Fatal Encounters Premiered ‘Fatal Voyage’ on ID: Charter Boat Joe Cool Discovered by U.S. Coast Guard, But No One Found On Board (April 9, 2012)

On April 9, 2012August 8, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Missing, True Crime, VeteransLeave a comment

ID Go: Kelley Branam lives in Miami’s most exclusive neighborhood. Guillermo Zarabozo lives in its grittiest.It’s improbable that their paths would ever cross.But, in less than 24 hours, their lives will intersect at sea in a fatal encounter. -Fatal Voyage, Fatal Encounters (S1,E4)

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.

Ice Cold Killers Premiered ‘Mountain Man’ on ID: Paul Stavenjord Killed Vietnam Vet Carl Beery & Deborah Rehor in Chulitna, Alaska (April 1, 2012)

On April 1, 2012August 25, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Sexual Assault, True Crime, VeteransLeave a comment

The backwoods brush of Chulitna is the perfect spot for rafting, panning for gold, fishing and murder. When one couple is reported missing, troopers discover theyre the victims of cold-blooded murder and must begin a manhunt for the killer. -Mountain Man, Ice Cold Killers (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:
Mountain Man | Ice Cold Killers | Investigation Discovery (S1,E3)
Mountain Man | Ice Cold Killers | Investigation Discovery (website)
Mountain Man | Ice Cold Killers | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Convicted murderer’s appeal denied | Frontiersman
Alaska Supreme Court reverses decision denying inmate access to kosher diet, prayer shawl
The Murder of Carl Beery & Deborah Rehor | Murder Under the Midnight Sun Podcast
Paul T. STAVENJORD, Appellant, v. STATE of Alaska, Appellee (March 28, 2003)
Ice Cold Killers: Five Military & Veteran Homicide Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

Highlights of the Myah Bilton-Smith Military Sexual Assault Case (USAF)

On April 1, 2012August 11, 2015 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Cold Cases, Felony Crime, Military Policy, Sexual Assault, USAFLeave a comment

460x1240 — Myah Bilton-Smith and her mother, Tina Clemens

Myah Bilton-Smith is a USAF veteran who was sexually assaulted twice in 2012 at Goodfellow Air Force Base in Texas. She reported the attacks to her Command but according to reports the case is still under investigation by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) and no meaningful legal action has been taken as of yet. After the second attack, she requested an expedited transfer (a military sexual assault policy passed in December 2011) but it was denied. Instead she was forced to work alongside her attackers in a training environment where you do not have freedom of movement. She experienced retaliation from her peers and leaders, punishment for minor infractions, and was eventually forced out of the military. She was finally granted an expedited transfer to Joint Base Lewis McChord, one of the most problematic bases in the country.

Rape victims’ transfer requests denied
Assault victims struggle to transfer to other posts
W. Wash. woman shares story of military rape
Kelso High grad takes on Air Force after daughter reports rapes
Vancouver woman’s story of military rape told before Senate panel
Sexual assault victims say military’s promises of reform don’t go far enough
Reforms not helping military victims of sex abuse
Military often betrays sex-assault victims
Twice Betrayed, Sexual Assault Victims in Military Unjustly Stigmatized, Booted Out
Pending Legislation Regarding Sexual Assaults in the Military
Obama signs defense, budget bills
Defense bill changing military’s handling of sexual assault passes Congress

Army Staff Sgt. William Wilson III Casualty of Insider Attack Perpetrated by Local Afghanistan Police (2012)

On March 26, 2012March 4, 2018 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Non Combat Death, ScandalsLeave a comment

784582837 — Staff Sgt. William Wilson III, US Army

Army Staff Sgt. William Wilson III, 27, was the victim of an insider attack perpetrated by a local Afghanistan policeman in Paktika province, Afghanistan on March 26, 2012. Staff Sgt. Wilson was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom on behalf of the 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade in Grafenwoehr, Germany. According to Department of Defense, “His death was originally reported by the International Security Assistance Force, which characterized it as the result of gunshot wounds inflicted by an alleged member of the Afghan Local Police. ”

Related Links:
DOD Identifies Army Casualty
Army Staff Sgt. William R. Wilson
DOD identifies soldier killed by alleged Afghan policeman
Army Staff Sgt. William Wilson III remembered, laid to rest
Remembering Staff Sgt. Billy Wilson: A truer man and Bills fan hard to find
Insider outrage: Sgt. William R. Wilson III, 27 ‘How could this happen?’

Sixteen Afghanistan Citizens Killed in ‘The Kandahar Massacre’; Army SSG Robert Bales Pleaded Guilty to Murder to Avoid the Death Penalty, Sentenced to Life (2012)

On March 11, 2012March 4, 2018 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Military Policy, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, ScandalsLeave a comment

ht_robert_bales_nt_120319_wmain (1) — SSG Robert Bales, US Army

According to early reports by media, Afghanistan citizens reported that on March 11, 2012 multiple US military members were involved in what is now referred to as The Kandahar Massacre. This was considered the worst war crime ever committed by a US soldier since Vietnam. First the media claimed that 17 then 16 Afghanistan civilians were murdered in their homes in the middle of the night. Shortly after military authorities learned of the murders, SSG Robert Bales was swiftly flown back to the United States despite protest by Afghanistan citizens who wanted him tried in Afghanistan. They wanted him to hang. The US Army transferred SSG Bales to Fort Leavenworth two days after arriving back in the US. They eventually charged SSG Bales with the murder of 16 Afghanistan civilians and announced that they were seeking the death penalty.

Prior to the courts martial, Bales lawyer negotiated with the prosecution and asked that they take the death penalty off the table in exchange for Bales pleading guilty to the crimes. It was accepted and Bales was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Since then the media has examined the court documents and deduced that the Army missed the warning signs. Bales was on his fourth deployment when this incident occurred. There were previous concerns about his mental health but no real follow up. Others noticed that his behavior was erratic. And Afghanistan officials were concerned that the Army was not monitoring their personnel and equipment. And after examining all the media accounts, one can’t help wonder if SSG Bales was a lone gunman or a scapegoat. In response to this case, the Army announced in 2015 they came up with a new plan to help soldiers with PTSD.

Related Links:
No one asked their names
Inside The Kandahar Massacre; Grieving Survivors Describe Afghan Mass Murder
17 Afghan Civilians massacred by Staff Sgt. Robert Bales & team
Army identifies Staff Sgt. Robert Bales of Washington state as suspect in killing of 16 Afghan civilians
Afghan massacre suspect identified as Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales
Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales charged with murdering 17 Afghans
Bales Charged With 17 Murder Counts In Afghan Civilian Killings
Perilous web of mortgage debt ensnarled Army sergeant, wife
US Army to seek death penalty for soldier charged with Kandahar massacre
Charges against Bales challenge Army’s victim list
Army: Bales, wife laughed about killing charges
Afghan Massacre: Army Sgt. to Undergo Sanity Review
US Army seeks death penalty for Robert Bales, accused of Afghan villager massacre
Crime and Punishment, Military-Style
Robert Bales sentenced to life in prison for Afghanistan massacre
Staff Sgt. Bales Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murdering 16 Afghans Civilians
Staff Sgt. Robert Bales sentenced to life in prison without chance of parole for Afghanistan massacre that left 16 dead
US soldier sentenced to life in prison for shooting 16 Afghans
Army’s Robert Bales gets life, no parole for Afghan rampage — but was it justice?
Robert Bales Speaks: Confessions of America’s Most Notorious War Criminal
Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales was on his fourth war zone deployment when he was accused of killing 16 Afghans
‘I was consumed by war’: New photo shows the face of US soldier moments after he ‘broke’ and massacred 16 Afghan villagers as he tells all in astonishing prison letter
Staff Sgt. Robert Bales Came to Hate ‘Everyone Who Isn’t American’
Robert Bales makes bid for mercy: ‘There isn’t a why; there is only pain’
Report sheds new light on U.S. soldier who murdered 16 Afghans
Report: Bales ‘erratic’ before 2012 shooting rampage
What It’s Like to Have an American War Criminal in Your Barracks
U.S. Army Missed Soldier’s Signs of Trouble
The Army’s New Plan To Help Soldiers With PTSD
Silent Night – Lela Ahmadzai (Documentary)

Sins and Secrets Premiered ‘Ocean City’ on ID: Tourists Joshua Ford & Martha Crutchley Reported Missing in Maryland (March 1, 2012)

On March 1, 2012August 16, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, True Crime, VeteransLeave a comment

In 2002, Erika and BJ Sifrit’s vacation in Ocean City, MD ended with them in the back of a squad car arrested for armed robbery. When two dismembered bodies were later unearthed, the connection between the two crimes would reveal a grisly murder. -Ocean City, Sins and Secrets (S2,E8)

A seemingly perfect young couple is concealing a sinful life of crime and sexual depravity. Then later, a threesome of lovers ends in a bizarre homicide and cover-up. -Killers on the Run, Deadly Sins (S3,E9)

Forensic Files:

Full Episode: The couple spent Memorial Day weekend at the beach, and then they simply vanished. Their clothes and personal items were still in the rented condo, their car was parked outside, and there were no signs of forced entry or foul play. A week later, police would get an unexpected lead from a robbery in progress, and the evidence they found helped them to solve a crime of unparalleled violence and brutality. -Dirty Little Seacret, Forensic Files (S13, E46)

Oxygen:

A young woman’s scrapbook offers insight into a shocking crime. -Erika Sifrit, Snapped (S8,E11)

A vacationing couple’s disappearance exposes the horrific crimes of a murderous husband and wife. -Erika and BJ Sifrit, Killer Couples (S11,E2)

Podcast:

Once Upon A Crime – Episode 112: Listener Suggestions: Erika and Benjamin Sifrit – Killer Couple (December 22, 2018)

Disappeared Premiered ‘A Soldier’s Story’ on Investigation Discovery: Noah Pippin’s Body Located in Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness (February 27, 2012)

On February 27, 2012August 8, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, Missing, National Guard, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Stateside Death, Suicide, True Crime, USMCLeave a comment

Former Marine Noah Pippin is reported missing after failing to appear at drill. -A Soldier’s Story, Disappeared (November 21, 2011)

ID Go: In August 2010, 31-year-old ex-marine Noah Pippin left Michigan to report to the California National Guard. But Noah never shows up. Police trace his path to the forests of Montana, leaving Noah’s parents to wonder why he is venturing into the wild. -A Soldier’s Story, Disappeared (S5,E8)

Related Links:
Did Noah Pippin Go AWOL? | Disappeared (YouTube)
A Soldier’s Story | Disappeared | Investigation Discovery (S5,E8)
A Soldier’s Story | Disappeared | Investigation Discovery (website)
A Soldier’s Story | Disappeared | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Missing California Army National Guardsman Noah Pippin Recovered in Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness; Died From Exposure (August 24, 2012)

The Kill Team: The Army Drops Charges Against Spc. Michael Wagnon in Afghan Civilian Murder Case (2012)

On February 3, 2012February 2, 2018 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military PolicyLeave a comment

Specialist Michael Wagnon is seen in this undated handout. — Spc. Michael Wagnon, US Army

Army dropped charges against Spc. Michael Wagnon in Afghan civilian murder case on February 3, 2012.

Equal parts infuriating and illuminating, THE KILL TEAM looks at the devastating moral tensions that tear at soldiers’ psyches through the lens of one highly personal and emotional story. Private Adam Winfield was a 21-year-old soldier in Afghanistan when he attempted with the help of his father to alert the military to heinous war crimes his platoon was committing. But Winfield’s pleas went unheeded. Left on his own and with threats to his life, Private Winfield was himself drawn into the moral abyss, forced to make a split-second decision that would change his life forever. -The Kill Team

Related Links:
‪Army Charge Sheets
Sworn Statements
Soldiers charged in Afghan killings
5 U.S. Soldiers Charged In Afghan Civilians’ Deaths
U.S. soldiers charged with murdering civilians, collecting their fingers in Afghanistan
Army to prosecute Wash. soldier on murder count
Las Vegas soldier charged with murder
Pre-trial hearings loom for U.S. soldiers accused of killing Afghan civilians for sport
Army delays last “kill team” case, postponing trial for two months
Soldier: Key ‘kill team’ witness admitted lying
Army urged to drop murder charge against Stryker soldier
Charges dropped against soldier in Afghan deaths
Army drops charges against last soldier in Afghan murder case
Army drops murder charge against last soldier tied to ‘kill team’ cases
US military drops ‘kill team’ charges against soldier
Did U.S. Soldiers Kill for Thrills?
Allegations Of Murder Mar American Mission In Afghanistan
Possible Army atrocities put U.S. in bind
Army looks at officers of accused
The Kill Team: How U.S. Soldiers in Afghanistan Murdered Innocent Civilians
Defend Michael Wagnon
Trial International: Michael Wagnon
For Former Military Lawyer Colby Vokey, the Defense Never Rests
Army urged to drop murder charge against Stryker soldier
Stryker soldier’s charges of murdering Afghan civilians should be dropped, investigator says
Army drops charges against last soldier in Afghan murder case
Army drops murder charge against last soldier tied to ‘kill team’ cases
US military drops ‘kill team’ charges against soldier
Charges dropped against soldier in Afghan deaths
Charges dropped against soldier in Afghan deaths 2
Stryker ‘kill team’ trials left some soldiers’ families deeply in debt
The PBS Documentary ‘The Kill Team’ Reveals How the Military Justice System Operates in Response to Media Scandals

Iraq War Army Veteran Steven Russell Jr. Convicted of the Capital Murder of Girlfriend Joy Owen; Sentenced to Life in Prison, No Parole (2012)

On January 27, 2012January 6, 2018 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, Military Policy, PTSD, TBI, Mental IllnessLeave a comment

Army veteran Steven Russell, Jr. was convicted of the capital murder of his girlfriend Joy Owen on January 27, 2012. Russell was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors say Russell killed Joy because she tried to leave him. In the middle of the night on November 3, 2009, Russell cocked his gun and fired it four times at Owen with no apparent provocation. The North Little Rock Police Department found Joy Owen’s body around 4:30 a.m. In the course of the homicide investigation, police learned that Russell had received 5-years probation in Clark County, Arkansas for the second-degree domestic battery of another girlfriend in 2008. According to reports, the U.S. Army said Russell was a mechanic stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and he enlisted in the Army in 2001; the year he left the Army was not available.

Steven Russell’s defense team admitted he killed Owen but blamed the shooting on post-traumatic stress disorder brought on by his war service in Iraq in 2003. The attorneys appealed the decision claiming he “had the dubious task of recovering bodies and equipment after they had come in contact with improvised explosive devices.” But the state Supreme Court disagreed with the defense saying the judge was confronted with conflicting forensic evaluations. While two mental health professionals “found that Russell lacked capacity as a result of mental disease or defect to conform his conduct to the requirements of the law or to appreciate the criminality of his conduct, the court also had before it (another doctor’s) opinion to the contrary.” The Supreme Court upheld a Pulaski County jury’s 2012 conviction of capital murder.

“You would have to believe [Owen] did something that reminded him of his Iraqi war experience … and I can’t make that jump. To me, it was too convenient, and there was too much purposeful action.” –Dr. Brad Diner, psychologist

Related Links:
Arkansas Iraq War vet gets life in prison for killing girlfriend
Joy Owens, former MP daughter, students talk about her slaying
Ark. court upholds veteran’s murder conviction
Arkansas Man Challenging Judge Barring Partner At Home

Sins and Secrets Premiered ‘Fayetteville’ on Investigation Discovery: Michelle Theer & John Diamond Left a Permanent Mark on Community (January 26, 2012)

On January 26, 2012August 25, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Stateside Death, True Crime, USAFLeave a comment

In 2000, Michelle Theer was an Air Force wife in the military town of Fayetteville until a fatal shooting made her a widow. The investigation into her husband’s death led police to the door of an Army Ranger – taking orders from very unlikely accomplices. -Fayetteville, Sins and Secrets (S2,E3)

Sexy psychologist and doting Air Force wife Michelle begins a swinging affair with Army Sgt. Diamond while her husband, Captain Marty Theer, is away. But all’s fair in love and war, and Marty’s return will remind them that love is a battlefield. -Sergeant Swinger, Scorned: Love Kills (S4,E1)

Oxygen:

A frantic, distraught woman runs into a video rental store screaming that her husband has been shot. -Michelle Theer & John Diamond, Killer Couples

Killer Couples: S8 E5 Preview – Michelle Theer and John Diamond | Oxygen

Killer Couples: S8 E5 After the Verdict – Michelle Theer and John Diamond | Oxygen

Psychologist Debbie Layton-Tholl talks about her experience meeting with Michelle Theer. -Michelle Theer & John Diamond, Killer Couples

A lonely military wife and psychologist go searching for sex on the Internet with deadly results. -Michelle Theer & John Diamond, Killer Couples (S8,E5)

Related Links:
Fayetteville | Sins and Secrets | Investigation Discovery (S2,E3)
Fayetteville | Sins and Secrets | Investigation Discovery (website)
Fayetteville | Sins and Secrets | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Sergeant Swinger | Scorned: Love Kills | Investigation Discovery (S4,E1)
Sergeant Swinger | Scorned: Love Kills | Investigation Discovery (website)
Sergeant Swinger | Scorned: Love Kills | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Killer Couples: S8 E5 Sneak Peek – My Husband Has Been Shot! | Oxygen
Killer Couples: S8 E5 Preview – Michelle Theer and John Diamond | Oxygen
Killer Couples: S8 E5 After the Verdict – Michelle Theer and John Diamond | Oxygen
Killer Couples: S8 E5 Bonus Clip – Michelle Was Villified by the Media | Oxygen
Michelle Theer & John Diamond | Killer Couples | Oxygen (S8,E5)
Michelle Theer & John Diamond | Killer Couples | Oxygen (Amazon)
Air Force Capt. Frank Theer Murdered by Unidentified Gunman; Wife Michelle & Army SSG John Diamond Sentenced to Life in Prison (December 17, 2000)
Army SSG John Diamond Convicted of Murder of Air Force Capt. Frank Theer; Military Court Sentenced to Life in Prison, No Parole (August 28, 2001)
Former Air Force Reservist Michelle Theer Convicted of Murder of Husband Frank Theer; Sentenced to Life in Prison, No Parole (December 3, 2004)
Scorned, Love Kills Premiered ‘Sergeant Swinger’ on ID: Air Force Captain’s Murder Reveals Wife’s Evil Intent, Adultery & Greed (October 4, 2014)
Killer Couples Premiered ‘Michelle Theer & John Diamond’ on Oxygen: Affair Leads to Murder of Air Force Capt. Marty Theer (September 3, 2016)
Scorned, Love Kills: 6 Active Duty Military Homicide Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL

Category: Military Policy

Fatal Encounters Premiered ‘Fatal Voyage’ on ID: Charter Boat Joe Cool Discovered by U.S. Coast Guard, But No One Found On Board (April 9, 2012)

Ice Cold Killers Premiered ‘Mountain Man’ on ID: Paul Stavenjord Killed Vietnam Vet Carl Beery & Deborah Rehor in Chulitna, Alaska (April 1, 2012)

Highlights of the Myah Bilton-Smith Military Sexual Assault Case (USAF)

Army Staff Sgt. William Wilson III Casualty of Insider Attack Perpetrated by Local Afghanistan Police (2012)

Sixteen Afghanistan Citizens Killed in ‘The Kandahar Massacre’; Army SSG Robert Bales Pleaded Guilty to Murder to Avoid the Death Penalty, Sentenced to Life (2012)

Sins and Secrets Premiered ‘Ocean City’ on ID: Tourists Joshua Ford & Martha Crutchley Reported Missing in Maryland (March 1, 2012)

Disappeared Premiered ‘A Soldier’s Story’ on Investigation Discovery: Noah Pippin’s Body Located in Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness (February 27, 2012)

The Kill Team: The Army Drops Charges Against Spc. Michael Wagnon in Afghan Civilian Murder Case (2012)

Iraq War Army Veteran Steven Russell Jr. Convicted of the Capital Murder of Girlfriend Joy Owen; Sentenced to Life in Prison, No Parole (2012)

Sins and Secrets Premiered ‘Fayetteville’ on Investigation Discovery: Michelle Theer & John Diamond Left a Permanent Mark on Community (January 26, 2012)

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: