Sgt. Christopher Cooper, US Army, Died from a Non Combat-Related Incident at Camp Scania, Iraq (2009)

On October 30, 2009August 17, 2016 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Non Combat Death1 Comment

Screen Shot 2016-08-17 at 11.51.52 AM — Sgt. Christopher Cooper, US Army

Sgt. Christopher Cooper, 28, US Army, died from a non combat related incident at Camp Scania, Iraq on October 30, 2009. Sgt. Cooper was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom on behalf of the 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry, 172nd Infantry Brigade in Schweinfurt, Germany. Sgt. Cooper also served in the US Marine Corps for four years and completed an Iraq tour during that time. According to the Department of Defense the incident is under investigation.

Spc. Adrian Avila, US Army, Died of a Non Combat Related Accident in Khabari Crossing, Kuwait (2009)

On October 29, 2009August 17, 2016 By AdministratorIn Accidents, Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, National Guard, Non Combat DeathLeave a comment

50f9aa62f15cc.image — Spc. Adrian Avila, US Army

Spc. Adrian Avila, 19, US Army, died of a non combat related accident in Khabari Crossing, Kuwait on October 29, 2009. Spc. Avila was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom on behalf of the 1343rd Chemical Company, 151st Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Battalion, 115th Fires Brigade of the Alabama Army National Guard in Fort Payne, Alabama. According to the Department of Defense the incident is under investigation.

September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2009)

On September 30, 2009September 10, 2017 By AdministratorIn Accidents, Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Medical, Military Policy, Navy, Non Combat Death, USAF, USMCLeave a comment

09/30/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Jordan Chrobot, 24, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/28/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Kevin Graham, 27, Afghanistan, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/25/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Titus Reynolds, 23, Edward Smith, 30, and Joseph White, 21, Afghanistan, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/25/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: John Malone, 24, Afghanistan, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii

09/23/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: William Meredith, 26, Afghanistan, Fort Carson, Colorado

09/23/2009: DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty: James Hornbarger, 33, NCD, Mediterranean, Beale Air Force Base, California

09/22/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: David Davis, 28, Afghanistan, Fort Carson, Colorado

09/22/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Corey Kowall, 20, and Damon Winkleman, 23, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/21/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Cote Jr, 20, NCD, Iraq, Fort Wainwright, Alaska

09/21/2009: DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty: Matthew Courtois, 22, NCD, Kuwait, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho

09/19/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jeremiah Monroe, 31, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

09/17/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Bradley Bohle, 29, Shawn McCloskey, 33, and Joshua Mills, 24, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/17/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Robert Gordon II, 22, NCD, Afghanistan, Joint Base Lewis-McCord, Washington

09/16/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: David Wright II, 26, and Andrew McConnell, 24, Afghanistan, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/16/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Demetrius Void, 20, NCD, Afghanistan, Fort Hood, Texas

09/15/2009: DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty: Bryan Berky, 25, Afghanistan, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota

09/14/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Nekl Allen, 29, and Daniel Cox, 23, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

09/14/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Matthew Martinek, 20, Afghanistan, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska

09/14/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Duane Thornsbury, 30, NCD, Iraq, Fort Carson, Colorado

09/14/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Tyler Juden, 23, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/11/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Tyler Parten, 24, Afghanistan, Fort Carson, Colorado

09/11/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Christopher Fowlkes, 20, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/10/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Shannon Smith, 31, Thomas Lyons, 20, and Zachary Myers, 21, Iraq, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska

09/10/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Youvert Loney, 28, Afghanistan, Fort Carson, Colorado

09/10/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualties: Edwin Johnson Jr, 31, Michael Johnson, 25, and Aaron Kenefick, 30, Afghanistan, Okinawa, Japan

09/10/2009: Army Releases August Suicide Data

09/10/2009: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: James Layton, 22, Afghanistan, Combined Security Transition Command, Japan

09/09/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Joshua Meadows, 30, Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, California

09/09/2009: DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty: Joseph Helton, 24, Iraq, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida

09/08/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Murphrey, 25, Afghanistan, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska

09/07/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Randy Haney, 27, Afghanistan, Fort Carson, Colorado

09/06/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Darryn Andrews, 34, Afghanistan, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska

09/05/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Christopher Baltazar Jr, 19, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/04/2009: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: Benjamin Castiglione, 21, Afghanistan, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Battalion, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/04/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Todd Selge, 25, and Jordan Shay, 22, NCDs, Iraq, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/02/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Tyler Walshe, 21, Afghanistan, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/02/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Jonathan Welch, 19, and Jordan Brochu, 20, Afghanistan, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/01/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: David Hall, 31, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

August: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2009)

On August 31, 2009August 17, 2017 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, Non Combat Death, USMCLeave a comment

08/31/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Jason Dahlke, 29, and Eric Hario, 19, Afghanistan, Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia

08/31/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Abraham Wheeler III, 22, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

08/29/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Earl Werner, 38, and Taylor Marks, 19, Iraq, Oregon Army National Guard

08/28/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Kurt Curtiss, 27, Afghanistan, Fort Richardson, Alaska

08/28/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Matthew Wildes, 18, Afghanistan, Fort Carson, Colorado

08/27/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: John Hallett III, 30, Cory Jenkins, 30, Ronald Sawyer, 38, and Dennis Williams, 24, Afghanistan, Fort Lewis, Washington

08/27/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Donald Hogan, 20, Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, California

08/26/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Darby Morin, 25, NCD, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

08/25/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Joseph Fortin, 22, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

08/24/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Andrew Lobosco, 29, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

08/23/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Troy Tom, 21, and Jonathan Yanney, 20, Afghanistan, Fort Lewis, Washington

08/23/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Matthew Ingram, 25, Afghanistan, Fort Carson, Colorado

08/22/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Justin Pellerin, 21, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

08/21/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Brian Wolverton, 21, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

08/21/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jose Crisostomo, 59, Afghanistan, International Security Assistance Force Kabul

08/20/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Clayton Bowen, 29, and Morris Walker, 23, Afghanistan, Fort Richardson

08/20/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Paul Dumont, Jr, 23, NCD, Afghanistan, Fort Eustis, Virginia

08/20/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Matthew Hastings, 23, NCD, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

08/20/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: William Van Osdol, 23, Iraq, Schweinfurt, Germany

08/19/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Adam Benjamin, 34, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/19/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Leopold Damas, 26, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/19/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: William Woods Jr, 31, Afghanistan, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Glen Arm, Maryland

08/17/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Nicholas Roush, 22, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

08/17/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Joshua Bernard, 21, Afghanistan, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay

08/14/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: William Cahir, 40, Afghanistan, Marine Forces Reserve, Washington D.C.

08/14/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: John Tinsley, 28, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

08/12/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Bruce Ferrell, 21, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/11/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Richard Walters Jr, 41, NCD, Kuwait, Fort Benning, Georgia

08/10/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Patrick Schimmel, 21, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/10/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Javier Olvera, 20, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/10/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Dennis Burrow, 23, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/10/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jerry Evans Jr, 23, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

08/10/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Matthew Swanson, 20, NCD, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

08/10/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Tara Smith, 33, NCD, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

08/09/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Matthew Freeman, 29, Afghanistan, Okinawa, Japan

08/07/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualties: James Argentine, 22, Travis Babine, 20, and Jay Hoskins, 24, Afghanistan, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay

08/07/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualties: Christian Guzman Rivera, 21, Afghanistan, Okinawa, Japan

08/06/2009: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: Anthony Garcia, 21, Afghanistan, Marine Corps Base Hawaii

08/05/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Keiffer Wilhelm, 19, NCD, Iraq, Fort Bliss, Texas

08/04/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Ronald Luce Jr, 27, Alejandro Granado, 42, and Severin Summers III, 43, Afghanistan, 20^th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Jackson, Mississippi

08/03/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Jonathan Walls, 27, Richard Jones, 21, and Patrick Fitzgibbon, 19, Afghanistan, Fort Carson, Colorado

08/03/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Alexander Miller, 21, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

08/03/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Johnny Polk, 39, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

08/02/2009: Remains Identified as Navy Captain Michael Scott Speicher

08/01/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualties: Gregory Posey, 22, and Jonathan Stroud, 20, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

Navy Master Chief John Bench Murdered Son & Attempted to Murder Wife & Daughter at Sasebo Naval Base in Japan; Died by Suicide in Motorcycle Crash (August 30, 2009)

On August 30, 2009August 11, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, Suicide1 Comment

648859904 — Master Chief Petty Officer John Bench, US Navy

Investigation Discovery’s show Forbidden: Dying for Love aired an episode titled ‘An Officer, Not a Gentleman’ which featured the story of Navy Master Chief Petty Officer John Bench. Bench first killed his son and then attempted to kill his wife Agnus and their daughter on August 30, 2009 at Sasebo Naval Base in Japan. After the attacks, he then made a run for it and left the base traveling on his motorcycle. On that ride, John Bench slammed directly into the path of an oncoming truck and was killed instantly. NCIS was assigned to the case and discovered the crime scene. As a result they were able to get care for John’s wife and daughter who survived the brutal attack. Once Travis Tritten of Stars and Stripes discovered John Bench was involved in a homicide investigation in the Philippines, he did some digging because he knew this was no coincidence. The story he uncovers leads the Philippines police to another killer.

The Philippines is a key site for military and home to about 12 million citizens. Lilibeth Eniceo, 29, lived in the Philippines with her parents where she shared a room with her five children. Every day was a struggle for survival. A series of men let Lilibeth down but she continued to have hopes for a relationship. Ultimately, she was looking for love and stability for her family. Then one day in January 2007, she got a friend request from a Navy man named John Bench. He was a completely different kind of man than most. And he was the highest enlisted rank one could be in the Navy, therefore highly successful. But John was stationed thousands of miles away in Japan. Regardless, John continued to woo her and they stayed in constant contact; an internet romance grew very quickly.

Months later, John told Lilibeth his ship was traveling to the Philippines and he wanted to meet her in person. So Lilibeth traveled 100 miles to Subic Bay to meet John where his ship was at port. She was so excited to be meeting her prince charming for the first time. Lilibeth was upfront about her children from the beginning so John knew what he was getting into. John had no problems with her family and let her know he was committed to all of them. During the visit, John told Lilibeth he was divorced with two kids and free to pursue a relationship. John purposefully made her think that they had a future together. Lilibeth was happy and overwhelmed that she found a man like John Bench. It felt like they knew each other for years. Before John went back to Japan, he assured Lilibeth he would send money to support her and her family.

After years of despair and heart break, John Bench gained Lilibeth’s trust but he was keeping a secret too. John was still married with two children and they all lived on Sasebo Naval Base in Japan. John was married to Agnus, also a native of the Philippines, and they had two children: Anthony, 10, and Angelica, 15. But John was deeply unhappy in his marriage. And the success he worked so hard for would be destroyed in a divorce. John didn’t want to lose half of his military pension. Although, John was obviously not thinking clearly when he decided to have an affair because adultery is a crime in the military. John took a big risk when he started sending money to Lilibeth regularly. John felt trapped in a life he didn’t like and wanted to be free of it. He took a big gamble with his career because if caught he could lose everything. But no one could imagine the plot he was scheming.

Lilibeth and John had fallen madly in love but they had to keep it a secret. A year or so after they met, Lilibeth and John had another rendezvous but this time she introduced him to her children. John appeared to be the ideal family man because he was loving and very good with the children. They had a great visit. Right before he left, John informed Lilibeth he couldn’t give her anymore money because most of his money went towards alimony he was forced to pay after the divorce. John made it appear to Lilibeth that his ‘ex-wife’ was endangering their relationship and standing in the way of their future. He was point blank and didn’t mince words. He said he wanted to kill his wife. Because Lilibeth was blinded by her dreams of getting everything she ever wanted, she asked him what he wanted her to do. John asked her to find a hitman in the Philippines and then he returned to Japan.

Lilibeth was nervous and never thought she would be involved in an assassination plot. But she found someone to kill John’s wife. The hit would cost $1,250 with a downpayment of $700. John called Lilibeth to let her know when his wife was going to be in the Philippines visiting her family. This was the first opportunity they had to make their move. Lilibeth and the hitman lied in wait outside Agnus’ hotel and after she appeared, Lilibeth aborted the plan because her mother instincts kicked in. Agnus was exiting her hotel with her daughter. Lilibeth couldn’t imagine killing a mother in front of her daughter. Lilibeth told John she couldn’t do it and he was furious that his orders were not carried out. He eventually apologized for getting angry at her. The vulnerable Lilibeth forgave him and continued to remain under his spell.

In February 2009, John returned to the Philippines for another visit. Lilibeth still saw a relationship happening and the perfect life with John. She wanted security for her family so badly. On this visit, John asked Lilibeth to marry him and of course she said yes. She was so excited because this was a fairy tale turning into reality. But unfortunately this reality was built on lies. John was not divorced yet told Lilibeth that because he was paying alimony to his ‘ex-wife’, he would have to support two families and things would be tough. Lilibeth told him she didn’t care about the money as long as they were together and happy. But John continued to pressure her and this time he wanted her to find someone to kill his ‘ex-wife’ and the two children. Lilibeth wanted no part in this plan because to her it was unthinkable that someone would consider murdering their own children.

The cold hard truth is if John Bench was capable of committing these crimes, Lilibeth was one of his victims too. She desperately hoped John would abandon the evil plan. He told her his family didn’t care about him or love him. He made himself out to be the victim. She was torn because she would be letting go of a future with security if she said no, so she agreed to take part in the plot to kill his family. Lilibeth found another hitman and this time tried to limit her involvement by having John speak directly to him. John and Lilibeth met with the hitman and John told him how he wanted the plan to go down. He told the hitman he wanted him to carjack his family and then kill them. John assured Lilibeth afterwards they would finally be together.

The whole idea behind the plot was that this would be a failed robbery attempt and John would miraculously be the lone survivor. But again Lilibeth was having a hard time coping with the reality of the situation. She knew that a family was going to be murdered. The hitman waited at a pre-determined location and pulled the taxi over at gunpoint. He jumped in, demanded they drive to a remote location, and then told them all to get out of the car. He killed the taxi-cab driver first. Then he hesitated and called Lilibeth to tell her he was going to kill them. She told him she didn’t want to know anything. While the hitman was distracted, Agnus lunged at him and fought back in an attempt to get the gun. John hesitated to help her because he had been waiting so long for this plan to unfold so he could be free. John finally acted because otherwise he risked his wife finding out about his murderous plan.

The Bench family was taken to the local police department to give a statement. John Bench was quietly concerned about the hitman being on the run. He knew if he was caught and the plan was made public, it would ruin him. Ruby Ramores was also looking for answers as her brother was the taxi-cab driver who was murdered. She wanted justice for her brother; he was a father of three children and was just trying to make a living. John appeared to want to brush the whole incident under the rug. He denied hesitating to assist Agnus and boldly stated that he was simply waiting for the right opportunity. He then told the police he was tired and leaving so his family could go back to Japan. Ruby read the police reports and questioned why John was hesitant to help his family especially since he had the training to do so. Ruby wasn’t going to let this case go cold.

John kept a very low profile the weeks following the incident and stopped sending Lilibeth any money. Then after months of silence, John called Lilibeth out of the blue. He told her he missed her, wanted to be with her, and apologized for his actions. She eventually relented and forgave him. John told her they would be together soon. But once again, John was lying. After this call to Lilibeth, John unraveled and took matters into his own hands. First he savagely beat and murdered his son. Then he bludgened his wife and daughter with a baseball bat and left them for dead. Afterwards, he fled the scene on his motorcycle. Everything in John’s life was on the line and there was no coming back from this. So John gunned his engine and slammed directly into the path of an oncoming truck. He was killed instantly.

When Japanese authorities realized John was in the Navy, Naval Criminal Investigation Services (NCIS) took over. As a result, they went to John’s home and discovered the crime scene. They were able to save both Agnus and her daughter’s life. Once the news was reported, Travis Tritten of Stars and Stripes began looking into the case. He learned that John Bench was also involved in a homicide case in the Philippines. He suspected something wasn’t right and John’s involvement in the homicide in the Philippines was not coincidental. Travis found out that John Bench was having an affair so he contacted Lilibeth. She opened up to him about the details of the relationship and the various plots to kill John’s family. Lilibeth also gave him the name of the hitman who killed Ruby’s brother. The hitman was charged and imprisoned for the homicide. Ruby opted not to press charges against Lilibeth because she empathized with her and her children. Everyone involved was a victim of John Bench. He used a victimhood narrative to justify his evil intentions and manipulated others to do his dirty work for him. He is the definition of a sneaky sociopath.

I made a mistake. If I have to pay for it, I will pay for it…I was in love with a monster. -Lilibeth Eniceo

ID Go: A Filipino woman falls for a married US Navy Officer who will do anything to keep his mistress and his money. -An Officer, Not a Gentleman, Forbidden: Dying for Love

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.

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)

On February 28, 2009August 9, 2020 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Felony Crime, In Their Name, Medical, Military Policy, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Sexual Assault, Stateside Death, USMC, Veterans1 Comment

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.

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

On February 20, 2009August 30, 2016 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Suicide, USAFLeave a comment

Screen Shot 2016-08-30 at 6.41.59 PM — 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

Deadly Women Premiered ‘Dark Secrets’ on Investigation Discovery: Judy Buenoano, Eugenia Falleni, and Genene Anne Jones (October 30, 2008)

On October 30, 2008May 4, 2025 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, Military Policy, Non Combat Death, Stateside Death, Suspicious Deaths, True Crime, USAFLeave a comment

Dark Secrets are the stock-in-trad of Deadly Women. -Dark Secrets, Deadly Women (S2, E4)

1. Judy Buenoano

Date: June 25, 1983 (the date of the explosion that was her downfall)
Victims: John Goodyear (husband), Michael Buenoano (son), and John Gentry (fiancé, survived)
Location: Pensacola, Florida
Circumstances: John Gentry found out his wife Judy was pregnant and he was excited about their future; then John left the house, got into his car, and the car blew up; someone blew the car up with dynamite and it got the attention of investigators; John survived the blast but the discovery of dynamite residue meant this was no accident; four days later, detectives asked John who would profit from his death; they learned his mother and his fiancé Judy did; although John never imagined Judy had anything to do with it because he thought the policy was cancelled; a reporter recognized Judy from the nail salon she went to; news of the explosion was on at the nail salon; Judy didn’t say a word and just quietly kept working on her nails; the reporter noticed she had a darkness about her; the reporter took notice of the feelings she had about her; investigators learned that Judy told John she was pregnant with his child but she was lying because she had been surgically sterilized five years earlier; investigators found an insurance policy that showed she took out $500,000 on John; John thought the policy was cancelled but it was not; John was in denial initially but began to realize this may not have been Judy’s first attempt to kill him; Judy pushed John to take vitamins and after he took them he would get sick and throw up; he went to the hospital and they couldn’t figure out what was wrong; he stopped taking them but hid it from Judy; they were Judy’s poison pills; John was shocked to learn she had a secret life insurance policy on him for half a million dollars; investigators believe Judy may have killed before; 12 years earlier, Judy was married to James Goodyear; James was an Air Force sergeant who served in Vietnam; he was home on leave enjoying some R&R with his new wife but what he got was arsenic poisoning; it had no odor and dissolved easily; Judy served up tiny amounts so it went unnoticed; it progressively damages the liver and the heart; chronic arsenic poisoning is hard to detect; within 3 months, James was dead and Judy collected a large insurance settlement; this first murder set the stage for Judy’s career as a serial killer because she killed for profit; a decade later, James spoke from the grave when he was exhumed and they found arsenic in his system; Judy got away with murder for 12 years; investigators also learned when her son Michael turned 18, he wanted to join the military; on his way to a post in Georgia, he visited with his mom at which time Judy fed him arsenic because she had several life insurance policies on her son too; sociopaths don’t feel love and lack empathy; to Judy, her son was just another check waiting to get in her bank account; Michael didn’t die but he became crippled from the arsenic and was discharged from the Army as a result; he wore braces on both his arms and legs because he was paralyzed from the elbow down and the knee down; he was back in Judy’s care at it wasn’t long before Judy took Michael on a canoeing trip; he had 15 lbs of weighted braces on his arms and legs and could barely walk, let alone swim; she took him out of site of the landing and public view and the canoe some how capsized; one of her stories was they hit a log and the canoe overturned; she also said a snake fell in the boat; Michael, weighted down by the braces, could not swim and sunk to the bottom of the lake; Judy never attempted to save her son and he drowned; most parents would do whatever they could to save their child; later Judy hailed a passing fisherman, told him about the accident and drank a cold beer; she collected from two life insurance policies; she knew the braces would render Michael helpless; the police finally pieced together Judy’s secrets; she went too far when she used the dynamite because she wanted too much, too soon; the prosecutor said he never witnessed the sense of evil he did with Judy in his 30 years of prosecuting cases; Judy insisted she was innocent to her grave but those who knew her had no question about her guilt
Motive: Greed (life insurance money)
Disposition: Judy Buenoano was found guilty of first degree murder and first degree grand theft and sentenced to death; Judy was executed on March 30, 1998 by the State of Florida

2. Eugenia Falleni

Date: September 28, 1917
Victim: Annie Burkett (wife)
Location: Australia
Circumstances: Harry Crawford was barely scraping by in life; he had a lot of different jobs and moved often; if people asked too many questions, he would move again; Annie Burkett was married to Harry and he was a stepfather to her son; they were a typical family and Annie didn’t know Harry was living a lie; his name really wasn’t Harry Crawford because he wasn’t even a man; his name was Eugenia Falleni, and she wasn’t a Scotsman, she was an Italian woman; it was a secret he would kill to protect; he deceived everyone for decades; Eugenia was a woman living as a man at a time transsexuals were not accepted; she could be discovered at any time and jailed for living as a deviant; what she was doing was actually quite dangerous in those times because she would experience a lot of hostility; the marriage to Annie was actually null and void because she entered into a marriage as a man under false pretenses; Annie had no idea her husband was a woman because Eugenia hid it from her in the bedroom too; but after 4 years of marriage, Annie realized she’d been duped and she was devastated; she discovered the true gender of her life partner and threatened to expose Harry; he was afraid he would go to prison; Harry lured Annie to a secluded park for a picnic and smashed Annie over the head with a bottle, then she panicked; while Annie was still alive, Eugenia set her body on fire in a campfire because she believed she could burn the body beyond recognition; but Eugenia’s body was found yet not identified right away; Eugenia’s motivation for killing was to save herself and her standing in the community, she wanted to protect her identity; now her biggest concern was Annie’s son Harry; with Annie out of the way, there was only one other obstacle so she took Harry to a notorious suicide spot and tried to lure him to the edge; Harry hung back and it literally saved his life because she couldn’t convince him to go to the edge; the fear and panic was not enough to drive her to kill Harry; Eugenia kept this dark secret hidden for another 3 years; she went on to marry another woman and after 12 months, she was arrested by the police and charged with the murder of Annie Burkett whose body was finally identified; after the arrest, she became a freak show and even the media referred to her as a “freak,” “monster,” and “pervert”
Motive: Wife Annie threatened to reveal the true identity of Eugenia; she did not want to go to prison or lose standing in the community
Disposition: On July 5, 1920, Eugenia Falleni was charged with the murder of Annie Burkett; on October 6, 1920, she was convicted of murder and sentenced to death; although in the end, she was spared execution and released after 11 years in prison; she lived the rest of her life as a woman

3. Genene Anne Jones

Date: 1977-1982
Victims: Chelsea McClellan (Genene is suspected of killing up to 60 infants)
Location: Bexar County, Texas (San Antonio and Kerrville)
Circumstances: Babies were dying without cause at a medical center in San Antonio, Texas; they saw an increase in pulmonary arrests in the children’s ward; the death rate went from one a week to 3-5 a week; staff knew they had a murderer inside the hospital and the prime suspect was nurse Genene Jones, a 31 year old vocational nurse who had a hero complex; she liked the idea that she could save lives in an emergency; when someone has a strong need to be seen as a hero or savior, this is the hero complex; when someone creates a scenario where they can rush in and save the person, that’s dangerous; Genene used a variety of drugs to stress her patients like blood thinners and cardiac arrest agents; she didn’t necessarily want to kill her victims, just make them sick enough so she can rescue them; this was her way of getting attention; she would call a code red and people would rush to the scene; she would resuscitate them and bring them back to life when she could but all too often Genene miscalculated her poison; she was searching for respect; she felt important and powerful when she was tending to defenseless children; perhaps Genene was overcompensating for previous losses; soon after birth, Genene was abandoned by her natural parents and given up for adoption; at 16, her closest brother died in a car accident; another brother succumbed to cancer 8 years later; cancer also took her father at age 56; if someone feels unloved, they may spend the rest of their adult life trying to acquire the attention they did not get as a child and engage in various behavior including criminal behavior to gain the attention; in one two week period at the San Antonio medical center, 7 children died; but co-workers started to connect the dots and asked questions; they discovered all of the deaths were on the same shift and were taken care of by Genene; they thought it was suspicious and reported it to administrators; but administrators failed to report the information to the medical examiner’s office and didn’t instantly remove Nurse Jones; she was left on the ward even after they knew what was going on; they finally did something when staff insisted but they were fearful of getting sued more than saving the lives of the children; according to the medical examiner at the time, Genene was the worse serial murderer in the history of Texas; and what’s worse is that a nurse could murder and it was covered up; no one is sure how many children died because a lot of the records disappeared and the deaths were not reported or autopsied; eventually the hospital raised the qualifications for nurses in the ward and Genene no longer qualified so they let her go but gave her an excellent letter of recommendation; she was free to kill again; soon she was working in a pediatric facility in Kerrville, Texas; her new boss had no idea about Genene’s past; Genene was asked to look after a child with a cold and suddenly Chelsea stopped breathing; she saved her and was hailed a hero; the need to do this is a bottomless pit that is never filled; one month later, Chelsea is once again in respiratory arrest after another routine check up by Nurse Jones; she was rushed to the ER but didn’t survive this time; death was incidental to all the excitement Genene got from trying to save a child; Chelsea’s death was initially ruled Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) but upon closer inspection, Genene’s secret was discovered; the death was suspicious and Genene was once again investigated; the autopsy revealed that the baby suffocated to death from Succinylcholine poisoning; and after Chelsea’s death, Genene visited Chelsea’s grave and appeared genuinely remorseful; Chelsea’s mother happened to visit at the same time and she was curious why this nurse was at the gravesite, so distraught; more evidence was discovered; hospital staff noticed pinholes in the agent used to kill little Chelsea; she replaced what she took with saline solution; Chelsea’s body revealed traces of Succinylcholine (anectine); Genene’s colleagues at her last job confirmed that she was a suspected killer long before she arrived at the Kerrville clinic; Chelsea’s murder was the one that finally put her way for good but no one was ever charged for the several deaths at the medical center in San Antonio; to this day, Genene insists that she’s innocent; professionals acknowledge this is a common form of denial that comes with who have the hero complex; they need to be incarcerated for the rest of their lives because there is no way to know if they won’t kill again
Motive: Attention, hero complex
Disposition: Genene Jones was found guilty of first degree murder and causing injury to seven other children; she was sentenced to 99 years in prison

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Stacy Dryden Died of Injuries Sustained in Non-Hostile Incident in Anbar Province, Iraq; Death Ruled Homicide, No Charges Filed (October 19, 2008)

On October 19, 2008September 13, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Cold Cases, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Non Combat Death, USMC2 Comments

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Stacy Dryden, 22, died of injuries sustained in a non-hostile incident in Anbar province, Iraq on October 19, 2008. Lance Cpl. Dryden was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom on behalf of the 1st Supply Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group in Camp Pendleton, California. The Department of Defense announced that the incident was under investigation at the time of the press release. Media reports suggested that Stacy died of a suspected head injury she sustained during a wrestling match with a fellow Marine. In one report, a Marine public affairs officer stated that her manner of death has been ruled a homicide, but no wrongdoing was found and no charges were filed. The family expressed their frustration with the investigation of the murder of Stacy and additionally feel that no one was held accountable in an effort to protect the reputation of the Corps.

“They circle the wagons,” she says about how the military handled Maria’s murder and other female soldier deaths. “They are trying to protect their reputation.” And the military is protecting its reputation while struggling to recruit soldiers for an all-volunteer military. –City Beat (March 27, 2012)

September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2008)

On September 30, 2008September 10, 2017 By AdministratorIn Accidents, Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, National Guard, Navy, Non Combat Death, Suicide, USAF, USMCLeave a comment

09/29/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jamel Bryant, 22, NCD, Iraq, Baumholder, Germany

09/29/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: William Hasenflu, 38, Afghanistan, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

09/29/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Medders, 25, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/29/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Ronald Phillips Jr, 33, Iraq, Fort Stewart, Georgia

09/25/2008: Air Force Pilots Missing From The Vietnam War Are Identified

09/24/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Thomas Brown, 26, Iraq, Baumholder, Germany

09/23/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Sidney Marceaux Jr, 69, NCD, Kuwait, Warrior Transition Brigade, Walter Reed Army MC, Maryland

09/23/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Bruno Desolenni, 32, Afghanistan, Oregon Army National Guard

09/23/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Matthew Taylor, 25, Iraq, Fort Polk, Louisiana

09/23/2008: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: Matthew O’Bryant, 22, NCD, Marriott Bombing, Islamabad, Pakistan, Fort Meade, Maryland

09/23/2008: Soldier Missing From The Vietnam War Is Identified

09/22/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Nathan Cox, 35, and Joseph Gonzales, 18, Afghanistan, Fort Hood, Texas

09/22/2008: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Jerome Bell Jr, 29, Afghanistan, Twentynine Palms, California

09/22/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Brandon Farley, 30, Afghanistan, Fort Hood, Texas

09/22/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casuality: Joshua Harris, 21, Afghanistan, Illinois Army National Guard

09/22/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casuality: Bruce Hays, 42, Afghanistan, Wyoming Army National Guard

09/22/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casuality: Mohsin Naqui, 26, Afghanistan, Fort Benning, Georgia

09/22/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casuality: Jason Vasquez, 24, Afghanistan, Illinois Army National Guard

09/22/2008: DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty: Rodolfo Rodriguez, 34, Islamabad, Pakistan, Ramstein Air Base, Germany

09/21/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Daniel Eshbaugh, 43, Brady Rudolph, 37, and Michael Thompson, 23, NCDs, Iraq, Oklahoma Army National Guard

09/21/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Corry Edwards, 38, Anthony Mason, 37, Julio Ordonez, 54, and Robert Vallejo II, 28, NCDs, Iraq, Texas Army National Guard

09/19/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: James Wiley, 46, NCD, Afghanistan, New York Army National Guard

09/18/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Darrick Wright, 37, NCD, Iraq, Army Corp of Engineers, Alabama

09/18/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Leonard Gulczynski I, 19, NCD, Iraq, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/16/2008: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: Eichmann Strickland, 23, Afghanistan, Iwakuni, Japan

09/16/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Ralph Marino, 46, NCD, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait

09/16/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Murdock, 22, Afghanistan, Fort Hood, Texas

09/15/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Darris Dawson, 24, and Wesley Durbin, 26, NCD, Iraq, Fort Stewart, Georgia

09/15/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Slebodnik, 39, Afghanistan, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

09/15/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Daniel Sexton, 53, NCD, Iraq, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska

09/15/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Marques Knight, 24, Afghanistan, Fort Hood, Texas

09/13/2008: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: Jason Freiwald, 30, Afghanistan, Naval Special Warfare Development Group, Virginia

09/13/2008: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: John Marcum, 34, Afghanistan, Naval Special Warfare Development Group, Virginia

09/10/2008: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Jesse Melton III, 29, Afghanistan, Okinawa, Japan

09/10/2008: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Nicholas Madrazo, 25, Afghanistan, Okinawa, Japan

09/09/2008: Missing WWII Soldier Is Identified

09/08/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Vincent Winston Jr, 22, Afghanistan, Fort Hood, Texas

09/08/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Dinterman, 18, Afghanistan, Fort Hood, Texas

09/08/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jordan Thibeault, 22, NCD, Iraq, Baumholder, Germany

09/08/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualities: Kenneth Mayne, 29, and Bryan Thomas, 22, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/05/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Gregory Rodriguez, 35, Afghanistan, Ansbach, Germany

09/04/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Patrick May, 22, NCD, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/04/2008: Three Missing WWII Sailors Are Identified

09/01/2008: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: Joshua Harris, 36, Afghanistan, Naval Special Warfare Development Group, Virginia

09/01/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Steven Fitzmorris, 26, Iraq, Fort Carson, Colorado

09/01/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jorge Feliz Nieve, 26, NCD, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/01/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Carlo Alfonso, 23, Iraq, Baumholder, Germany

MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL

Category: Non Combat Death

September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2009)

August: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2009)

Navy Master Chief John Bench Murdered Son & Attempted to Murder Wife & Daughter at Sasebo Naval Base in Japan; Died by Suicide in Motorcycle Crash (August 30, 2009)

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)

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

Deadly Women Premiered ‘Dark Secrets’ on Investigation Discovery: Judy Buenoano, Eugenia Falleni, and Genene Anne Jones (October 30, 2008)

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Stacy Dryden Died of Injuries Sustained in Non-Hostile Incident in Anbar Province, Iraq; Death Ruled Homicide, No Charges Filed (October 19, 2008)

September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2008)

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