Fear Thy Neighbor Premiered ‘Lies, Lawns & Murder’ on Investigation Discovery: Roland Younce was Fatally Shot by Cops After Wounding Four People (April 14, 2014)

On April 14, 2014August 10, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, True Crime, Veterans1 Comment

Preview: In the rolling hills of Lenoir, North Carolina, retired Vietnam veteran Roland Younce sells off a patch of his land to Tony Moore and his young family to build their forever home on. Unfortunately, things turn ugly. -Lies, Lawns & Murder, Fear Thy Neighbor (S1, E1)

“Roland Younce, 63, of Caldwell County, North Carolina, allowed his pit bull to roam free in the small rural neighborhood. This decision would prove to have deadly consequences. In January 2008, Younce’s pit bull bit the two young daughters of his 44-year-old neighbor, Tony Moore. As a result, Moore sued Younce for the cost of the medical bills. The judge ruled in Younce’s favor and dismissed the lawsuit. This caused an 18-month feud between the two men. They called the police on each other over frivolous actions and filed several lawsuits against each other.”

Read more at Listverse: 10 Disturbing Cases of Neighbors from Hell

Tony and Amy Moore and their two daughters moved into a new home in Lenoir, North Carolina in 2007. Tony and Amy bought their home from Roland Younce, a Vietnam veteran in his 60s, and also their neighbor. Roland was a single man with a dog he considered family and his daughter and her husband lived with him. Tony survived a tragedy and lost one of his legs in a vehicle accident. As a result, Tony stayed home with the girls and Amy worked full-time to support the family. Tony depended on his 4-wheeler to get around the property. Tony and Amy loved their new home and appreciated all their kind neighbors. They all depended on one another to make it work. At first the Moores were friendly with Roland Younce. The neighbors would occasionally BBQ together but they noticed Roland didn’t leave his home very much. Roland’s daughter Alicia on the other hand was a breath of fresh air. She played with the girls and they had a lot of fun. One day, Alicia invited the two girls over to her home to check out her movie collection. The girls stayed on the porch while Alicia went inside Roland’s home to retrieve the movies. One of the girls admitted to opening the door and Roland’s dog Harley lunged towards them and began biting both of them. They were seriously hurt with puncture wounds and had to be taken to the hospital. Roland agreed to pay the hospital bills.

As the hospital bills started rolling in, Tony brought them over to Roland and Roland paid for the first bill he received. Meanwhile, the kids got back to playing and having fun in their backyard. According to Alicia, Tony brought Roland another hospital bill that was for the exact amount as the first one. Roland thought Tony was trying to get him to pay the same bill twice so he refused to pay it. Tony and Amy didn’t feel they should have to pay for any of the bills so Tony filed a judgement against Roland in civil court. Things only got worse when the court sided with Roland on the matter. Nevertheless, Roland asked his son-in-law to tell Tony he would pay $20 a month until it was paid off. Apparently, Tony said no to the offer and demanded all of it. This was when everything went to hell and the tension continued to simmer between the once friendly neighbors. At this point, the friendship was dead so Tony built a property border using some trees to help create more privacy. Roland didn’t like it because he felt they were getting too close to his property line. One day, Tony discovered his disability checks stopped showing up in the mail. He immediately suspected Roland of taking them from the mailbox but he couldn’t prove it. So in retaliation, he would get on his ATV, drive around the property, and make a bunch of noise.

The ATV noise annoyed Roland because he wanted peace and quiet at his home. Tony was on his ATV almost everyday and the blaring engine was getting on Roland’s last nerves. Alicia said Roland was triggered by the noise and he would have flashbacks from his time in the Vietnam war. His dog Harley helped comfort him but both sides were gearing up for combat and no one was backing down. Tony’s disability checks still hadn’t shown up so he asked Roland about it. Of course, Roland denied having any information about the missing checks. Then Roland started bringing his dog outside in what felt like an intimidation tactic to scare the Moore family. And not only was the Moore’s mail disappearing but some trees they planted on their property were missing too. The Moores put up a surveillance camera to see if they could catch the person who was removing the trees from their property. The video captured what looked like Roland Younce’s figure so they took it to the police. But the video wasn’t clear enough for the police to take action. They needed concrete evidence before they could do anything about it. Then one day, Roland went to his mailbox to get the mail only to discover it had been glued shut. He was not able to get the key in the keyhole to open the mailbox. Roland called the police department but they told him the same thing. If he didn’t see Tony do it then their hands were tied.

The police were frustrated by now because they were unable to get these two neighbors to settle down. It appeared both of them wanted to keep things going. Then in another act of intimidation, Roland would take his dog out when Tony’s two daughters came home from school. They were scared to get off the bus knowing the dog had hurt them in the past. Roland would allow the dog to lunge at them and then pull him back. They literally felt terrorized by Roland and the dog. In response, Tony threatened to kill the dog if the intimidation continued. Roland loved his dog and was deeply attached. Roland’s daughter Alicia felt like Tony was the one pushing buttons. Roland expressed concerned to Alicia and her husband that he was going to explode one day. Just months after Tony and Amy Moore bought their new home, they were locked in a war with their neighbor Roland Younce. In another act of aggression, Tony was out on his ATV one day with his daughters and ran over a board with nails in it. It flew up and hit the back of the ATV. Tony was furious because the nails could have seriously injured one of the girls. Tony reported the incident and once again because Tony didn’t see Roland put it there, there was nothing they could do. The Moore family felt isolated and alone in their battle with Roland because no one could help them. They thought Roland could do whatever he liked with no consequences.

Most thought Tony would back down for the sake of his kids but that’s not how things went down. Tony didn’t like feeling like a prisoner in his own home. The police tried to give them advice but neither side would budge. Then one day, the kids went outside and noticed someone had thrown logs in their yard. They alerted their father and all three of them threw the logs back on Roland’s property. Tony and the girls were caught red handed so Roland and his family started throwing the logs back on Tony’s property. Then Roland’s son-in-law Ricky threw a log that almost hit one of the girls. As a result, Tony pulled out a gun and threatened Ricky. He said if he hurt his daughters, he would shoot him. Ricky didn’t back down and told Tony to shoot him because he wasn’t scared. Tony indeed shot near them so Ricky threw a log at him and it hit and injured Tony. The police were called and Roland and Ricky got arrested for assault on a handicap person and a child. Ricky understood why the police arrested him but he didn’t understand why they arrested Roland. Roland didn’t have anything to do with this incident. It also seemed strange that Roland went to jail but Tony didn’t. Apparently, Tony didn’t get arrested because he was in a wheelchair. The two were jailed with no bond and couldn’t get anyone to help them. It took two weeks for Roland and Ricky to get out of jail and both came home with a new level of anger.

Ricky admitted he wanted to hurt people and eliminate the threat. And each time Roland was arrested, it just made him madder and madder. One day Roland threatened to kill Tony so Tony called 911 and the police suggested he leave the home. Roland blocked him in his driveway with his truck and Tony felt trapped. So he made the decision to back up anyways in an attempt to get out of the driveway and wrecked Roland’s truck. After this, Alicia and Ricky moved out of Roland’s home because the whole thing got to be too much and the situation was escalating. Alicia said Roland felt abandoned and the neighborhood feud with Tony continued. Both men were armed and dangerous. Tony felt like Roland was waiting for a confrontation and as a result Tony was always armed. Roland was pushing Tony’s limits too. The two just didn’t like one another. One day Amy left for an overnight trip with work. She said she hated leaving her family because she couldn’t make sure everything was okay at home. On May 27, 2009, Tony heard something on the back porch and when he looked to see what was going on, he was facing Roland’s angry dog at his door. In response, Tony shot the dog. Roland heard the shot and immediately went looking for his dog. Roland threatened Tony and told him if he shot his dog, he was going to kill him. Amy was in Springfield, Missouri (over 1000+ miles away) when she received a phone call from Tony who told her he shot the dog.

Amy knew right away this was not good because Tony took Roland’s best friend away from him. She knew things were fixing to get really bad. Roland called the police to report that Tony shot his dog and he begged the police to get to the scene as quickly as possible because he was going to kill Tony. Tony had called the police as well. When the police arrived at the scene, they didn’t observe anything unusual initially. When the Moores realized the police were there, they started coming out of the home and immediately they all heard gunfire. Roland was shooting at them with a rifle and Tony and one of the girls had been shot. They ran back into their home. Unbeknownst to them, one of the police officers had been shot as well. Roland continued shooting through the windows of Tony’s home. More police were dispatched to the scene. The unharmed daughter contacted her mom and told her what happened. Amy Moore told her to call the police because Roland was still at large. Once the additional officers arrived at the scene, they immediately started treating the officer who had been shot. Dispatch informed the police that Tony and one of the girls had been shot as well and needed their help. The police decided to chance it so they could get to Tony and Ashley. They did not know where Roland was but time was ticking because Tony and his daughter were losing blood. The police decided to use the car as a shield so they could get to them.

The police went towards the home and Tony’s daughter summoned them from the garage. Roland started shooting at them again and this time he hit another police officer. The police shot back in the dark until all of a sudden the shooting stopped. The Police rescued Tony and his girls and took them to the hospital. Amy Moore got emergency flights back to North Carolina so she could get home to her family. Alicia headed to her father’s place after she heard about the chaos only to learn that her dad had been killed in an officer involved shooting. The police didn’t want to kill Roland but had no choice. The next day, Alicia and Ricky went to Roland’s home to see if they could figure out what happened. They found the dog certificate torn up and could see where he cried on those pieces of paper. Roland was devastated by the loss of his dog and he decided to take justice into his own hands. All those injured on the scene lived but they were seriously harmed with lasting impacts. One of the police officers lost his career because of the injuries. And after about a year on the job, the other injured police officer realized he just couldn’t do the work anymore. This one night of violence impacted all involved. It was traumatizing, preventable, and tragic that anyone had to lose their life because they couldn’t work out their differences.

Source: ‘Lies, Lawns & Murder’ Fear Thy Neighbor, Investigation Discovery

Investigation Discovery:

ID Go: In North Carolina, a retired Vietnam veteran sells off a piece of his land to a young family. No one can predict the modern day Hatfield McCoy neighbor feud that will ensue and the midnight shootout that will end it. -Lies, Lawns & Murder, Fear Thy Neighbor (S1, E1)

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.

Death on the Home Front: Women in the Crosshairs

On October 27, 2013March 7, 2017 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Military Policy, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, SuicideLeave a comment

Death on the Home Front: Women in the Crosshairs

Wake up, America. The boys are coming home, and they’re not the boys who went away.

On New Year’s Day, the New York Times welcomed the advent of 2009 by reporting that, since returning from Iraq, nine members of the Fort Carson, Colorado, Fourth Brigade Combat team had been charged with homicide. Five of the murders they were responsible for took place in 2008 when, in addition, “charges of domestic violence, rape and sexual assault” at the base rose sharply. Some of the murder victims were chosen at random; four were fellow soldiers — all men. Three were wives or girlfriends.

This shouldn’t be a surprise. Men sent to Iraq or Afghanistan for two, three, or four tours of duty return to wives who find them “changed” and children they barely know. Tens of thousands return to inadequate, underfunded veterans’ services with appalling physical injuries, crippling post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suck-it-up sergeants who hold to the belief that no good soldier seeks help. That, by the way, is a mighty convenient belief for the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, which have been notoriously slow to offer much of that help.

A Stranger in My Home Premiered ‘Trailer Park Terror’ on ID: Rick Taber Killed Next Door Neighbor Micky Widmer in Minnesota (October 20, 2013)

On October 20, 2013September 27, 2019 By AdministratorIn Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Suicide, True CrimeLeave a comment

Mickey Widmer and her boyfriend Darnell Mears move into a Minnesota trailer park looking for a fresh start, but after meeting Rick Taber, a reclusive neighbor, he grows too close for comfort. Good neighbors go bad; and bad neighbors spill blood. -Trailer Park Terror, A Stranger in My Home (S1,E2)

Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $3.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict. Download the ID Go app or purchase ID True Crime Files & binge away.

Army SSG John Russell Sentenced to Life in Prison for the Premeditated Murders of Five Fellow Soldiers at a Mental Health Clinic in Iraq (May 16, 2013)

On May 16, 2013May 4, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, Non Combat Death, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, ScandalsLeave a comment

On May 11, 2009, SSG John Russell gunned down five of his fellow comrades at a mental health clinic at Camp Liberty in Iraq with his M-16. It was revealed that he had an argument with someone at the clinic, left, and came back with his gun. His crimes were determined to be premeditated. He was arrested and subsequently charged with murder and aggravated assault of another soldier that was seriously injured. Days before the killings witnesses noticed that he was distant and having suicidal thoughts. He was also scheduled to leave Iraq in a few days. He was tried for the murders of his fellow comrades and found guilty. He was sentenced to life in prison. But his family feels that the Army should also take responsibility for their actions. The family believes that John was broken and not treated for the injuries he sustained in combat, in the line of duty. SSG Russell was being treated for symptoms associated with Post Traumatic Stress with medications but it is believed that the psychotropics the military psychiatrists prescribed to him may have played a role in his actions. He was described as a kind, caring man up until the day he committed the unforeseen murders against his fellow soldiers.

