Tag: 2014

Homicide Hunter Premiered ‘Blood Innocence’ on ID: Korean War Hero Carl Taylor Murdered During Robbery in Colorado (September 23, 2014)

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A war hero is beaten to death for no apparent reason. The crime scene offers few clues, but Lt Joe Kenda notices an unusual pattern in the victim’s head wounds and enlists a team of engineers to help him identify the murder weapon and crack the case. -Blood Innocence, Homicide Hunter (S4,E6)

,Korean War hero and Air Force veteran Carl Vincent Taylor, 47, of Oklahoma, died of blunt force trauma injuries in Colorado Springs, Colorado on August 14, 1977. In the course of an investigation, Lt. Joe Kenda learned an individual named Eric Kendall was involved in the crime. But after the crime Kendall fled to Pennsylvania where police found him and had him extradited back to Colorado. Eric confessed to the crime and implicated three other individuals. Eric said he and Phil Brown met up with Sonny Evans and Ricky Dillon to plot the robbery. Eric Kendall, Phil Brown and Sonny Evans pleaded guilty to first degree burglary in exchange for their testimony in Ricky Dillon’s trial. The three individuals testified Ricky was the one who attacked and killed Carl Taylor. Kendall, Brown, and Evans were sentenced to 5-7 years in prison. Ricky Dillon was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

“The jury found defendant Ricky Dillon guilty of first degree murder and the trial court sentenced him to death…The death sentence was subsequently reduced to life imprisonment when the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty statute was unconstitutional.” -People v. Dillon (July 13, 1987)

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.

Related Links:
State of Colorado v. Ricky Dillon (1987)
Blood Innocence | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (S4,E6)
Blood Innocence | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (website)
Blood Innocence | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Blood Innocence | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (Hulu)
Homicide Hunter: 10 Active Duty Military and Veteran Murder Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

Deadly Women Premiered ‘Second Best’ on ID: Dennis Dawley Elicits Help of Mistress Brandita Taliano to Murder Wife (September 19, 2014)

On By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, True Crime, USAF, VeteransLeave a comment

Preview: Seeking freedom from his controlling wife, Dennis Hawley begins seeing drug-addicted prostitute Brandita Taliano and supporting her financially. In 1993, when Joan receives an inheritance and makes plans to divorce, Dennis, fearing financial ruin, enlists his lover to help murder his wife. -Second Best, Deadly Women (S8, E10)

Being the ‘other woman’ is a lonely life. Some turn rejection into rage. A call girl craved the high life, a teen mom eradicated her rival, and a lesbian love affair ripped a family apart. These Deadly Women refused to play ‘Second Best’. -Deadly Women (S8, 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.

Related Links:
Partners in Crime | The New Detectives (S5,E2)
Mistress Kills Her Lover’s Wife to Escape (Preview)
They Killed His Wife Then Decided To Go On A Las Vegas Holiday (Preview)
Second Best | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (S8, E10)
Second Best | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (website)
Second Best | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Second Best | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (Hulu)
Stages of Grief | American Monster | Investigation Discovery (S3, E1)
Stages of Grief | American Monster | Investigation Discovery (website)
Stages of Grief | American Monster | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Monstresses: Katie Belflower & Brandita Taliano | Amazon (S1,E2)
Killer Call Girl: The True Story of Brandita Taliano by Greta Harris (book)
Air Force Retiree Dennis Dawley & Mistress Brandita Taliano Sentenced to Life in Prison, No Parole for the 1991 Murder of Joan Dawley (April 15, 1997)
American Monster Premiered ‘Stages of Grief’ on Investigation Discovery: Dennis Dawley & Brandita Taliano Murdered Joan Dawley for Cash (July 8, 2018)
Deadly Women: 30 Military and Veteran Homicide Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

Homicide Hunter Premiered ‘Poker Face’ on ID: Military Retiree Jamie Foster Shot Dead in Colorado Springs Home (September 16, 2014)

On By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, True Crime, VeteransLeave a comment

The corpse of Jamie Foster is found hidden under a blanket. But when Lt. Joe Kenda digs deeper, he discovers that Foster’s business put him in close quarters with a host of unsavory characters. -Poker Face, Homicide Hunter (S4,E5)

Military retiree Jamie Foster, 68, was found fatally shot in his Colorado Springs home in 1988. He was shot twice, once in the head, and investigators discovered his safe was missing from the home. Friends shared Jamie was dating a young woman named Leone “Oni” Jones who also happened to be addicted to drugs, crack specifically. Kenda couldn’t find Oni but he started canvassing pawn shops and learned Michael Parsons suddenly had cash he usually didn’t have. When Kenda interviewed Parsons, he learned Parsons helped Leone remove a safe from Jamie’s house. They opened the safe and found $900; Leone gave Parson’s $300. The safe was still at Parson’s home.

Parson’s was arrested and charged with accessory to first degree murder and third degree burglary. They put out a warrant for Leone Jones. A couple days later, she called the police department and surrendered. After the murder, she fled to Kansas, claiming she was fearful the men who killed Jamie would kill her too. Kenda didn’t believe her. He suspected she wanted money for drugs, went to Jamie’s home for cash, killed Jamie and took his safe. Although Leone refused to confess to the crime during the interrogations, she finally offered up the confession Kenda wanted during her trial. She pleaded guilty to second degree murder and was sentenced to 24 years in prison.

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.

Related Links:
From The Archive: Foster Case | Investigation Discovery (Facebook)
Poker Face | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (S4,E5)
Poker Face | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (website)
Poker Face | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Poker Face | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (Hulu)
Murder Case Dismissed After Witness Says She Erred in Identifying Suspect
Homicide Hunter: 10 Active Duty Military and Veteran Murder Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

Homicide Hunter Premiered ‘Death Grip’ on ID: Peterson Air Force Base Military Officer Fatally Shoots Michael Faast Because Jealousy (September 9, 2014)

On By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, True Crime, USAFLeave a comment

Officers find the lifeless body of furniture salesman behind the wheel. But Faast didn’t die in the wreck – he was shot point-blank in the temple. Lt. Joe Kenda must track a killer whose promising career took a dark and deadly turn. -Death Grip, Homicide Hunter (S4,E4)

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.

Related Links:
The Fastest Discharge in Military History
Death Grip | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (S4,E4)
Death Grip | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (website)
Death Grip | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Death Grip | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (Hulu)
Air Force Capt. Ronald Ball Fatally Shot Michael Faast; Exercised Right to Remain Silent, Plead Temporary Insanity, Found Guilty But Insane (February 2, 1979)
Homicide Hunter: 10 Active Duty Military and Veteran Murder Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

Deadly Women Premiered ‘Lover’s Revenge’ on ID: When Gregg Whitmore Divorced His Wife, She Demanded Payback (September 5, 2014)

On By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, True Crime, VeteransLeave a comment

When these women were betrayed, they demanded payback. A crazed mother took a custody battle too far, a scorned lover wiped out her competition, and a sex addict stepped on everyone in her way. They settled their scores by wreaking “Lover’s Revenge”. -Deadly Women (S8,E8)

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.

Related Links:
Lover’s Revenge | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (S8,E8)
Lover’s Revenge | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (website)
Lover’s Revenge | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Lover’s Revenge | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (Hulu)
Army Veteran Gregg Whitmore & Girlfriend Karen Cummings Stabbed to Death; Ex-Wife Shana Parkinson Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison (February 1, 2004)
Deadly Women: 30 Military and Veteran Homicide Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

August: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (August 31, 2014)

On By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, Non Combat Death, ScandalsLeave a comment

Department of Defense

08/24/2014:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Christopher Mulalley, 26, NCD, Afghanistan, Fort Hood, Texas

08/21/2014:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Matthew Leggett, 39, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

08/13/2014:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Samuel Hairston, 35, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

08/06/2014:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Harold Greene, 55, Afghanistan, Combined Security Transition Command

08/04/2014:  DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Girard Gass Jr, 33, NCD, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

Related Links:
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2002)
August: Department of Defense Casualties Report (2003)
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 (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)

Fort Bragg Army Pfc. Darrell Robinson Found Dead on Post (August 31, 2014)

On By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, Stateside Death, Suicide1 Comment
screen-shot-2016-10-15-at-7-33-27-pm
Pfc Darrell Robinson, U.S. Army

Related Links:
MP soldier found dead at Fort Bragg
Soldier from San Angelo Found Dead at Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg soldier’s death Sunday under investigation
Bragg officials investigating military police officer’s death
Death Of Soldier With Military Dog Unit Under Investigation
Family mourns loss of soldier at Fort Bragg

Military Sexual Assault: Photojournalist Mary Calvert Documented Some of Their Stories | Cosmopolitan (August 26, 2014)

On By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, In Their Name, Military Policy, National Guard, Navy, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Sexual Assault, USAF, USCG, USMC, VeteransLeave a comment
Mary Calvert
Mary Calvert

In Photos: The Epidemic of Military Sexual Assault

Some 26,000 women [and men] are sexually assaulted in the military every year. Photojournalist Mary Calvert documented some of their stories.

“Why is this happening? To answer that question, Mary Calvert met with survivors and went to congressional hearings on military sexual assault. The women she met connected her with more women, and she photographed them in their homes and communities. Through her work, she learned that just 1 in 7 victims of sexual assault in the military reported the attack; of those assaults that were reported, just 1 in 10 ever saw a trial.”

Read more from  Cosmopolitan here.

“I get emails, and comments from people saying, ‘I was sexually assaulted in the military and I’ve never told anybody and when I saw these pictures and read these stories I felt more courage to go out and get some help.'” -World Press Photo Foundation (May 18, 2017)

Related Links:
Mary F. Calvert Official Website
The Battle Within: Sexual Assault in America’s Military Part 1: The Hearings
The Battle Within: Sexual Assault in America’s Military Part 1: The Survivors
Missing in Action: Homeless Women Veterans
The Battle Within: Sexual Assault in America’s Military
Mary F. Calvert | John Simon Guggenheim Foundation
Surviving Rape in the Military – The New York Times
The New York Times Discusses Mary F. Calvert’s Photography on Sexual Assault in the Military
Thousands Are Sexually Assaulted In The U.S. Military Every Year. These Are Some Of Their Stories.
Photos: Women Who Risked Everything to Expose Sexual Assault in the Military
Haunting Photo Essay Illustrates the Real-Life Toll of Military Sexual Assault in America
Sexual Assault in America’s Military | Photographer: Mary F. Calvert
World Press Photo Winners: Mary F. Calvert and Military Sexual Assault
“It’s sad to think that this could become my life’s work”
Mary F. Calvert on Photographing Military Sexual Assault Without Adding to Her Subjects’ Suffering
The Battle Within: Sexual violence in America’s military laid bare as record numbers of women are raped
‘I just pulled up my pants and went back to work’: Women veterans reveal the shocking sexual and physical abuse they suffered in the US armed forces
The Battle Within: Sexual Assault in America’s Military | Visa pour l’image
Mary F. Calvert on ‘Sexual Assault in America’s Military’

A Very Realistic Military Game | Inside Amy Schumer (August 26, 2014)

On By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, In Their Name, Military Policy, National Guard, Navy, Non Combat Death, Sexual Assault, USAF, USCG, USMC, VeteransLeave a comment

Amy discovers that her boyfriend’s war game unfolds very differently when the player chooses a female character. -Inside Amy Schumer, Comedy Central (August 26, 2014)

The sketch says it all… there’s a reason the majority of service members don’t report crime. Character assassination and retaliation is real for both male and female victims of crime in the military. Their lives, reputations, careers, and futures are dependent on the actions of the convening authority who has the power to do nothing. In the civilian world, after reporting a crime to the local police department and evidence is gathered, a prosecutor determines whether or not a case moves forward in the judicial system. The Military Justice Improvement Act (MJIA) attempts to mirror this process and was reintroduced in June 2019, yet again was not allowed on the Senate floor for a vote. The last cloture vote on the way the military should handle felony crimes was on March 6, 2014. Invoking cloture means 60 Senators or two-thirds is required for passage of a bill as opposed to the majority of Senators. The biggest opponents of the MJIA were former Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and former Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), both since voted out of the Senate and replaced by Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ). This pair of military officers are proponents of keeping the Chain of Command involved in the decision making process of adjudicating felony crime despite what the majority of military sexual assault survivors have asked for because the fear and retaliation continues. Meanwhile, the fight for military justice reform rages on. #PassMJIA

Related Links:
Inside Amy Schumer – A Very Realistic Military Game (YouTube)
Inside Amy Schumer – A Very Realistic Military Game (website)
Inside Amy Schumer: Military Video Game and Victim Blaming
Best of 2014: Inside Amy Schumer’s military rape sketch
The 11 Best Sketches from ‘Inside Amy Schumer’ Season 2
Amy Schumer Plays a Very Realistic Military Game (Trigger Warning)
Here’s Why You Don’t Want To Play A Female Character In A ‘Realistic’ Military Game
Amy Schumer Realizes Military Games Are Not Fun for Female Characters
15 feminist Amy Schumer sketches that will make you stand up and cheer
Amy Schumer’s Top 5 Feminist Comedy Sketches
The top 10 funniest sketches from ‘Inside Amy Schumer’
Amy Schumer: ‘I don’t try to be feminist. I just am. It’s innately inside me’
Amy Schumer Is A Feminist Icon & Here’s 5 Undeniable Reasons Why
5 jokes that explain how Amy Schumer became the new queen of comedy
Breathless: Why Amy Schumer Is an Amazing Feminist
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Army Veteran Carlos Holcombe Kidnapped & Raped 12-Year-Old Girl in El Paso, Texas; Sentenced to Life Plus 20 Years in Prison, Sentences Served Concurrently (August 22, 2014)

On By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Child Abuse, Felony Crime, In Their Name, Military Policy, Sexual Assault, VeteransLeave a comment
holcombe-png
Carlos Holcombe, US Army Veteran

Army veteran Carlos Antonio Holcombe was accused of kidnapping a twelve year old child from a high school parking lot and raping her on August 22, 2014 in El Paso, Texas. He lured the little girl by asking her if she would help him move some boxes. He then pointed a gun at her back and forced her into his truck. He took her to his home, put duck tape over her eyes, bound her, and raped her. School cameras caught him in the act of the abduction and he was arrested by police the next day. He was indicted on one count of aggravated kidnapping and three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child. According to reports, Holcombe served ten years in the US Army in support of Operation Desert Shield and was honorably discharged. He now claims he has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) yet has not received any treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs. He used the PTSD defense claiming that he suffers from a disassociative disorder he developed after he was sexually abused as a child. He also used the temporary insanity defense, claiming he was drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana right before the incident. A psychologist testified that he examined Holcombe by giving him several psychological exams and the results of the exams showed that Holcombe was exaggerating or lying about his symptoms. Holcombe was found guilty by a jury of three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, and one count each of aggravated kidnapping and indecency with a child involving sexual contact. He was sentenced to life in prison on one count of aggravated kidnapping and 20 years in prison on a charge of indecency with a child involving sexual contact. The sentences will be served concurrently.

“You don’t get to claim you have PTSD and commit a rape.” -Prosecutor Alyssa Nava

Related Links:
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Trial date set in Horizon City kidnapping, sexual assault case
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Trial underway for man accused of kidnapping 12-year-old girl from Horizon High School football game, raping her
Evidence shown in day three of Carlos Holcombe trial
Cameras show 12-year-old’s kidnapping
Girl testifies about kidnapping, sexual assault
Texas man convicted of kidnapping, raping girl, 12
Army vet found guilty of kidnapping, raping girl in Texas
Man found guilty of kidnapping, raping girl
Former soldier guilty of kidnapping, sexually assaulting girl he bound, blindfolded outside El Paso
Man gets life in kidnapping, rape of girl