September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2012)

On September 30, 2012 By AdministratorIn Accidents, Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Medical, Military Policy, National Guard, Navy, Non Combat Death, Suicide, USMCLeave a comment

09/30/2012: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Riley Stephens, 39, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/28/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Orion Sparks, 29, and Jonathan Gollnitz, 28, Afghanistan, Schweinfurt, Germany

09/28/2012: Airman Missing from WWII Identified

09/28/2012: Marine Missing in Action from Korean War Identified

09/27/2012: Army Releases August Suicide Data

09/26/2012: DOD Identifies Navy Casualty: Dion Roberts, 25, NCD, Afghanistan, East Coast Naval Special Warfare Unit

09/21/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Jason Swindle, 24, Afghanistan, Fort Stewart, Georgia

09/19/2012: DoD and VA to Fund $100 Million PTSD and TBI Study

09/19/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Joshua Nelson, 22, Afghanistan, Fort Gordon, Georgia

09/19/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Sapuro Nena, 25, Genaro Bedoy, 20, and Jon Townsend, 19, Afghanistan, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/17/2012: New DOD Safe Helpline Mobile App Now Available

09/17/2012: DOD Identifies Marine Casualties: Christopher Raible, 40, and Bradley Atwell, 27, Afghanistan, Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward)

09/15/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Kyle Osborn, 26, Afghanistan, Camp Ederle, Vicenza, Italy

09/09/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Jose Montenegro Jr, 31, and Thalia Ramirez, 28, NCDs, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/06/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Shane Cantu, 20, Afghanistan, Caserma Ederle, Vicenza, Italy

09/05/2012: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Alec Terwiske, 21, Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, California

09/04/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Jeremie Border, 28, Afghanistan, Torii Station, Japan

09/04/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Jonathan Schmidt, 28, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/03/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Kyle Rookey, 23, NCD, Afghanistan, Fort Carson, Colorado

August: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2012)

On August 31, 2012August 20, 2017 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, Non Combat Death, Scandals, USAF, USMCLeave a comment

08/28/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Jessica Wing, 42, NCD, Kuwait, Maine Army National Guard

08/28/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Christopher Birdwell, 25, and Mabry Anders, 21, Afghanistan, Fort Carson, Colorado

08/27/2012: Soldiers Missing From Vietnam War Identified: William T. Brown, US Army

08/26/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Patricia Horne, 20, NCD, Afghanistan, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

08/23/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Louis Torres, 23, Afghanistan, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

08/22/2012: Airman Missing in Action from WWII Identified: John E. Hogan, US Army Air Forces

08/21/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: David V. Williams, 24, NCD, Afghanistan, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

08/21/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Coater Debose, 55, Afghanistan, Camp Shelby, Mississippi

08/20/2012: DOD Identifies 4 Army Casualties in Helicopter Crash: Brian Hornsby, 37, Suresh Krause, 29, Richard Essex, 23, and Luis Oliver Galbreath, NCDs, Afghanistan, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

08/20/2012: DOD Identifies 2 Navy Casualties in Helicopter Crash: Patrick Feeks, 28, and David Warsen, 27, NCDs, Afghanistan, West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare

08/20/2012: DOD Identifies 1 Navy Casualty in Helicopter Crash: Sean Carson, 32, NCDs, Afghanistan, EOD, San Diego, California

08/20/2012: DOD Identifies Marine and Navy Casualties: Gregory Copes, 36, and Darrel Enos, 36, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/19/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: James Justice, 21, Afghanistan, Vicenza, Italy

08/18/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Demarsico II, Afghanistan, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

08/17/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Eric Holman, 39, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

08/16/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Andrew Keller, 22, Afghanistan, Vicenza, Italy

08/13/2012: DOD Identifies Marine Casualties: Scott Dickinson, 29, Richard Rivera, 20, and Gregory Buckley, 21, Afghanistan, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii

08/13/2012: DOD Identifies Marine Casualties: Matthew Manoukian, 29, Ryan Jeschke, 31, and Sky Mote, 27, Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, California

08/11/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Gregory Trent, 38, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

08/09/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Thomas Kennedy, 35, and Kevin Griffin, 45, Afghanistan, Fort Carson, Colorado

08/09/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Ethan Martin, 22, Afghanistan, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska

08/09/2012: DOD Identifies Air Force Casualty: Walter Gray, 38, Afghanistan, Fort Carson, Colorado

08/08/2012: DOD Identifies Navy Casualty: Clayton Beauchamp, 21, Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, California

08/08/2012: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Daniel Linnabary II, 23, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/06/2012: Airmen Missing from Vietnam War Identified: Charles M. Walling, US Air Force

08/05/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Russell Bell, 37, and Matthew Sitton, 26, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

08/03/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Todd Lambka, 25, and Jesus Lopez, 22, Afghanistan, Fort Riley, Kansas

08/02/2012: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Kyle McClain, 25, Afghanistan, Michigan Army National Guard

08/02/2012: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Curtis Duarte, 22, Afghanistan, Twentynine Palms, California

NPR: Pentagon Revamps Rules On Reporting Sex Crimes (June 19, 2012)

On June 19, 2012May 28, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, Sexual Assault, USAF, USMCLeave a comment

xl_deptofdefenselogo NPR: Pentagon Revamps Rules On Reporting Sex Crimes

“The Pentagon has announced new steps to deter assaults and make it easier to prosecute offenders, a move that follows President Obama’s recent remark that sexual assault “has no place” in the U.S. military.

Still, many victims believe it will be difficult to change a military culture that makes it tough for the victims to report these crimes. For victims, the nightmare starts with the attack. Many say that things get worse when they try to do something about it.”

“We anticipate maybe about 14 or 15 percent of people who have been sexually assaulted come forward to report.” -Air Force Maj. Gen. Mary Kay Hertog

Fort Bragg Army Spc. Kelli Bordeaux Disappeared; Convicted Sex Offender Nicholas Holbert Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder (April 14, 2012)

On April 14, 2012April 15, 2020 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Cold Cases, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their NameLeave a comment

Kelli Bordeaux, US Army — Kelli Bordeaux, U.S. Army (photo: AP)

The cold case of missing US Army soldier Kelli Bordeaux was featured on Investigation Discovery‘s show Swamp Murders (“Murder of the Medic”). Kelli was stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina when she disappeared in 2012. The Army contacted the local Fayetteville Police Department and asked them to check on her in her off-base housing because she didn’t show up for work. She was considered Absent Without Leave (AWOL) which is an arrestable offense in the military. She was not located at her home and eventually considered a missing persons case. Her family, friends, and volunteers searched tirelessly for her around the Fayetteville area. Detectives continued their investigation while private investigator David Marshburn began conducting his own investigation. After a lengthy investigation by both the Fayetteville detectives and Marshburn, it was determined that she was murdered by Nick Holbert.

Nick was supposed to give Kelli a ride home the night she went missing and was the last person to see her alive. Holbert was also a convicted sex offender listed on the sex offender registry and out on probation. As a result Holbert was a suspect in the case from the very beginning but the case stalled because the detectives didn’t have any evidence. Although Holbert was arrested and jailed for not keeping his address up to date on the sex offender registry while detectives continued to dig for evidence. Eventually they had to let him out. A couple years later in 2014, Nick finally admitted to David Marshburn that he killed Kelli. He shared that he made a sexual advance towards her and she rejected him which made him angry. She walked away. So he then struck her from behind and beat her to death. He buried her in a shallow grave behind the Froggy Bottoms in a marshy area. Thanks to the persistence of the local Fayetteville investigators and David Marshburn, Kelli’s body was found and the case was solved. Nicholas Michael Holbert was sentenced to life in prison without parole and signed away his right to appeal the sentence.

In The News:

A new photo of Kelli Bordeaux, taken just hours before she disappeared, is released. -HLN (April 26, 2012)

The remains of a Fort Bragg soldier who had been missing for more than two years were found Wednesday. WESH 2 News (May 14, 2014)

Nicholas Holbert, the man accused of killing Fort Bragg soldier Kelli Bordeaux, pleaded guilty on Friday afternoon, bringing to a conclusion a three-year case of a missing young soldier. -CBS 17 (August 7, 2015)

48 Hours: “The Hunter” | Finding Kelli Bordeaux -CBS Miami (October 23, 2015)

True Crime:

When a young U.S. Army combat medic goes missing, a bounty hunter takes on his biggest case ever. -48 Hours (October 21, 2105)

Olivia Cox and Matt Henson share what they miss most about their “fearless” younger sister and how they are keeping her memory alive. -48 Hours (October 22, 2015)

David Marshburn, a bounty hunter-turned-P.I., tells “48 Hours” correspondent Troy Roberts about his mission and how he became involved in the search for Kelli Bordeaux, a missing Fort Bragg combat medic. -48 Hours (October 23, 2015)

In never-before-seen video recorded by Fayetteville Police on May 14, 2014, prime suspect Nick Holbert describes in chilling detail what happened the night Kelli Bordeaux vanished. -48 Hours (October 24, 2015)

In never-before-seen video recorded by Fayetteville,, N.C., Police on May 14, 2014, prime suspect Nick Holbert describes in chilling detail what happened the night Kelli Bordeaux vanished. -48 Hours (October 24, 2015)

Gilbert Baez was the only person to interview Nick Holbert before his arrest for the murder of the Fort Bragg soldier. Baez explains how he got the interview and what Holbert had to say. -48 Hours (October 24, 2015)

A week before she disappeared, Kelli Bordeaux and Justin Thompson went to Froggy Bottoms bar in Fayetteville, N.C. Thompson shares his first impressions of Holbert and why he was worried about Kelli the night she vanished. -48 Hours (October 24, 2015)

Matt Henson and Olivia Cox tell “48 Hours” why they immediately suspected Nick Holbert had hurt their sister and what it was like to come face to face with him. -48 Hours (October 24, 2015)

While her husband is away, a vivacious Army Medic enjoys a night out at a dive bar near Fort Bragg, NC. But she never makes it home. And though dogs pick up her scent in a nearby swamp, her fate baffles police. Until a local PI takes up the case. -Murder of the Medic, Swamp Murders (September 30, 2015)

Video Links:
New photo of Kelli Bordeaux surfaces
New photo released of Kelli Bordeaux
‘We never gave up on her,’ says Kelli Bordeaux’s sister
Bordeaux’s mom to killer: ‘You, Mr. Holbert, I hate’
48 Hours: “The Hunter” – Finding Kelli Bordeaux
Preview: The Hunter: Searching for Kelli Bordeaux
Sneak peek: The Hunter: Searching for Kelli Bordeaux
Suspect’s confession captured on police body cam [Part 1]
Suspect’s confession captured on police body cam [Part 2]
Private investigator: “Everyone is meant to be found”
Reporter on interviewing prime suspect in Kelli Bordeaux disappearance
Kelli Bordeaux’s boyfriend on meeting Nick Holbert
Kelli Bordeaux’s family speaks out about her killer
Remembering Kelli Bordeaux
Murder of the Medic | Swamp Murders | Investigation Discovery (S3,E8)
Murder of the Medic | Swamp Murders | Investigation Discovery (YouTube)
Murder of the Medic | Swamp Murders | Investigation Discovery (Prime Video)

Lauterbach Case Prompts Policy Reforms for Victims of Sexual Assault in the Military (December 25, 2011)

On December 25, 2011June 22, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Scandals, Sexual Assault, USAF, USCG, USMCLeave a comment

The family of slain Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach is hailing recent provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act that profoundly change the way the Department of Defense will handle sexual assault charges.

The Defense STRONG Act has cleared both the House and the Senate and is awaiting President Barack Obama’s signature. Provisions include access to legal counsel for victims and the right to request a base transfer.

Lauterbach’s mother, Mary Lauterbach of Vandalia, said the new law would have made the difference in the case of her daughter, who was denied a base transfer after accusing fellow Marine Cesar Laurean of sexual assault. “Maria would be alive today if the base transfer had been available to her,” she said.

Turner concurred, “In civilian life you have complete control of your movements, and if you’re in an unsafe situation you can remove yourself. In military life, the victim needs permission to take even basic self-preservation actions.”

In the News:

New provisions handed down from the Department of Defense are giving sexual assault victims in the military rights they never had before. It’s all thanks to the fight from Congressman Mike Turner and a local mother Mary Lauterbach. The provisions make certain that a victim has legal counsel throughout the whole process so they understand what their legal rights are and how to protect themselves. The provisions also remove the accused from the situation and not the victim. -WKEF/WRGT (August 15, 2013)

A major hurdle cleared for sexual assault victims in the military. Congress passed a bill that would give victims rights and protection they never had before. The push came after the tragic murder of local marine Maria Lauterbach and her unborn son. Congress approved a bill that would give military sexual assault victims legal counsel and criminalize retaliation against any victim. “If Maria had had this, she would be alive today, it’s very important.” The bill now heads to President Barack Obama for his signature. -WKEF/WRGT (December 20, 2013)

Law protecting military victims of sexual assault discussed. -WDTN-TV (May 1, 2018)

Key changes in military policy

By executive order, communication between victims and victim advocates will now be privileged. Previously conversations between victim and victim advocates can be subpoenaed in court, making victims reluctant to come forward. Pending legislation HR 1540, passed by both the House and Senate, provides for:
Legal assistance for victims of sexual assault. Previously, only defendants in the military have been guaranteed access to a lawyer.
Stricter training guidelines and greater oversight for Sexual Assault Response Coordinators and Sexual Assault Victim Advocates.
Retention of sexual assault records with lifetime access for service members.
The victim’s right to a base transfer or unit transfer. Under the new law, these requests will be expedited, with decisions being made within 72 hours and the bias should be in favor of the victim.

September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2011)

On September 30, 2011September 10, 2017 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Medical, Military Policy, National Guard, Navy, Non Combat Death, Suicide, USMCLeave a comment

09/30/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Adrian Mills, 23, Iraq, Fort Polk, Louisiana

09/30/2011: DOD Identifies Marine Casualties: Nicholas Sprovtsoff, 28, and Christopher Diaz, 27, Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, California

09/30/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Ivan Lechowich, 27, Steven Gutowski, 24, and David Drake, 21, Afghanistan, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri

09/30/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Andres Zermeno, 26, Afghanistan, Fort Polk, Louisiana

09/29/2011: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: John Wimpey Cagle, 19, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/29/2011: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Ryan Iannelli, 27, Afghanistan, Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina

09/29/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Garrett Fant, 21, Afghanistan, Fort Riley, Kansas

09/27/2011: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Franklin Watson, 21, Afghanistan, Marine Forces Reserve, Tennessee

09/26/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Francisco Briseno-Alvarez Jr, 27, Afghanistan, Oklahoma Army National Guard

09/26/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Tyler Holtz, 22, Afghanistan, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/25/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Rafael Bigai Baez, 28, and Carlos Aparicio, 19, Afghanistan, Fort Polk, Louisiana

09/25/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Andy C. Morales, 32, Iraq, 143rd Sustainment Command, Orlando, Florida

09/23/2011: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Terry Wright, 21, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/23/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Jakob Roelli, 24, and Robert Dyas, 21, Afghanistan, Fort Riley, Kansas

09/22/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Timothy Sayne, 31, Afghanistan, Fort Wainwright, Alaska

09/21/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Ryan Cook, 29, Afganistan, Fort Wainwright, Alaska

09/21/2011: Deadline to Apply for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay Nears

09/21/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Estevan Altamirano, 30, NCD, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/20/2011: Airmen Missing In Action From WWII Identified

09/19/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Chazray Clark, 24, Afghanistan, Fort Riley, Kansas

09/19/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Garrick Eppinger Jr, 25, Afghanistan, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, Wisconsin

09/18/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Hosey, 27, Afghanistan, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/16/2011: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Michael Dutcher, 22, Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, California

09/16/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Mycal Prince, 28, Afghanistan, Oklahoma Army National Guard

09/16/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Chester Stoda, 32, NCD, Afghanistan, Fort Hood, Texas

09/16/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Rodolfo Rodriguez Jr, 26, Afghanistan, Fort Wainwright, Alaska

09/15/2011: Army Releases August Suicide Data

09/14/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Danial Adams, 35, Afghanistan, Stuttgart, Germany

09/12/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Keith Rudd, 36, NCD, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/12/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Daniel Quintana, 30, Afghanistan, Schweinfurt, Germany

09/12/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Brett Wood, 19, Afghanistan, Fort Wainwright, Alaska

09/11/2011: DOD Identifies Navy Casualty: Brian Lundy, 25, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/11/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Bret Isenhower, 26, Christopher Horton, 26, and Tony Potter Jr, 20, Afghanistan, Oklahoma Army National Guard

09/09/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Koran Contreras, 21, and Douglas Jeffries Jr, 20, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

09/08/2011: DOD Identifies Navy Casualty: James Crawford, 50, NCD, Bahrain, Combined Maritime Forces Coalition Coordination Center

09/08/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Kevin Shumaker, 24, NCD, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

09/07/2011: DOD Identifies Navy Casualty: James Coker, 59, NCD, Afghanistan, Army Corps of Engineers, Virginia

09/06/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Christophe Marquis, 40, Afghanistan, Fort Wainwright, Alaska

09/04/2011: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Christopher Scott, 21, Afghanistan, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

09/02/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Dennis James Jr, 21, Afghanistan, Fort Polk, Louisiana

09/01/2011: Air Force Pilot Missing From Vietnam War Identified

09/01/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Devin Daniels, 22, and Colby Richmond, 28, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/01/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Alberto Obod Jr, 26, Afghanistan, Bamberg, Germany

August: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2011)

On August 31, 2011August 20, 2017 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, Non Combat Death, Scandals, USMCLeave a comment

08/29/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Douglas Green, 23, Afghanistan, Fort Wainwright, Alaska

08/28/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Roberts, 23, Afghanistan, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

08/27/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Jesse Dietrich, 20, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

08/27/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Brandon Mullins, 21, Afghanistan, Fort Wainwright, Alaska

08/26/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Andrew Tobin, 24, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

08/24/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Timothy Steele, 25, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

08/20/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Douglas Cordo, 20, Afghanistan, Fort Wainwright, Alaska

08/19/2011: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Travis Nelson, 19, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/17/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Joshua Seals, 21, NCD, Afghanistan, Oklahoma Army National Guard

08/17/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Dennis Jensen, 21, NCD, Afghanistan, South Dakota Army National Guard

08/17/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Damon Leehan, 30, Afghanistan, Oklahoma Army National Guard

08/16/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Matthew Harmon, 29, and Joseph VanDreumel, 32, Afghanistan, Grafenwoehr, Germany

08/16/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Charles Price III, Afghanistan, Fort Carson, Colorado

08/15/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Joe Cunningham, 27, NCD, Afghanistan, Oklahoma Army National Guard

08/13/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Edward Frank II, 26, Jameel Freeman, 26, Patrick Lay II, 21, Jordan Morris, 23, and Rueben Lopez, 27, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

08/13/2011: DOD Identifies Navy Casualty: Riley Gallinger-Long, 19, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/11/2011: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Nicholas Ott, 23, Afghanistan, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii

08/11/2011: DOD Identifies 20 US Navy Service Members Killed In CH-47 Crash: Jonas Kelsall, 29, Louis Langlais, 44, Thomas Ratzlaff, 34, Kraig Vickers, 36, Brian Bill, 31, John Faas, 31, Kevin Houston, 35, Matthew Mason, 37, Stephen Mills, 35, Nicholas Hull, 30, Robert Reeves, 32, Heath Robinson, 34, Darrik Benson, 28, Christopher Campbell, 36, Jared Day, 28, John Douangdara, 26, Michael Strange, 25, Jon Tumilson, 35, Aaron Vaughn, 30, and Jason Workman, 32, NCDs, Afghanistan, East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare

08/11/2011: DOD Identifies 2 US Navy Service Members Killed In CH-47 Crash: Jesse Pittman, 27, and Nicholas Spehar, 24, NCDs, Afghanistan, West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare

08/11/2011: DOD Identifies 5 US Army Service Members Killed In CH-47 Crash: David Carter, 47, Bryan Nichols, 31, Patrick Hamburger, 30, Alexander Bennett, 24, and Spencer Duncan, 21, NCDs, Afghanistan, Army General Support Aviation Battalion

08/11/2011: DOD Identifies 3 US Air Force Service Members Killed In CH-47 Crash: John Brown, 33, Andrew Harvell, 26, and Daniel Zerbe, 28, NCDs, Afghanistan, Pope Field, North Carolina

08/09/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Alessandro Plutino, 28, Afghanistan, Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia

08/09/2011: DOD Identifies Marine Casualties: Adan Gonzales Jr, 28, and Joshua Robinson, 29, Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, California

08/08/2011: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Daniel Patron, 26, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/08/2011: Soldier Missing in Action from WWII Identified: William F. Stehlin, US Army

08/06/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Mark Downer, 23, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

08/06/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Jinsu Lee, 34, NCD, Afghanistan, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

08/06/2011: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Daniel Gurr, 21, Afghanistan, Okinawa, Japan

08/05/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Anthony Del Mar Peterson, 24, Afghanistan, Oklahoma Army National Guard

08/05/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Waid Ramsey, 41, Afghanistan, Army Special Operations Command

08/05/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Cody Baker, 19, and Gil Morales Del Valle, 21, Afghanistan, Fort Polk, Louisiana

08/05/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Barun Rai, 24, NCD, Afghanistan, Bamberg, Germany

08/03/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Kirk Owen, 37, Afganistan, Oklahoma Army National Guard

08/03/2011: DOD Identifies Marine Casualties: Patrick Dolphin, 29, Dennis Kancler, 26, and Christopher Wrinkle, 29, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/02/2011: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Leon Lucas Jr, 32, Afghanistan, Twentynine Palms, California

08/02/2011: Soldier Missing from Vietnam War Identified: George A. Howes, US Army

08/02/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Brice Scott, 22, Afghanistan, Fort Riley, Kansas

08/01/2011: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: William GrossPaniagua, 28, Afghanistan, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

Why Pat Tillman’s Death Matters (September 10, 2010)

On September 10, 2010September 15, 2024 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, Non Combat DeathLeave a comment

To those who have followed America’s wars of conquest in Afghanistan and Iraq over the past decade closely, the story of Pat Tillman’s death is a familiar one. Shortly after the 9-11 attacks, a professional football player at the top of his game steps out of the limelight to join the military, completes one tour of duty in Iraq, and is killed during a second, in Afghanistan. At first, we’re told he died heroically leading his squad in a hillside battle against Taliban militiamen. Later, we learn that the Army’s story is a fraud, that he was killed by friendly fire from his fellow Rangers, a pointless victim of war.

Director Amir Bar-Lev’s powerful documentary, “The Tillman Story,” fleshes out the tragic arc of Pat Tillman’s life in what becomes less an anti-war movie and more the story of one indomitable family’s struggle for truth and justice in the face of arrogant indifference by our nation’s top military and civilian leaders, abetted by a cheerleading press. Think “Network,” not “Coming Home.”

August: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2010)

On August 31, 2010August 17, 2017 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, Non Combat Death, Scandals, USAF, USMCLeave a comment

08/31/2010: DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Patrick Durham, 24, and Andrew Castro, 20, Afghanistan, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

08/30/2010: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Floyd Holley, 36, Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, California

08/30/2010: DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Ellery Wallace, 33, and Bryn Raver, 20, Afghanistan, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

08/30/2010: DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Chad Coleman, 20, and Adam Novak, 20, Afghanistan, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

08/30/2010: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: James Robinson, 27, Afghanistan, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

08/30/2010: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: James Ide, 32, Afghanistan, Sembach, Germany

08/30/2010: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Daniel Fedder, 34, Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, California

08/29/2010: DOD Identifies Navy Casualty: James Swink, 20, Afghanistan, II Marine Expeditionary Forces

08/25/2010: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Justin Shoecraft, 28, Afghanistan, Vilseck, Germany

08/24/2010: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Robert Newton, 21, Afghanistan, Twentynine Palms, California

08/24/2010: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Ronald Rodriguez, 26, Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, California

08/24/2010: DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Steven Deluzio, 25, and Tristan Southworth, 21, Afghanistan, Vermont Army National Guard

08/24/2010: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Pedro Millet Meletiche, 20, Afghanistan, Fort Carson, Colorado

08/24/2010: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Jason Calo, 23, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/24/2010: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Brandon Maggart, 24, Iraq, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

08/23/2010: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Alexis Maldonado, 20, Afghanistan, Fort Hood, Texas

08/23/2010: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Nathaniel Schultz, 19, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/23/2010: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Christopher Wright, 23, Afghanistan, Hunter Army Air Field, Georgia

08/21/2010: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Cody Childers, 19, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/20/2010: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Christopher Boyd, 22, Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, California

08/20/2010: DOD Identifies Navy Casualty: Collin Thomas, 33, Afghanistan, east-coast based SEAL team

08/20/2010: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Martin Lugo, 24, Afghanistan, Hunter Army Air Field, Georgia

08/19/2010: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Edgar Roberts, 39, Afghanistan, Georgia Army National Guard

08/19/2010: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Kevin Oratowski, 23, Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, California

08/18/2010: DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Benjamen Chisholm, 24, and Charles High IV, 21, NCDs, Afghanistan, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

08/18/2010: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Derek Farley, 24, Afghanistan, Grafenwoehr, Germany

08/17/2010: Airman Missing In Action From WWII Identified: Ray F. Fletcher, US Army Air Forces

08/17/2010: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Jamal Rhett, 24, Iraq, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

08/16/2010: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Michael Bock, 26, Afghanistan, Twentynine Palms, California

08/13/2010: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Kristopher Greer, 25, Afghanistan, Marine Forces Reserve, Knoxville, Tennessee

08/13/2010: Soldier Missing from Korean War Identified: Roy Stewart, US Army

08/12/2010: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Christopher Karch, 23, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

08/12/2010: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Jose Saenz III, 30, Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, California

08/11/2010: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: John Andrade, 19, Afghanistan, Vilseck, Germany

08/11/2010: Soldiers Missing in Action from Vietnam War Identified: Paul G. Magers, US Army

08/09/2010: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Paul Cuzzupe, 23, Afghanistan, Vilseck, Germany

08/09/2010: DOD Identifies Marine Casualties: Kevin Cornelius, 20, and Vincent Gammone III, 19, Afghanistan, Camp Lejeune, California

08/09/2010: DOD Identifies Army Casualties: Andrew Nicol, 23, and Bradley Rappuhn, 24, Afghanistan, Fort Benning, Georgia

08/09/2010: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Faith Hinkley, 23, Iraq, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

08/09/2010: DOD Identifies Marine Casualty: Max Donahue, 23, Afghanistan, Camp Pendleton, California

08/02/2010: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Kyle Stout, 25, Afghanistan, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

08/01/2010: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Stansbery, 21, Afghanistan, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

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)

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

Tag: DoD

September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2012)

August: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2012)

NPR: Pentagon Revamps Rules On Reporting Sex Crimes (June 19, 2012)

Fort Bragg Army Spc. Kelli Bordeaux Disappeared; Convicted Sex Offender Nicholas Holbert Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder (April 14, 2012)

Lauterbach Case Prompts Policy Reforms for Victims of Sexual Assault in the Military (December 25, 2011)

September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2011)

August: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2011)

Why Pat Tillman’s Death Matters (September 10, 2010)

August: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2010)

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)

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