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Honoring the Victims:

Fort Hood Army Major Nidal Hasan Opened Fire & Killed 12 Unarmed Soldiers & 1 DoD Employee; Sentenced to Death by Military Jury (November 5, 2009)

On November 5, 2009November 5, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Homicide, Military Policy, Scandals, Stateside DeathLeave a comment

hasan_nidal — Major Nidal Hasan, U.S. Army

Army Major Nidal Hasan was sentenced to death by a military court for killing thirteen people and wounding 30 others at Fort Hood, Texas on November 5, 2009. Major Hasan was a military officer employed as a psychiatrist and nearly all of the victims of his crimes were unarmed soldiers. This was the worst mass murder at a U.S. military installation. Hasan was armed with a semi-automatic pistol, shouted “Allahu Akbar” (God is great), and then opened fire at a crowd inside a Fort Hood deployment and medical screening processing center. The massacre lasted about 10 minutes before Hasan was shot by civilian police and taken into custody. The shooting spree left 12 service members and one Department of Defense employee dead. Reviews by the Pentagon and a U.S. Senate panel found Hasan’s superiors had continued to promote him despite the fact that concerns had been raised over his behavior. His behavior suggested that he had become a radical and potentially violent Islamic extremist. On August 23, 2013, a jury found Hasan guilty of 45 counts of premeditated murder and attempted premeditated murder. He was sentenced to death for his crimes and sits on death row at Fort Leavenworth with three other service members: Timothy Hennis, Ronald Gray, and Hasan Akbar.

Fort Hood Shooting Victims 2009 Yahoo — The victims of the 2009 Fort Hood Mass Shooting Spree. [Photo: Yahoo]

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In the News:

An Army major goes on a murderous rampage at Fort Hood. -ABC News (November 5, 2009)

Army Psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan is suspected of killing 13 and wounding 30 in a rampage shooting in Fort Hood, Texas on the largest military base in the U.S. -CBS News (November 6, 2009)

David Martin reports on new details of suspected Fort Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, an Army Psychiatrist trained to help soldiers in distress. -CBS News (November 6, 2009)

Nidal Malik Hasan is an army psychiatrist, deeply opposed to America’s wars, and now accused of committing one of the worst attacks ever at a U.S. military base. -CBS (November 6, 2009)

Details of what happened during the massacre at Fort Hood. -ABC News (November 7, 2009)

Soldier shot tells of chaos and how a friend pulled the bullet from her back. -ABC News (November 7, 2009)

New information continues to emerge on the background of Major Nidal Hasan, the U.S. Army psychiatrist who allegedly opened fire on soldiers at Fort Hood in (the U.S. state of) Texas. A 2007 U.S. Army memo speaks of his poor performance treating soldiers at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC. His Palestinian relatives in the occupied West Bank, meanwhile, speak of his sudden turn to a strict adherence to Islam. -VOA News (November 24, 2009)

Interview with Nader Hasan -ABC News (September 4, 2011)

Victims have been neglected, says hero cop Kimberly Munley. -ABC News (February 13, 2013)

A military jury recommended Major Nidal Hasan be executed for killing 13 people in a 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood. -CNN (August 28, 2013)

“For The Record” examines the Fort Hood Shooting, talking to survivors, in its premiere episode of the 2nd season. -Blaze TV (March 13, 2014)

CNN’s John Berman takes a look at the lives lost in the shooting at the Fort Hood military base in Texas. -CNN (April 4, 2014)

Fort Hood’s base commander eulogized his men, and President Barack Obama delivered a speech at a memorial service for soldiers killed in a shooting last week at Fort Hood Army post in Texas. It marked the second time the president had to come to Fort Hood after a mass shooting. -CBS Evening News (April 9, 2014)

On November 5, 2009, a shooting rampage at the Fort Hood Army post in Texas left 13 people dead; Maj. Nidal Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, was later convicted of murder and sentenced to death. -AP Archive (November 5, 2016)

Retired staff sergeant Alonzo Lunsford shares his thoughts on ‘Fox & Friends.’ -Fox News (November 5, 2017)

Video Links:
Attack at Fort Hood
13 Killed in Fort Hood Tragedy
New Details of Maj. Nidal Hasan
Who is Nidal Malik Hasan?
Major Nidal Hasan’s Palestinian Relatives Try to Clear His Name
Ten Minutes of Terror
Wounded Fort Hood Soldier Speaks Out
Interview with Nader Hasan
Dramatic Video of Ft. Hood Shooting Aftermath
Fort Hood gunman Major Nadal Malik Hasan sentenced to death
Broken Heart: “For The Record” on the Fort Hood Shooting
Remembering the victims of Fort Hood
Obama honors soldiers killed in Fort Hood shooting
Ft. Hood Shootings – 2009 | Today in History | 5 Nov 16
Fort Hood shooting victim reflects eight years later

Army Staff Sgt Amy Seyboth Tirador Died of Non-Combat Related Incident in Kirkush, Iraq; CID Ruled Suicide But Family Suspects Execution Style Murder & Cover-Up (November 4, 2009)

On November 4, 2009September 13, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, Non Combat Death, Suicide, Suspicious DeathsLeave a comment

Amy Tirador — Staff Sgt. Amy Seyboth Tirador, U.S. Army

Army Staff Sgt. Amy (Seyboth) Tirador died of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident in Kirkush, Iraq on November 4, 2009. Staff Sgt. Tirador was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom on behalf of the 209th Military Intelligence Company, 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division in Fort Lewis, Washington. This was Amy’s third tour of duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Department of Defense announced the circumstances surrounding the incident were under investigation at the time of the press release. Media reports declared that Amy was found by a maintenance worker in the base’s small generator room with a single gunshot wound to the back of the head. The Army pathologist ruled the cause of death as a ‘self inflicted gunshot wound’ but Amy’s mother Colleen Murphy disagreed and vowed to launch a private investigation. The family expressed concerns publicly that this was an execution style murder on a secure base and that she was killed in the generator room to muffle the sounds of the gunshot. Amy’s DNA evidence was found on the 9mm and that of another person. The family shared that the investigation report attempted to lead one to believe that Amy was considered high risk for suicide because of pressures at work as an Arabic translator and a strained marriage. Amy’s husband Michael Tirador was living at the same deployed location in Iraq as Amy at the time of her death. Amy’s mother denied any history of depression or substance abuse and does not believe her daughter died by suicide.

A year after Amy’s death the Army Criminal Investigation Division indicated in media reports that the investigation was not completed and no final rulings had been made. Yet Colleen Murphy shared that she was told the case was officially closed and expressed frustration with the miscommunication she typically experienced with Army bureaucracy. Amy’s mother also indicated that a lot of women in the military who have died have had their deaths falsely ruled as suicides. Colleen learned from other families who have lost their loved ones that they have even exhumed their daughters’ bodies and found that, without a shadow of a doubt, they did not kill themselves. Colleen indicated that she was going to get a second autopsy in light of the Army pathologist’s determination of cause of death. Michael Tirador expressed in interviews that he did not believe that his wife committed suicide and ordered that her body be exhumed for a second autopsy. Michael was of course a person of interest but his DNA did not match the second DNA profile on the gun. Colleen Murphy indicated that despite Michael’s claims that they had a good marriage, Amy wanted to divorce him. Amy’s father Greg Seyboth expressed concern that her work as a interrogator made her a high-profile target. Retired Army Colonel Ann Wright validated Amy’s family when she published an article stating that several female soldier’s deaths have been grossly mislabled by the military yet when faced with further evidence, they refused to change their findings. Colleen Murphy stated that she will never accept that her daughter committed suicide and that the Army is covering up the real reason that she was killed.

Tirador’s “greatness” has been shrouded in military “secrecy”. Her military legacy clouded by the military’s label of a “non-combat” death. An execution-style death in a “secure area” on an American military base in a war zone. –Family of Amy Tirador

Learn more: Who Murdered Staff Sgt. Amy C. Tirador While On An American Base In A Secure Location?

In the News:

Amy Seyboth-Tirador should have been coming home from her tour of duty overseas very soon. Instead, family and friends are planning a big memorial event in her honor. It’s a ride to remember the Army staff sergeant whose death still remains a mystery to loved ones. -WNYT NewsChannel 13 (August 6, 2010)

Interview with Amy Seyboth Tirador’s mother, 2 of 4 -810 WGY News (February 4, 2010)

Interview with Amy Seyboth Tirador’s mother, 4 of 4 -810 WGY News (February 4, 2010)

Civilian Joy Owen Shot Four Times by Boyfriend; Army Veteran Steven Russell, Jr. Sentenced to Life in Prison for Capital Murder, No Parole (2009)

On November 3, 2009January 6, 2018 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, PTSD, TBI, Mental IllnessLeave a comment

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

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

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

Pregnant Samira Watkins Found Dead in Bayou Grande in Florida; Navy Sailor Zachary Littleton Convicted of 1st Degree Murder, Sentenced to Life in Prison (November 3, 2009)

On November 3, 2009August 11, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, NavyLeave a comment

Samira Watkins, Pensacola, Florida

Zachary Litteton, US Navy

Pensacola, Florida resident Samira Watkins’ body was discovered stuffed inside a duffel bag floating along the west bank of the Bayou Grande on November 3, 2009. Samira, 25, was 2-months’-pregnant and the mother of one child; she was reported missing by her family on October 29, 2009. After an investigation, Navy sailor Zachary Littleton, 26, was arrested for homicide at the Pensacola Naval Air Station on November 23, 2009 and held without bond. A search of Zachary Littleton’s computer showed that he planned Samira Watkins’ murder.

Prosecutors allege Littleton could no longer juggle his affairs with other women: Samira was pregnant with his child and would not have an abortion; his wife, who was also in the Navy, was about to move to Pensacola to live with him; and, if the Navy found out about Samira’s pregnancy, it could end his military career. Adultery is a crime in the military and punishable by the Uniform Code of Military Justice. In June 2011, Zachary Littleton was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. Littleton’s attorney said the evidence in the case was circumstantial and maintained his innocence.

According to prosecutors, the crime happened like this:

After breaking it off with Samira Watkins, Zachary Littleton made several phone calls to Samira.
He lured her to his home under the guise of working things out and discussing the pregnancy.
When she arrived, he strangled her until she was unconscious.
He put tape on her mouth and then stuffed her inside of duffel bag.
After that, he drove to the Bayou Grande and dumped her body from the bridge.
He later dumped her car in another area, before calling a taxi to pick him up at the Waffle House.

Investigation Discovery:

ID Go: A young mom falls for a married military man after a chance meeting at his naval base. -The Girl with the Gold Earring, Forbidden: Dying for Love (S2,E8)

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.

U.S. soldiers accused of Russian-bride scam

On October 28, 2009October 5, 2013 By AdministratorIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

U.S. soldiers accused of Russian-bride scam

WILMINGTON, N.C. — Sgt. Jason Hawk and his bride met for the first time when he picked her up at a bus stop near his Army base a day before their wedding. Prosecutors say the speedy romance was echoed by a fast honeymoon: Ayna Ivanova returned to New York soon after.

Two other paratroopers who served with Hawk and three women now each face up to five years in federal prison when sentenced for their roles in what authorities say was a marriage scheme that aimed to garner U.S. citizenship for Russian brides and coveted housing allowances for junior enlisted men. Prosecutors said the marriages cost the government at least $200,000 in wages and benefits.

MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL

Tag: 2009

Fear Thy Neighbor Premiered ‘Lies, Lawns & Murder’ on Investigation Discovery: Roland Younce was Fatally Shot by Cops After Wounding Four People (April 14, 2014)

Death on the Home Front: Women in the Crosshairs

A Stranger in My Home Premiered ‘Trailer Park Terror’ on ID: Rick Taber Killed Next Door Neighbor Micky Widmer in Minnesota (October 20, 2013)

Army SSG John Russell Sentenced to Life in Prison for the Premeditated Murders of Five Fellow Soldiers at a Mental Health Clinic in Iraq (May 16, 2013)

Fort Hood Army Major Nidal Hasan Opened Fire & Killed 12 Unarmed Soldiers & 1 DoD Employee; Sentenced to Death by Military Jury (November 5, 2009)

Civilian Joy Owen Shot Four Times by Boyfriend; Army Veteran Steven Russell, Jr. Sentenced to Life in Prison for Capital Murder, No Parole (2009)

Pregnant Samira Watkins Found Dead in Bayou Grande in Florida; Navy Sailor Zachary Littleton Convicted of 1st Degree Murder, Sentenced to Life in Prison (November 3, 2009)

U.S. soldiers accused of Russian-bride scam

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