Russel Douglas Found Murdered on Whidbey Island in Washington; Navy Veteran Peggy Thomas & Lover Jim Huden Convicted For Their Roles in the Homicide (December 26, 2003)

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Russel Douglas, Whidbey Island, Washington (2003)

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

Killer Couples: S8 E4 Bonus Clip – Peggy’s New Self | 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.

Related Links:
Peggy Sue Thomas: Drop-Dead Gorgeous
Documents show victim’s wife is suspect in murder
Former Washington beauty queen pleads guilty to lesser charge in murder case
Ex-beauty queen gets 4-year sentence in killing
Ex-beauty queen sentenced for role in Whidbey Island murder
48 Hours: Tracing a fugitive killer’s footsteps in Mexico
Man lured to his death by beauty queen and wannabe rockstar on Boxing Day
‘I’m giving up four years of my life for something I didn’t do’: Ex-beauty queen jailed for helping her lover carry out 2003 murder claims she is an innocent ‘victim’
Peggy Sue got released: TV show recounts sensational Whidbey Island murder
Peggy Thomas, Jim Huden: ‘Snapped Killer Couples’ Details Whidbey Island Murder Case Involving Sultry Beauty Queen and Rock Star Lover
Murder of Russel Douglas by Jim Huden spotlighted on The Perfect Murder
Pageants to Famous Husband to Prison
If Looks Could Kill | Beauty Queen Murders | Investigation Discovery (S1, E5)
Snapped: Killer Couples ‘Peggy Thomas and Jim Huden’
Sneak Peek: Dangerous Beauty | 48 Hours
Why Ann Rule was intrigued with the Russel Douglas murder case | 48 Hours
Remembering Russel Douglas | 48 Hours
Band mates open up about rocker, murder suspect | 48 Hours
Suspects surprised with simultaneous, separate interrogations | 48 Hours
Killer Couples: S8 E4 Preview – Peggy Thomas and Jim Huden | Oxygen
Killer Couples: S8 E4 After the Verdict – Peggy Thomas and Jim Huden | Oxygen
Killer Couples: S8 E4 Bonus Clip – Peggy’s New Self | Oxygen
Peggy Thomas & Jim Huden | Snapped: Killer Couples | Oxygen (S8, E4)
Whidbey Island Mystery | The Perfect Murder | Investigation Discovery (S5, E6)

September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2003)

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09/30/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Christopher Cutchall, 30, Iraq, Fort Riley, Kansas

09/30/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Evan O’Neill, 19, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

09/29/2003:  Vietnam War MIA’s Identified

09/28/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Robert Lucero, 34, Iraq, Wyoming Army National Guard

09/27/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Lisa Andrews, 24, NCD, Overland Park, Kansas (on-leave), Kansas Army Reserve

09/27/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Kyle Thomas, 23, Iraq, Caserma Ederle, Italy

09/26/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Robert Rooney, 43, NCD, Shuabai Port, Kuwait, Massachusetts Army National Guard

09/25/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Andrade, 28, NCD, Iraq, Rhode Island Army National Guard

09/24/2003:  Remains of U.S. Servicemen Recovered in North Korea

09/23/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Brian Faunce, 28, NCD, Iraq, Fort Carson, Colorado

09/23/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Lunsford Brown II, 27, Iraq, Patton Barracks, Germany

09/23/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: David Friedrich, 26, Iraq, Connecticut Army Reserve

09/23/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Paul Sturino, 21, Iraq, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

09/22/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Anthony Thompson, 26, Richard Arriaga, 20, and James Wright, 27, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/22/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Frederick Miller Jr, 27, Iraq, Fort Carson, Colorado

09/17/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Craig Ivory, 26, NCD, Kuwait, Vicenza, Italy

09/17/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Alyssa Peterson, 27, NCD, Iraq, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

09/16/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Kevin Kimmerly, 31, Iraq, Baumholder, Germany

09/15/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Kevin Morehead, 33, and William Bennett, 35, Iraq, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

09/15/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Trevor Blumberg, 22, Iraq, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/12/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Henry Ybarra III, 32, NCD, Iraq, Illesheim, Germany

09/11/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Joseph Robsky Jr, 31, NCD, Iraq, Fort Irwin, California

09/11/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Ryan Carlock, 25, Iraq, Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia

09/10/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jarrett Thompson, 27, NCD, Iraq, Delaware Army Reserve

09/04/2003:  DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Cameron Sarno, 43, NCD, Kuwait, Nevada Army Reserve

09/03/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Sean Cataudella, 28, NCD, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/03/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Charles Caldwell, 38, Iraq, Rhode Island Army National Guard

09/03/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Christopher Sisson, 20, NCD, Iraq, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/03/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Chad Fuller, 24, and Adam Thomas, 21, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

09/02/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Mitchell Lane, 34, NCD, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/02/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Joseph Camara, 40, Iraq, Rhode Island Army National Guard

Fort Campbell Army Spc. Alyssa Peterson Died From Non Combat Weapons Discharge in Telafar, Iraq; Death Ruled Suicide (September 15, 2003)

Spc. Alyssa Peterson, U.S. Army

Army Spc. Alyssa Peterson, 27, died from a non-combat weapons discharge in Telafar, Iraq on September 15, 2003. Spc. Peterson was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom on behalf of the C Company, 311th Military Intelligence Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. At the time of the Department of Defense press release, the incident was under investigation. Media reports indicate that Spc. Peterson’s death was ruled a suicide.

“Appalled when ordered to take part in interrogations that, no doubt, involved what most would call torture — another wrong turn by the United States following 9/11 — Alyssa Peterson refused, then killed herself a few days later, on September 15, 2003…Spc. Alyssa Peterson was one of the first female soldiers who died in Iraq. Her death under these circumstances should have drawn wide attention. It’s not exactly the Tillman case, but a cover-up, naturally, followed.” –Greg Mitchell Huffpost (October 12, 2014)

Related Links:
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Army Spc. Alyssa R. Peterson
Flagstaff GI loved people, languages
The Death of Iraq Interrogator Alyssa Peterson: My Account
Torture: An Author and a Resister
US Military is Keeping Secrets About Female Soldiers’ ‘Suicides’
Remembering the US Soldier Who Committed Suicide After She Refused to Take Part in Torture
Part II: The Soldier Who Chose Suicide After She Refused to Go Along With Torture
US interpreter who witnessed torture in Iraq shot herself with service rifle
Empathy, integrity, torture led to Army suicide
Brother of Alyssa Peterson, Torture Victim, Comments
The Alyssa Peterson Story by Greg Mitchell
The US soldier who killed herself after refusing to torture
September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2003)
Non Combat Deaths of Female Soldiers in the US Military (Iraq)
Violent Crime, Suicide & Non Combat Death at Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Military Policy and Legislation Considerations for the Investigations of Non Combat Death, Homicide, and Suicide of US Service Members
House Armed Services Committee Congressional Investigation of Fort Hood: Research Reveals Pattern of Suspicious Deaths and Cover-up (September 11, 2020)

August: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2003)

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08/30/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Mark Lawton, 41, Iraq, Colorado Army Reserve

08/29/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Anthony Sherman, 43, NCD, Kuwait, Pennsylvania Army Reserve

08/28/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Gregory Belanger, 24, Iraq, Massachusetts Army Reserve

08/27/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Rafael Navea, 34, Iraq, Fort Sill, Oklahoma

08/27/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Pablo Manzano, 19, NCD, Iraq, Bamberg, Germany

08/27/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Darryl Dent, 21, Iraq, Washington D.C. Army National Guard

08/26/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Ronald Allen Jr, 22, NCD, Iraq, Fort Carson, Colorado

08/25/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Adams, 20, NCD, Iraq, Baumholder, Germany

08/25/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Stephen Scott, 21, and Vorn Mack, 19, NCD, Iraq, Fort Carson, Colorado

08/22/2003:  DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: Kylan Jones-Huffman, 31, NCD, Iraq, I Marine Expeditionary Force

08/22/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Bobby Franklin, 38, Iraq, North Carolina Army National Guard

08/21/2003:  DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: David Tapper, 32, Afghanistan, SEAL Team 6, San Diego, California

08/21/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Kenneth Harris, Jr, 23, NCD, Tennessee Army Reserve

08/19/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Eric Hull, 23, Iraq, Pennsylvania Army Reserve

08/18/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: David Kirchhoff, 31, NCD, Iraq, Iowa Army National Guard

08/15/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Steven White, 29, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

08/14/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Taft Williams, 29, Iraq, Fort Carson, Colorado

08/14/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Timmy Brown, Jr, 21, Iraq, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

08/13/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Daniel Parker, 18, NCD, Iraq, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

08/13/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Richard Eaton Jr, 37, NCD, Iraq, Fort Meade, Maryland

08/12/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Brandon Ramsey, 21, NCD, Iraq, Illinois Army National Guard

08/12/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: David Perry, 36, NCD, Iraq, California Army National Guard

08/11/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Floyd Knighten Jr, 55, and Levi Kinchen, 21, NCDs, Iraq, Fort Polk, Louisiana

08/11/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Matthew Bush, 20, NCD, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

08/11/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Duane Longstreth, 19, NCD, Iraq, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

08/08/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Kyle Gilbert, 20, Iraq, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

08/08/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Leonard Simmons, 33, NCD, Iraq, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

08/07/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Brian Hellerman, 35, Iraq, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

08/07/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Farao Letufuga, 20, NCD, Iraq, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

08/07/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Zeferino Colunga, 20, NCD, Iraq, Fort Polk, Louisiana

08/07/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: David Loyd, 44, NCD, Kuwait, Tennessee Army National Guard

08/04/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Deutsch, 21, Iraq, Armstrong Barracks, Germany

08/04/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: James Lambert III, 22, NCD, Iraq, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

08/04/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Justin Hebert, 20, Iraq, Camp Ederle, Italy

08/01/2003:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Leif Nott, 24, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

Related Links:
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2002)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2004)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2005)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2006)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2007)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2008)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2009)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2010)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2011)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2012)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2013)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2014)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2015)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2016)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2017)
Non Combat Deaths of Female Soldiers in the US Military (Iraq)
Non Combat Deaths of Female Soldiers in the US Military (Afghanistan)
Non Combat Deaths of Female Soldiers in the US Military (Other Areas)

Navy Reservist Lt. Kylan Jones-Huffman was Killed in Al Hillah, Iraq by an Unidentified Gunman (August 21, 2003)

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Lt. Kylan Jones-Huffman, Navy Reserve

Navy Reservist Lt. Kylan Jones-Huffman, 31, was killed by an unidentified gunman on August 21, 2003 in Al Hillah, Iraq. Lt. Jones-Huffman was on temporary duty with the I Marine Expeditionary Force supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Related Links:
DoD Identifies Navy Casualty
Obituary: Lt. Kylan A. Jones-Huffman
Honor the Fallen: Navy Lt. Kylan A. Jones-Huffman
Remembering Kylan Jones-Huffman
Former Californian Fatally Shot in Iraq
Kylan Jones- Huffman — Mideast expert, reservist
NSA Bahrain Dedicates Kylan Jones-Huffman Library
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2003)

Press Release: Department of State Returns Double Homicide Suspect Adib “Eddie” Ramez Makdessi to U.S. (July 22, 2003)

Eddie Makdessi
Fugitive: Adib “Eddie” Ramez Makdessi

DSS Returns Double Homicide Suspect to U.S.

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.

Read more from the Department of State here.

Victims:

Related Links:
Tailhook Plaintiff Wins Suit (1994)
DSS Returns Double Homicide Suspect to U.S.
Man accused of killing wife, her lover a decade ago finally to go on trial
Forensic Expert Uses Blood to Re-Create 1996 Slayings
Jury recommends life sentence for Makdessi
The word of a jailhouse snitch: Can it be trusted?
Officer, paramedic recall Elise Makdessi’s death
You’ll never believe what a convicted killer is requesting from a judge
State of Virginia: Adib Eddie Makdessi v. Harold Clarke (2016)
Eddie Makdessi Wiki: Sex, Lies, Videotape, Murder, and Conviction
Updates on James Kidwell and Eddie Makdessi | Forensic Files Now
Female sailor’s false rape allegation, plot fails | A Voice for Men
Navy Petty Officer Elise Makdessi Double Crossed & Murdered by Husband; Eddie Makdessi Found Guilty of Murder for the Life Insurance, Sentenced to Life in Prison (May 14, 1996)
Navy Petty Officer Quincy Brown Murdered by Military Spouse Motivated to Kill by Wife’s $700,000 Life Insurance Policy (May 14, 1996)
Eddie Makdessi Convicted of Two Counts of 1st Degree Murder in Virginia; Given Two Life Sentences for the Homicides of Navy Sailors Elise Makdessi & Quincy Brown (March 16, 2006)
Solved Premiered ‘Last Man Standing’ on ID: Navy Sailors Elise Makdessi & Quincy Brown Found Murdered in Makdessi’s Virginia Home (October 26, 2009)
Unusual Suspects Premiered ‘Deadly Accusations’ on ID: Navy Sailors Elise Makdessi & Quincy Brown Found Murdered in Makdessi’s Virginia Home (January 25, 2015)
48 Hours NCIS Premiered ‘The Double Cross’: Navy Sailors Elise Makdessi & Quincy Brown Found Murdered in Makdessi’s Virginia Home (April 25, 2017)
Forensic Files Sex Crimes Double Cross 1
Forensic Files Sex Crimes Double Cross 2
Deadly Accusations | Unusual Suspects | Investigation Discovery (Amazon Video)
Deadly Accusations | Unusual Suspects | Investigation Discovery (S7,E4)
Last Man Standing | Solved | Investigation Discovery (S2,E10)
Last Man Standing | Solved | Investigation Discovery (website)
Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance is a Common Motive for Murder

History: Jessica Lynch Gets Hero’s Welcome (July 22, 2003)

Jessica Lynch
Pvt. Jessica Lynch, U.S. Army

“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.” 

Read more from HISTORY here: Jessica Lynch Gets Hero’s Welcome (History, July 22, 2003)

Related Links:
Jessica Lynch, POW
I Am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story
A Timeline of the U.S.-Led War on Terror | History

MJFA on Social:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/militaryjusticeforall
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/military_crime
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/@military_crime
Email: militaryjusticeforall@gmail.com

Fort Benning Army Spc. Richard T. Davis Murdered by Fellow Army Soldiers in Georgia; Mario Navarette and Alberto Martinez Sentenced to Life (July 15, 2003)

Spc. Richard T. Davis, U.S. Army (photo: CBS News)

“On July 15, 2003, less than two days after returning from deployment to Iraq, Davis was murdered outside Fort Benning, Georgia by a fellow soldier from Baker Company, Alberto Martinez. Three other soldiers were also present and involved in the events that led up to the killing and followed the killing. Initially, the Army concluded that Davis deserted and despite pleas from Davis’ father, would not initiate an investigation into his son’s disappearance for nearly two months. Davis’ remains were not found until November 2003. He had been stabbed in the head, neck, and chest at least thirty-three times. His body was later dismembered, doused in lighter fluid, and burned. Unnamed sources have suggested that Davis was killed because he had planned to make a complaint about a rape of an Iraqi woman by US troops.”

Read more about Richard T. Davis (Wikipedia) here.

Based on a True Story:

“In the Valley of Elah” tells the story of a war veteran (Tommy Lee Jones), his wife (Susan Sarandon) and the search for their son, a soldier who recently returned from Iraq but has mysteriously gone missing, and the police detective (Charlize Theron) who helps in the investigation. -In the Valley of Elah, Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. Premiered ‘In the Valley of Elah’: Based on the True Story of the Murder of Fort Benning Army Spc. Richard T. Davis (September 14, 2007)

Related Links:
Spec Richard T. Davis
Richard Thomas Davis
Richard T. Davis | Wikipedia
Mahmudiyah rape and killings | Wikipedia
Parents of U.S. soldier blame unit members for murder
Army knew accused Iraq vet was homicidal
The Army Goes on Trial | Newsweek
Army defends handling of slain soldier’s case
Prosecutors seek to deny bond to Fort Benning slay suspects
Back from Iraq, Ft. Benning Soldier Slain
Fourth soldier sentenced in death of infantryman
Death, Duty, Dishonor | 48 Hours | CBS News (2006)
Murdered Fort Benning Soldier Inspires Movie
Murder sentence upheld in slaying of Iraq vet by fellow vet
Collateral Damage: The Murder of Richard Davis
Ex-soldier’s suit against Playboy dropped
Veteran who fought for murdered son, dies
Pt. 1/5. The Murder of Richard T. Davis
Pt. 2/5. The Murder of Richard T. Davis
Pt. 3/5. The Murder of Richard T. Davis
Pt. 4/5. The Murder of Richard T. Davis
Pt. 5/5. The Murder of Richard T. Davis
Murder in Baker Company: How Four American Soldiers Killed One of Their Own
15 Movies and Documentaries That Expose the Broken Military Justice System
A Military Murder – In These Times
Cilla McCain Author Murder in Baker Company
Mario Navarette vs. State (Supreme Court of Georgia)

Fort Carson Army Sgt. Melissa Valles Died of a Non-Combat Gunshot Wound While Deployed in Balad, Iraq (July 9, 2003)

MELSSA VALLES
Sgt. Melissa Valles, US Army

Army Sgt. Melissa Valles, 26, died on July 9, 2003 of a non-combat injury in Balad, Iraq. Sgt. Valles was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) on behalf of the B Company, 64th Forward Support Battalion in Fort Carson, Colorado. At the time of the press release, the incident was under investigation. Military officials told her mother she died from a noncombat gunshot wound to her abdomen. Sgt. Valles was the first woman soldier from Texas killed in Iraq and left behind an eight-year-old son.

Sixteen months have passed since Army Sgt. Melissa Valles gave her life for her country. Still, the pain, anger and unanswered questions persist for the Eagle Pass, Texas, native’s grieving mother and siblings. “We’re still looking for some answers. We’re still trying to find out what really happened,” said Fernando Valles Jr., one of the soldier’s two older brothers. –My Plainview

Related Links:
Sgt Melissa Valles (1977-2003)
DoD Identifies Army Casualties
Army Sgt. Melissa Valles | Honor the Fallen
Family of first Texas woman killed in Iraq still seeking answers
Texans Killed in the Iraq war
Texans killed in Iraq since war began
Is There an Army Cover Up of Rape and Murder of Women Soldiers?
U.S. Military Keeping Secrets About Female Soldiers’ ‘Suicides’?
Just say ‘no’ to pregnant soldiers?
Female troops face new dangers in Iraq
In memoriam to the U.S. service members who have died supporting the U.S.-led operations in Iraq
Ten years later, Army Private LaVena Johnson’s family still grieves and questions the Army’s version of her death
Violent Crime, Suicide, and Non Combat Death at Fort Carson, Colorado (US Army)
Non Combat Deaths of Female Soldiers in the US Military (Iraq)
Iraq deaths hit close to home