Army Spc. Christopher W. Opat, 29, died of a non combat related incident on June 15, 2010 in Baquah, Iraq. Spc. Opat was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom on behalf of the 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. According to the Department of Defense, at the time of the press release the circumstances surrounding the incident were under investigation.
Full Episode: The couple spent Memorial Day weekend at the beach, and then they simply vanished. Their clothes and personal items were still in the rented condo, their car was parked outside, and there were no signs of forced entry or foul play. A week later, police would get an unexpected lead from a robbery in progress, and the evidence they found helped them to solve a crime of unparalleled violence and brutality. -Dirty Little Seacret, Forensic Files (S13, E47)
Editor’s Note: Full episodes of Forensic Files are available on a variety of media platforms. FilmRise Channel and Forensic Files Channel both feature full episodes of Forensic Files on YouTube. You can also find full episodes of Forensic Files on both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. On Netflix, the seasons are grouped as collection 1-9. On Amazon Prime Video, you can find Season 1-10 here; Season 11; Season 12; Season 13; Season 14; Season 15; Season 16; Season 17; Season 18; Season 19; Season 20; and Season 21. Start bingeing and see for yourself why Forensic Files is such a hit!
Daniel Wozniak was convicted of shooting and killing Army veteran Sam Herr on May 21, 2010 in Los Alamitos, California. Daniel Wozniak shot Sam Herr in the back of the head twice and decapitated him for the money in his bank account; he needed some cash to pay for his upcoming wedding. Daniel Wozniak was convicted of the pre-meditated murder of Juri ‘Julie’ Kibuishi and Sam Herr and sentenced to death in 2015.
In the News:
Sam Herr’s father Steve Herr found Julie Kibuishi’s lifeless body sprawled across his son’s bed. -ABC News
The Herr family believes Sam Herr, who had $62,000 saved from combat pay, may have been a victim himself. -ABC News
Daniel Wozniak, 31, stands accused of killing his neighbor and another woman while performing in a play in 2010. -ABC News
Daniel Patrick Wozniak was formally sentenced to death on Friday for using a firearm to murder his neighbor for financial gain and also murdering the victim’s friend in an effort to derail the investigation by framing the first victim. Michele Gile reports. -CBS Los Angeles
After several hours of interrogation, Daniel Wozniak reveals the motive and details behind Sam Herr and Julie Kibuishi’s murders. -48 Hours, Killer Performance
At trial, Orange County Senior Deputy District Attorney Matt Murphy urges jurors to impose death for Daniel Wozniak. Here are the reasons why he feels no other punishment is just. -48 Hours, Killer Performance
48 Hours” correspondent Tracy Smith on meeting Steve Herr, whose Army veteran son, Sam, disappeared in May 2010. As the search unravels a murder scene in Sam’s bedroom, his father hunts for answers — and the truth. -48 Hours, Killer Performance
Julie Kibuishi’s mother, June, and close friend, Katie Bitonio, share what they loved about the young dancer. Julie’s personality is captured as she performs and in a video she made with friends. -48 Hours, Killer Performance
Kara Kessener and Deborah Kennedy met Daniel Wozniak in a local theater production of “Nine.” They talk about his behavior the weekend of the murders. -48 Hours, Killer Performance
Investigation Discovery:
California student Julie Kibuishi is found dead in the bed of her friend, Sam Herr a decorated war hero. But Sam is nowhere to be found. As police hunt for their prime suspect, they’ll find this case is far more complicated than it first appeared. -Curtain Call, The Perfect Murder (S3,E13)
Costa Mesa, California is beautiful place to live, but it comes at a cost. The murder of a young girl and the disappearance of a former Army soldier leads investigators down a dark path into the mind of an unassuming killer. -Final Curtain, Unusual Suspects: Deadly Intent (S9,E5)
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.
“Since the Iraq War began, soldier arrests in the city of Colorado Springs have tripled. FRONTLINE tells the dark tale of the men of 3rd Platoon, Charlie Company, 1st battalion of the 506th infantry, and how the war followed them home. It is a story of heroism, grief, vicious combat, depression, drugs, alcohol and brutal murder; an investigation into the Army’s mental health services; and a powerful portrait of what multiple tours and post-traumatic stress are doing to a generation of young American soldiers. [Explore more stories on the original website for The Wounded Platoon.]” -PBS (May 18, 2010)
“Becky never called police because she feared it would make Robert angrier and jeopardize his career.” –The Virginia Pilot
Rebecca and Robert Klosterman were married in 1974 but by 2008 they were ready to call it quits after allegations of violence and an unfulfilled Navy career surfaced. The divorce was long, drawn out, and tense. Apparently finances and infidelity troubled the couple throughout their marriage. Then Rebecca learned Bob had a secret life after he admitted to her that he had been frequenting strip clubs and buying expensive gifts for strippers and waitresses. At some point, Bob also pointed a gun at Rebecca and then turned it on himself. During the gun incident, Rebecca called the police and got a temporary restraining order. As a result, Bob was forced to move out of the marital home and a few weeks later Rebecca filed for divorce. Apparently, Bob was angry that his wife had become entrenched in the 1991 Tailhook scandal. Rebecca was friends with the wife of an officer who was compelled to testify in a 1993 hearing because she witnessed the drunken and misogynistic crowd at the Las Vegas convention.
When Bob was being considered for a promotion to Admiral, he learned from a friend that the selection board discussed his wife’s involvement with the Tailhook scandal investigation. Robert never made the cut for Admiral despite his impressive resume and he blamed his wife. In 1997, Robert Klosterman retired from the Navy after 28 years and the couple settled in Norfolk, Virginia. Bob’s resentment towards Rebecca for his failure to make admiral and his bitterness built up and eventually swelled to violence. This would not only drive Rebecca toward divorce in 2008 but it would end in a murder-suicide. On May 2, 2010, Bob shot his wife in the chest killing her and then called police to report that he shot Rebecca. When the police arrived, they found the couple dead, both killed by single shots to their chests. Next to the bodies, police found a 3 page letter from Bob.
ID Go: Bob and Becky Klosterman are a model couple – fit, attractive and well spoken. Bob is a retired high ranking Navy commander and Becky a busy homemaker. Their life seems ideal, until one of them snaps. Suddenly, their perfect life explodes at the seams. -Dead Silence, Fatal Vows
In 1985, a young military officer’s wife and two of her three little girls were viciously murdered in their Fayetteville, North Carolina home. Kathryn Eastburn was also raped. The crime occurred six miles from the location of where Jeffrey MacDonald was accused of killing his wife and two children on the base at Fort Bragg. Army sergeant Timothy Hennis became a suspect from the beginning because a day or so earlier, he bought the Eastburn’s family dog. In a background check, they found that he had 3 convictions for writing bad checks and a witness identified him as the same person leaving the Eastburn home during the time in question. Eventually he was charged and found guilty of the murders of Kathryn, Cara, and Erin Eastburn; he was sentenced to death by the civilian authorities in North Carolina. But he appealed, was granted a new trial and at his second death penalty trial, he was found not guilty.
After his acquittal, he joined the Army again for two more tours, worked his way up to E-8, and retired as a MSG from Fort Lewis, Washington. Twenty years later, DNA evidence from a vaginal swab taken from Kathryn Eastburn linked Hennis to the crimes. Civilian prosecutors could not charge Hennis due to double jeopardy; but the US military did claiming they have federal jurisdiction because Hennis is a retiree. As a result, he was ordered back into service due to his retirement status. Hennis tried to claim consensual sex which contradicted original testimony. In 2010, a military jury found him guilty of three counts of murder and he was sentenced to death again. Hennis sits on death row at Fort Leavenworth with three other service members: Ronald Gray, Hasan Akbar, and Nidal Hasan.
In 1985, a young military wife and two of her three little girls are viciously murdered in their home. In a twisted case filled with unusual suspects, the man who gets convicted goes free. But nothing is what it seems. -Discovery ID
3 People on Death Row Who May Be Innocent | Criminally Listed
A man tried three times for his life but is he a killer? Find out! Death Row Stories.
While on death row, Tim Hennis received an anonymous letter confessing to the murders. The note didn’t produce any leads. -Death Row Stories
The star witness in Tim Hennis’ trial had doubts about whether Hennis committed the murders. -Death Row Stories
Timothy Hennis Double Jeopardy | Death Row Stories | CNN
Coast Guard veteran Jeffrey Wheatley was discovered dead in what appeared to be a house fire in his Stockton, California home on April 7, 2010. After a closer examination, investigators learned that Jeffrey was shot, stabbed, and burned alive. The motive appeared to be revenge. Roommate Valerie Nessler claims Jeffrey admitted to killing someone in 1994 which was the same year her friend Robert Turner’s brother was murdered. Valerie Nessler was found guilty of arson and first degree murder for her role and sentenced to 26 years to life in prison. Robert Turner was found guilty of arson and first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. And Allen Periman was found guilty of second degree murder for his role in the homicide.
Investigation Discovery:
When Jeffrey Wheatley moves to Stockton, California he sees it as a second chance. His friend Drew offers him a room in a house that he shares with Valerie Nessler. But soon, the house will be the setting of the most brutal murder the town has ever seen. -Roommate From Hell, A Stranger in My Home (S1,E10)
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.
This Is An Open Investigation That Has Gotten No Major Publicity And Your Help Is Needed
The day before Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan went on a rampage at Ft. Hood and allegedly shot 43 military personnel, wounding 31 and killing 12, there was another “shooting” at an American military base in Iraq which has been treated far differently by the military: the “execution-style” murder of Staff Sgt. Amy C. Tirador, 29, of Albany, N.Y. at the U.S. military base near Kirkush.
On November 6, 2009 the Department of Defense issued a press release on the death of Staff Sgt. Amy C. Tirador, 29, of Albany, N.Y., who, according to the DOD, “died Nov. 4 in Kirkush, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a “non-combat related incident”: Staff Sgt. Amy C. Tirador, 29, of Albany, N.Y., died Nov. 4 in Kirkush, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. She was assigned to the 209th Military Intelligence Company, 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation. For more information media may contact the Fort Lewis public affairs office at (253)-967-0152, (253)-967-0147.
MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL 