Homicide Hunter Premiered ‘Poker Face’ on ID: Military Retiree Jamie Foster Shot Dead in Colorado Springs Home (September 16, 2014)

On September 16, 2014September 23, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, True Crime, VeteransLeave a comment

The corpse of Jamie Foster is found hidden under a blanket. But when Lt. Joe Kenda digs deeper, he discovers that Foster’s business put him in close quarters with a host of unsavory characters. -Poker Face, Homicide Hunter (S4,E5)

Military retiree Jamie Foster, 68, was found fatally shot in his Colorado Springs home in 1988. He was shot twice, once in the head, and investigators discovered his safe was missing from the home. Friends shared Jamie was dating a young woman named Leone “Oni” Jones who also happened to be addicted to drugs, crack specifically. Kenda couldn’t find Oni but he started canvassing pawn shops and learned Michael Parsons suddenly had cash he usually didn’t have. When Kenda interviewed Parsons, he learned Parsons helped Leone remove a safe from Jamie’s house. They opened the safe and found $900; Leone gave Parson’s $300. The safe was still at Parson’s home.

Parson’s was arrested and charged with accessory to first degree murder and third degree burglary. They put out a warrant for Leone Jones. A couple days later, she called the police department and surrendered. After the murder, she fled to Kansas, claiming she was fearful the men who killed Jamie would kill her too. Kenda didn’t believe her. He suspected she wanted money for drugs, went to Jamie’s home for cash, killed Jamie and took his safe. Although Leone refused to confess to the crime during the interrogations, she finally offered up the confession Kenda wanted during her trial. She pleaded guilty to second degree murder and was sentenced to 24 years in prison.

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.

United States Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals Overturns the Sentence of Lackland Basic Military Training Instructor SSgt Eddy Soto (2014)

On September 16, 2014March 4, 2018 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Felony Crime, Military Policy, Sexual Assault, USAFLeave a comment

Screen Shot 2016-07-30 at 10.19.43 AM — SSgt Eddy Soto, US Air Force

“Soto faced as much as life without parole for the rape, one of six charges and eight specifications of misconduct.” -My SA

SSgt Eddy Soto was a basic military training instructor at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. Soto was one of the 35 instructors courts martialed in what is referred to as the Lackland Sex Scandal. SSgt Soto was accused of unprofessional relationships, adultery, and the rape of one airman whom it appeared he had a relationship with. Investigators learned of the relationship Soto had with the airman who accused him of rape as part of a widespread probe into MTI misconduct. Soto faced life without parole but prosecutors asked for 12-15 years. Soto pleaded guilty to five charges and admitted that he had unprofessional relationships with a trainee and a civilian who had come to the base to see her husband graduate from basic training. He also admitted to adultery charges but he denied the rape accusation. He was convicted and sentenced to four years in prison in March 2013. After his confinement ended, he would be dishonorably discharged from the Air Force. Soto was the second instructor convicted of rape in the scandal. SSgt Luis Walker was the first conviction and he received 20 years for the rape of one airman and sexual assault of several others.

In an exceptional ruling by the Air Force Criminal Court of Appeals, Soto’s conviction for rape was overturned in Sept 2014. The military appeals court ruled the evidence was “factually insufficient” to support the conviction. In other words, there wasn’t enough evidence to find him guilty in the first place. The appeals court upheld the lesser charges of unprofessional relationships, adultery, and false official statement. The judge ruled the four year sentence and dishonorable discharge should be set aside and the case was referred back to the convening authority who had the authority to hold a new sentencing hearing. Soto remained jailed at the Naval Consolidated Brig Miramar in California while the government decided whether to ask the appeals court to reconsider their ruling. SSgt Eddy Soto served over a year and a half for a rape conviction that lacked evidence beyond a reasonable doubt. Media reports stated Soto would be re-sentenced by a lower court for unprofessional relationships, adultery, and false official statement. Further on-line research did not find evidence of the final disposition of SSgt Soto’s case. We do not know if he was re-sentenced, released from prison and when, or if he was discharged from the military.

The findings of guilty for Charge III, Specification 1 are set aside and dismissed. The remaining findings of guilty are affirmed. The sentence is set aside. The record of trial is returned to The Judge Advocate General for remand to an appropriate convening authority who may order a rehearing to determine an appropriate sentence for the affirmed findings of guilty. If the convening authority determines that a rehearing on the sentence is impracticable, the convening authority may approve a sentence of “no punishment” or dismiss the remaining charges and specifications. –USAF Court of Criminal Appeals

Army Reservist SSG Virginia Caballero Died on Plane Enroute in US After Deployment in Kuwait, Family Received Conflicting Accounts of Cause of Death (September 13, 2014)

On September 13, 2014September 11, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Medical, Military Policy, Non Combat Death, Stateside Death, Suspicious Deaths2 Comments

If you have any information that could help this family find answers, please contact us at militaryjusticeforall@gmail.com. Thank you.

FullSizeRender-2 copy — SSG Virginia Caballero, US Army Reserves (2014)

Honoring SSG Virginia Caballero, US Army Reserves, who became ill while en-route from Kuwait and then died unexpectedly shortly thereafter at a hospital in Rockford, Illinois on September 13, 2014. Apparently the commercial plane needed fuel and/or had to do an emergency landing for Virginia in Rockford, Illinois. It appears that they were on their way to Fort McCoy in Wisconsin. According to reports, Caballero was a Reservist stationed with the 452nd Combat Support Hospital, 330th Medical Brigade out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin but trained at Fort McCoy prior to her deployment to Kuwait. She served in Kuwait for roughly eight months and for some reason was coming home a month early with a high ranking travel companion. Media reports claim she wanted to surprise her family in Texas. It is believed Caballero suffered from a blood clot which was exacerbated with the altitude on the flight. She was not listed as a non-combat death by the Department of Defense but this would in fact be considered a non-combat death due to medical. The family admits in newspaper articles that a lot of the details are sketchy.

Here are the questions we have after combing through the below articles. Why was she coming home a month early accompanied by a high ranking travel companion if she was going to surprise her family? Did something happen in country prior to her boarding that plane? Was this an early surprise for family in Texas or an expedited transfer from Kuwait back to the states? The military isn’t in the business of assigning high ranking travel companions unless there is an issue. Were there any concerns about medical health prior to boarding the plane? Where were they flying to? Rockford, Illinois is only a couple hour drive from Fort McCoy. Why did they not land the plane sooner at a larger airport like Chicago when the medical issues began to develop or the fuel began to get low? Why did the DoD not send out an official notification of non-combat death considering she was on active duty orders in support of war efforts in Kuwait? Criminal Investigation Division (CID) was assigned to investigate the cause of death of Virginia. The family was asked to submit a FOIA request for the results of the investigation.

Homicide Hunter Premiered ‘Death Grip’ on ID: Peterson Air Force Base Military Officer Fatally Shoots Michael Faast Because Jealousy (September 9, 2014)

On September 9, 2014September 21, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, True Crime, USAFLeave a comment

Officers find the lifeless body of furniture salesman behind the wheel. But Faast didn’t die in the wreck – he was shot point-blank in the temple. Lt. Joe Kenda must track a killer whose promising career took a dark and deadly turn. -Death Grip, Homicide Hunter (S4,E4)

Deadly Women Premiered ‘Lover’s Revenge’ on ID: When Gregg Whitmore Divorced His Wife, She Demanded Payback (September 5, 2014)

On September 5, 2014August 19, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, True Crime, VeteransLeave a comment

When these women were betrayed, they demanded payback. A crazed mother took a custody battle too far, a scorned lover wiped out her competition, and a sex addict stepped on everyone in her way. They settled their scores by wreaking “Lover’s Revenge”. -Deadly Women (S8,E8)

Fort Bragg Army Pfc. Darrell Robinson Found Dead on Post (August 31, 2014)

On August 31, 2014July 31, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, Stateside Death, Suicide1 Comment

screen-shot-2016-10-15-at-7-33-27-pm — Pfc Darrell Robinson, U.S. Army

August: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (August 31, 2014)

On August 31, 2014July 31, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, Non Combat Death, ScandalsLeave a comment

08/24/2014: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Christopher Mulalley, 26, NCD, Afghanistan, Fort Hood, Texas

08/21/2014: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Matthew Leggett, 39, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

08/13/2014: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Samuel Hairston, 35, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

08/06/2014: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Harold Greene, 55, Afghanistan, Combined Security Transition Command

08/04/2014: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Girard Gass Jr, 33, NCD, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

Military Sexual Assault: Photojournalist Mary Calvert Documented Some of Their Stories | Cosmopolitan (August 26, 2014)

On August 26, 2014August 1, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, In Their Name, Military Policy, National Guard, Navy, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Sexual Assault, USAF, USCG, USMC, VeteransLeave a comment

In Photos: The Epidemic of Military Sexual Assault

Some 26,000 women [and men] are sexually assaulted in the military every year. Photojournalist Mary Calvert documented some of their stories.

“Why is this happening? To answer that question, Mary Calvert met with survivors and went to congressional hearings on military sexual assault. The women she met connected her with more women, and she photographed them in their homes and communities. Through her work, she learned that just 1 in 7 victims of sexual assault in the military reported the attack; of those assaults that were reported, just 1 in 10 ever saw a trial.”

A Very Realistic Military Game | Inside Amy Schumer (August 26, 2014)

On August 26, 2014November 11, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, In Their Name, Military Policy, National Guard, Navy, Non Combat Death, Sexual Assault, USAF, USCG, USMC, VeteransLeave a comment

Amy discovers that her boyfriend’s war game unfolds very differently when the player chooses a female character. -Inside Amy Schumer, Comedy Central (August 26, 2014)

The sketch says it all… there’s a reason the majority of service members don’t report crime. Character assassination and retaliation is real for both male and female victims of crime in the military. Their lives, reputations, careers, and futures are dependent on the actions of the convening authority who has the power to do nothing. In the civilian world, after reporting a crime to the local police department and evidence is gathered, a prosecutor determines whether or not a case moves forward in the judicial system. The Military Justice Improvement Act (MJIA) attempts to mirror this process and was reintroduced in June 2019, yet again was not allowed on the Senate floor for a vote. The last cloture vote on the way the military should handle felony crimes was on March 6, 2014. Invoking cloture means 60 Senators or two-thirds is required for passage of a bill as opposed to the majority of Senators. The biggest opponents of the MJIA were former Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and former Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), both since voted out of the Senate and replaced by Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ). This pair of military officers are proponents of keeping the Chain of Command involved in the decision making process of adjudicating felony crime despite what the majority of military sexual assault survivors have asked for because the fear and retaliation continues. Meanwhile, the fight for military justice reform rages on. #PassMJIA

Army Veteran Carlos Holcombe Kidnapped & Raped 12-Year-Old Girl in El Paso, Texas; Sentenced to Life Plus 20 Years in Prison, Sentences Served Concurrently (August 22, 2014)

On August 22, 2014July 31, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Child Abuse, Felony Crime, In Their Name, Military Policy, Sexual Assault, VeteransLeave a comment

holcombe-png — Carlos Holcombe, US Army Veteran

Army veteran Carlos Antonio Holcombe was accused of kidnapping a twelve year old child from a high school parking lot and raping her on August 22, 2014 in El Paso, Texas. He lured the little girl by asking her if she would help him move some boxes. He then pointed a gun at her back and forced her into his truck. He took her to his home, put duck tape over her eyes, bound her, and raped her. School cameras caught him in the act of the abduction and he was arrested by police the next day. He was indicted on one count of aggravated kidnapping and three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child. According to reports, Holcombe served ten years in the US Army in support of Operation Desert Shield and was honorably discharged. He now claims he has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) yet has not received any treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs. He used the PTSD defense claiming that he suffers from a disassociative disorder he developed after he was sexually abused as a child. He also used the temporary insanity defense, claiming he was drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana right before the incident. A psychologist testified that he examined Holcombe by giving him several psychological exams and the results of the exams showed that Holcombe was exaggerating or lying about his symptoms. Holcombe was found guilty by a jury of three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, and one count each of aggravated kidnapping and indecency with a child involving sexual contact. He was sentenced to life in prison on one count of aggravated kidnapping and 20 years in prison on a charge of indecency with a child involving sexual contact. The sentences will be served concurrently.

“You don’t get to claim you have PTSD and commit a rape.” -Prosecutor Alyssa Nava

MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL

Category: Military Policy

Homicide Hunter Premiered ‘Poker Face’ on ID: Military Retiree Jamie Foster Shot Dead in Colorado Springs Home (September 16, 2014)

United States Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals Overturns the Sentence of Lackland Basic Military Training Instructor SSgt Eddy Soto (2014)

Army Reservist SSG Virginia Caballero Died on Plane Enroute in US After Deployment in Kuwait, Family Received Conflicting Accounts of Cause of Death (September 13, 2014)

Homicide Hunter Premiered ‘Death Grip’ on ID: Peterson Air Force Base Military Officer Fatally Shoots Michael Faast Because Jealousy (September 9, 2014)

Fort Bragg Army Pfc. Darrell Robinson Found Dead on Post (August 31, 2014)

August: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (August 31, 2014)

Military Sexual Assault: Photojournalist Mary Calvert Documented Some of Their Stories | Cosmopolitan (August 26, 2014)

A Very Realistic Military Game | Inside Amy Schumer (August 26, 2014)

Army Veteran Carlos Holcombe Kidnapped & Raped 12-Year-Old Girl in El Paso, Texas; Sentenced to Life Plus 20 Years in Prison, Sentences Served Concurrently (August 22, 2014)

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