (May 14, 1996)
Press Release: Department of State Returns Double Homicide Suspect Adib “Eddie” Ramez Makdessi to U.S. (July 22, 2003)
Eddie Makdessi Convicted of Two Counts of Murder; Received Two Life Sentences for the Homicides of Navy Sailors Elise Makdessi & Quincy Brown (March 16, 2006)
Solved Premiered ‘Last Man Standing’ on ID: Navy Sailors Elise Makdessi & Quincy Brown Found Murdered in Makdessi’s Virginia Home (October 26, 2009)
Unusual Suspects Premiered ‘Deadly Accusations’ on ID: Navy Sailors Elise Makdessi & Quincy Brown Found Murdered in Makdessi’s Virginia Home (January 25, 2015)
48 Hours NCIS Premiered ‘The Double Cross’: Navy Sailors Elise Makdessi & Quincy Brown Found Murdered in Makdessi’s Virginia Home (April 25, 2017)

Deadly Women Premiered ‘Twisted Minds’ on ID: Sylvia Seegrist aka Ms. Rambo Went on Shooting Spree at Pennsylvania Mall (October 23, 2008)

HISTORY – Twisted Philly – Episode 14: PART 1 – Ms. Rambo

To recap part one, Sylvia Seegrist was a resident of Springfield, Pennsylvania, a suburb about 10 miles outside the city… -Ms. Rambo, Twisted Philly 

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:
Miss Rambo: The True Story of Spree Killer Sylvia Seegrist
Twisted Minds | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (S2,E3)
Twisted Minds | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (website)
Twisted Minds | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Twisted Minds | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (Hulu)
Sylvia Seegrist | Episode 51 | Misconduct, A True Crime Podcast
HISTORY – Twisted Philly – Episode 14: PART 1 – Ms. Rambo
HISTORY – Twisted Philly – Episode 15: PART 2 – Ms. Rambo
Sylvia Seegrist Went on Shooting Spree at Shopping Mall Killing Recife Cosmen, Ernest Trout & Augusto Ferrara; Sentenced to Life in Prison (October 30, 1985)
Deadly Women: 30 Military and Veteran Homicide Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery