Tag: 2016

Raheel Siddiqui, US Marine Corps (2016)

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Raheel Siddiqui, US Marine Corps

Marine Corps recruit Raheel Siddiqui died while attending boot camp at Parris Island in South Carolina on March 18, 2016.

Related Links:
Parris Island recruit jumped to death while in boot camp training
U.S. Marine from Taylor dies at Parris Island recruit training facility
Death of Marine recruit at Parris Island under investigation
Death of Marine at South Carolina boot camp under investigation
Marines instructors under investigation after death of Muslim recruit
Marines Expand Hazing Probe Following Recruit Raheel Siddiqui’s Death
A Marine Recruit’s Death Spurred An Important Investigation
Marine Corps Officials Recommend Charges in Death of Muslim Recruit
Marine Corps Completed Three Command-Level Investigations at Parris Island
Marines: Recruit committed suicide amid culture of hazing, abuse
Following a Marine recruit’s death, a culture of hazing is exposed on a storied base
Siddiqui family: USMC investigation leaves ‘unanswered’ questions
Documents disclose alleged Marine hazing at Parris Island
Marine recruit’s death didn’t stop hazing, abuse in his platoon, USMC finds
20 Marines Face Discipline After Muslim Recruit’s Death Is Ruled a Suicide
Up to 20 marines could face disciplinary action over Muslim recruit’s death
Timeline of recruit Raheel Siddiqui at Parris Island Marine base before suicide
Marine recruit’s death uncovers pattern of abuse by some drill instructors
USMC: Before Recruit Died, Platoon Mates Ordered to Beat One Another
Day before Parris Island recruit died, platoon mates ordered to beat one another, USMC found
Muslim marine says he was called a ‘terrorist’ and thrown in an industrial dryer at scandal-plagued South Carolina boot camp
Muslim Marine Placed in Clothes Dryer by Instructor, Asked if He Was ‘Terrorist’
“They put us through hell”: A Marine abused at boot camp explains why he spoke out
911 audio reveals new details about morning of USMC recruit’s death
Marine Corps drill instructors will be watched more closely after Parris Island scandal
The Mysterious Death of a Muslim Marine Recruit
Muslim Marine Trainee Killed Himself … or Did He?
Marine recruits testify about drill instructor at hearing
Marine Corps Holding Hearing To Determine If Charges Will Move Forward In Recruit’s Death
Corps names 2 Parris Island DIs for courts-martial; one linked to Muslim recruit’s death
Marines to court-martial drill instructor after Muslim recruit’s death
Marine drill instuctor to face court martial after Michigan recruit’s death
Marine drill instructor faces court martial in connection with death of Muslim recruit ‘who killed himself after he was called a terrorist and was physically abused at boot camp’
Dingell Statement on Referral of Charges Related to Raheel Siddiqui Case
One NCIS investigation at Parris Island is over, but another continues
Hearing set for USMC drill instructor linked to Siddiqui’s death
USMC Recruit Had To Get Skin Grafts After Hazing Incident
Official fired after Taylor Marine Raheel Siddiqui’s death faces hearing
Official fired after Marine recruit’s death at Parris Island faces hearing
How the Death of a Muslim Recruit Revealed a Culture of Brutality in the Marines
Lt. Col. Joshua Kissoon, US Marine Corps (Military Corruption)


Why did a 20-year-old recruit jump to his death at the Marine Corps training facility at Parris Island? That question spurred an internal investigation, which uncovered a larger pattern of hazing and abuse. William Brangham joins Judy Woodruff to offer a closer look at the investigation. -PBS NewsHour

Fort Hood Army Soldier Staff Sgt. Brian Reed Found Dead of Gunshot Wound at Off-Post Residence in Copperas Cove, Texas (March 14, 2016)

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Staff Sgt. Brian Reed, US Army

Army Staff Sgt. Brian Michael Reed, 40, was found dead of a gunshot wound at his off-post residence in Copperas Cove, Texas on March 14, 2016. Staff Sgt. Reed’s home of record is listed as Corpus Christi and he entered the Army in August 2005 as an infantryman. He later changed jobs to an explosive ordnance disposal specialist and was assigned to the 79th Ordnance Battalion at Fort Hood. Staff Sgt. Reed deployed to Iraq from August 2006 to September 2007 and to Afghanistan from April 2011 to April 2012. Copperas Cove police reported there were no immediate signs of foul play but an autopsy was ordered to determine the cause of death. The circumstances surrounding his death and official cause of death are unknown.

Related Links:
SSG Brian Reed (photo)
Death of a Fort Hood Soldier
Fort Hood IDs soldier found dead off-post
Fort Hood: Soldier found dead in off-post residence
Fort Hood: Soldier found dead at home in Copperas Cove
Army Explosive Ordinance Disposal tech found dead with gun shot wound
Violent Crime, Suicide, and Non Combat Death at Fort Hood, Texas
Army Soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas Are Dying at Alarming Rates Stateside (January 1, 2016 to Present)

Fort Hood Army Sgt. Sean Van Der Wal Died in a Traffic Crash on I-35 in Texas; Driver Spc. Timothy Corder Found Guilty of Felony, Received Probation (March 6, 2016)

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Sgt. Sean Van Der Wal, US Army

Sgt. Sean Van Der Wal, 25, US Army, was killed in a vehicle crash on Interstate 35 near Georgetown, Texas on March 6, 2016. Sgt. Van Der Wal was in the passenger seat of a vehicle driven by Spc. Timothy Corder that collided with the back of a parked semitrailer (hazards were on). The two other crash victims including the driver were hospitalized. Sgt. Van Der Wal was a military policeman assigned to the 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade at Fort Hood. Sgt. Van Der Wal joined the Army in 2014 and his home of record is listed as New Castle, Pennsylvania. Spc. Timothy Corder, 24, has been charged with intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault. Corder was booked and released from the County Jail on a $100,000 bond on April 11, 2016. Spc. Timothy Corder found guilty of felony and the final disposition was probation.

Data from Corder’s vehicle showed he was traveling at a steady 78 miles per hour just prior to the crash, with no braking or cruise control, the affidavit states. The speed limit at the crash location is 55 mph. –KXAN

Related Links:
Fort Hood Press Center: Sgt. Sean Vanderwal
Death of a Fort Hood Soldier
Obituary: Sgt. Sean McGregor Van Der Wal of Ft. Hood, Texas
Fort Hood soldier killed in crash near Georgetown
Fort Hood IDs soldier killed in Texas crash
ID’ed: Ft Hood soldier killed in crash
Fort Hood: Soldier killed in weekend accident identified
New Castle soldier dies in Texas traffic accident
Police arrest Fort Hood soldier after accident that left a military policeman dead
Man charged in March crash that killed Fort Hood soldier
Man charged for I-35 crash that killed Fort Hood military policeman
Sgt. Sean McGregor Vanderwal, 25, killed, and two people injured in car crash with semi truck near Georgetown, Texas
Violent Crime, Suicide, and Non Combat Death at Fort Hood, Texas
Army Soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas Are Dying at Alarming Rates Stateside (January 1, 2016 to Present)

Disappeared: Air Force Veteran Michael Vanzandt Vanishes During a Night Out with Friends in Hermosa Beach, California (March 5, 2016)

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Michael Vanzandt, US Air Force Veteran

IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE HERMOSA BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT: Detective Joshua Droz at (310) 318-0334 or jdroz@hermosapolice.org

Air Force veteran Michael Vanzandt, 36, was living in Lancaster, California at the time of his disappearance. Michael was originally from Pleasant Lake, Michigan where he was raised by his mom. He has two brothers and one step brother. After graduation in 1999, Michael enlisted in the Air Force. It wasn’t long after that in 2000 when he met a fellow Air Force member at Yakota Air Base in Japan. They were both from Michigan and grew up about an hour and a half from one another. They married in 2001 and by 2006, they had three children. Michael was stationed at Edwards Air Force Base in California. While stationed there, he deployed to Iraq twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).

After twelve years of service, Michael left the Air Force and got a civilian job in human resources at Edwards AFB. In 2014, Michael and his wife decided to separate and divorce. His wife says they just grew apart. But despite the break-up, the two had a good relationship for the sake of the three children. They had shared custody. Michael tried dating a couple people after the divorce but the relationships didn’t last because he just wasn’t ready yet. Although he remained friends with the two women. It was clear Michael was focused on moving out of his small apartment and getting a house for his family. In early 2016, Michael was approved for a mortgage.

On March 5, 2016, Michael dropped the three children off at his ex-wife’s house because he had plans to go out with some friends that night. He drove from Lancaster to Hermosa Beach where he was meeting his friends. They were going to watch a UFC event and Michael was excited about that because he loves the UFC. Michael parked his car in a parking garage and they ubered it to the Underground. After the UFC event was over, they all decided to go to the American Junkie bar. While they were waiting in line, Michael said he was going to use the bathroom at the liquor store. This is the last time anyone saw Michael Vanzandt again.

When friends decided to abandon their plan to go to the American Junkie, they left and went bar hopping. The last time they spoke to Michael, he said he was going to the bathroom at the liquor store and would be right back. They were starting to get concerned so they texted and called him but got no response. The phone calls were going straight to voicemail. After leaving the bars in Hermosa Beach, they went back to the parking garage to see if Michael had retrieved his car and he had not. The next day, one of his friends started making phone calls with no luck. Another friend went to his apartment and learned that he was not there. His car wasn’t either.

Michael’s ex-wife grew concerned when Michael didn’t show up to drop off an insurance form for one of the kids who was having a medical procedure done. She called one of his ex-girlfriends who offered to go to his apartment and see if she couldn’t find Michael and/or the insurance form. She looked around the apartment but nothing appeared to be out of place and nothing looked suspicious. Michael’s ex-wife called his place of employment at Edwards AFB and learned that he never showed up for work which was totally out of character. They knew now that Michael was missing.

One of Michael’s friends attempted to file an official missing persons report but were quickly disheartened when they realized the police were not as concerned. Michael’s friend went to Hermosa Beach to look for him. She learned that Michael’s car was still in the parking garage. Michael’s ex-wife tells the kids at this point that Michael is officially missing. And they didn’t waste any time trying to garner attention for Michael’s disappearance on social media. The information spread like wild fire. On March 8, Michael’s friends met with a detective in Hermosa Beach who laid out a game plan for launching a missing person’s investigation.

After the investigation was launched, friends and family put up fliers in Hermosa Beach and spoke with local businesses but no one had seen Michael. Investigators talked with all the friends Michael was out with on March 5th but none of them provided any new leads. Investigators looked at cell phone records and the last time the phone was used, it pinged in Hermosa Beach. It appears the phone went dead around 9 p.m. Next investigators looked thru surveillance video around the bars the group frequented. It was at this point, news outlets also began covering Michael’s disappearance. Family and friends hoped for the lead that would be a breakthrough in the case.

After the investigators and Michael’s family and friends were unable to locate Michael in downtown Hermosa Beach, they all shifted the search efforts to the shoreline. Michael’s family hired a helicopter to search up and down the coast line. Meanwhile, the police positively identified Michael on video surveillance. They witnessed Michael come out of the door at the liquor store and then he went southbound on Hermosa Avenue. They could see how the group kept missing Michael in the crowds by a matter of seconds as they searched for each other. The police speculated that Michael was probably looking for a bathroom. Michael went back to the liquor store and bought some whiskey. It was here that police were able to confirm his cell phone was in fact dead.

The last confirmed sighting for Michael Vanzandt was at 11:27 p.m. in Hermosa Beach. Friends and family hoped he ran into someone else while out, maybe an unknown group of people. They felt helpless because there were no new leads despite their exhaustive efforts. Michael’s brother Tyler walked the coast line again and again until he couldn’t walk anymore but eventually realized that his time on the ground was not effective. The Hermosa Beach P.D. confirmed that the investigation is still open but were at a loss after taking all the proactive measures. Michael’s brother thought maybe he went swimming while drinking but deep down inside prays that he’s out there in the world in an effort to maintain hope. Michael had a good job, he was planning on getting a new home, and starting a new chapter in his life for his children.

Source: Just Out of Sight, Disappeared, Investigation Discovery

Related Links:


When Michael VanZandt, a veteran and father of three, disappears one night in Hermosa Beach, Ca., police suspect a group of strangers may be involved. But his loved ones are haunted by suspicions about his thrill seeking when considering his fate. -Disappeared

A Stranger in My Home Premiered ‘The Two-Faced Murder’ on ID: Abusive Caregiver Rosemary Vandecar Convicted of Murder (February 26, 2016)

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An old man collapses in his bathroom, gasping for air. The caregiver tries to save him while her son calls for help in vain. This “accident” isn’t what it seems, though… and the true story reveals murder. -The Two-Faced Murder, A Stranger in My Home (S3,E3)

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 Two-Faced Murder | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (S3,E3)
The Two-Faced Murder | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (website)
The Two-Faced Murder | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Police Rule Roy Schutzler Death Suspicious; Daniel Vandecar Not Involved, Rosemary Vandecar Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder (February 8, 2010)
Investigation Reveals Retired Marine Daniel Vandecar Not Involved in Schutzler Homicide

Murder Book Premiered ‘Come Back Jack’ on Investigation Discovery: Disabled Veteran Jack Irwin Disappears in Upland, California (February 25, 2016)

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Four years after a 71 year-old Korean War hero goes missing near Upland, California, a DA’s investigator picks up a trail of clues that seem to lead to the victim’s closest friends. -Come Back Jack, Murder Book (S2,E13) 

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:
Come Back Jack | Murder Book | Investigation Discovery (S2,E13)
Come Back Jack | Murder Book | Investigation Discovery (website)
Come Back Jack | Murder Book | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Disabled Army Veteran Jack Irwin Murdered for Disability Benefits, Bank Account & Assets; Marcia Johnson Sentenced to Life, No Parole (September 13, 1999)
Deadly Women: 30 Military and Veteran Homicide Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

Marine Veteran Laura Anne Buckingham Charged with Attempted 1st Degree Murder of Ex-Boyfriend; Released on Bail Due to Pregnancy (2016)

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Laura Anne Buckingham, USMC Veteran

Marine veteran Laura Anne Buckingham of Tennessee was arrested for an alleged plot to kill her ex-boyfriend, who is also the father of their child. Buckingham was charged with attempted first degree murder and she pleaded not guilty. She was released on bail due to a pregnancy and the trial has been postponed.

Related Links:
Chef Hires Man to Murder Ex, Allegedly
Ex-cafe owner charged with attempted murder
Authorities: Ex-sniper thwarts girlfriend’s plot to kill her ex
Marine sniper foils alleged murder-for-hire plot
Former Marine accused of murder-for-hire plot
Celebrity Baker Charged in Murder-for-Hire Plot to Kill Ex-Boyfriend
Marine veteran foils girlfriend’s murder-for-hire plot
Cops: Celebrity Baker and Former Marine Tried to Hire Hit Man to Kill Her Ex Over Child Visitation
Former Marine Behind Bars for Alleged Murder-for-Hire Plot
How notorious Marine who urinated on Taliban corpses turned his veteran girlfriend in for trying to hire him to kill her ex
Ex-Boyfriend Faked His Death to Catch Marine Beauty in Murder Plot
Celebrity Chief Hires Hitman
Baker Arrested for Hiring Marine Sniper to Kill Ex-Boyfriend
Woman indicted in murder for hire
Roane County woman indicted, charged for murder-for-hire plot
Woman in murder-for-hire plot has case bound over; is free after posting bond
New Details in Chef’s Alleged Murder-for-Hire Case
Motion Filed to Delay Trial of Murder for Hire Case
Trial delay granted in murder for hire plot
Former Marine accused of murder-for-hire plot released on bail


Laura Buckingham, a celebrity baker and former U.S. marine, is accused of hiring a hit man to have her ex-boyfriend killed. She is facing an attempted first-degree murder charge, but has been released on $150,000 bond because she is pregnant. -HLN

Osama El-Atari, One-Time Informant Who Got Marine Jorge Torrez to Confess to 3 Murders Including Amanda Snell, Found Dead in Vehicle; Three Suspects Arrested for Murder (February 16, 2016)

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P.O. Amanda Snell, U.S. Navy
Osama El-Atari
Jorge Torrez, U.S. Marine Corps

“A Virginia man found murdered in Maryland over the weekend was an informant who successfully got a Marine to confess to three murders in prison. Osama El-Atari had been reported missing by his family…Two days later, El Atari was found dead inside his truck…In August of 2010, the feds wanted to see if El-Atari could get Jorge Torrez, a Marine, to confess on tape to the murder of Amanda Jean Snell, a sailor who was found murdered in Fort Myer. El-Atari and Torrez were in the same cellblock in Arlington County Jail. The two talked for hours with El-Atari getting Torrez to admit to the vicious crime…El-Atari was also able to get Torrez to admit to the 2005 killing of two little girls in his hometown of Zion, Illinois. It is a crime in which a suspect had already confessed. Also, DNA evidence pointed to Torrez.” Read more from Fox 5 DC here.

Related Links:
Slain Va. man was one-time informant who got Marine to confess to murders
Admitted bank scammer who turned into jailhouse informant in terror, murder cases found slain in truck on Maryland street
VA Man Convicted of Scamming Banks for Millions Found Dead in MD
Police arrest 2 in slaying of freed jailhouse informant
Arrests made in murder of informant who got Marine to confess to murders
Third man arrested in Leesburg bank scammer’s death
Third man arrested in death of scam artist turned informant
3rd Suspect Arrested for Convicted Loudoun Restauranteur’s Murder
Robbery Cited as Motive in El-Atari Homicide
The King of Ashburn: The life and murder of a con man
Navy Petty Officer Amanda Snell Murdered by Marine Jorge Torrez in Barracks at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Virginia; Sentenced to Death by Federal Judge (July 13, 2009)

Army Sgt. Joseph Stifter Died of Wounds Suffered When Armored HMMWV was Involved in Roll-over Accident in Iraq (2016)

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Sgt. Joseph Stifter, US Army

Army Sgt. Joseph Stifter, 30, of Glendale, California, died of wounds suffered when his armored HMMWV was involved in a roll-over accident on January 28, 2016 at Al Asad Airbase, Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Sgt. Stifter was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve on behalf of the 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas. At the time of the press release, the incident was under investigation.

Related Links:
Obituary: Joseph Francis Stifter
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Fort Riley Soldier Dies in Iraq
Fort Riley Soldier Killed
Soldier who died in Iraq accident is identified
Sgt. Joseph Stifter, former Fort Riley soldier, dies in Iraq
Fort Riley soldier dies during Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq
Soldier from Glendale killed in crash while serving in Iraq
Glendale Soldier Killed In Rollover Accident In Iraq
Soldier From Glendale Killed in Rollover Crash at Iraq Airbase
Flags at half-staff to honor Army soldier from Glendale killed in Iraq
Community mourns the death of Sgt. Joseph Stifter
St. Francis Alumnus Dies in Iraq Accident
Nearly five years after Petraeus scandal, bad decisions still resonate
Statue Dedication Honoring Local Soldiers
Tribute To Our Fallen Soldiers – US Army Sgt. Joseph F. Stifter, 30, of Glendale, California
Enduring Heroes to Honor Local Fallen Soldiers with a Monument in Pasadena
Families will honor Pasadena soldiers’ sacrifice at ‘Enduring Heroes’ monument unveiling
It’s Time to Honor, It’s Time to Remember: Enduring Heroes


Sgt. Joseph F. Stifter, US Army

Vanity Fair Confidential on Investigation Discovery Features ‘Code of Dishonor’

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There are thousands of victims. All members of the American Air Force. How far will they go to stop a covert war against women? -Vanity Fair Confidential

Vanity Fair Confidential on Investigation Discovery featured ‘Code of Dishonor’ which was an investigation of the issue of sexual assault in the military. They highlighted the US Air Force Academy sexual assault scandal back in 2003 and the more recent case of Myah Bilton-Smith, who was also a victim of sexual assault while serving in the United States Air Force. The show revealed that sexual assault can happen to anyone including officers and enlisted.

Related Links:
Code of Dishonor, Vanity Fair
Code of Dishonor Post-Script
Hidden Sexual Assault In The Military: Code Of Dishonor
Conduct Unbecoming
Former cadet talks about rape
`Expect rape,’ ex-cadet says she was warned
More Cadets Speaking Out About Assaults
Former cadets say rapes at academy ended dreams
Defense to investigate cadets’ rape allegations
Ex-Brass Deny Ignoring Victims
Demotion in air academy sex scandal / Air Force general loses one star before retirement
Ex-Superintendent of Air Force Academy Is Demoted in Wake of Rape Scandal
Air Force leadership blamed for sex scandal
Senate to hear female victims of Air Force academy sexual assaults
Interview with Beth Davis, former US Air Force Academy cadet
Air Force Sex Scandal Gets Hotter
Sexual Assault and Violence Against Women in the Military and at the Academies
C-SPAN: Sexual Misconduct in the Military (June 27, 2006)
Albuquerque Reporter Was A ‘Beautiful Girl Inside and Out’
Vanity Fair Confidential ‘Code of Dishonor’ (YouTube)