Andy Schliepsiek was serving in the US Air Force when he and his wife Jamie were murdered at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. According to reports, Andrew Witt made a ‘pass’ at Andy Schliepsiek’s wife Jamie at a July 4th cookout. When Andy confronted Witt about the inappropriate sexual advance, he informed him that he would not only inform their Commander of the assault but also the fact that he was sleeping with an officer on base. This was motive enough for Andrew Witt to drive back on base and stab them to death in the early morning hours of July 5th. Another airman Jason King was also stabbed in the back as he was attempting to flee the scene. In 2005, Andrew Witt was sentenced to the death penalty. In August 2013, the death sentence was overturned. In 2016, the death sentence was reinstated. Most recent reports indicate Andrew Witt was granted a new sentencing hearing. In July 2018, a military panel re-sentenced Andrew Witt to life in prison without parole. Witt also received a dishonorable discharge from the Air Force as part of his sentence. At one point, Witt was one of five people awaiting execution on military death row.
Joanna Rogers and Rosendo Rodriguez, US Marine Corps Reservist
On September 13, 2005, Summer Baldwin, 29, was found in a suitcase in a landfill in Lubbock, Texas. After an extensive investigation, authorities zeroed in on US Marine Corps Reservist Rosendo Rodriguez. In the course of the investigation, Rodriguez also admitted to murdering Joanna Rogers, 16, on May 4, 2004 in Lubbock Texas. But there was not enough forensic evidence to connect Rodriguez to Joanna’s murder. Joanna’s badly decomposed body was also found in a suitcase in the the landfill. Rodriguez was found guilty of two capital murders: Summer Baldwin and her unborn baby. Rosendo Rodriguez was sentenced to death in the State of Texas. Rodriguez appealed his death penalty conviction but a federal court denied the request in May 2017.
The body of a young mother was found in a suitcase in a Texas landfill. The suitcase leads investigators to Rosendo Rodriguez, who had an overwhelming amount of forensic evidence against him. But upon an extensive search of the same landfill, Rogers’ decomposing body was also found in a suitcase. -Forensic Files
This screenshot of this press release for Patrick Tillman is no longer on the DoD press releases website. They deleted the original site and created a new one that only goes back to 2014.
In 1996, dishonorably discharged Marine and suspected murderer David Bieber was able to obtain a tourist Visa for England. He worked a few jobs and then met another woman who he married in March 1997 right before his six month tourist Visa expired. David found himself divorced again in May 2002 because of all his suspicious activity. David didn’t resurface until he was confronted by two Leeds, England police officers on December 26, 2003. He was found sitting in front of a known suspicious gambling and betting location. The police ran his plates and placed David in the backseat of the cruiser while they awaited the information. At this point, they didn’t know David was a fugitive and had a concealed 9 mm; but they were concerned about his behavior and called for back up.
The officers learned David’s car was stolen and were going to arrest him when he pulled out the gun. He shot and wounded one officer who was able to get away and shot Officer Ian Broadhurst in the shoulder and the abdomen initially. After back up responded, he shot and wounded another officer and then executed Officer Broadhurst, who was on the ground begging for his life. David Bieber was able to escape again but was eventually captured. On December 2, 2004, David Bieber was found guilty of the murder of Officer Ian Broadhurst and given three life sentences without the possibility of parole. But on appeal, Bieber’s sentence was reduced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 2041.
The story of American bodybuilder David Bieber, who became a wanted man in both the UK and the US after the murder of PC Ian Broadhurst. In December 2004 he was jailed for life, but is still trying to escape justice years later. -RealCrimeUK
Russel Douglas was found murdered in his car in a remote location on Whidbey Island in Washington on December 26, 2003. Russel was shot execution style in the head and there were few clues at the scene but the police knew it was a murder because they couldn’t find the gun. It took the police a few years but eventually they got a phone call from someone who said they had information about a murder. Investigators learned that a man by the name of Jim Huden admitted that he wanted to kill someone and did in fact kill someone. Through the course of the investigation, they also learned that Jim, who was married, had been having an affair with Peggy Thomas, a Navy veteran and former beauty queen in Washington. Peggy was the connection to Russel Douglas because she once worked with his wife Brenna at a hair salon and Russel’s wife was renting a home from her on Whidbey Island. When Jim Huden and Peggy Thomas were interviewed by the police, they didn’t admit to anything and would not cooperate. Therefore, detectives didn’t have enough evidence to arrest them.
After being questioned by police, Jim Huden started drinking more and fled to Mexico; Peggy Thomas got married and divorced; and the police continued investigating Russel Douglas’ murder. And then the unexpected happened. Jim’s estranged wife was arrested for drugs and check fraud. Detectives offered her a deal and promised if she gave them information about the Russel Douglas’ murder and where Jim was located, they would drop the charges against her; she gave them the information. Investigators began developing a theory based on the witnesses they had interviewed and the evidence they gathered. They believed the end game was money for Peggy and she was the one that put things in motion. Russel and his wife were having marital problems and investigators believe that Peggy offered to help Brenna murder her husband in return for some of the life insurance pay out. They theorized that Peggy convinced Jim that Russel was abusive so he would want to kill him. Jim was abused as a child so he was easily manipulated to believe that Russel deserved to die. In the end, both Peggy and Jim conspired to murder Russel Douglas for different motives.
Jim Huden wanted revenge for his childhood abuses and Peggy Thomas wanted cash. Investigators suspected the duo committed the murder for Brenna who claimed Russel abused her but there was no past history of domestic violence or child abuse on record; Jim didn’t know that and most likely went on the word of Peggy who used it to manipulate him. In court, Brenna testified that Russel mentally abused her but never admitted to any physical abuse. Unfortunately, police didn’t have enough evidence to charge Brenna Douglas with any crimes because both Jim and Peggy refused to talk. Jim Huden and Peggy Thomas were charged with Russel Douglas’ murder. In July 2012, Jim Huden was found guilty and sentenced to eighty years in prison. A month later, Peggy Thomas agreed to a plea deal in exchange for a reduced sentence and was given four years in prison for her role in the murder. Jim refused to testify against Peggy and pleaded the fifth at her trial. Peggy continues to deny any involvement in the murder and claims she didn’t know Jim was going to kill Russel. Peggy Thomas was released from prison in 2016.
In the News:
From pageants to famous husband to prison, murder suspect allowed to visit NM. -KRQE (October 7, 2011)
48 Hours:
How did a former beauty queen end up at the heart of a murder case? -48 Hours
The true-crime author of over two dozen New York Times bestsellers tells “48 Hours” she couldn’t help but write about the Russel Douglas case. -48 Hours
Gail O’Neil shares memories of her son, Russel Douglas, who was murdered on Sept. 26, 2003, on Whidbey Island, Wash. -48 Hours
Jim Huden’s former band mates talk to “48 Hours” correspondent Peter Van Sant about what it was like to find out their one-time lead guitarist was accused of murder. -48 Hours
Detectives allege Jim Huden and Peggy Thomas lured Russel Douglas to his death by asking to drop off a present for Russel’s wife, Brenna. Both Jim and Peggy claim the present was delivered to Russel days before the murder. When investigators surprise their suspects with simultaneous separate interrogations, they discover discrepancies. Do you think Jim and Peggy are making up a story to throw off investigators? -48 Hours
Oxygen:
A Las Vegas red haired siren and her millionaire boyfriend become suspects in a murder, hundreds of miles away. -Peggy Sue Thomas & Jim Huden, Snapped: Killer Couples
Killer Couples: S8 E4 After the Verdict – Peggy Thomas and Jim Huden | Oxygen
A Las Vegas red haired siren and her millionaire boyfriend become suspects in a murder, hundreds of miles away. -Peggy Thomas & Jim Huden, Snapped: Killer Couples (S8, E4)
Investigation Discovery:
ID Go: On tiny Whidbey Island, Washington, beauty queen Peggy Sue Thomas seems to be a perfect wife and mother. But when her best friend’s husband is shot to death, Peggy finds herself on center stage of a murder investigation. -If Looks Could Kill, Beauty Queen Murders (S1, E5)
ID Go: After Christmas in 2003, on Whidbey Island off the coast of Washington State, Russel Douglas is found shot in the head, in his car along a deserted road. It’s the start of a case that will take a decade to solve, and leave many with lingering questions. -Whidbey Island Mystery, The Perfect Murder (S5, E6)
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.
Michael Iver Peterson (born October 23, 1943) is an American novelist who was convicted in 2003 of murdering his second wife, Kathleen Peterson. On December 15, 2011, Peterson was granted a new trial [1] which was scheduled to begin on May 8, 2017. [2] On February 7, 2017, a newspaper reported an imminent plea bargain. [3] On February 24, 2017, Peterson submitted an Alford plea to the reduced charge of manslaughter. He was sentenced to time already served and freed, although he is now a felon. [4]
With the knowledge of the criminal evidence against him, Aphrodite Jones speaks with convicted murderer, Michael Peterson, about the murder of his wife and his bisexual affair. -True Crime with Aphrodite Jones
The defense unveils what they claim is a long sought-after piece of evidence. The prosecution is caught off guard. Then, bombshell revelations about an expert witness threaten to unravel the entire case and give Michael Peterson a shot at freedom. -An American Murder Mystery: The Staircase (Investigation Discovery)
Bureau of Diplomatic Security U.S. Department of State Washington, DC
August 4, 2003
Adib “Eddie” Ramez Makdessi, formerly of Virginia Beach and a fugitive from U.S. law enforcement, was located and returned to the United States by the Diplomatic Security Service on July 22. Makdessi was wanted for the 1996 murder of his wife, Elise Makdessi, and one of her co-workers, Quincy Brown.
Makdessi originally claimed that he and his wife were ambushed in their home, he was knocked unconscious and awoke to find Brown stabbing his wife. Makdessi stated he shot Brown with a gun from his wife’s nightstand. After several years of investigation, Makdessi was indicted with the first-degree murders of his wife and her co-worker in 2001. He then fled the country.
Law enforcement authorities contacted the DSS, which located Makdessi in Russia. However, no extradition treaty exists between the United States and Russia, so securing a provisional warrant was not possible. There was nothing law enforcement could do.
“On July 22, 2003, U.S. Army Private Jessica Lynch, a prisoner-of-war who was rescued from an Iraqi hospital, receives a hero’s welcome when she returns to her hometown of Palestine, West Virginia. The story of the 19-year-old supply clerk, who was captured by Iraqi forces in March 2003, gripped America; however, it was later revealed that some details of Lynch’s dramatic capture and rescue might have been exaggerated.”
In April 2007, Lynch testified before Congress that she had falsely been portrayed as a “little girl Rambo” and the U.S. military had hyped her story for propaganda reasons…“I am still confused as to why they chose to lie and tried to make me a legend when the real heroics of my fellow soldiers that day were, in fact, legendary. The truth of war is not always easy to hear but is always more heroic than the hype.”
US Air Force Colonel Philip Shue died of what appeared to be the result of a violent car crash until one took a closer look at the scene of the car crash and observed the injuries inflicted on Col. Shue’s body unrelated to the crash. After erratic driving, Col. Shue’s car veered off a highway driving away from San Antonio, Texas in the opposite direction of Lackland Air Force Base where he worked. The car crashed into a tree making impact on the driver’s side and Col. Shue was found dead at the scene with duct tape on his wrists and ankles, a six inch knife wound in his chest, and his nipples were removed. Local investigators and the U.S. Air Force all concluded that this was a deeply troubled man experiencing a psychological breakdown that led to suicide. But Col. Shue’s wife Tracy believes otherwise and shares that her husband was happy and lived life to the fullest until he started getting anonymous, threatening notes. Tracy wants justice for Col. Shue because the incidents leading up to the day in question definitely raise red flags and lead one to believe that this death was in fact more likely a homicide.
Tracy Shue believes that indeed there is a person of interest in the case and that all avenues of justice should be pursued in the death of her husband. Tracy revealed that Philip had been married before and as a stipulation of a divorce agreement, his ex-wife Nancy Shue was granted ownership of a one million dollar life insurance policy in Col. Shue’s name. Prior to Col. Shue’s death, he started receiving alarming letters including one that indicated the writer of the note overheard plans to commit his murder for the life insurance money; this person led the reader to believe they wanted to warn him that he was in danger. This did cause concern for Col. Shue because he knew that his ex-wife had a significant life insurance policy in his name. He attempted to cancel the life insurance policy but was unable to because he didn’t have the authority to do so. It wasn’t until around this time that he started to become stressed because he felt like he had lost control of his very own life. Tracy shared that Col. Shue was not the person that investigators and the Air Force tried to portray. Col. Shue was planning to retire and had paid a down payment on a new home in another state.
Was US Air Force Colonel Philip Michael Shue’s death a suicide or murder? Learn more from LordanArts’ BrainScratchers in depth analysis of this cold case. John Lordan is thorough in his examination and makes some interesting observations. Watch the 48 Hours Mystery ‘The Curious Case of Col. Shue’ on YouTube here. Please follow the case of Colonel Philip Shue with author Cilla McCain here.
Keana Barnes murdered Air Force Sgt. Perry ‘P.J.’ Jennings on March 27, 2003 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Keana had been staying with her friend PJ temporarily while she got back on her feet. After PJ’s parents couldn’t get in touch with him for a couple days, they went to his apartment to see if they could find him. The building manager let them in the house and they found PJ with a single gunshot wound to the head, a pillow had been used as a silencer for the gun. It appeared that he had been killed in his sleep and did not suffer. He family reports that he actually looked peaceful.
Family had learned that Keana Barnes was also accused of murdering Jimmy Shepherd a year earlier. But Keana told PJ and others that she killed Jimmy in self defense because he tried to rape her. Actually, Keana brutally stabbed Jimmy 27 times in her rage attack. Keana Barnes was jailed for the offense but let out of the prison because the District Attorney didn’t file charges within 60 days. As soon as they realized their mistake, they put out a warrant for Keana who at this point couldn’t be found because she was bouncing from place to place including PJs.
After Keana Barnes murdered PJ Jennings, she fled the scene with his wallet, cash, and credit cards. She used the credit cards and it became obvious to police that she was heading for the Mexico border. Keana successfully entered Mexico but at this time the US Marshals were looking for her and were able to track her down based on her credit card usage. She was arrested and extradited back to New Orleans, Louisiana where she would face a first degree murder charge for PJ and a second degree murder charge for Jimmy Shepherd.
After Keana’s affluent family found out she was charged with two homicides, they backed her and paid for the best attorney money could buy. The attorney recommended a plea deal that was initially secret until the judge and the families of PJ Jennings and Jimmy Shepherd found out. Keana’s attorney wanted to reduce the charges to manslaughter and give her a sentence of 7 to 25 years in prison, eligible for parole in three years. The judge refused to accept the terms of the plea agreement and changed the sentence on the spot to 25 years in prison, no parole.
In a stunning twist, less than half way through her sentence, Keana Barnes successfully escaped from the St. Gabriel’s Prison in New Orleans, Louisiana. She headed out west to California and about three months after the successful escape, she was stopped by some L.A. police officers who asked for her identification. Keana didn’t have any identification so she was placed in the back of the police cruiser where she admitted to who she was. She was again extradited back to New Orleans, Louisiana to face additional time for the prison escape. Keana will be released in 2027 and she will be 44 years old when she is released.
Oxygen:
Two deceased men both helped out a damsel in distress. Did playing the good samaritan cost them their lives, and should authorities be worried that she could put someone else at risk? -Snapped on Oxygen
MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL 