A Military Jury Delivered a Guilty Verdict in a Death Penalty Trial to Retired Army MSG Timothy Hennis for the Triple Murders of Kathryn, Cara & Erin Eastburn (April 8, 2010)

On April 8, 2010June 14, 2018 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Child Abuse, Cold Cases, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Scandals, Sexual Assault, USAFLeave a comment

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Air Force spouse Kathryn Eastburn was found brutally raped and murdered on May 9, 1985 in her Fayetteville, North Carolina home. Two of her three children, Cara and Erin, were also murdered in the same vicious way. All three were stabbed and their throats were slashed. Kathryn and her three children were home alone while Gary Eastburn was on temporary duty at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. The youngest daughter Jana was found dehydrated but otherwise unharmed. The crime occurred six miles from the location of where Jeffrey MacDonald was accused of killing his wife and two children at Fort Bragg. Army Sergeant Timothy Hennis was a suspect from the beginning because he had visited the Eastburn home a couple days earlier to buy the family dog.

Kathryn placed a dog for sale ad in the local post paper. Investigators sent out a press release looking for the person who bought the dog. In the meantime, a neighbor reported seeing someone leaving the Eastburn residence at the time in question. The neighbor provided details for a composite drawing; the suspect drove a white Chevy Chevette. At the urging of his wife, Hennis contacted the police station and investigators were stunned at how much he looked like the composite drawing. He also drove a white Chevy Chevette. In a background check, they found that Hennis had three convictions for writing bad checks. This was significant because the perpetrator stole Kathryn’s ATM card and used it on one occasion. Another witness identified Hennis as the person who used the ATM at the time in question.

In 1986, the State of North Carolina tried Hennis for the triple murders. Hennis was found guilty and sentenced to death. But he appealed and was found not guilty in the second death penalty trial. After his ‘exoneration’ Hennis was the subject of a book and an ABC made for television movie “Innocent Victims”. Meanwhile, against lawyers advice, Hennis enlisted in the Army again for two more tours, worked his way up to E-8, and retired as a MSG outside of Fort Lewis, Washington. Cold case investigators took a second look at the cold case and because of the advances in DNA technology, they retrieved a vaginal swab from the rape kit test and submitted it to the lab. DNA evidence linked Timothy Hennis to Kathryn Eastburn.The State of North Carolina prosecutors could not charge Hennis a third time because he was found ‘not guilty’ of the triple homicides in the second death penalty trial.

The Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides: “[N]or shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb…” [wikipedia]. The civilians couldn’t try him in State court but the Army could because of federal jurisdiction; Hennis was an Army retiree therefore still under their jurisdiction. As a result, Hennis was activated and order to report to Fort Bragg for his third death penalty trial. The defense attempted to justify the DNA match to consensual sex but it contradicted his original testimony. The defense also called into question the ethics of the lab who made the DNA match. A military jury found Timothy Hennis guilty of three counts of murder and sentenced him to death. He awaits his execution date at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.

Source: Unusual Suspects ‘Mother’s Day Murders’

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

MJFA Links:
Air Force Spouse Kathryn Eastburn & Daughters Cara & Erin Found Murdered in Fayetteville, NC Home; Youngest Toddler Jana Discovered Unharmed (May 9, 1985)
A Military Jury Delivered a Guilty Verdict in a Death Penalty Trial to Retired Army MSG Timothy Hennis for the Triple Murders of Kathryn, Cara & Erin Eastburn (April 8, 2010)
In 3rd Trial, Retired Army MSG Timothy Hennis Sentenced to Death by Military Court Martial for the Murders of Kathryn, Cara & Erin Eastburn in Fayetteville, NC (April 15, 2010)
Four Service Members on Military Death Row at Fort Leavenworth, Army Private John Bennett was Last Military Execution by Hanging in 1961
Violent Crime, Non Combat Death and Suicide at Fort Bragg, North Carolina (US Army)

1988
STATE of North Carolina v. Timothy Baily HENNIS

1989
Triple murder retrial to start
Witness firm on identification of murder suspect
Witness shaky on identifying Hennis

1996
Reversal of ‘Victims’: Made-for-TV Justice
ABC explores ex-city man’s prison plight MUG: Hennis BOX: On TV “Innocent Victims” airs at 8 p.m. Sunday and Monday on ABC, Rochester cable channels 5 and 6

2007
GI cleared in 1989 faces murder court-martial
Accusations follow ex-soldier
Expert links soldier to 1985 killings
DNA hearing wraps up
Acquitted of murder, he now faces Army justice
Ex-soldier faces trial in decades-old deaths
Army to try soldier who was acquitted of 1985 slayings

2008
3 capital murder trials to put Army in spotlight

2009
Army holds hearing for soldier charged in 1985 murders

2010
Judge Delays Murder Trial For Recalled Soldier
Rochester native accused in N.C. triple murder
Why ‘exonerated’ needs to be used sparingly
Federal judge: Hennis court-martial can proceed
Soldier acquitted in 3 deaths faces military trial
Soldier acquitted in 3 deaths faces military trial
Hennis court-martial begins at Fort Bragg
Twenty-five years later, third trial begins in triple slaying
Hennis Trial Underway
Army presents its case in trial over 1985 killings
Hennis jury shown clothes of victims
Army expert: DNA from scene matches NC soldier
Friends, family testify for convicted NC soldier
Family testifies in Hennis sentencing
Military jury finds Hennis guilty of murder
Jury considers death for Hennis
Soldier Gets Death Sentence in Military Court after Civil Acquittal
Ex-Lakewood resident gets death in 1985 slayings
Soldier gets death sentence in 1985 Fayetteville triple slaying
Soldier sentenced to die for 1985 triple murder
For 2nd Time, Man Sentenced to Death for Murders
Prosecutor Emphasizes DNA in Hennis Closing
At 3rd Trial, Sergeant Guilty of 1985 Triple Murder
In 3rd Trial, Conviction in Murders From 1985
Military Jury Finds Hennis Guilty of Murder
Hennis found guilty of decades-old murders
Military Jury Convicts Soldier of Murder 20 Years After his Civilian Acquittal
Soldier’s family pleads for jury to spare his life
25 years later, widower recalls slain family
Father, daughter tell of pain 1985 triple murder caused
A murder conviction, but pain still felt
Tim Hennis case to be featured on 20/20

2011
NC soldier: SBI lab problems should mean new trial
Court-martial murder conviction appealed
Ex-Soldier Convicted Twice of Eastburn Triple Murder Appeals Again
Three Trials for Murder: In the name of justice, did the military sidestep double jeopardy?

2012
‘Unusual Suspects’: Military Man Convicted & Sentenced To Death Twice, Acquitted Once
Court Rules Against Ex-Soldier in NC Triple Murder
Fort Bragg commander approves Timothy Hennis conviction, death sentence
An Execution Draws Closer
Timothy HENNIS, Petitioner–Appellant, v. Frank HEMLICK; Patrick Parrish, Colonel; Lloyd J. Austin, III, General; John McHugh, Honorable, Respondents–Appellees
Timothy Hennis v. Frank Hemlick et al. (US Court of Appeals)

2013
Nidal Hasan, and the 5 other men on the military’s death row

2014
Master sergeant on death row files new petition
Former Fort Bragg soldier again appeals conviction
Master sergeant on death row files new petition
What to Watch on Sunday: CNN’s ‘Death Row Stories’ looks at Hennis case in NC
Triple murder suspect goes from guilty to innocent and back to guilty
NC triple murder suspect goes from guilty to innocent and back to guilty

2015
10 Mysteries Resolved By Unbelievable Surprise Twists
CNN special with local attorney set for tonight
Timothy Hennis seeks relief in federal court; former Fort Bragg soldier questions Army’s jurisdiction in court-martial
Timothy Hennis case: Federal judge dismisses latest appeal
On military death row, execution is anything but guaranteed
Fair and Impartial? Military Jurisdiction and the Decision to Seek the Death Penalty
TIMOTHY B. HENNIS, Petitioner, v. ERICA NELSON, Commandant, USDB-Ft. Leavenworth, Respondent
Setting the Right Example: Removing the Military Death Penalty

2016
Eastburn Murders Expose a Loophole in the Law
Army court upholds death sentence of former Bragg soldier
Appeal by former Fort Bragg soldier who murdered mother and 2 daughters was rejected in military court
Timothy Hennis’ death sentence fits his gruesome crimes, court rules
Army CCA affirms death for Hennis
Army court upholds death sentence of former Bragg soldier
A look at the 6 inmates on US military death row

2017
Court-martialing retirees? ‘Fat Leonard’ cloud still looms for many current and former sailors
Hennis lawyers argue for more resources in murder appeal
Innocent Victims: The Horrific Eastburn Family Murders
The Eastburn Family Murders and The Three Trials of Staff Sergeant Tim Hennis
Army moves closer to first execution in 50 years; Ronald Gray on death row since 1988
Tim Hennis and the Eastburn Murders
Episode 3: The Case of Timothy Hennis | Death’s Door
The Many Trials of Tim Hennis
Episode 28: The Eastburn Family Murders | In Sight Pod
028 The Eastburn Family Murders | In Sight: A True Crime Podcast
United States v. Timothy Hennis | US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
US Appellee v. Timothy B. HENNIS, Master Sergeant, United States Army, Appellant | US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces

Death Penalty Information Center:
Description of Cases for those Sentenced to Death in U.S. Military
Former Death Row Inmate Acquitted in One Court, Now Convicted in Another

Book:
Innocent Victims: The True Story of the Eastburn Family Murders (Google)
Innocent Victims: The True Story of the Eastburn Family Murders (Amazon)

Air Force SSgt. Brian Spinks Stabbed 60+ Times by Jealous Girlfriend; Kimethia Coleman Sentenced to Life in Prison, No Parole (January 17, 2010)

On January 17, 2010August 24, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Stateside Death, USAFLeave a comment

In 2004, Minden, Louisiana high school student Kimethia Coleman was the all American girl and everyone loved her. According to those who knew her, Kim was smart, personable, popular and dedicated to her studies. When Kim graduated, she decided she wanted to share her good fortune and become a social worker. For the next four years, Kim studied hard at college and got a job giving back to her community for the betterment of other people’s lives. Friends confirmed this is the way Kim was raised. She was altruistic and appeared much more interested in helping other people than earning a big paycheck. Across town, twenty-eight year old Brian Spinks was giving back to his community and his country. Brian enlisted in the Air Force after high school and was stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. After two tours of duty overseas and almost a decade of service, Brian earned the love and respect of his fellow comrades.

In 2008, Brian Spinks’ life took a turn when he met Kim Coleman at one of many get togethers at his place in Shreveport, Louisiana. Kim was an unexpected guest and he was immediately attracted to this very pretty girl. Their relationship started out very strong and they appeared to be the perfect couple. Brian was really into her and even told one of his friends he wanted Kim to meet his family. Kim definitely thought she found Mr. Right and wanted to keep Brian as close as she could. As it turns out, Kim wanted to be with Brian 24/7 but quickly learned he didn’t feel the same way. Brian was your typical 20 something year old in the military who liked to go out with his friends and have fun. Kim was not used to being rejected. She was used to everybody always wanting her so suspicion quickly began to grow in Kim’s mind. Kim’s jealousy became a problem and it stalled the relationship just as it was getting off the ground.

Unprovoked, Kim went through Brian’s phone looking for evidence he was with other women. She was looking for trouble where there wasn’t any because she had a fatal attraction. Kim’s idea of loving Brian was completely possessing Brian. Kim had a lot going for her but she didn’t have control of her emotions. According to Profiler Candice DeLong, the story of Kim Coleman is a story of jealousy, a jealousy that destroyed everything in its path. Brian Spinks thought he was taking a break from Kim Coleman but the distance only created more problems. The more he pushed back, the more jealous she became. Kim was a very angry person when she realized Brian didn’t want to be with her anymore. On January 16, 2010, Kim tracked Brian down in a club and confronted him. Her jealousy bubbled over and she started a fight with another female she thought was interested in Brian. Kim was so out of control on this night, people had to hold her back.

Kim was always picking fights and arguments with other people and Brian was disappointed and sick of it. He asked his friends to take him home. It was the last straw for Brian and after a heavy night of drinking, he called Kim to end things permanently. She didn’t answer so Brian left a message on her voicemail telling her how embarrassed he was and that it was over. Kim didn’t get the message because she was on her way over to Brian’s place. When she arrived, Brian answered the door, told her the relationship was over, and asked her to leave. Kim had never felt that type of rejection before. She felt like she had been dumped and that never happened to Kim Coleman. Kim pushed her way in, retrieved a knife from Brian’s kitchen, and started stabbing him from behind. There was nothing Brian could do. Kim kept stabbing until she broke the knife she was using. She stopped and retrieved another knife from the kitchen. Kim Coleman stabbed Brian over sixty times.

Profiler DeLong cautioned that some would think Kim was completely out of control but she wanted to remind us that Kim was very much in control. She wanted to destroy Brian because he wanted to leave her. She was a women scorned in that moment and committed an unimaginable crime against someone who sacrificed and fought for our country. After Kim was done stabbing Brian, she needed to cover her tracks. She called the police and told them somebody stabbed her boyfriend. Kim probably thought Brian was dead when she called 911 but he wasn’t. The 911 dispatcher said Brian could be heard in the background asking for help and pleading for his life. Kim pretended to be concerned while he lay there helpless with the person who did this to him. The 911 operator then heard the most chilling sounds when Kim ended his life. The 911 dispatcher could hear a gurgle and then Brian went silent. Kim created a story about an intruder and stabbed herself a couple of times to make it look good.

Kim said someone followed her home and attacked both of them in the apartment, however the pattern of injuries didn’t fit the story. According to a medical examiner, if she had been trying to fend off an attacker, she would have cuts on the outside of her arms or on her hands as she was trying to push the knife away. And when the police discovered Brian’s voicemail, it was clear there had been a fight. Police knew they were looking at their killer and Kim finally admitted she killed Brian but claimed it was in self-defense. But Kim’s claims of self-defense didn’t add up either. Kim was charged with second degree murder. In court, Kim feigned mental illness but the jury saw right through it and knew Kim killed Brian in cold blood. In 2012, Kim Coleman was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Profiler DeLong ended the program reminding us that unlike most killers, there was nothing in Kim’s background that foreshadowed the brutal murder of her boyfriend or the complete demise of her own life.

Source: ‘Suspicious Minds’ Deadly Women, Investigation Discovery

Investigation Discovery:

Preview: Kim Coleman had a lot going for her – except control of her own emotions. Her idea of loving Brian was completely possessing him. Love would never survive her suspicious mind. -Suspicious Minds, Deadly Women (S10, E8)

A social worker can’t keep the lid on her possessive nature, a friendship is destroyed by jealous delusions, and young love leads to a violent end.These Deadly Women just can’t walk out… and their love won’t survive their Suspicious Minds. -Suspicious Minds, Deadly Women (S10, 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.

Solved Premiered ‘Last Man Standing’ on Investigation Discovery: Navy Sailors Elise Makdessi & Quincy Brown Found Murdered in Makdessi’s Virginia Home (October 26, 2009)

On October 26, 2009July 7, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, ScandalsLeave a comment

Paramedics respond to a horrific crime scene – a woman is found tied to a bed with slashes across her body. Next to her on the floor, a man with three gunshot wounds. Detectives spend the next several years unraveling this bizarre mystery. -Last Man Standing, Solved (S2,E10)

Navy Petty Officer Elise Makdessi worked as an Air Traffic Controller at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia. Elise was married to Eddie Makdessi for five years and they lived off base in Virginia Beach. Elise unknowingly helped plan, organize, and carry out her own murder and it is unclear if she was a willing participant in the original plot with Eddie to scam the government out of money or if she was controlled by Eddie. Eddie Makdessi murdered Elise Makdessi and Navy Petty Officer Quincy Brown on May 14, 1996 as part of an elaborate scam. The whole thing was a set up. Elise thought she was part of an arrangement where she would invite Quincy Brown to the house, have sex with him, then accuse him of rape. She also manufactured evidence to make it look like she was documenting sexual abuse in an effort to sue the Navy and make millions. She had journals and created what looked like a rehearsed video outlining what four Navy men, including Quincy Brown, did to her on the job.

September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2009)

On September 30, 2009September 10, 2017 By AdministratorIn Accidents, Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Medical, Military Policy, Navy, Non Combat Death, USAF, USMCLeave a comment

09/30/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Jordan Chrobot, 24, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/28/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Kevin Graham, 27, Afghanistan, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/25/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Titus Reynolds, 23, Edward Smith, 30, and Joseph White, 21, Afghanistan, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/25/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: John Malone, 24, Afghanistan, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii

09/23/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: William Meredith, 26, Afghanistan, Fort Carson, Colorado

09/23/2009: DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty: James Hornbarger, 33, NCD, Mediterranean, Beale Air Force Base, California

09/22/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: David Davis, 28, Afghanistan, Fort Carson, Colorado

09/22/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Corey Kowall, 20, and Damon Winkleman, 23, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/21/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Cote Jr, 20, NCD, Iraq, Fort Wainwright, Alaska

09/21/2009: DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty: Matthew Courtois, 22, NCD, Kuwait, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho

09/19/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jeremiah Monroe, 31, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

09/17/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Bradley Bohle, 29, Shawn McCloskey, 33, and Joshua Mills, 24, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/17/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Robert Gordon II, 22, NCD, Afghanistan, Joint Base Lewis-McCord, Washington

09/16/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: David Wright II, 26, and Andrew McConnell, 24, Afghanistan, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/16/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Demetrius Void, 20, NCD, Afghanistan, Fort Hood, Texas

09/15/2009: DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty: Bryan Berky, 25, Afghanistan, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota

09/14/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Nekl Allen, 29, and Daniel Cox, 23, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

09/14/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Matthew Martinek, 20, Afghanistan, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska

09/14/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Duane Thornsbury, 30, NCD, Iraq, Fort Carson, Colorado

09/14/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Tyler Juden, 23, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/11/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Tyler Parten, 24, Afghanistan, Fort Carson, Colorado

09/11/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Christopher Fowlkes, 20, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/10/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Shannon Smith, 31, Thomas Lyons, 20, and Zachary Myers, 21, Iraq, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska

09/10/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Youvert Loney, 28, Afghanistan, Fort Carson, Colorado

09/10/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualties: Edwin Johnson Jr, 31, Michael Johnson, 25, and Aaron Kenefick, 30, Afghanistan, Okinawa, Japan

09/10/2009: Army Releases August Suicide Data

09/10/2009: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: James Layton, 22, Afghanistan, Combined Security Transition Command, Japan

09/09/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Joshua Meadows, 30, Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, California

09/09/2009: DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty: Joseph Helton, 24, Iraq, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida

09/08/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Murphrey, 25, Afghanistan, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska

09/07/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Randy Haney, 27, Afghanistan, Fort Carson, Colorado

09/06/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Darryn Andrews, 34, Afghanistan, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska

09/05/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Christopher Baltazar Jr, 19, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/04/2009: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: Benjamin Castiglione, 21, Afghanistan, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Battalion, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/04/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Todd Selge, 25, and Jordan Shay, 22, NCDs, Iraq, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/02/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Tyler Walshe, 21, Afghanistan, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/02/2009: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Jonathan Welch, 19, and Jordan Brochu, 20, Afghanistan, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/01/2009: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: David Hall, 31, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

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)

On July 13, 2009June 30, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, Sexual Assault, USMCLeave a comment

Navy Petty Officer Amanda Jean Snell, 20, was found dead in her room at the barracks at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Virginia on July 13, 2009. Naval Criminal Investigation Services (NCIS) had jurisdiction of her case. They conducted an initial investigation yet the case went nowhere because NCIS investigators confided in the murderer and were divided on whether the death was a homicide, suicide, or accidental. As a result, the DNA lab testing was not considered a priority because the autopsy was considered undetermined, not a homicide. Four years and four civilian victims later, former U.S. Marine Jorge Avila Torrez was indicted for Amanda’s murder, found guilty by a federal court, and sentenced to death in 2014.

Torrez lived on the same co-ed floor as Amanda Snell in Keith Hall barracks on the base. On the night of July 12, 2009, he entered her room, she screamed, and he strangled her in an effort to silence her. His crimes were sexually motivated. He jammed Amanda into her locker and put a pillow case over her head in an effort to fool investigators into thinking she had suffocated. After she was found dead on the federal base, NCIS began their investigation. They interviewed multiple people in the barracks and initiated a forensic examination of Amanda’s room. They claim they sent the evidence to the military DNA lab testing facility to determine if any DNA was present. In the meantime, Torrez offered to help with the investigation and NCIS accepted his offer. They asked him to spread a rumor around the barracks that they had a witness who saw someone enter her room that night.

During the stalled NCIS investigation, Torrez attacked four other civilian women in Arlington, Virginia in 2010. Three of them escaped his attempted abduction but one of them was abducted, raped, strangled, and left for dead in the woods. Torrez thought he killed her but she lived. Because all four victims reported the crimes, the Arlington Police Department was able to make the connection with the four cases. Thanks to the due diligence of two Arlington police officers, detectives were able to find out who owned the light colored SUV. These two police officers had observed on shift that the driver of this SUV was acting suspiciously and called in his license plate number to determine if he had any outstanding warrants. They learned Torrez was an active duty Marine living at Keith Hall Barracks on the the Navy base. The Arlington Police detectives had to coordinate with NCIS to gain access to the base so they could arrest him and search his room and vehicle. Jorge Torrez was jailed while he awaited trial.

While Torrez was awaiting trail, he asked some inmates to help him find a hit man to silence the three witnesses that would be testifying against him. One of the inmates he confided in was a confidential informant. After the informant reported the troubling conversations with authorities, he was asked to wear a wire to record future conversations. It was at this time that Jorge Torrez not only admitted his intentions to kill the three victims who were going to testify against him at his trial but he also revealed that he murdered Amanda Jean Snell at the Navy base. Meanwhile, the Arlington Police Department entered the DNA from the victim who was raped into CODIS, a national DNA database, and got a hit to two murders of children in Zion, Illinois where Torrez was from. When NCIS finally tested and compared the DNA on the sheets in Amanda’s room, this forensic evidence linked Torrez to Amanda’s murder as well. The Marine Corps dishonorably discharged him from the military.

NCIS bungled this investigation from the beginning. The investigators could not agree on whether Amanda Snell was murdered, committed suicide, or died accidentally. Because her autopsy report was “undetermined” and her death was not ruled a homicide, it did not have priority in the military DNA testing lab. Apparently an undetermined death and rape and sexual assault DNA is not given a high priority in military labs. When in fact, if all suspicious deaths and sex crimes were given higher priority, we could prevent further victimization and homicides. It was not until they learned of the four other victims in Arlington, Virginia and the two murders of children in Zion, Illinois that they expedited the testing of the DNA found in Amanda Snell’s room. We do not know if it is procedure for NCIS to compare DNA evidence of military members accused of crimes to the national DNA database. If they had tested the DNA earlier and entered the DNA into CODIS, they would have got a hit to the two murders in Illinois.

In the initial stages of the investigation, the NCIS agents investigated multiple people in the barracks. Jorge Torrez offered to be a confidential informant of sorts to help them with the investigation. They accepted. They asked him to spread a rumor that they had a witness who saw someone enter her room that night. They wanted to ferret out the killer by spreading panic. Quite often investigators will say they have evidence they don’t have in an attempt to cause stress and elicit confessions. Now they were not able to call anyone’s bluff. They in effect blew any chances of an effective investigation by telling the actual killer that they had nothing. It’s troubling that they did not see the red flag when Torrez offered to inject himself into the investigation. Murder suspects have been known to do this and befriend the victim’s family and friends in an attempt to stay apprised of what police know.

Lastly if sexual assault, rape, and undetermined causes of death were given higher priority in the NCIS DNA testing labs then maybe we could have prevented four other women from becoming victims of sex crimes and attempted murder. NCIS admits that the DNA was not given priority because it was not a homicide. Had NCIS made the DNA a higher priority and compared the results of the testing in CODIS, the national DNA database, they would have got a match to the DNA in Zion, Illinois. As a result of this match, they would have been able to triangulate the connection between Torrez in the barracks and where he was from in Zion, Illinois. They could have got a “commanders search warrant” to conduct a forensic examination of his room. There they would have found evidence of criminal intent like the collection of porn images they found on his computer that included fantasies about rape and suffocation of women. DNA from sexual assault and rape should be given the highest priority in the military DNA lab testing facilities to prevent an escalation of violent crimes to homicide both in the military and in our civilian communities. All DNA profiles tested in the military should be immediately entered in CODIS.

Eight months after Jorge Avila Torrez was arrested by the Arlington Police Department, he was found guilty and sentenced to five life terms and 168 years in prison for the attacks on three of the four civilian women from Arlington, Virginia. Four years later, he was found guilty and sentenced to death by the federal courts for the murder of Amanda Jean Snell on the US Navy base in Arlington, Virginia. In an unexpected plot twist Illinois authorities learned the man they convicted for the murders of Krystal Tobias (9) and Laura Hobbs (8) was innocent. Authorities released Jerry Hobbs, the father of one of the children, from jail in 2010 and vowed to try Torrez for a sexual assault of one child and the murder of both children from Zion, Illinois. Illinois authorities charged Torrez with the crimes in 2015 and are expected to go to trial some time in 2016. Jorge Torrez is currently sitting on death row.

Investigation Discovery:

In the shadow of the nation’s capital, a mysterious death on a Marine base confounds the NCIS — was it an accident, or was it a homicide? It won’t be long before police are hunting a violent sexual predator whose trail leads right back to the base. -Capitol Predator, Deadline Crime with Tamron Hall (S3,E6)

Deadly Women Premiered ‘Dark Secrets’ on ID: Black Widow Judy Buenoano Murdered Family Members for Life Insurance Benefits (October 30, 2008)

On October 30, 2008November 10, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Child Abuse, Cold Cases, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Scandals, True Crime, USAFLeave a comment

Deadly Women 2 — Dark Secrets are the stock-in-trade of Deadly Women (S2,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.

Forensic Files Premiered ‘Double Cross’: Navy Sailors Elise Makdessi & Quincy Brown Found Murdered in Makdessi’s Virginia Home (October 24, 2008)

On October 24, 2008October 11, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, True CrimeLeave a comment

Full Episode: Virginia Beach police arrive at the Makdessi apartment to find Elise Makdessi and her lover, Quincy Brown, dead. Elise’s husband Eddie had reported that he killed Quincy Brown in self-defense after Brown had murdered Elise. Eddie gave the police a videotape Elise had made a week before, alleging that she had been the victim of sexual harassment. -Double Cross, Forensic Files (S13,E5)

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!

September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2008)

On September 30, 2008September 10, 2017 By AdministratorIn Accidents, Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, National Guard, Navy, Non Combat Death, Suicide, USAF, USMCLeave a comment

09/29/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jamel Bryant, 22, NCD, Iraq, Baumholder, Germany

09/29/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: William Hasenflu, 38, Afghanistan, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

09/29/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Medders, 25, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/29/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Ronald Phillips Jr, 33, Iraq, Fort Stewart, Georgia

09/25/2008: Air Force Pilots Missing From The Vietnam War Are Identified

09/24/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Thomas Brown, 26, Iraq, Baumholder, Germany

09/23/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Sidney Marceaux Jr, 69, NCD, Kuwait, Warrior Transition Brigade, Walter Reed Army MC, Maryland

09/23/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Bruno Desolenni, 32, Afghanistan, Oregon Army National Guard

09/23/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Matthew Taylor, 25, Iraq, Fort Polk, Louisiana

09/23/2008: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: Matthew O’Bryant, 22, NCD, Marriott Bombing, Islamabad, Pakistan, Fort Meade, Maryland

09/23/2008: Soldier Missing From The Vietnam War Is Identified

09/22/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Nathan Cox, 35, and Joseph Gonzales, 18, Afghanistan, Fort Hood, Texas

09/22/2008: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Jerome Bell Jr, 29, Afghanistan, Twentynine Palms, California

09/22/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Brandon Farley, 30, Afghanistan, Fort Hood, Texas

09/22/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casuality: Joshua Harris, 21, Afghanistan, Illinois Army National Guard

09/22/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casuality: Bruce Hays, 42, Afghanistan, Wyoming Army National Guard

09/22/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casuality: Mohsin Naqui, 26, Afghanistan, Fort Benning, Georgia

09/22/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casuality: Jason Vasquez, 24, Afghanistan, Illinois Army National Guard

09/22/2008: DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty: Rodolfo Rodriguez, 34, Islamabad, Pakistan, Ramstein Air Base, Germany

09/21/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Daniel Eshbaugh, 43, Brady Rudolph, 37, and Michael Thompson, 23, NCDs, Iraq, Oklahoma Army National Guard

09/21/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Corry Edwards, 38, Anthony Mason, 37, Julio Ordonez, 54, and Robert Vallejo II, 28, NCDs, Iraq, Texas Army National Guard

09/19/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: James Wiley, 46, NCD, Afghanistan, New York Army National Guard

09/18/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Darrick Wright, 37, NCD, Iraq, Army Corp of Engineers, Alabama

09/18/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Leonard Gulczynski I, 19, NCD, Iraq, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/16/2008: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: Eichmann Strickland, 23, Afghanistan, Iwakuni, Japan

09/16/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Ralph Marino, 46, NCD, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait

09/16/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Murdock, 22, Afghanistan, Fort Hood, Texas

09/15/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Darris Dawson, 24, and Wesley Durbin, 26, NCD, Iraq, Fort Stewart, Georgia

09/15/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Slebodnik, 39, Afghanistan, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

09/15/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Daniel Sexton, 53, NCD, Iraq, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska

09/15/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Marques Knight, 24, Afghanistan, Fort Hood, Texas

09/13/2008: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: Jason Freiwald, 30, Afghanistan, Naval Special Warfare Development Group, Virginia

09/13/2008: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: John Marcum, 34, Afghanistan, Naval Special Warfare Development Group, Virginia

09/10/2008: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Jesse Melton III, 29, Afghanistan, Okinawa, Japan

09/10/2008: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Nicholas Madrazo, 25, Afghanistan, Okinawa, Japan

09/09/2008: Missing WWII Soldier Is Identified

09/08/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Vincent Winston Jr, 22, Afghanistan, Fort Hood, Texas

09/08/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Dinterman, 18, Afghanistan, Fort Hood, Texas

09/08/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jordan Thibeault, 22, NCD, Iraq, Baumholder, Germany

09/08/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualities: Kenneth Mayne, 29, and Bryan Thomas, 22, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/05/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Gregory Rodriguez, 35, Afghanistan, Ansbach, Germany

09/04/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Patrick May, 22, NCD, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/04/2008: Three Missing WWII Sailors Are Identified

09/01/2008: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: Joshua Harris, 36, Afghanistan, Naval Special Warfare Development Group, Virginia

09/01/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Steven Fitzmorris, 26, Iraq, Fort Carson, Colorado

09/01/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jorge Feliz Nieve, 26, NCD, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/01/2008: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Carlo Alfonso, 23, Iraq, Baumholder, Germany

Army SSG Renee Deville Found Unresponsive in Hospital Room at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (September 1, 2008)

On September 1, 2008September 13, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, Non Combat DeathLeave a comment

Army SSG Renee Deville, 44, died unexpectedly while in treatment at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on September 1, 2008. SSG Deville was being treated for wounds in the line of duty in Iraq when her husband found her unresponsive in her hospital room. SSG Deville was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom when she was injured. The Department of Defense did not list SSG Deville on the monthly casualties report and the official cause of death is unknown.

“Staff Sgt. Renee Antoinette Deville, an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran recovering from complex injuries at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, died Sept. 1 in her room at the Mologne House. She was 44. Deville was found unresponsive by her husband, who began CPR and called for help. Walter Reed Emergency Services personnel transported the Soldier to the Walter Reed Emergency Department, where she was declared dead at 5:10 a.m.” ~Walter Reed Army Medical Center Public Affairs Office

Fort Hood Army Staff Sgt. David Paquet Died of Undetermined Causes While Conducting Patrol at Combat Outpost Vegas in Afghanistan (August 20, 2008)

On August 20, 2008August 20, 2020 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, Non Combat DeathLeave a comment

Screen Shot 2017-08-19 at 6.33.40 PM — Staff Sgt. David Paquet, U.S. Army

Army Staff Sgt. David Paquet, 26, died August 20, 2008 of undetermined causes while conducting a patrol at Combat Outpost Vegas in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Staff Sgt. Paquet was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom on behalf of the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. At the time of the Department of Defense press release, the incident was under investigation. The outcome of the investigation and the official cause of death are unknown.

MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL

Tag: Death

A Military Jury Delivered a Guilty Verdict in a Death Penalty Trial to Retired Army MSG Timothy Hennis for the Triple Murders of Kathryn, Cara & Erin Eastburn (April 8, 2010)

Air Force SSgt. Brian Spinks Stabbed 60+ Times by Jealous Girlfriend; Kimethia Coleman Sentenced to Life in Prison, No Parole (January 17, 2010)

Solved Premiered ‘Last Man Standing’ on Investigation Discovery: Navy Sailors Elise Makdessi & Quincy Brown Found Murdered in Makdessi’s Virginia Home (October 26, 2009)

September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2009)

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)

Deadly Women Premiered ‘Dark Secrets’ on ID: Black Widow Judy Buenoano Murdered Family Members for Life Insurance Benefits (October 30, 2008)

Forensic Files Premiered ‘Double Cross’: Navy Sailors Elise Makdessi & Quincy Brown Found Murdered in Makdessi’s Virginia Home (October 24, 2008)

September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2008)

Army SSG Renee Deville Found Unresponsive in Hospital Room at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (September 1, 2008)

Fort Hood Army Staff Sgt. David Paquet Died of Undetermined Causes While Conducting Patrol at Combat Outpost Vegas in Afghanistan (August 20, 2008)

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