Captain Jamie Brunette, 30, US Air Force, was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in her car on February 9, 2015 in Tampa, Florida. Tampa police found her in the parking lot of a Harbour Island cafe near her apartment slumped over in the back seat of a locked vehicle. She purchased the hand gun six months earlier. According to friends and family, Jamie didn’t speak much about her time in Afghanistan but her parents believe she may have suffered with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after a sexual assault while deployed to Afghanistan. The issue sheds light on whether or not military members feel comfortable reporting crimes and asking for help for the aftermath. According to one MacDill Air Force Base official, they actively encourage airman to reach out for help and assured they would not lose their careers. They also reminded airman that reaching out for help early will help prevent the Post Traumatic Stress from getting worse and in the end help save their military career.
Fort Carson Army soldier, SSG Justine Holt, 31, was killed in a rollover accident at a post training area on February 6, 2015 in Colorado. Base officials said five others were also injured when the Stryker fighting vehicle turned over. Investigators said the Army vehicle took the wrong road in the dark and was making a U-turn when it tumbled 250 feet off a cliff at the training range. According to the Army, the crash caused $2.6 million dollars worth of damage to the Stryker. The Army also reported that no one was disciplined after the crash.
Documents released to the AP this week said Holt had an unspecified medical condition, that he suffered shoulder pain and he wasn’t sleeping well. But a captain cleared him to participate in the exercise against the advice of a physician assistant and a squadron commander, the report said. The report didn’t say whether Holt’s condition was a factor in his death or the crash. –The Denver Post
Lorianna Parker dated her partner Rodney for four years before they became parents on April 5, 2012 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Rodney was described as genuine; he had a heart of gold and treated Lorianna like a princess. Rodney’s job kept him on the road a lot and tragically on April 13, 2012, nine days after their first child was born, Rodney died in a car accident. Lorianna was devastated by the news his mother shared that day because Rodney was her life, Rodney was the father of her son. About a month later, Lorianna went back to work to support her family and eventually enrolled in school at the community college. It would be two years after Rodney’s death that she finally decided to date again. She used a social media dating app to begin the dating process and immediately recognized she was comparing everyone to Rodney.
Then one day Corey Davis showed up on Facebook. She noticed they had mutual friends and she thought he was super hot. She thought about friend requesting him but hoped he would friend request her. The next day Corey friend requested her. She couldn’t believe this hot guy was interested in her; he said he was a model, and looked like one too. He also mentioned that he noticed her at the community college; Lorianna was flattered that he noticed her and pursued her. The two chatted via text all day, every day from there on out. After two and a half weeks, Corey invited her to hang out with his friends. The first date didn’t pan out because Lorianna got sick. After canceling, Corey’s response was anger and she didn’t hear from him again until the next day. They ‘made up’ and everything was okay.
“Corey Davis” on Facebook
This time Corey invited Lorianna to hang out at his apartment in North Tulsa. He told her he left the apartment to pick up some food but suggested Lorianna go to his apartment and wait for him, his roommate Ashley and his son would be there to greet her. Lorianna finally found his apartment and Ashley Pullen and his five year old son Daniel were outside waiting for her. Ashley graciously invited Lorianna up to the apartment to wait until Corey came home. Lorianna felt safe because Ashley was a wonderful father. While they were chatting, Ashley shared that Daniels’s mom took off and abandoned him; he was a single dad. Then Lorianna got a text from Corey informing her he was going to be late (he was playing video games with his friends); he told her to relax and have a drink while she was waiting. Ashley offered Lorianna a vodka shot and then a second shot. By midnight, Lorianna felt like her chest was heavy and she could have slept for days.
When Lorianna woke up the first time, she was on a mattress on the floor and a man was on top of her. She was afraid to open her eyes and let him know that she was awake because she feared he would kill her. Lorianna drifted back into unconsciousness and what happened next was a blur. When she came to the second time, she was wearing someone else’s basketball shorts with no shirt. Her first instinct was to flee from the situation. She jumped up, got dressed, and gathered her belongings. In the meantime, Ashley awoke and before she could leave, he told her he had a great night and wanted to see her again. Lorianna was confused and left the apartment, she was thinking, “What just happened between you and I?’ There was so much confusion and Lorianna struggled to remember what happened. She wanted to believe that what she thought happened didn’t happen. Meanwhile, Ashley continued to text her and acted as if they both had a great time.
The next day, Lorianna got bombarded with text messages from both Ashley and Corey right in to the evening. Ashley texted Lorianna and told her Corey never showed up because he got pulled over for speeding and was thrown in jail for some outstanding tickets and warrants. Ashley also tried to make her believe that she came onto him. Adding to the confusion, she felt like he was trying to say everything was her fault. She decided she was done with him, told him to leave her alone, and blocked him on Facebook. Then Corey contacted her upset that she had sex with Ashley. He claimed he showed up to the apartment that night, saw them in bed, and left because he was angry. Corey was calling her names, including slut and whore, and belittling her because she slept with his roommate. Lorianna told Corey she was done with him to and to leave her alone.
Two weeks earlier, a young woman made a report of sexual assault to the Tulsa Police Department. She too met Corey Davis on Facebook and eventually went to his apartment where Ashley Pullen and his son were there to greet her. She too felt like she was drugged and sexually assaulted but could not identify who raped her. She was asked to get a sexual assault examination to determine if there was any DNA, but the victim reported two days after the assault so police were unable to obtain a DNA profile to match to a suspect. Meanwhile two more women reported the same eerily similar circumstances. Both alleged Ashley Pullen gave them two shots and after the second shot, they blacked out but they knew they were sexually assaulted. Unfortunately because they were most likely drugged, these three victims couldn’t positively identify who raped them. Then a fourth victim came forward who remembered the sexual assault and she could positively identify Ashley Pullen. As a result, Pullen was arrested. After the arrest, police learned Ashley Pullen was dishonorably discharged from the Army after he was convicted in 2002 and 2003 for assaulting two women at Fort Carson.
The Tulsa Police Department reached out to the media in an attempt to find out if there were more victims. After Lorianna learned of Ashley Pullen’s arrest, she contacted the police. She thought her social media messages would be helpful to the investigation. The police made copies of the messages and then Lorianna gave a statement. Lorianna remembered waking up with someone on top of her; she knew it was Ashley Pullen because she woke up next to him listening to his drivel about how they had a great time. As a result, she was the second woman to positively identify Ashley Pullen as the man who drugged and raped her. Both victims who could positively identify Ashley told police they had two shots with him then felt tired. It did not make sense. Why do I feel woozy, why is my head spinning, and why did I black out after only two shots? The police recognized the modus operandi of this serial rapist who used the second shot to drug his victims in an effort to incapacitate them. The police searched Ashley’s apartment for any traces of date rape drugs.
Investigators did in fact find unknown substances in Ashley Pullen’s home and forensic tests confirmed the unknown substances were GHB, which is a common date rape drug and usually given to those with sleep disorders. Unfortunately, this particular drug can be manufactured at home with common chemicals. GHB is clear and odorless and within 10 minutes one will feel the effects; all the victims noted they felt dizzy and unexplainably tired after the second shot they consumed. And like most, these victims assumed they overindulged, and that is was causes the confusion. Investigators explained that GBH metabolizes out of the system in 10 hours which makes it the perfect drug for a rapist. By the time the victim realizes what happened to them, it’s too late. GHB also makes the brain cease from properly forming memory which is identical to a blackout; the drug shuts down the brain. Victims have half memories at best. The Tulsa Police Department charged Ashley Pullen with first degree rape by narcotic agent.
Next investigators wanted to know who Corey Davis was? They wanted to know if he helped facilitate the crimes, if he himself committed similar crimes, or if he was a victim too. After some digging, the police deduced that ‘Corey Davis’ was a fictitious, manufactured profile on Facebook. Detectives could find no trace of Corey Davis anywhere. Corey Davis was a complete fabrication invented on a fake Facebook profile by Ashley Pullen. He created the fake profile using a ‘hot model’ to lure unsuspecting women to his home after ‘Corey’ asked them out on a date. Ashley created a person, a life, and he used Corey Davis to trick others; he friend requested females as Corey Davis the hot model to groom them and build trust. The victims reported Corey Davis was a nice guy, very flattering, and made them feel good about themselves. When Lorianna learned that Corey Davis was actually Ashley Pullen, she was felt sick to her stomach that she had been fooled by Ashley Pullen again.
According to investigators, Ashley Pullin had absolutely zero remorse. He was described as ‘evil to the core and a ruthless manipulator’. Ashley used his fake Facebook profile Corey Davis the model to reel in his victims. Then he used his fail safe strategy, his five year old son, to help make his future victims safe when they arrived to Corey’s home. None of women who arrived at Corey’s apartment thought they would be raped by someone with a five year old present. They thought Ashley was a great dad and as a result wouldn’t hurt anyone. Ashley told all of his victims that his son’s mother abandoned him when in fact he kidnapped the child from his mother three years prior to his string of sexual assaults. Ashley used his own child to further his deceit in an elaborate scheme to drug and rape unsuspecting women. On February 5, 2015, Ashley Pullen was convicted of first degree rape by narcotic agent. Pullen was sentenced to life in prison and it is not eligible for parole until 2060; he will be 77 years.
Tulsa Police Department say “before you meet someone in person, Google them or do a court records search, and even then, be careful. Meet in a public place somewhere, not just public, but public and crowded. If you do meet someone, you shouldn’t accept a drink from them because it’s easy to slip something in it.”
Single mom Lorianna Parker is excited when she meets popular good-looking Corey Davis online, and filled with hope as their friendship blossoms. But when she goes to meet him in the flesh, her dream date turns into a living nightmare. -People You May Know, Web of Lies (S4,E1)
ID Go: When a Naval Officer is apparently raped and stabbed by a coworker, a mysterious VHS tape suggests the victim may have been silenced to prevent a scandal. Dogged investigation and cutting edge forensic science reveals a shocking murder plot. -Deadly Accusations, Unusual Suspects (S7,E4)
Navy Petty Officer Elise Makdessi worked as an Air Traffic Controller at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia. Elise was married to Eddie Makdessi for five years and they lived off base in Virginia Beach. Elise unknowingly helped plan, organize, and carry out her own murder and it is unclear if she was a willing participant in the original plot with Eddie to scam the government out of money or if she was controlled by Eddie. Eddie Makdessi murdered Elise Makdessi and Navy Petty Officer Quincy Brown on May 14, 1996 as part of an elaborate scam. The whole thing was a set up. Elise thought she was part of an arrangement where she would invite Quincy Brown to the house, have sex with him, then accuse him of rape. She also manufactured evidence to make it look like she was documenting sexual abuse in an effort to sue the Navy and make millions. She had journals and created what looked like a rehearsed video outlining what four Navy men, including Quincy Brown, did to her on the job.
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.
ID Go: When a 16 year-old ballet dancer is assaulted and murdered in her home, Portsmouth, Virginia detectives mine dark family secrets and high school social circles to bring an obsessed killer to justice. -Last Dance, Unusual Suspects (S7,E2)
On April 10, 2008, Navy sailor Chris Shortt discovered his step-daughter Meghan Landowski stabbed to death in their Portsmouth, Virginia home. Meghan was 16 years old and from the looks of the crime scene, there was a struggle; Meghan fought back. Investigators learned the killer used a knife from the family’s kitchen. They found it in a gutter down the street. The police didn’t know who committed the murder but they believed it was personal and Meghan knew her attacker. Chris and Angie Shortt believed Robert Hickey killed Meghan and they called NCIS at Naval Station Norfolk to let them know what happened. NCIS questioned Hickey. Robert Hickey was a military officer who was on his way to the rank of Captain when he was accused of sexual assault by Meghan. Robert was a close friend of the family and NCIS believe he groomed Meghan for a sexual relationship. Meghan said Rob began touching her when she was 14 and by age 15, Meghan was having a sexual relationship with a 30-year-old man. Read more here.
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.
Robert McKernan, 29, was shot ten times in his home in Massillon, Ohio by his wife Colleen on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2014. Originally charged with murder, US Air Force veteran Colleen McKernan went to trial twice in 2016 and both times jurors were deadlocked. Colleen claimed she had been ‘hit by her husband’ of eight months for the last time and admitted shooting him ten times in self-defense. It was duly noted that Colleen was a Security Forces airman who not only had extensive fire arms training but that training included how to stay calm in stressful situations and environments. Colleen McKernan accepted a plea deal on the eve of her third trial and was given a 7-year sentence for manslaughter in 2017. Under the plea deal, Colleen could serve as little as 3 1/2 years in prison.
New Years Eve 2014 a holiday full of anger destroys a young Ohio couple when one is charged with the other’s murder. But this marriage is not a story of deceit and betrayal but rather a cautionary tale of how a volatile relationship can develop. -Bride Killa, Investigation Discovery
On December 16, 2014, Bradley William Stone, a US Marine Corps veteran, killed his wife and five of his in-laws at three different locations throughout Montgomery County in Pennsylvania. After killing them he went on the run and it would be two days before he was found dead in the woods of an apparent suicide. He died from self inflicted knife wounds. The community breathed a sigh of relief after learning that he could no longer harm anyone else.
Patricia Flick, 36: An autopsy conducted found that she suffered gunshot wounds to her right forearm and to her face and a gaping “chop” wound to her head. The coroner determined the cause of death to be gunshot wounds to the arm and head. Aaron Flick, 39: An autopsy found he suffered gunshot wounds to his right hand and his head and “chopping” wounds to his arm and his head, all of which caused his death. Nina Flick, 14: An autopsy found she suffered 12 “chop” wounds to her head, which proved fatal, and one “chop” wound to the back of her neck. Joanne Gilbert, 57: An autopsy found she suffered a gunshot wound to the face and her throat had been slashed; both wounds contributed to her death. Patricia Hill, 75: An autopsy found she suffered a cutting wound to her left forearm and, the fatal wound, a gunshot wound near her right eye. Nicole Hill Stone, 33: An autopsy found she suffered a gunshot wound to her hand and two gunshot wounds to her head. The coroner determined the cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds.
Air traffic controller Gene Thurnau moves to St-Petersburg, Florida to start over. He meets Jaye-Jaye, and soon they marry and begin building their dream home. But ghosts from Gene’s past bring unwanted tension and horror into their perfect home. -Star-Crossed Murder, A Stranger In My Home (S2,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.
If someone reports a crime to a police department, even if the person is not prosecuted, there is still a record of the complaint. This is not happening in the military because the Commander does not have access to law enforcement databases. So if the person was accused before in the military, the Commander has no way of knowing. And they are not entering data into the system if they are informed of a complaint. We are losing valuable data if the person is not prosecuted for the crime. The military currently prosecutes less then 10% of complaints.
If information was processed like in the civilian world, we quite possibly could prevent a rape or sexual assault. It could help establish a pattern even if one of the cases didn’t have enough evidence to prosecute. If the military had multiple complaints against one person then they would have a better chance at prosecution.
Air Force Captain William DuBois, 30, of New Castle, Colorado died December 1, 2014 when his F-16 aircraft crashed near a coalition air base in Jordan. Captain DuBois was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve on behalf of the 77th Fighter Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina. Captain DuBois grew up in New Castle, Colorado and graduated from the Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Colorado at Boulder. The accident was investigated and the Air Force accident investigation board reported that a rapid descent caused the fatal F-16 crash.
Because he was flying so low, DuBois was unable to recognize and recover from the descent. After pulling out of the turn, about one second before hitting the ground, DuBois apparently was able to see he was too low and attempted a 4G level pull away from the ground, but it was too late. –Air Force Times
MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL 