A young woman disappeared after working the late shift in a department store. Days later, her body was found in an isolated ravine. Tiny clues told police a great deal about the killer. He would own olive-colored carpeting, a white blanket, and distinctive bullets made from wax, not lead. -Blacket of Evidence, Forensic Files (S11,E38)
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!
Full Episode: Emergency Dispatch in Durham, North Carolina received a frantic call from a man who said his wife had fallen down the stairs; she was unconscious but still breathing. When paramedics arrived, they could do little more than pronounce the woman dead. The number and volume of bloodstains at the scene was greater than usual. It was up to forensic scientists to find out why. -A Novel Idea, Forensic Files (S11,E22)
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!
Sociopath: a person with antisocial personality disorder. Probably the most widely recognized personality disorder. A sociopath is often well liked because of their charm and high charisma, but they do not usually care about other people. They think mainly of themselves and often blame others for the things that they do. They have a complete disregard for rules and lie constantly. They seldom feel guilt or learn from punishments. Though some sociopaths have become murderers, most reveal their sociopathy through less deadly and sensational means. ~Urban Dictionary
Investigation Discovery featured the 2006 case of Rebecca Braswell and John Marmo, Jr. on a show called I’d Kill For You recently. This couple went through a bitter divorce and child custody battle that led to one of them taking lethal action to win. They met in the US Navy while stationed at Naval Air Station, Sigonella, Italy. They quickly formed an intimate relationship despite regulations prohibiting on-base dating. They kept their elicit fling a secret from their superiors for twelve months and then Rebecca learned that she was pregnant. She was very concerned about her superiors finding out because a single pregnant woman could face immediate discharge from the Navy. John was described by friends as an easy going, nice guy, who wasn’t a stressed out kind of person. John asked Rebecca to marry him to remedy the situation.
In February 2003, Rebecca Braswell had the baby. The marriage was considered troubled from the beginning. John was young so he was still hanging out and going out with friends while Rebecca felt that she was left home alone to take care of the newborn baby. She was insistent that he was abandoning her. Rebecca appeared to be very controlling and felt that she was the only one who could properly take care of the baby. Meanwhile if you want to stay in the Navy, you have to move up or move out. John was not selected for a military police position that he applied for and as a result was honorably discharged from the Navy. He was now considered a veteran and a military spouse. Rebecca’s career was doing better and she eventually got orders for the Seabees at Naval Base Ventura County at Port Hueneme in California.
Rebecca was working full-time and began to get upset that John was just laying around and unemployed. John was frustrated because he attempted to find work but it was impossible to find a job while taking care of a baby. Things became easier financially when John and Rebecca were finally able to move to on-base housing. But, John and Rebecca had the kind of relationship that revealed when passion turns to anger, anything can happen. One day Rebecca came home to John sitting outside with the neighbor having a beer. She was jealous and upset that John was hanging out with the female neighbor and had left the newborn baby inside the home unattended. Another fight erupted and resulted in Rebecca turning to some of her friends at work to vent about her current frustrations with her marriage.
Rebecca met another sailor, Shannon Butler, at the smoke pit at work on base. Rebecca began to regularly cry on the shoulder of her new friend. Rebecca shared that she couldn’t take the fighting anymore because John was crazy but she wasn’t sure how she was going to take care of the baby by herself. She claimed that she didn’t want to be in the marriage anymore because of John’s infidelity, and even claimed that John had hit her and abused her. After three troubled years, she eventually filed for a divorce and she was able to get a restraining order against him as well. He was angry about the restraining order and claimed that he never abused her and she was a lunatic. This was not a normal divorce or custody case, it was intense from the beginning.
John moved out of Rebecca’s house and into his female neighbor’s house next door after the restraining order. Despite the official custody arrangement, Rebecca continued to give John a hard time about custody and wouldn’t let him see their daughter. In June 2004, the divorce was final and full custody was granted to Rebecca. John got one overnight a week and every other weekend. John appealed the judge’s decision and in the meantime met Rebecca for the custodial exchange on the days he was allowed to see his daughter. Rebecca would find excuses not to let him take their daughter and the custodial exchanges became more and more volatile. Law enforcement had to be there, lots of military personnel had to get involved, and four months later it was court ordered that they do the exchange at a police department. The judge wanted to avoid any future domestic violence that was being alleged.
One night Rebecca approached John at the neighbors and finally admitted that maybe she had overreacted about the whole neighbor thing and that single parenting was harder then she thought. As a result, she invited John back into the home. John agreed to the temporary reconciliation but less then twenty-four hours after the arrangement, the police were called back to Rebecca’s home for another domestic disturbance. And now John was in violation of the restraining order so he got arrested. He swore to the police that she had set him up and that she was a crazy, liar, psychopath. John was unable to make bail so he sat in jail for ten days. John plead guilty to a deal that blew his chances of joint custody. John moved off base and into a friend’s house where he rented a room. He and his new roommate quickly formed a friendship.
In the weeks that followed, Shannon Butler moved in with Rebecca and John faced a new complaint every week just to jam him up. Rebecca and Shannon become very close and maybe even more then just friends, maybe even a couple. Shannon made Rebecca feel safe and kept her out of harm’s way. She was against John and wasn’t going to let him hurt her anymore. Once they were both out of the Navy, they could have an open relationship. Meanwhile, the fighting continued with John and now included Shannon. One day Shannon told some friends at work that John had her jumped by some Hell’s Angels. She showed them the injuries she sustained which included a black eye. Shannon told Seth Hardy and Matthew Toerner that John had told her to stay away from Rebecca. John had already violated a protection order so she didn’t feel safe.
The ironic part is that John was the first person to go to the police. John reported to the police department that he thought his wife was trying to kill him because he found a propane bottle under his car. John felt the police minimized his claim because Rebecca and Shannon claimed that he had beaten them up and followed and stalked them. But the dangers to John were what was escalating in severity. Then one morning when John walked outside around 6 a.m. to go to work, he was shot multiple times and died at the scene. The police found a shell casing and tire tracks. John’s roommate was convinced that Rebecca was involved. Because Rebecca was active duty Navy, the police needed to contact NCIS so they could go to base and speak with her. The detectives began with calling in Rebecca and then started interviewing her fellow Seabee friends including Shannon Butler. They used Detective Joe Evans because he was the best interviewer and the most non-threatening.
Rebecca claimed that she was home alone with her daughter. She also reiterated that John had beaten her up and had people follow her but other then that they didn’t get much from the young mother. They interviewed Shannon Butler next but she immediately asked for a lawyer. Then they went to their fellow Seabees to lock down a story. They spoke with Ivan Condit who was guarded about what he said. Seth Hardy told them that Marmot was beating her so he planted an explosive device, a propane canister, under his vehicle. Therefore he basically admitted to attempted murder. After this admission, he told the detectives to talk to Butler and Matt because he was done. Twenty-four hours later, Condit walked into the police station and told them what he knew. They used Rebecca’s gun to kill John Marmo and Rebecca still had it.
Police decided to use Condit to set up a trap. They wanted Condit to call Rebecca so they could have a conversation about getting rid of the gun. If Rebecca agreed, the police could then arrest her. Rebecca told Condit that she was not getting rid of the gun because she paid good money for it. She admitted to having the gun so police continued to have Condit pressure her to get rid of it. Five days after the murder, Rebecca finally relented but Shannon Butler showed up with the gun instead. Shannon’s attempt to get rid of the gun suggested that it was the murder weapon and she was arrested. Shannon was charged with murder and conspiracy to kill John Marmot. Rebecca was arrested for admitting it was her gun on the phone with Condit. Now police had a gun to match to the bullet casing they found at the scene to help prove guilt in a court of law.
When Rebecca was questioned again, this time she claimed that Shannon was obsessed with her and followed her around like a puppy dog. She maintained her innocence and claimed that she left the gun in the safe in the house and that maybe Shannon did it for her. Shannon was actively helping Rebecca with her custody battle after she was told that Rebecca was having trouble with her ex. The detectives felt like she had an answer for everything. Rebecca didn’t know that Shannon was also in police custody. Shannon broke down and told the police everything. She admitted that the stories about being atttacked by John were fabricated. She even admitted that Rebecca punched her in the face so they would have proof of the attack by the Hell’s Angels. Shannon admitted that she and Matt Toerner drove to John’s home and killed him. The detectives needed to speak with Matt next but he was shipped out to Okinawa the day after the murder.
When detectives finally caught up with Matt, he smelled of alcohol. They could tell that he had something going on that he wanted to get off his chest. He told detectives that both girls talked about how John had been beating them up and that he did it to protect his fellow Seabees. He admitted to shooting John 4-5 times and detectives could tell that it had weighed on him heavily. The detectives explained to him that he had been fed a pack of lies by these two women to get him to pull the trigger. They told him that Butler especially had manipulated him and that John Marmot was a father who had an ex-wife that caused huge issues for him. He never hit anyone, he just wanted a relationship with his daughter. Weeks after the murders, the police recovered text messages that showed Rebecca knew what was going on and was the one pulling the strings.
In the end, Seth Hardy was found guilty of attempted murder and got twelve years to life. Shannon Butler plead guilty to first degree murder and was given twenty-five years to life. Matthew Toerner and Rebecca Braswell were both found guilty of first degree murder but were sentenced to life without parole. The prosecutor said Rebecca Braswell was considered a pure sociopath. She made up the claims of abuse in an attempt to manipulate the court system so she could maintain sole custody of her daughter. She manipulated her friends into believing the abuse claims so they would take action to protect her and kill John. John’s family is now raising their daughter Heather. John is remembered for never giving up on his daughter. He loved her and just wanted a relationship with her. John’s case is another testament to the dangers of sociopaths. They may not be the one to commit the final violent act but they manipulate and pull the strings to make it happen with no regard for who gets hurt in the process.
A shotgun wedding leaves naval officers John Marmo and Rebecca Braswell in a troubled marriage with a baby. As the relationship crumbles, allegations of infidelity and abuse run rampant. A fierce custody battle pushes both sides in a deadly battle. -First to Die, I’d Kill for You (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.
Air Force veteran Gailen Eugene “Gene” Thurnau was found deceased in the home of Robert Peterson in Ellenton, Florida on November 3, 2006. Authorities learned that Bob Peterson shot and killed Gene in his home in Lutz, Florida and then transported his body to his Ellenton home. When investigators finally caught up with Bob Peterson, he was found dead of an apparent suicide. It appeared the motive for the homicide was an obsession. The two worked together at the air traffic control center at the airport in St. Petersburg, Florida. Bob Peterson even transferred to St. Petersburg shortly after Gene was transferred to this location. Bob left a note that gave the outside observer some idea of how sick, twisted, and demented he was. Unbeknownst to Gene and his second wife, Bob had been stalking Gene for years.
Investigation Discovery:
Air traffic controller Gene Thurnau moves to St-Petersburg, Florida to start over. He meets Jaye-Jaye, and soon they marry and begin building their dream home. But ghosts from Gene’s past bring unwanted tension and horror into their perfect home. -Star-Crossed Murder, A Stranger In My Home (S2,E1)
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.
Air Force Retiree Michael Giles, 46, of Garland, Texas disappeared on July 4, 2006. He was supposed to attend a Fourth of July event with his family but he never showed up. He texted his sister informing her he was staying home. On October 12, 2007, Veterans Affairs agents contacted a detective in Garland because they were concerned about the missing veteran, who the same month he went missing, stopped making payments on his VA home loan which wasn’t like him. VA agents were investigating his foreclosure because he was never late and sometime made double payments but they were unable to get ahold of him since he stopped making payments one year earlier. The VA agents noticed a concrete slab of cement in the backyard that looked random, it had no useful purpose. The detective who was called to investigate the circumstances immediately suspected the concrete slab was a grave. They learned the current tenant didn’t know Michael Giles and that he was renting from Kwaneta Harris, who lived in Detroit, Michigan.
Kwaneta Harris met Michael Giles in England where both of them lived. Kwaneta was married to an Air Force service member and they were in the middle of a divorce when she met Michael Giles. Giles was also stationed in England with the Air Force where he worked on overhauling engines for helicopters. He was Kwaneta’s husband’s supervisor and felt for her because she didn’t have a place to live after her husband kicked her out. The pair quickly became friends and eventually began a romantic relationship. In 1996, Kwaneta Harris moved back to Detroit, Michigan and Michael Giles finished up a twenty year career and retired from the Air Force. He bought a home in Garland, Texas and it wasn’t until 2002 that he began having conversations with Kwaneta again. Michael was excited about his new life and new job and between his Air Force pension and his salary, he did well. He began a long distance relationship with Kwaneta Harris again and she began flying back and forth between Michigan and Texas. Kwaneta was also dating Deandre Knight in Michigan at the same time.
After VA agents contacted detectives, they initiated a search of the backyard with a cadaver dog. The dog hit on the area where the random concrete slab was placed. They needed a warrant but they needed more evidence before they could begin digging in Michael’s backyard. They contacted Michael’s family and learned they had not seen him since July 2006, although they didn’t report him missing because he continued to text them to let them know he was okay but needed some time to himself. This was not like Michael and the family was concerned but they were lead to believe that he was still alive when they received the texts so they never filed a missing person’s report. When detectives began digging deeper into Michael’s life, they learned that Kwaneta Harris had systematically drained all of Michael’s bank accounts and liquidated his assets. Kwaneta Harris stole $200,000 from Michael since the time of his disappearance. As a result of this new information, investigators were able to search the backyard and recovered Michael’s body underneath the concrete slab. His badly decomposed body was found with a bullet in his head. Kwaneta Harris was arrested and extradited to Texas.
In a search of Kwaneta’s home in Michigan, investigators discovered all of Michael Gile’s personal belongings including his personal information, bank account passwords, cell phone, and official documents. Kwaneta was charged with murder. In the middle of the trial, Kwaneta plead guilty and was sentenced to fifty years in prison. In September 2015, Kwaneta Harris received a court order reducing her sentence from 50 years to 8 years, meaning she would be eligible for parole immediately. But as it turns out this court order was not real because she forged the judge’s signature. This was one more con in a long history of evil doing and conniving. Kwaneta’s husband, Deandre Knight, was also arrested for his role in the fraud. He wasn’t involved in the murder but he was involved in the elaborate fraud schemes to steal money and assets from Michael Giles. If not for the VA agents caring about the Air Force veteran who stopped making his VA home loan payments all of a sudden, this case may never have been solved. The VA home loan agents went above and beyond unlike a regular bank would have and reported their suspicions about the sudden disappearance of the homeowner Air Force retiree Michael Giles.
Kwaneta Yatrice Harris, a licensed nurse, shot Michael Giles, her on-again, off-again lover of a decade, in the back of the head in 2006. She then cooked up an elaborate ploy to cover up the killing of Giles, a military retiree who lived in Garland. Harris hired someone to dig Giles’ grave under the ruse that she was installing a pond, then got a man to pour a 3-by-15-foot concrete slab on top. She posed as Giles in emails and texts, telling his family he was in New Mexico and needed some time away. Prosecutors say she even had a new boyfriend pretend to be Giles, dressed up in bandages after a supposed car accident, so she could gain access to Giles’ financial accounts. Authorities excavated Giles’ body from his own backyard in 2007. –Dallas News (April 2016)
Snapped: After The Verdict – Kwaneta Harris, Snapped, Oxygen
In August 2004, hard working Walter Smith was managing a photoshop at a local department store in a town outside Salt Lake City, Utah. Walter met the future mother of his children Nicole Speirs on a social media site. Nicole was a tomboy, she was into skateboarding, adventure, and the two appeared to get along really well. They went out on a couple dates and spent the night together. But Walter was not sure how close he wanted to get because he had other things on his mind. He only recently returned home after a tour of duty in the Marine Corps. He joined the Marine Corps after high school and in early 2000, he was at boot camp in California. One of his Marine friends spoke highly of him and shared that one wanted to spend time with Walter because he was very interesting. Then September 11, 2001… Of course the Marines were deployed to Iraq and in February of 2003, Walter and and his team were some of the first on the ground during Operation Iraqi Freedom. This was war and the possibility of dying was something they had to accept after witnessing many of their own die around them.
In the summer of 2003 after six months in Iraq, Walter returned to Utah for a visit and then was sent to a marksman training course in Virginia. While on a rifle range, the sounds of munitions were giving Walter flashbacks and he thought he was shooting at people in Iraq. According to a comrade, something was triggered inside him and he just lost it. The was the beginning of his medical discharge. He was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and medically discharged from the USMC. One of Walter’s Marine friends shared that most begin to experience the PTSD after they get out but they don’t push the subject with one another. But everyone recognized that Walter was depressed; he wasn’t the same person he was when they met him. Walter met Nicole Speirs shortly after his military discharge. Although after a few dates and intense nights spent together, Walter retreated. In the meantime, Nicole called Walter to let him know that she was pregnant. He went to the first doctor visit with her and they found out together they were having twins.
Walter wasn’t sure he was ready to have a family. He also learned that his parents were getting a divorce after 25 years of marriage. It rocked the foundations of all of the siblings. Walter retreated completely after the doctor visit with Nicole and requested a DNA test to prove they were his children. Nicole had to accept Walter’s decision; she didn’t know that he was struggling with PTSD. Walter became quiet and withdrawn. Once harmless, the civilian world now had several threats everywhere after his return. Walter’s family couldn’t understand what he had been through. Walter’s comrades shared that he engaged in one of the most violent fights during the deployment in Iraq. They were hit with an RPG and three guys were hurt. The enemy was packing families in cars and driving right at them. Walter had no choice but to use the gun to stop the existing threat. They had a hard time witnessing the innocent children die. The Marines in Walter’s company were never the same.
Now that Walter was back in Utah, his depression was getting worse. He was downward spiraling. By September 2004, Walter’s dad moved in with him. The family was concerned for them because they both were feeling extremely depressed. Walter’s dad shared that his own father committed suicide when he was young because he felt that he was a burden to the family. On June 30, 2004, Walter reached a breaking point. His thoughts were more distorted. Walter Sr. didn’t know it but Walter was experiencing violent tendencies. He feared for his own father’s life. He left their home before he harmed his father and made a decision to kill himself with a shotgun. He called some family to say goodbye but before he could pull the trigger, a friend contacted the local police to intervene. As a result, Walter was admitted into a psychiatric ward. He was diagnosed with PTSD, severe depression with psychosis, and alcohol dependency. Meanwhile, Nicole was on bedrest with a difficult labor and gave birth a month earlier then expected.
Nicole’s babies were both underdeveloped and needed to remain in the NICU for over a month but they finally got the green light to take them home. Nicole had a girl and a boy. Walter never went to visit Nicole at the hospital. By the time the children were five years old, Nicole filed for child support. Meanwhile, Walter looked at Nicole’s pictures on social media and could tell that the children were his right away and wanted to see them. This time, he told her the truth about the PTSD. Walter met the children and things seemed really good. Nicole was a phenomenal mom and this appeared to help Walter cope better too because she was calm and caring. Nicole was really excited that Walter came back. But Walter still doesn’t feel the same way as Nicole and wasn’t sure that he ever would; he had his own demons to contend with. But, they were both trying to strengthen their relationship for the sake of the children.
On March 9, 2006, Nicole was feeling dizzy so she left work and went home to rest. Two weeks later on March 24, 2006, Nicole and Walter were up late after a relaxing evening together at home. They made love and got in the bathtub to get cleaned up. Nicole asked Walter what she thought about their future; she wanted to get married. Walter said he needed more time and wasn’t ready to make that decision. He knew that he wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment. She was upset about this but decided to play it out and see where things went. The next morning Walter and the children left at 5 am to visit his family. The rest of the grandchildren were going to be there for a group photo. Shortly after Walter arrived, he began arguing with a relative and acting erratically. The family eventually called the police on Walter because they were concerned about his behavior. Walter called Nicole and told her he was returning instead of spending the night with his family.
Walter entered through the garage around 1 a.m. like he usually did and put the children to bed. He went to the bathroom where he heard water running and found Nicole face down in the bathtub. She appeared to be dead. He called 911. He was rattled, couldn’t remember the address, he realized that she was dead and this appeared to deflate him. Walter was hesitant to do the CPR when asked by the 911 dispatcher but he did it and unfortunately it was too late. Nicole was gone. Police arrived to find Walter and Nicole’s dead body. The body had been in a cold tub which made the time of death difficult to determine. There was no clear sign of foul play. Walter was questioned and claimed that Nicole was taking an anti-depressant for depression. His demeanor striked investigators as guarded and numb. Walter was with his family so could corroborate his whereabouts. Walter made the dreadful phone calls to family members and loved ones but Nicole’s death didn’t make sense to any of them.
In the days after Nicole’s death, the police kept their eye on Walter Smith. They questioned neighbors who denied any knowledge of abuse or volatility in the relationship; as a matter of fact, neighbors observed that both appeared happy together. The Speirs family was concerned about when Nicole got sick and wondered if that had anything to do with it. And suicide was a theory that Walter planted until Nicole’s autopsy put an end to that. There were no drugs in her system but the manner of death was drowning; the cause of death was unknown. The big question was why and how did this happen? Walter and the Speirs family worked together to take care of the children over the next few months. But nothing could hold back the depression that Walter was fighting off. Sometimes he felt like the PTSD was going to break him.
On December 4, 2006, Walter drove himself to the Veterans Affairs hospital emergency room because he was feeling suicidal and homicidal. He called his Uncle Craig and told him he couldn’t live another day. After questioned by his uncle, Walter admitted that he had something to do with Nicole’s death. His Uncle Craig recommended he remain silent until he got there but Walter Smith already told the VA that he felt guilty about what happened to Nicole. The VA called the police department who showed up around the time that his uncle showed up. He was quiet initially but then told them he was responsible for Nicole’s death. It was not an accident; it was something more. He was arrested for suspicion of homicide and taken in custody. Walter Sr.’s heart was shattered and he was in absolute disbelief that his son could do something like this. Walter Sr. and Craig let Nicole Speir’s family know right away that Walter admitted to being responsible for Nicole’s death.
Two days later, detectives got a second crack at Walter. Walter explained that he was in the bathtub with Nicole. She was sitting towards the faucet with him behind her. She washed her hair and she had to bend forward to rinse it. He then pushed her head down in the water from the back until she drowned to death. He was emotionless, matter of fact, and flat when he talked about the crime. He admitted that they had not been arguing prior to the act. When asked, Walter said that Nicole did fight back to the best of her ability. The detectives did not believe PTSD was an excuse because he took advantage of her in the most vulnerable position. Investigators exclaimed that this was an intimate domestic violence encounter that could only be accomplished in that position of trust. Walter didn’t know why he did it; he couldn’t explain it to those who were questioning him. His reasoning for coming forward was because he wanted help; the crime had in fact eaten away at him. After his confession, Walter was charged with murder in the first degree. But the legal teams validated that PTSD is a legitimate mitigating factor to reduce a charge from murder to manslaughter.
The prosecution recognized and believed this murder probably would not have happened if not for PTSD. The Speirs family learned from the prosecution that there was a lack of physical evidence, that most likely a jury would be sympathetic to a war vet with PTSD, and that these factors could lead to a not guilty verdict. As a result, the family agreed to a plea deal and a sentence was negotiated; Walter Smith received 1 to 15 years in prison. The sentence automatically gave the Speir family custody of the two children. The family felt the sentence was weak but ultimately they wanted to protect the children. Detectives wanted the public to remember that this was still a homicide and the PTSD didn’t cause this. Walter began serving his sentence in the fall of 2007. Four years later, his family and the Speirs family attended his parole hearing; Walter wasn’t allowed to look at any of them. As he sat hunched and humbled, he was asked if there was anything he wanted to say. He was silent at first but then he finally said that he didn’t disagree with what the family wanted including spending all 15 years in prison because he deserved it. He also said he was truly sorry for what he did. Walter Smith’s parole was turned down and he will spend the entire fifteen years in prison.
Did the status as a Marine with PTSD shape the way this crime was handled?
“Walter Smith is a Marine Corps soldier just back from Iraq. Diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Walter finds comfort in the arms of young artist Nicole Speirs. But in the darkest recesses of the mind, their cruel fate is already decided.” -Discovery ID
Eddie Makdessi, U.S. Navy Spouse (photo courtesy of 48 Hours NCIS)
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.
Five years earlier in 1991 the Navy Tailhook scandal in Nevada made national headlines. Navy Lieutenant Paula Coughlin was one of the alleged victims who went public with her story. Two years before Elise and Quincy were murdered, Paula Coughlin won 1.7 millionafter suing the Las Vegas Hilton hotel where the Tailhook Association convention was held. Eddie must have convinced Elise that they too could make millions if they alleged that Elise was sexually assaulted on the job. What they didn’t realize is that you can’t sue the Navy; Coughlin won a lawsuit against the Hilton hotel. The Feres Doctrine prevents any soldier or their family from suing the Department of Defense for compensatory damages. Investigators believe that knowledge of this information gave Eddie and Elise Makdessi the motive to come up with the false accusation scheme to sue the Navy. Eddie was a scammer and always looking for new ways to make quick money. Elise didn’t know she was double crossed until Eddie was plunging the knife. A month before the murders, Eddie purchased $700,000 worth of life insurance on Elise.
Eddie and Elise Makdessi invited Petty Officer Quincy Brown over to the house under the guise of having a threesome. DNA evidence revealed that Elise and Quincy Brown had sex. Investigators would learn that Eddie shot Quincy first, then stabbed Elise. He hurt himself to make it appear that Quincy invaded the house, knocked him out, raped and killed Elise, and then he awoke from unconsciousness and shot the intruder. Eddie staged the crime scene and he almost got away with it. But investigators figured out this was a ‘set up’ based on the crime scene evidence, interviews with Elise’s co-workers, the video tape, and the large insurance policy. They were also savvy enough to recognize that this was a copycat case. Elise’s sexual harassment and sexual assault claims were in fact fabricated. All the men she accused of sex crimes in the video passed a polygraph examination and her supervisors testified that Elise never reported sexual harassment or sexual assault like she claimed in her video testimony. Unfortunately Quincy Brown was the pawn they used in their game and he never got the chance to see that the allegations were proven false.
Eddie was indicted in 2001. But by the time investigators were ready to arrest Eddie Makdessi for the murder of Elise Makdessi and Quincy Brown, Eddie had fled the country. They eventually caught up with him in Russia. Unfortunately, Russia did not have an extradition treaty with the United States so police could not force Eddie to come back to the states. Mike Mather, an investigative reporter, went to Russia to interview Makdessi and learned that he was remarried with a child yet things weren’t going so well for Eddie financially in Russia. After that interview, Eddie decided to leave his wife and child in Russia and go back to America to face the charges. He was going to prove his innocence and clear his name. He was sure he would beat the charges. It would be ten years after he committed the first degree murders of Elise and Quincy Brown before he went to trial. On March 16, 2006, Eddie Makdessi was convicted of two counts of murder, sentenced to life in prison, and ordered to pay a $202,500 fine. The motive was the life insurance money. He used the $700,000 payout to travel the world before settling in Russia. Eddie continues to deny committing the crimes.
Elise Makdessi’s sister, Dawn Crosby, asked the jury to “show Eddie Makdessi that my sister’s life was worth more than $700,000.” –The Virginia-Pilot (March 17, 2006)
Victims:
P.O. Elise Makdessi, U.S. Navy
P.O. Quincy Brown, U.S. Navy
Forensic Files:
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)
Investigation Discovery:
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)
When a Naval Officer is apparently raped and stabbed by a coworker, a mysterious VHS tape suggests the victim may have been silenced to prevent a scandal. Dogged investigation and cutting edge forensic science reveals a shocking murder plot. -Deadly Accusations, Unusual Suspects (S7,E4)
Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch all of the 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. Download the ID Go app and binge away. 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 $2.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict.
Navy Reservist Paul Berkley was murdered by his wife, Monique Wallace Berkley, her teenage lover, and his friend in Raleigh, North Carolina on December 18, 2005. Paul was home for Christmas on leave from a deployment in the Middle East. Monique, Andrew Deshawn Canty, and Latwon Darrell Johnson were all charged with first degree murder. The motive was the $400,000 Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance payout. Monique pleaded guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. The state announced it was going to seek the death penalty if Berkley had gone to trial. Andrew Canty pleaded guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Latwon Darrell Johnson pleaded guilty to second degree murder and conspiracy to commit first degree murder. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison. Johnson appealed his sentence claiming that it was too harsh given his role in the slaying and his cooperation with police and prosecutors.
Paul Berkley survived his deployment in the Middle East without any injury, but he couldn’t survive one week with his wife Monique. -Profiler Candice DeLong
Oxygen:
A military wife is caught in deadly love triangle. -Monique Berkley, Snapped, Oxygen (S8,E8)
Investigation Discovery:
The young and wild Monique Wallace is married to 40-year-old Paul Berkley, a navy reservist and father of two in suburban North Carolina. But with Paul leaving on a mission overseas, temptation and lust will lead them all down a dark path to murder. -Rules of Engagement, Scorned: Love Kills (S2,E7)
Some women like others to do their dirty work. A drama queen brings her love triangle to a permanent end; an intimate betrayal turns friends into deadly foes; and a loose woman will do anything to protect her freedom. -Murder for Me, Deadly Women (S9,E11)
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.
Army soldier Shaun Cleland was found guilty of the first degree murder of David Heinricht on October 2, 2005 in Ohio. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Air Force SSgt. Michael Severance was poisoned with animal medications by his veterinarian wife Wendi Davidson on January 15, 2005 in San Angelo, Texas. SSgt. Severance enlisted with the United States Air Force in 1998 and was a flying crew chief stationed at Dyess Air Force Base. He met Wendi at a local club and they hit it off right away. Shortly after meeting, she got pregnant with his child. Michael wanted to do the right thing so he eventually married Wendi and moved in with her in a small apartment attached to her new Veterinarian Clinic. He commuted 90 miles one way to the base where he worked. Michael was reported missing to the local police on January 16th after his wife Wendi informed Michael’s parents that she wouldn’t make the flight to Maine with him for a visit with their child because he was nowhere to be found. She cancelled the flights for all three of them. Michael’s parents also called the base to report him missing but Air Force leadership informed them that their hands were tied until he was considered Absent Without Leave (AWOL). After Michael’s leave was up 8 days later and he didn’t return to duty, he was officially considered AWOL. This prompted the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) to join forces with the local civilian authorities. Wendi led all the investigators to believe that Mike had deserted the military. She claimed that he didn’t want to go back to Iraq and was thinking about heading to Canada. Michael, Wendi, and their child were planning a trip to visit his parents in Maine because Mike was scheduled to deploy to the Middle East after returning from the trip.
The San Angelo police department investigators visited Wendi at her veterinarian clinic on January 17, 2005. Wendi told them Mike had been drinking lately and was out all the time, but investigators observed that all of his personal belongings were still at their shared apartment. On January 18th, Wendi filed divorce papers and attempted to get a restraining order against Mike. Civilian investigators were suspicious of Wendi and believed that she was cold and calculating. They gave her a polygraph test but the results came back inconclusive. Once Mike’s leave was up and he was considered officially AWOL, AFOSI joined the San Angelo police department investigation. AFOSI doubted that Michael was a deserter and would just up and leave. In the meantime, the San Angelo police department put a GPS tracking device on Wendi’s car. They learned that on February 7th, Wendi traveled to a remote area owned by a friend of hers. Because investigators considered Wendi a person of interest, they traveled to the location where she had been and found a large retaining pond on the property. In March 2005, investigators were able to look at the search history on Wendi’s computer and learned that Wendi had done a search for ‘decomposition of bodies’ and ‘how to pass a lie detector test’. Investigator’s confronted Wendi but didn’t buy her story so they started turning up the heat. Wendi appeared to dismiss the investigators and then after the interview left the vet clinic in a hurry. She traveled back to her friend’s remote property but this time the police were there to make sure she wasn’t able to disturb a potential crime scene while they worked on obtaining a search warrant.
In the meantime, Wendi confided in her brother Marshall. She told him that she came home and found Mike dead. She said she was scared so she disposed of his body. But her brother didn’t buy her story either and reported her to the police. On March 6th, law enforcement searched the pond on her friend’s property and found Michael Severance’s body anchored down with cinder blocks. When they searched Wendi’s home and business, they found a knife, rope, drug log book, and bottles of medication. Wendi was arrested for the murder of Mike Severance and after 32 days behind bars, her parents raised the $500,000 bond to get her released. Investigators learned that they had only been married for four months when she murdered him. Wendi gave birth to her first child in October 2001. In December 2003, she met Michael and eventually got pregnant but Michael wasn’t ready to settle down or get married quite yet. And Wendi’s parents apparently didn’t like Mike and labeled him lazy and disrespectful; they did not want Wendi to marry him. In September 2004, Wendi gave birth to their son and they were quietly married twelve days later at the courthouse. Two weeks later, Wendi purchased a veterinarian clinic and Mike moved in with her, despite the commute 90 miles one way to work at the base. Shortly after moving in, Mike was sent to Airman Leadership School in Wichita Falls and then he got orders to go to the Middle East. Mike planned a vacation to Maine in January 2005 so his parents could meet his new wife and child, their grandchild, before he was deployed overseas. After Mike returned from Airman Leadership School shortly before their trip to Maine, he observed that Wendi was cold towards him and her mother made it clear that she didn’t like Mike and she didn’t want Wendi going to Maine.
The coroner was not able to determine if there was physical trauma to Mike’s body due to decomposition. But an autopsy revealed that Michael overdosed on drugs usually found in an animal clinic. They found Phenobarbital and B-Euthanasia in his system and he was stabbed 41 times after he was dead. Investigators learned from Wendi’s google searches that Mike was most likely stabbed post mortem so his body wouldn’t float to the surface in the pond. Wendi was arrested again on April 15th for evidence tampering after police learned she falsified log records at the animal clinic so she could justify taking the medication she used to kill her husband. Her bail was now $100,000 per tampering. In the meantime, her family arranged for her to have a privately administered polygraph. On May 24th, a grand jury indicted Wendi for murder and shortly after she was released on bond again. While awaiting trial, on August 20th, Wendi was arrested for child endangerment. One of her children got lost while looking for her; she was out at a night club. She spent another night in jail. In preparation for trial, prosecutors theorized that Wendi concocted her homicidal plan on January 14th. She asked Mike out to dinner on January 15th and then afterwards they went to a bar where they drank and danced. Upon return to their residence, prosecutors believe that Wendi mixed Phenobarbital in his drink. After he was unconscious, she plunged a syringe full of B-Euthanasia into his chest. Then she had to get rid of his body so she drove him out to the pond on her friend’s property and used fishing line to tie cinder blocks to his body. From google searches she learned that gases will make the body float so she went back to the retainer pond and stabbed him 41 times to release the gases; she attached more weight to his body.
Wendi Mae Davidson was looking at 9 to 99 years in prison so instead of going to trial, she plead ‘no contest’ which also left things open for appeal. Her lawyers argued the validity of the search warrants and believed that the GPS tracker was placed in an illegal manner; the resulting evidence was fruit of the poisonous tree. Wendi Davidson was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison. She also received an additional 10 years for evidence tampering. Investigators and prosecutors were somewhat baffled with the motive for this crime and because Wendi plead ‘no contest’, we may never know the real reason she murdered Mike. Authorities theorized that maybe Wendi was motivated to kill because Mike Severance wanted to leave her. They theorized that Wendi’s mother didn’t like Mike so instead of divorcing him, she killed him. They also theorized that Wendi and her family wanted custody of the child with no incident. It’s important to note that Michael’s family believes Wendi also wanted the $500,000 life insurance payout. This was an unusual case because Wendi never had any known predisposition or tendency for violence but Mike’s family believes that her mother specifically had something to do with Wendi committing the murder. The question remains why didn’t she just divorce him instead of killing him?
Wendi may have made this decision because control and financial motive is a common motive for murder. It was noted that Wendi met Mike at a bar and shortly thereafter became pregnant; he may have been targeted for exploitation. It was noted that Wendi was in debt after purchasing a new animal clinic providing the motive for financial gain. It was noted that the crime was premeditated as evidenced by her plan to steal the medications from her animal clinic used to kill Mike. It was noted that Mike was murdered only four months after marrying Wendi; was he a means to an end? It was noted that Wendi’s parents didn’t like Mike and their beliefs may have been the fuel to light the fire; she may have been manipulated because she didn’t want to defy or disappoint them, afraid of the consequences. It was noted by Mike’s family that Wendi was the recipient of the life insurance policy. It was noted that Wendi attempted to manipulate the investigation and make Mike out to be someone he was not; even going so far as to get a restraining order a couple days after she killed him. Wendi Davidson does appear to be cold and calculating. Wendi Davidson appears to be a sociopath; but she exercised her right to remain silent in another attempt to abuse the process, she knows how the system works. As a result, she is eligible for parole in April 2019; she will be 41 years old.
Preview: When Staff Sgt. Michael Severance goes AWOL the community of San Angelo rallies around his new bride. But there is something more sinister behind his disappearance, and investigators uncover a saga of treachery and passion as big as the state of Texas. -Nightmare Next Door, Investigation Discovery (S10 E2)
When Staff Sgt. Michael Severance goes AWOL the community of San Angelo rallies around his new bride. But there is something more sinister behind his disappearance, and investigators uncover a saga of treachery and passion as big as the state of Texas. -Nightmare Next Door, Investigation Discovery (S10 E2)
Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch all of the 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. Download the ID Go app and binge away. 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 $2.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict.
MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL 