13 Sep 14: SSG Virginia Caballero, US Army Reserves (medical non-combat death en-route from Kuwait to US)
27 Aug 12: SSG Jessica Wing, Maine Army National Guard (death ruled suicide)
19 Feb 09: Spc Cwislyn Walter, Hawaii Army National Guard (non combat related vehicular accident)
12 Nov 07: Spc Ashley Sietsema, Army (injuries sustained in vehicle accident)
6 Nov 07: Spc Christine Ndururi, Army (medical, unexplained non-combat illness)
1 Oct 06: SSG Denise A Lannaman, New York Army National Guard (gunshot wound, death ruled suicide)
28 Oct 05: 1LT Debra A. (Butler) Banaszak, Missouri Army National Guard (non-combat related injury, death ruled suicide)
The Arabian Gulf
31 Dec 06: SN Sandra Grant, Navy (assigned to USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, medical, cardiac arrest)
18 Apr 02: SN Katrina Grady, Navy (non-combat illness, medically evacuated from USS Port Royal)
The Gulf of Aden/Indian Ocean
12 Feb 07: MA2 Laquita James, Navy (natural causes aboard Bataan off the Horn of Africa)
The Gulf of Oman
18 Jan 11: OS2 Dominique Cruz, Navy (she went missing from aboard the USS Halsey in the Gulf of Oman, found during search and rescue operations Jan. 19 in the Gulf of Oman after being reported missing Jan 18, under investigation)
The Persian Gulf
25 Oct 03: FN Jakia Cannon, Navy (assigned to USS Enterprise, medical, died of natural causes while underway)
US Army veteran Felicia Reeves, 40, was found hanging August 19, 2015 in a bathroom in a room at the Royal Motel in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Initially the police ruled her death a suicide but the family questioned the investigator’s decision. One year later, Union County prosecutor’s reopened the probe into the investigation of Felicia to determine if in fact this was a homicide. According to her family, Felicia Reeves was a disabled veteran and had ties to organized criminal elements who might have wanted to silence her. The family also shared that she was sexually assaulted while stationed in Korea and her back was hurt during the attack which is what caused her permanent disability. She suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as well. Felicia escaped a couple abusive relationships and in the past couple years became associated with people who appeared to be taking advantage of her and manipulating her. Felicia’s painkiller prescription from the Department of Veterans Affairs was a frequent target for her new found friends. Felicia was in the process of trying to get custody of her two sons and had recently become concerned that she may be in danger. In February 2017, a homicide task force looking into the death of Felicia Reeves told the family that their investigation upholds the suicide ruling and the case was closed. Reeves’ sister Suzan Bayorgeon said “nothing about the New Jersey decision surprises her. Nor does it change her belief that Reeves was murdered, with her death made to look like a suicide.”
“Reeves had been in several bad relationships before her death and didn’t trust other people. Reeves’ sister, Suzan Bayorgeon, told the news outlet that Reeves had repeatedly commented that if she were discovered dead, it would be a murder.” -NJ.com
ID Go: A young couple finds their paradise in a Vancouver, Washington housing development with strict codes of community conduct. But someone forgot to tell their neighbour the rules, and he will resist them at all costs. -Landlord, Death Lord, Fear Thy Neighbor (S2, E12)
Date: October 31, 2014 Victims: Erich Mounce, 46, and Abigail Mounce, 33, both employed at local silicon wafer manufacturing plant Offender: John Kendall, 59, Air Force veteran, disabled Location: Vancouver, Washington Circumstances: John got annoyed by the smoke from a BBQ grill, John started building a shed for his vacuum repair business but this went against HOA rules (no commercial businesses), the Mounce family was concerned about dust from John’s business, HOA rules were not enforced in the beginning, John’s noisy construction was bothering the Mounces, John’s guest vehicles were blocking the Mounce’s driveway and interfering with traffic flow, John was renting out rooms in his home to tenants (5 at the time), John’s house was like a multi-family apartment complex (against the HOA rules), John refused to follow the HOA rules, John was never held accountable for breaking the HOA rules, John felt like he was being harassed, John said he was not going to be told what to do with his property, John would hammer and turn on skill saw during day impacting Abigail’s studying and sleep, John ignored the Mounces when they asked him to quiet down, someone vandalized the Mounce’s BBQ grill, burglaries and robberies started occurring in the neighborhood, the neighborhood was concerned about John’s transient tenants because John would rent to anyone, John’s tenants had no regard for the neighborhood, the developer and the HOA would not assist the Mounces, John put up a tarp to hide the neighbor’s view of his property (eye sore), John installed a halogen light that shined into the neighbor’s windows (clear act of intimidation), John poisoned the Mounce’s trees, John shot Erich in the face with a water gun, Erich called the police and asked them to press assault charges, John said Erich assaulted him and threatened to rape him, the police blew the whole incident off, living next to John’s shed was like living next to a toxic dump site, the Mounce’s got a civil lawyer to address their concerns in court, written request for John to take down his shed, evict his tenants, stop working from home, he had 30 days to comply, John refused the registered letter, John felt bullied by the neighbors, John’s tenants didn’t help the situation, numerous problems with the tenants including illegal drug activity and fights, John wanted to work out a deal with the County and rent out rooms to sex offenders, the Mounces put their plans for a family on hold, the Mounces took John to court, John represented himself, John said bizarre things while in court, court decided John had to evict his tenants within 30 days, stop vacuum cleaner business, and remove the shed, the judge awarded the Mounces $3000 a month every month John was in violation of the court order, John was furious after losing court battle, John threatened to kill Abigail and Erich, Erich confronted John and told him not to threaten his wife, John threatened to kill Erich and Abigail again, the Mounces called the police but they didn’t do anything, John lied and twisted stories around making Erich look like the bad guy, John walked around with a weapon on his side, John owed the Mounces close to $60,000 after months of ignoring the court order, John finally knocked down his shed but wouldn’t evict his tenants, John was summoned to court for contempt, John went to the Mounce’s attorney’s office in an attempt to confront the lawyer, lawyer was concerned about personal safety, on way to court, John runs out of his house and follows the Mounce’s in their car, he pulled up beside them and shot at them three times, Abigail was shot in the head but lived, John turned his car around and shot at them again with his AK-47 for a total of 17 times, Erich escapes harm, John killed himself and was found 2.5 hours later, John wanted revenge, Abigail is severely disabled Disposition: Suicide
In the News:
John Kendall, 59, died Friday of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound after shooting neighbor Abigail Mounce and leading police on a manhunt in Central Vancouver. -The Columbian (October 31, 2014)
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.
Preview: An older man obsessed with his property lines soon learns that his neighbor’s dock is actually on his property, and wants it moved immediately. His neighbors aren’t going to go down without a fight. Lake of Madness, Fear Thy Neighbor (S2, E2)
Military veteran Paul Crawford, 72, shot and killed Warren Schloegl, 41, Marcella Schloegl, 39, Jodi Schloegl, 12, Eric Schloegl, 11, and the family dog in Sauk Centre, Minnesota on June 20, 1996. Nicole Schloegl, 16, was at a game when her entire family was executed in their own home. Warren Schloegl and Paul Crawford had been in an on-going legal dispute over property boundaries and on this particular night Paul decided to deal with the conflict his way and then ended his own life. Paul Crawford was private and liked precision, order, regiment, plans, his land defined, and boundaries. He also had a history of property disputes with his neighbors. Warren on the other hand was the type to have large gatherings, playtime with kids, and recreational access to the lake in front of his house. Warren had been using the dock he believed was on his property long before Paul moved in until a land surveyor Paul hired said otherwise. Paul did not want to share the boat dock until the dispute was settled which meant the Schloegl family lost access to the dock. Warren accepted this over the winter months but come spring, he gave his children permission to play on the dock. But, Paul didn’t want the children on the dock for insurance and liability reasons. The escalating land dispute between Paul and Warren reached a boiling point.
Paul was angry that one of the Schloegl kids accidentally hit and knocked out one of his boundary stakes because he had to pay someone to remeasure and legally replace the stake. Paul tried putting up a fence to define the boundaries and Warren stopped him and asked him to wait until the court date. And on the day of the murder-suicide, the Schloegl children were playing on the docks when Paul yelled at them and told them to leave. Warren was angry that Paul spoke to his children like he did and confronted him. Paul called the cops to complain about trespassing. After police intervention, Warren agreed to stay off the docks. It’s unclear what triggered Paul Crawford but he went to the Schloegl’s home with a loaded gun and first shot Warren in the back of the head. Next, Paul shot Jodi and then Marcy, who was shot while on the phone with 911. After Paul ran out of ammunition, he went back to his residence and the youngest child Eric called the police to report that Paul shot his mom, dad, and sister. Nicole questioned why the police didn’t tell Eric to hide because Paul got another gun and returned back to the home to finish the job. Paul shot the dog, shot the others again, and in his last act of evil, he ripped the phone line out of the wall and shot little Eric. All of Nicole’s family died. Police found Paul dead in his yard with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Investigation Discovery:
ID Go: A family moves into their dream home on a Minnesota lake, and welcomes the single retiree who soon takes up residence next door. But a dispute over access to the water they all love escalates until one party snaps, and others pay the price in blood. -Lake of Madness, Fear Thy Neighbor (S2, E2)
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.
Allegations of mistreatment persist inside units designed to heal wounded soldiers
“NBC 5 Investigates has learned that the U.S. Army has launched a new investigation inside Fort Hood’s Warrior Transition Unit (WTU), looking at claims of harassment and abuse.
The investigation comes after NBC 5 Investigates partnered with The Dallas Morning News for a six-month investigation that revealed hundreds of complaints from injured soldiers who said commanders harassed, belittled them and ordered them to do things that made their conditions worse at three Warrior Transition Units in Texas: Fort Hood, Fort Bliss and Fort Sam Houston.”
On February 12, 2015, President Obama signed the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act into law at the White House. -The Obama White House (February 12, 2015)
Summary: Learn more about the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act and the Administration’s commitment to help veterans.
The new suicide prevention law is named in honor of Clay Hunt, an extraordinary young Texan and decorated Marine who served with distinction in Iraq and Afghanistan. Like too many of our veterans, Clay struggled with depression and post-traumatic stress after he came home. Sadly, Clay’s life ended much too soon when he tragically committed suicide in 2011 at the age of only 28.
This new law builds on a long history of executive actions the President has issued to improve access to mental health services for members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their families. The Clay Hunt Act will:
Require annual third-party evaluations of VA’s mental health care and suicide prevention programs
Create a centralized website with resources and information for veterans about the range of mental health services available from the VA
Require collaboration on suicide prevention efforts between VA and non-profit mental health organizations
President Obama passes law to prevent suicide among military members. -CNN (March 31,2016)
Captain Jamie Brunette, 30, US Air Force, was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in her car on February 9, 2015 in Tampa, Florida. Tampa police found her in the parking lot of a Harbour Island cafe near her apartment slumped over in the back seat of a locked vehicle. She purchased the hand gun six months earlier. According to friends and family, Jamie didn’t speak much about her time in Afghanistan but her parents believe she may have suffered with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after a sexual assault while deployed to Afghanistan. The issue sheds light on whether or not military members feel comfortable reporting crimes and asking for help for the aftermath. According to one MacDill Air Force Base official, they actively encourage airman to reach out for help and assured they would not lose their careers. They also reminded airman that reaching out for help early will help prevent the Post Traumatic Stress from getting worse and in the end help save their military career.
On December 16, 2014, Bradley William Stone, a US Marine Corps veteran, killed his wife and five of his in-laws at three different locations throughout Montgomery County in Pennsylvania. After killing them he went on the run and it would be two days before he was found dead in the woods of an apparent suicide. He died from self inflicted knife wounds. The community breathed a sigh of relief after learning that he could no longer harm anyone else.
Patricia Flick, 36: An autopsy conducted found that she suffered gunshot wounds to her right forearm and to her face and a gaping “chop” wound to her head. The coroner determined the cause of death to be gunshot wounds to the arm and head. Aaron Flick, 39: An autopsy found he suffered gunshot wounds to his right hand and his head and “chopping” wounds to his arm and his head, all of which caused his death. Nina Flick, 14: An autopsy found she suffered 12 “chop” wounds to her head, which proved fatal, and one “chop” wound to the back of her neck. Joanne Gilbert, 57: An autopsy found she suffered a gunshot wound to the face and her throat had been slashed; both wounds contributed to her death. Patricia Hill, 75: An autopsy found she suffered a cutting wound to her left forearm and, the fatal wound, a gunshot wound near her right eye. Nicole Hill Stone, 33: An autopsy found she suffered a gunshot wound to her hand and two gunshot wounds to her head. The coroner determined the cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds.
US Army Veteran Tomas Young (photo by Danny Clinch)
“I write this letter on behalf of those veterans whose trauma and self-revulsion for what they have witnessed, endured and done in Iraq have led to suicide and on behalf of the active-duty soldiers and Marines who commit, on average, a suicide a day. I write this letter on behalf of the some 1 million Iraqi dead and on behalf of the countless Iraqi wounded. I write this letter on behalf of us all — the human detritus your war has left behind, those who will spend their lives in unending pain and grief.” -Tomas Young, Disabled Army Veteran
Read the rest of The Last Letter to Bush and Cheney here.
Tomas Young, who joined the Army in the days after 9/11, was deployed to Iraq where he was shot and paralyzed just five days into his tour of duty. He spent ten years battling his injuries and speaking out against war and injustice before his death on the eve of Veterans’ Day, 2014. “Tomas told me that one of the reasons he joined the Army was to obtain GI Bill funding so he could go to college,” said [Mark] Wilkerson (author of Tomas Young’s War). “He wanted to study creative writing or journalism. After his passing, we felt a scholarship would be a perfect way to honor his legacy.” –Pearl Jam
Body of War, a film by Ellen Spiro and Phil Donahue. It is an intimate and transformational feature documentary about the true face of war today. -The Real News
Navy Commander Christopher Kalafut, 49, of Oceanside, California died of a non-combat related incident on October 24, 2014 at Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar. He was found dead in his room. Cmdr. Kalafut was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom on behalf of the Naval Amphibious Liaison Element, Combined Forces Air Component Center at U.S. Central Command. Cmdr. Kalafut graduated from the Merchant Marine Academy in 1987 and entered active duty as an E-2C Hawkeye pilot. He spent some time on the USS Abraham Lincoln and spent six years in the service before leaving and entering the Navy Reserve. He had a civilian job as a pilot for Delta in Atlanta, Georgia. At the time of the DoD press release, the incident was under investigation. The official cause of death is unknown.
He flew with the reserves less often in recent years. The July deployment, a non-flying position, was seen as a final step before retirement. –Steve Kalafut (father)
Allegations of mistreatment persist inside units designed to heal wounded soldiers
MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL 