Tag: Cold Cases

48 Hours Premiered ‘A Brother’s Mission’ on CBS: Claudia Hoerig Stands Accused of Gunning Down Husband Karl & Fleeing to Brazil (November 25, 2017)

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48 Hours:

After “48 Hours” correspondent Erin Moriarty tracks down the accused killer of a decorated military pilot in Brazil, the woman is extradited to the United States . Will the pilot’s family get justice?

To get justice for his death, Karl Hoerig’s family in the United States must first navigate the Brazilian criminal justice system, which may keep his suspected murderer from facing extradition. -48 Hours

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio, 13th District) has appealed to three U.S. Presidents to try and help Major Karl Hoerig’s family get justice for the U.S. Air Force veteran’s murder. “48 Hours” Erin Moriarty talks to the congressman about his push to have Claudia Hoerig extradited to the United States to stand trial. -48 Hours

In The News:

The family of a murdered military hero is embroiled in an international fight for justice. Karl Hoerig was killed in his Ohio home in March 2007. His family immediately suspected his wife, Claudia, but she boarded a flight to her native Brazil hours after her husband’s death. U.S. investigators charged Claudia with murder, but more than 10 years later, the Hoerig family is still seeking justice. -CBS This Morning (November 24, 2017)

A military hero found shot to death in his home in Ohio and his wife abruptly returns to her native Brazil. Now his brother is on a mission to track down a suspected killer. -CBS New York (November 24, 2017)

48 Hours reporter explains what Claudia Hoerig’s been doing in Brazil -WKBN27 (January 18, 2018)

More than 11 years have passed as the family of Karl Hoerig waited for his accused killer to be brought to justice. -WKBN27 (January 18, 2018)

A Brazilian fugitive accused of murdering her husband is back on U.S. soil to face justice, thanks in part to “48 Hours.” Karl Hoerig was a major in the Air Force reserve. He was shot and killed in his own home in March 2007. The main suspect was his wife, but she flew back to her native Brazil shortly after Hoerig’s death. -CBS This Morning (January 23, 2018)

Honoring the victim: Karl Hoerig, US Air Force Reserve

Related Links:
“48 Hours” Preview: A Brother’s Mission
Sneak peek: A Brother’s Mission | 48 Hours
How does Brazilian punishment fit the crime? | 48 Hours
Congressman supports Ohio family’s 10-year quest for justice | 48 Hours
“48 Hours” travels to Brazil with family seeking justice for military pilot
Brazilian fugitive charged with murder of American husband
48 Hours reporter explains what Claudia Hoerig’s been doing in Brazil
Erin Moriarty’s investigation into the life of Claudia Hoerig
Newton Falls murder case gains national attention again on 48 Hours
Fugitive jailed: A timeline in the fight to bring Claudia Hoerig to justice
‘Bingo! We got her back:’ Newton Falls thrilled to see Hoerig trial
Claudia Hoerig to make first court appearance
Bond set at $10 million for murder defendant Claudia Hoerig
Air Force Reservist Karl Hoerig Murdered at Home; Suspect & Spouse Claudia Fled to Brazil to Avoid Extradition; 10 Years Later Back in US to Face Charges (2007)

We Are the Mighty: ‘The 7 best military stories from the glory days of Unsolved Mysteries’ (October 31, 2017)

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1. Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack – Season 3, Episode 21 – Full Episode (Paul Whipkey, U.S. Army, California)

Sylvia and Edward Zakrzewski.png
Sylvia and Edward Zakrzewski, U.S. Air Force (photo via Unsolved Mysteries Wiki)

2. Edward Zakrzewski nears 20th anniversary on Florida’s death row (March 30, 2016)

(Could not find this Unsolved Mysteries episode anywhere!)

3. Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack – Season 7, Episode 19 – Full Episode (Justin Burgwinkel, U.S. Army, California)

4. Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack – Season 5, Episode 20 – Full Episode (Chad Langford, U.S. Army, Alabama)

5. Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack – Season 3, Episode 13 – Full Episode (Mark Dennis, U.S. Navy, Vietnam)

6. Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack – Season 8 Episode 15 – Full Episode (David Cox, U.S. Marine Corps, Massachusetts)

7. Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack – Season 8 Episode 1 – Full Episode (Joe O’Brien & Kuwaiti Air Force fighter pilot Mohammed “Sammy” Mubarak, Iraq)

BONUS EPISODE:

8. Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack – Season 4, Episode 11 – Full Episode (Jeffrey Digman, U.S. Marine Corps, California)

Related Links:
The 7 best military stories from the glory days of ‘Unsolved Mysteries’
7 Eerie Military Stories from Unsolved Mysteries That Still Haunt us
The Strange & Unexplained on YouTube published ‘The Biggest Suspicious Unsolved Military Mysteries’ (August 15, 2018)
The Mysterious Disappearance of Paul Whipkey (Unsolved Mysteries)
Triple-Murder Suspect Surrenders After Seeing His Story on TV
Okaloosa County murderer to stay on death row
Edward Zakrzewski nears 20th anniversary on Florida’s death row
The Mysterious Disappearance of Justin Burgwinkel (Unsolved Mysteries)
The Mysterious Death of Chad Langford (Unsolved Mysteries)
Miamisburg man’s death in Vietnam, questioned for decades, now has closure
New England’s Unsolved: Who killed US Marine David Cox?
Joe O’Brien & Kuwaiti fighter pilot Mohammed Mubarak (Unsolved Mysteries Wiki)
The Mysterious Death of Jeffrey Digman (Unsolved Mysteries)
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack – S3, E21 – Full Episode (Paul Whipkey)
Edward Zakrzewski nears 20th anniversary on Florida’s death row
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack – S7, E19 – Full Episode (Justin Bergwinkel)
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack – S5, 20 – Full Episode (Chad Langford)
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack – S3, E13 – Full Episode (Mark Dennis)
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack – S8, E15 – Full Episode (David Cox)
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack – Season 8 Episode 1 – Full Episode (Joe O’Brien)
Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack – Season 4, Episode 11 – Full Episode (Jeffrey Digman)

48 Hours Premiered ’48 Hours Cold Case: Who Killed Amy Gellert?’ (June 17, 2017)

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In the more than 20 years since the murder of a 21-year-old woman outside her home in Cocoa Beach, Florida, there have been a number of men investigated in connection with the case — but the crime remains unsolved. Members of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office share details with “48 Hours”‘ Erin Moriarty.

If you have any information about Amy Gellert‘s murder, please contact the Brevard County Homicide Unit: E-mail: majorcrimes@bcso.us or call Central Florida CrimeLine: 1-800-423-TIPS

“[A tipster] overheard Dominic’s girlfriend [Julie Flounder] saying that he was possibly involved with that homicide.” Investigators then learned Kanuika had stolen a car and left the area the day after Amy’s murder. He later moved back to Pennsylvania where investigators tracked him down. “Dominic puts himself at the scene.” Kanuika claimed that he was coming back from work when he drove pass Amy’s house. “He actually stops, pulls over, and walks up to see what was going on…His story didn’t check out. He didn’t work that night…He was given a polygraph and he failed it…Dominic was in Marine Corps boot camp…and one of the things he had to do was fight with a knife.” Dominic Kanuika was [now] serving time for drug possession and robbery. -48 Hours

Related Links:
48 Hours Preview: Who Killed Amy Gellert?
48 Hours preview: Who Killed Amy Gellert? | MSN
Preview: “48 Hours” Cold Case: Who killed Amy Gellert?
Sneak peek: “48 Hours” Cold Case: Who killed Amy Gellert?
A conversation with Amy Gellert’s killer | 48 Hours
A look at possible suspects in Amy Gellert’s murder | 48 Hours
Retired detective still haunted by Gellert cold case | 48 Hours
Help catch Amy Gellert’s killer | 48 Hours
“48 Hours”: Spring break cold case
Who Killed Amy Gellert? | 48 Hours (website)
“48 Hours” cold case: Who Killed Amy Gellert?
48 Hours: Who killed Amy Gellert? | Crimesider
Who Killed Amy Gellert? Help cops solve a 23-year-old cold case
23 Years After a Fla. Woman Was Fatally Stabbed in Her Driveway, Can These Clues Crack the Case?
Who killed Amy Gellert? More than 20 years after student, 21, died protecting parents from masked knifeman, police admit they are no closer to an arrest
Torres: ’48 Hours’ brings in tips in Cocoa Beach cold case
’48 Hours’ generates 100 tips in Brevard case
Cold Case: Amy Gellert Fatally Stabbed Outside Florida Home; AWOL Marine Dominic Kanuika an Alleged Suspect in the Case, $5000 Reward (1994)

48 Hours Premiered ’48 Hours: NCIS – The Sting’ | Norma Small Convicted of Murder-for-Hire of Husband & Navy Sailor Sonny Grotton (June 13, 2017)

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A tattooed NCIS agent with a black belt goes undercover to find the killer of a Navy petty officer — can he get what he needs without getting caught? -48 Hours: NCIS

Norma Small was arrested in May 2001 and charged with murder for the death of her husband and Navy sailor Sonny Grotton at his Belfast, Maine home on December 16, 1983. She was accused of hiring someone to murder him, convicted, and sentenced to 60 years in prison. Norma felt Sonny was worth more dead than alive. Investigators believed the crime was financially motivated. If Sonny died, Norma would get a death benefit from the Navy, the real estate that she owned with Sonny, and she received a monthly payment from the VA that over 15 or 17 years had amounted to almost $100,000.

“This thing comes up every 15 years. My dad wasn’t an international superstar or politician. Why this case? I haven’t seen a lot of true crime that really portrays the crime in a true life way. And for people who are trying to move on, it’s unfair in a big way.” [says Michael Grotton]. When asked why CBS was interested in the case all these years later, a producer for “48 Hours,” said the network is creating a series that will feature real cases solved by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, or NCIS. He told the BDN the production team’s reporting “turned up a twist” that may shed doubt on some of the facts that people have believed for the past 15 years. –Bangor Daily News

Related Links:
“48 Hours: NCIS” sneak peek: The Sting
Sneak peek: 48 Hours: NCIS
“48 Hours: NCIS”: The Sting | CBS News
Preview – Broken Honor | The Investigators
Broken Honor | The Investigators
Belfast case on ‘48 Hours: NCIS’ June 13
CBS “48 Hours” Episode Investigates Notorious Belfast Murder
TV crew visits Belfast for episode on infamous 1980s murder for hire case
‘48 Hours’ to air episode tonight on murder of Belfast’s Sonny Grotton
‘Cosmic joke’: Son doesn’t want another depiction of his father’s murder
Brooks man pleads innocent to murder in 17-year-old fatal shooting
CBS to air program on NCIS investigation into infamous Belfast murder
48 Hours: NCIS – Firm Resolve and Dedication!
State of Maine v. Norma Small (2003)
Navy Chief Petty Officer Mervin ‘Sonny’ Grotton Shot & Killed at Home in Maine; Wife Norma Small Convicted of Murder for Hire & Sentenced to 60 Years in Prison (1983)

Unsolved Homicide: Fort Hood Army Pvt. Justin Lewis Shot & Killed Near Vacant Lot in Killeen, Texas Neighborhood (April 17, 2017)

On By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Cold Cases, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy1 Comment
Screen Shot 2017-12-22 at 12.56.08 PM
Pvt. Justin Lewis, US Army

Fort Hood Army soldier Pvt. Justin Lewis, 19, was shot and killed near a vacant lot in a neighborhood outside the post in Killeen, Texas on April 17, 2017. Justin was pronounced dead on April 18, 2017 by the coroner. Pvt. Lewis’ home of record is listed as Henderson, North Carolina and he entered active-duty service in August 2016. Pvt. Lewis was a cavalry scout assigned to 3rd Cavalry Regiment in Fort Hood, Texas. The circumstances surrounding the unsolved homicide are under investigation by the Killeen Police Department in Killeen, Texas. The point of contact for the investigation is Ofelia Miramontez, Public Information Officer, Killeen Police Department. Miramontez’s phone number is (254) 501-8941/8807 and her email is omiramontez@killeentexas.gov. Eight months later, the Killeen Police Department does not have any updates in the case according to Killeen Police spokeswoman Ofelia Miramontez. Justin’s Army buddy, Logan Duty, told the TDT news: “[Justin] was just gunned down in the middle of the night, and no one’s able to find out why. If I was there, and I was one of the detectives, I wouldn’t rest until I figured out why. … (Lewis) wanted to help others, willing to lay his life down defending someone. I haven’t met anyone who was dedicated to serving like him.”

“Pvt. Justin Lewis’ uncle, Jerry Lewis, said when you have a loved one go into the military, you deal with the fact you may lose them on the battlefield. They never imagined they would lose 19-year-old Justin on American soil, near a vacant lot in Killeen, Texas.” –11 ABC News

Related Links:
In loving memory of Justin Lewis
Pvt. Justin Antwan Lewis | Fallen Warriors
Death of a Fort Hood Soldier – Pvt. Justin Antwan Lewis
Fort Hood soldier found dead identified
Man found dead in Killeen identified by police
Fort Hood soldier shot dead Monday night in Killeen, Texas
Killeen homicide victim was Fort Hood soldier, Army says
Teen found dead near vacant lot in Killeen neighborhood identified
19-year-old Fort Hood soldier shot and killed in Killeen
Young soldier from NC shot and killed in Texas
Soldier from NC shot to death in Texas, officials say
Soldier from Henderson shot, killed in Texas, army base says
Family seeks answers after NC soldier slain in Texas
Family grieves loss of Henderson soldier, looks for answers
Friends remember Henderson man killed in Texas
School Remembers Soldier from Vance County Found Dead Near Fort Hood
Soldier’s death in Killeen weighs heavy on friend 8 months later
52 Deaths at Fort Hood Since January 2016 ~ 14 Since January 2017…Normal Or HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS?
73 Fort Hood Soldiers Died Since January 2016: 4 Insider Attacks & 2 Suicides Overseas; 67 Stateside Deaths Including 34 Alleged Suicides & 1 Unsolved Homicide
Army Soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas Are Dying at Alarming Rates Stateside
Violent Crime, Suicide, and Non Combat Death at Fort Hood, Texas (US Army)
Killeen Calling in Feds to Combat Crime
Gangs in the US Army Documentary
The Fort Hood Fallen on Facebook
Seeking Justice with Change Your POV

Air Force Veteran John Tessier (aka Jack McCullough) Freed from Prison After Maria Ridulph Cold Case Homicide Conviction Overturned with New Evidence (2016)

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Captain John Tessier, US Air Force
aka Jack McCullough

Maria Ridulph, 7, disappeared on December 3, 1957 in Sycamore, Illinois. She was found stabbed to death a few months later. Air Force veteran John Tessier (aka Jack McCullough) of Seattle, Washington, 17 at the time, was convicted in 2012 of the kidnapping and murder of Maria and sentenced to life in prison. It was the oldest cold case in the country to be solved but soon that victory would be lost and conviction overturned on appeal. A prosecutor found evidence that supported McCullough’s long-held alibi that he had been 40 miles away at the time of the disappearance. As a matter of fact, the former Captain was enlisting in the Air Force and left for active duty service a few days later. A certificate of innocence was issued and Jack McCullough was set free on April 15, 2016. Despite the past sexual abuse of minors allegations, which McCullough doesn’t deny, he wants to clear his name of the homicide. McCullough is suing the State of Illinois for wrongful conviction. The case remains unsolved to this day.

1415749226165_Image_galleryImage_Jack_McCullough_as_a_Hugh
Maria Ridulph, 7, Illinois

Related Links:
Jack McCullough: The Last Man Standing
48 Hours: Cold as Ice
Jack McCullough Case: A Timeline
Footsteps in the Snow: The Cold Case Murder of Maria Ridulph
Train ticket could solve 50-year Maria Ridulph murder mystery
Maria Ridulph Alleged Killer Arrested: How Cops Finally Found Jack McCullough
Man guilty of murder in 1957
Jack McCullough, 72, convicted in 1957 murder of Maria Ridulph, 7
Former cop convicted in 1957 murder of 7-year-old Illinois girl
McCullough gets life for 1957 killing of 7-year-old
Ex-police officer convicted in murder of 7-year-old Illinois girl ,Maria Ridulph, snatched from a small-town street corner 55 years ago
Oldest U.S. cold case closed in Illinois
The murder that became the oldest solved cold case in America
Illinois: People v. McCullough (2015)
Newly discovered evidence in one of the oldest unsolved crimes in U.S. history to ever make it to trial means a 76-year-old convicted and sentenced to life in the 1957 slaying of a 7-year-old Illinois girl has a chance to go free
Prosecutor moves to dismiss 1957 cold case murder conviction
Police eye new suspect over 1957 murder of seven-year-old girl after receiving an anonymous letter in the mail possibly naming her real killer
Illinois prosecutor: Wrong man convicted of 1957 murder of 7-year-old girl
Judge: I’m not ready to free ’57 cold case convict
Jack McCullough freed after conviction vacated in ’57 Sycamore murder
Prosecutor: Man wrongly convicted of 1957 cold-case murder
Man wrongfully convicted in 1957 cold case murder declared innocent
Schmack: Jack McCullough falsely convicted in 1957 Maria Ridulph murder
Man wrongfully convicted in 1957 cold case killing of Maria Ridulph, 7, ruled innocent
Jack McCullough Free After Judge Orders New Trial In 1957 Murder Of Maria Ridulph
Wrong Man Convicted of 1957 Murder in Illinois, Prosecutor Says
Seattle man wrongly convicted in 1957 child’s killing goes free
Schmack Posits McCullough’s Innocence
The Sad Tale Of Maria Ridulph’s Disappearance And The Trial Of Jack McCullough
The Bizarre Murder Of Maria Ridulph — Still Unsolved!
Police eye new suspect in 1957 abduction, murder of 7-year-old girl
Man wrongfully convicted in coldest murder case: ‘I want my name back’
Maria Ridulph A Tragic Case
BrainScratch: Maria Ridulph

Videos:
McCullough at the Seattle Police Department June 2011
Woman Explains Why She Turned Her Brother in for Murder — Dr. Phil
Sister, Stepdaughter of Convicted Murderer Square Off — Dr. Phil
Cold Case Prosecutor Explains Why Convicted Murderer Gave Him the “Creeps” — Dr. Phil
Dr. Phil Analyzes Convicted Murderer’s ‘Telling’ Body Language
Jack McCullough interview
Jack McCullough questioned at Seattle Police Department
Interview with Jack D. McCullough about the new book, PIGGYBACK
Cold-case conviction overturned
Jack McCullough Exonerated of Murder in 1957 cold case
Jack McCullough freed after conviction for 1957 murder vacated
Wrongfully convicted man walks free in murder cold case
Cold-Case Convict Grateful For New Freedom
Jack McCullough plans to sue for wrongful conviction
Jack McCullough: ‘I was self-raised’
Twists and turns never end in kidnapping case


Retired police officer Jack McCullough was convicted of murder in Illinois more than half a century after the crime. But he was released Friday after a prosecutor found he could not have done it. McCullough says he will sue the state for the suffering five years of imprisonment. “48 Hours” correspondent Erin Moriarty reports.

Family of Katherine Morris Wants Department of Justice to Investigate Death (August 10, 2015)

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Family of Katherine Morris wants Dept. of Justice to investigate death. -WMAR-2 News (August 10, 2015)

Army Spouse Katherine Morris Found Dead in Car Near Mall; Cause of Death Initially Ruled Suicide But Further Investigation Suggests Homicide Motivated by Insurance Fraud (May 6, 2012): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5ve

Never forgotten Katherine.

Related Links:
Katherine Morris on Military Justice for All (May 6, 2012)
Family of Katherine Morris wants Dept. of Justice to investigate death

Fort Bragg Army Soldier Sean Wells Gunned Down in Home by Two Masked Men in Fayetteville, Family Asks for Help Solving Case (2013)

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Sean Wayne Wells, US Army (2013)
Sean Wells, US Army

Army Special Forces soldier Sean Wayne Wells was shot and killed in his home near Fort Bragg, North Carolina on October 7, 2013. According to the Fayetteville Observer, Sean was shot by two masked men who entered his home through an unlocked door. They forced Sean’s wife and child into another room. They left driving a white 2012 Toyota Camry. Investigators believe this murder was premeditated and not random. This homicide is under investigation by the Fayetteville Police Department. The family pleads for your help to find the two men who murdered Sean in cold blood. They believe this case is solvable. Got a tip? Crime Stoppers

Related Links:
Man Fatally Shot Inside Fayetteville Home was a Soldier
Family of Murdered Fort Bragg Soldier Appeals for Answers
Bragg soldier killed in Fayetteville home invasion; two sought
Fort Bragg soldier killed in shooting, two suspects on the run
Two men wanted for killing Fort Bragg soldier
Body of soldier slain in North Carolina arrives at Las Vegas airport
4 y/o son runs for help when Ft. Bragg Soldier killed in home invasion
Special Forces soldier shot, killed in home
Family of slain Fort Bragg soldier asks for help solving case

Cold Case: Army Veteran Kanika Powell Shot Several Times at Doorway of Maryland Home, No Known Suspects At This Time (August 28, 2008)

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kan
Kanika Powell, US Army veteran

Army veteran Kanika Powell, 28, was brutally gunned down outside the door of her home on August 28, 2008 in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Kanika enlisted in the Army in 2000, served in Korea, and then got out of the military and was finally living her dream job in national security. Kanika had a top secret security clearance. Prior to the murder, Kanika had some odd encounters. Two men showed up at her house claiming to be the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). They called her by name and put a fake FBI badge up to her peephole. She did not open the door. She called her work to ask if someone sent them; they had not. The incident frightened Tanika. Five days later another man showed up at her house, asked for her by name, claimed to have a package for her then left. Twelve hours later someone else showed up again claiming to have a package for her then left. Tanika was fearful for her safety. A few days later Kanika was shot several times. The gunman was standing right outside her door waiting for her. The police report that no hand gun was found and there are no known suspects at this time. The case has turned up few leads. Kanika’s wallet and keys were found next to her body so robbery was ruled out as a motive. The police do not believe her job was the motive. The police and Crime Watch Daily welcome tips.

“On Saturday, August 23rd, 2008, Kanika had a frightening experience where a man posing as an FBI agent had tried to gain access to her apartment. He knew her name, and approached her door, but Kanika was intelligent enough to not allow him inside. She later called the police to report the incident…When she arrived back at her apartment at approximately 11:50 a.m., someone was waiting in the hallway and shot her multiple times…Police were baffled by the seemingly motiveless crime and didn’t have so much as a single suspect.” –Trace Evidence

The Murder of Kanika Powell (027) | Trace Evidence

Related Links:
Prince George’s Killing, Apparently Planned, Opens Host of Mysteries
Unsolved: National security worker gunned down amid mysterious circumstances
Don’t Open the Door: The Kanika Powell Murder
Crime Watch Daily: Military Veteran Found Dead at Door; Who Killed Her?
The Mysterious Unsolved Murder of Kanika Powell
The Murder of Kanika Powell (027) | Trace Evidence
The Murder of Kanika Powell (EP.#027) True Crime Podcast – Trace Evidence

Army Cpl. Ciara Durkin Died in Non Combat Related Incident in Afghanistan; Death Ruled Suicide But Asked Family to Investigate if Anything Happened (September 28, 2007)

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Cpl. Ciara Durkin, Massachusetts Army National Guard

Army Cpl. Ciara Durkin, 30, died from a non combat related incident in Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan on September 28, 2007. Cpl. Durkin was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom on behalf of the 726th Finance Battalion, Massachusetts Army National Guard in West Newton, Massachusetts. According to the Department of Defense, the circumstances surrounding the incident were under investigation at the time of the press release. Ciara was found dead near a chapel on a secure base with a gunshot wound to the head about an hour and a half after leaving work on a Friday. The cause of death was ruled a suicide by Army investigators. According to media reports, the family believes Ciara’s death is suspicious because she shared in an e-mail that in her Finance role, she uncovered some things she didn’t like and feared she made some enemies. She asked her family to investigate if anything were to happen to her while she was serving. Ciara’s brother indicated that Ciara had left a happy birthday message for him on the day that she died. He said she sounded heartbreakingly upbeat.

The family announced they were going to commission an independent autopsy and were demanding answers from the military with the assistance of then Senator John Kerry (D-MA). They told CBS News that initially they had been told that she was killed in action then later the manner of death was changed to non combat related injuries. After the e-mails, warnings, and other observations, the family rightfully feared Ciara had been murdered. They were not sure what the motive was but they speculated that it could be because of what she uncovered in the Finance office and/or a hate crime. The family feared that Ciara’s sexual orientation played a role in her death as well. In media reports, the family expressed that their grief is made more torturous by the limited information released by the Army, and rumors. They shared that misinformation following the deaths or injuries of service members does not help them with remembrances of their loved one during a time of grief. Like most families who have lost a loved one, they want to know what happened and they want to know the truth.

Most frustrating to the family, the Army is offering very little information and no explanations…Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who has been helping the family, says it’s not enough and he and is demanding answers. In a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Kerry asked why the family had not been given autopsy results and why the Army hadn’t answered the family’s request for an independent autopsy. –ABC News (October 4, 2007)

Family, City, State Honor Slain Soldier From Quincy:

Related Links:
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Army Cpl. Ciara M. Durkin
Ciara M. Durkin, Corporal, United States Army
Quincy woman is latest war casualty
Family, city, state honor slain soldier from Quincy
Kin say soldier hinted at concerns
Mystery Surrounds Death of U.S. Soldier
Another Mysterious Death of a Soldier Overseas
NPR & Other National Media Outlets Continue to Ignore the LaVena Johnson Case, An Open Letter to NPR: A Tale of Two Soldiers
How Did Specialist Ciara Durkin Die?
How Did Specialist Ciara Durkin Die? (The Constantine Report)
What happened to Ciara Durkin?
Slain Lesbian Soldier Ciara Durkin Remembered
Justice for Ciara Durkin
Army rules soldier from Mass. killed self
Army rules Quincy soldier’s death a suicide
Death of Quincy soldier in Afghanistan ruled a suicide, family says
Army: Ciara Durkin’s death a suicide
Army says Ciara took her own life
Ciara Durkin: Lesbian soldier suspiciously shot dead in Afghanistan; Army calls it a suicide
Murder on the Base?
Corporal Laid to Rest After 2007 Suicide
Questions surround death of Irish-born soldier
Was Army Specialist In Afghanistan Murdered?
Mass. service members who died in Afghanistan
U.S. Military Is Keeping Secrets About Female Soldiers’ ‘Suicides’
Ten years later, Army Private LaVena Johnson’s family still grieves and questions the Army’s version of her death
Non Combat Deaths of Female Service Members in the U.S. Military (Afghanistan)
Massachusetts Fallen Heroes