Marine veteran Joseph Kerekes and Navy veteran Harlow Cuadra murdered Porn Producer Bryan Kocis and set his home on fire in Pennsylvania on January 23, 2007. They drove from their Virginia Beach, Virginia home to Pennsylvania to commit the homicide of Kocis which automatically made the crime an across state line matter that involved law enforcement agencies from three states and the federal authorities. Eventually investigators gathered enough evidence to arrest Kerekes and Cuadra and charge them with first degree murder and other charges. Joseph Kerekes pleaded guilty to second degree murder and is serving a life sentence without parole; he cannot appeal his sentencing. Harlow Cuadra was convicted of first degree murder in 2008 and was sentenced to life in prison; he’s appealing his case. The case garnered some attention from Hollywood and was the inspiration for a film called King Cobra featuring Christian Slater.
“Law enforcement officials from three states and at least three federal agencies aggressively investigated the crimes, and in May police arrested Harlow Cuadra, 26, a former Navy enlisted man, and Joseph Kerekes, 33, a one-time youth pastor who was briefly in the Marines. From their home in Virginia Beach, Va., the couple who, like Lockhart and Kocis, also met on the Internetran a gay escort service, which they say employed active-duty servicemen from military bases in the area, and they produced and starred in bareback porn on their military-themed Web site, Boybatter.com.” –Out Magazine
“Monroe County judge calls crime the most evil he’s seen.” -WATE.com
Robert ‘Bob’ McClancy, 47, and Martha Ann McClancy worked in the Manatee County Sheriff’s Department in Florida. Martha was a secretary and Bob was a detective. They fell in love later in life and Bob decided to take an early retirement from his job. The two decided to move away from the fast paced life in Florida and settled in Tellico Plains, Tennessee which is nestled in the Smoky Mountains. Bob suffered with severe stress after years of working as a detective and his time in the Marines. Bob was a highly decorated Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient who was also diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Bob went through some very traumatic combat experiences and was on strong medications. Bob would often take the wrong dose so Martha Ann decided it was time for her to take control.
In the meantime, Bob was grateful for his friend and fellow veteran Charles Kaczmarczyk because he understood what Bob was going through. Chuck said he had seen combat as well and was also awarded the Purple Heart. The pair had a lot in common. Over the course of time, Martha Ann quickly warmed up to Chuck, the “military hero.” Their relationship blossomed beyond a friendship over time and Bob was never aware of their ongoing affair. Martha Ann and Chuck frequently got together in Bob’s home. They fell in love and soon Bob was looking increasingly like a troubled third wheel. Martha often told Chuck things would be better if Bob went away. One night, Martha claimed to find Bob barely conscious after he had taken an accidental overdose of his medications for PTSD. When she got to the hospital, she claimed Bob was always messing up his medications.
On May 15, 2006, Chuck said he discovered Bob dead after another accidental overdose on his medications. Chuck found his friend dead in his chair with an empty pill bottle in one hand and a 38 revolver in the other hand. Chuck appeared distraught after finding his friend as did the sobbing Martha Ann after she found out. Everything pointed to a tragic suicide and Martha Ann leaned harder on her friend Chuck. Five months later, Martha and Chuck got married and embarked on a new life with a whole new look. They didn’t even look like the same people when they started their new careers as fraudsters. Martha Ann took on the role of a veteran pretending to be a Purple Heart recipient and claimed she earned it after the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon. And Chuck doesn’t have PTSD, he was faking it for the veteran benefits. Chuck had been in the military but he never saw a day of combat.
Martha Ann and Chuck both faked permanent injuries and had this whole scam going at the Department of Veterans Affairs. They used a wheelchair or a cane to make it appear they had physical injuries as well. Over six years, the two defrauded the federal government of nearly $800,000 dollars until Chuck told one war story too many. Other veterans came forward and said he was lying because what he was describing was not what happened as they were there. Martha Ann and Charles both ended up behind bars and their criminal history was over. And then one day, Martha Ann’s son made a surprise discovery on her computer. Martha Ann’s son found pictures of his step-father, Bob, dead in a chair. In each picture, Bob was in a different position. There were pictures of Bob with the gun in his hand, then there were pictures of Bob without the gun in his hand.
Martha Ann’s son knew the photos would implicate his mother in the murder of his step-father Bob but he loved Bob and didn’t hesitate to contact authorities. Martha Ann’s son cooperated with the police fully in a sting operation to nail his mother. Martha Ann asked him to get rid of all the photos. The police knew where to find the person who took the pictures because Chuck was spending 30 months in jail for his part in the disability fraud. Chuck immediately wanted to know what was in it for him so the police agreed to tell the district attorney that Chuck cooperated with them in the investigation. Chuck confessed that Martha Ann had crushed up Bob’s pills and put them in his drink and then confessed to the entire twisted tail. Martha called the crushed pills her “magic dust.”
The police would learn that Martha Ann crushed up the medication and put it in Bob’s drinks in an effort to slowly kill him. And on May 15, 2006, Martha gave Bob a lethal dose of “magic dust” and then went to work to create her alibi. Chuck was supposed to check in on Bob later that afternoon and it was his job to pretend to find him dead. Martha Ann was sure Bob would be dead by then. But when Chuck arrived to check in on Bob, he was laying on the floor and wasn’t dead yet. So Chuck lifted him up, placed him in the chair, and fed him more of the crushed pills. Then Chuck sat there and waited until he died. Martha Ann told Chuck to keep it simple and make it look like a suicide. But Chuck went overboard, placed a gun in his hand, and took pictures of Bob in various positions. Martha wanted to see the pictures.
Despite Chuck’s confession, Martha Ann claimed Bob took the wrong medication and she had nothing to do with it. She never admitted to any involvement whatsoever. The detectives said she was one of the coldest people they had ever interviewed. In 2013, Charles Kaczmarczyk pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first degree murder and was sentenced to twenty-five (25) years in federal prison. Nine years after her husband’s death, Martha Ann McClancy was convicted of attempted first degree murder and conspiracy to commit first degree murder. She was sentenced to the maximum of fifty years in prison and is eligible for parole in 2028. Those involved with the investigation claimed Martha Ann never showed an ounce of regret or remorse or guilt for what she did to her husband.
Dateline:
Preview: The death of a beloved Tennessee man is believed to be a suicide. But when a son questions his mother, he uncovers a dark family conspiracy. -Secrets in the Smoky Mountains, Dateline NBC (October 24, 2016)
Oxygen:
Preview: Robert McClancy was found dead in his home, but was it suicide triggered from his PTSD, did his best friend who found him turn out to be the one who killed him, or was it his seemingly loving wife behind it all? -Martha Ann McClancy, Snapped (S21, E2)
Investigation Discovery:
Two can keep a secret, if one of them is dead. These Deadly Women think they’ve committed the perfect murders when they “Hit and Run.” -Hit and Run, Deadly Women (S11, E6)
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.
The parents of Army soldier Katherine ‘Kat’ Singleton, 25, confirmed that she died in Iraq on January 18, 2006 but did not wish to comment further. Kat Singleton’s home of record is listed as Pensacola, Florida and she enlisted in the Army’s Delayed Entry Program in 2001. Singleton worked as a 15F10 (MOS) and was assigned to the HHC Training Support Battalion at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Singleton’s first deployment to Iraq was with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky from March 2003 to May 2003 (not confirmed). The Department of Defense did not publish a press release notifying the public of Katherine Singleton’s cause of death in Iraq. As a matter of fact, no credible information is available on the web except in an obituary.
HER FRIEND’S LAST WORDS AND REQUEST:
“I just want to let you know that there is no need to yell “cover up” in this case. The death of Kat P. Singleton was kept private for reasons that are no one’s business, but I assure you she is dead and that the government didn’t hide things from the public. She didn’t die overseas and what happened was very tragic but not for the public eye. She was a brave soldier who said on many occasions that she never regretted enrolling in the army and would go back to Iraq to fight for her country to secure our freedoms over and over again. She was a wonderful person and I am glad that our lives touched. I am sending this article that most of you seem to have over looked so that you may see that she is dead and she is buried. I feel that her father said little to the press because he didn’t want the world to know his family business and I believe also that it is time for you to close this thread and let Kat rest in peace. She will be forever loved and missed deeply and never forgotten.” -Anonymous
Full Episode: The wife of an Air Force officer was found dead in her bed, with a plastic laundry bag near her face. At first glance, it appeared she’d been doing laundry, fell asleep, rolled onto the bag, and suffocated. But further investigation proved that the scene had been staged. Her death wasn’t an accident; it was cold-blooded murder. -Strong Impressions, Forensic Files (S10,E11)
Editor’s Note: Full episodes of Forensic Files are available on a variety of media platforms. Forensic Files Channel features 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!
When the wife of a serviceman was brutally murdered in the Philippines, the Air Force Office of Special Investigators swung into action. Clues led to the victim’s husband, but he insisted he was innocent. Investigators would have to do something unprecedented: Reassemble a 5 1/4 inch computer disk which had been cut to pieces with pinking shears. -Shear Luck, Forensic Files (S10,E9)
Editor’s Note: Full episodes of Forensic Files are available on a variety of media platforms. Medical Detectives Channel features 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!
Army Pfc. Melissa Hobart, 22, died after collapsing on guard duty in Baghdad, Iraq on June 6, 2004. Pfc. Hobart was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) on behalf of the Company E, 215th Forward Support Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division in Fort Hood, Texas. At the time of the Department of Defense press release, the incident was under investigation. Pfc. Hobart left behind a three-year-old daughter. According to Melissa’s memorial site, military officials believe Melissa suffered from a heart attack. Melissa’s mom Connie Hobart told the Hartford Courant that she was put on an anti-depressant shortly before deploying to Iraq and was still feeling depressed. Connie reported in 2006 that the official word from the military, two years later, was that she died of an undetermined cause.
Connie Hobart’s 22-year-old daughter, Army Pfc. Melissa Hobart, was put on an anti-depressant shortly before deploying and had told her mother that she remained depressed while in Baghdad. Three months into her tour, in June 2004, the East Haven native collapsed and died of a still-undetermined cause. Told of the policy changes Monday, Connie Hobart said, “I’m happy to hear about it. That’s good news.” Sobbing, she said her daughter might be alive today if the policy had been different at the time. –Hartford Courant
In November 1989, James Glass married Wendy McAdory. They were a close knit family and did a lot of things together. Thirty-three years earlier, James Glass was growing up in Lousiana; life had dealt him a tough hand right from the start. James’ father died when James was only five years old. He died of emphysema; he smoked three packs of cigarettes a day. James’ mother struggled to cope raising two children on her own. She eventually met another man and he turned out to be abusive to the family. At one point, James was solely responsible for taking care of his brother. Then one day, a teacher noticed something was wrong and asked the boys what was going on. As a result of their confessions, the teacher called Child Protective Services. James and his brother Robert were taken from the home and placed with foster home. For the first time in a long time, they both felt safe and saw the light at the end of the tunnel. They lived in a wonderful foster home and their foster family ended up adopting the two boys.
James’ love of aviation lead him to join the military when he was twenty-four (24) years old. Unfortunately, his eyesight disqualified him from becoming a pilot so he did the next best thing and became an air traffic controller with the Marine Corps. In the spring of 1989, James was on weekend leave and decided to pay a long overdue visit with his family. At the time, James was stationed in Cherry Point, North Carolina, so James went with his grandfather to look at a truck he wanted to purchase in Pennsylvania, And this is where James met Wendy McAdory. James fell hard and fast for Wendy; they married a month later. The pair had a big wedding and by 1991, they welcomed a daughter Nicole to the family. Two years later their second daughter Andrea was born. James family meant the world to him; he loved his girls. Five years into his marriage with Wendy, he thought he had it all. Wendy was a great mother.
But in the fall of 1994, everything changed when they were relocated to a military base in Japan. James was up for adventure but Wendy not so much. Having two children was difficult and the transition was hard; Wendy struggled to adapt. Wendy stayed home and took care of the children and James was always at work. While in Japan, James was deployed to Korea and Australia, so he was gone and Wendy was left alone with the two kids. She became a stay-at-home mom but she wanted to be a working mom; Wendy was resentful. Being married to a military man was not easy because his job took precedence. Wendy felt like she wasn’t a priority, and she wasn’t, so she turned to someone other than James about her problems and eventually started having an affair with a married man. News of the alleged affair got back to James’ chain of command and when they confronted him about the affair, he denied it emphatically.
James was unaware Wendy was seeing someone else. But Wendy continued to carry on with the affair, maybe to fill a void or get the attention she was missing at home. Adultery is fairly common, especially in the military, but most don’t talk about it. While James was in the dark, he was transferred to a new base in Yuma, Arizona; this transfer ended Wendy’s affair. Wendy welcomed the move back to stateside from Japan. The family quickly began to build a new community of friends, including neighbors Larry Framness and his wife Shelly. Larry was also in the Marines; his wife took care of the children. And they had girls close to the ages of the Glass’ two daughters. But once again the boredom kicked in when Wendy realized she had to be a stay-at-home mom because James was working all the time. James was the senior enlisted Marine in charge at his new position on the training base so he worked a lot of long hours. But then September 11th occurred and James was tasked with deployments with the Marines.
James Glass was first sent to Kuwait so they could respond quickly to any threats of weapons of mass destruction. While James was deployed overseas, Wendy was hit hard with a personal tragedy of her own; her mother died. Wendy’s mom was her rock and she fell into a terrible depression and had a hard time recovering from it. She talked to her mother everyday. She tried to lean on James but James had to focus on what he was dealing with in Kuwait. He was deployed and working in harm’s way so his deployment had to be the priority. Wendy found solace from her neighbor Larry Framness. They had a genuine friendship and spent time with Wendy’s two daughters. Larry was there to help when James couldn’t. Larry was willing to listen and became her confidant. After months of being away, James returned and was ready to settle into a regular routine in Arizona. But his homecoming was welcomed with a shocking allegation.
Mrs. Framness complained to the command that she believed her husband and Wendy Glass were engaged in an adulterous affair. Adultery is a chargeable and punishable crime in the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Adultery in the military is illegal because service members need to focus on the mission; they shouldn’t have to worry about someone wooing their wife (or husband) while they are gone. Rumors about the affair were making their rounds on base. Others noticed when James was gone, Larry was at the house. The allegations were investigated and the command interviewed James Glass. Again, he denied it because he could not fathom that Wendy would have an affair. James pushed back against the false allegations. Both Wendy and Larry denied the allegations claiming it was purely a friendship. And, investigators didn’t have any reason to doubt them. Larry Framness had a clean career and nobody would admit any wrong doing, so the March 2002 investigation stopped there.
Then one day, James learned first hand that the rumors of an alleged affair were true. James went home early to surprise his wife at home. Nobody appeared to be home but when James went upstairs, he witnessed Wendy walk out of their bedroom naked and she was totally surprised by James. She asked him to make her a sandwich and she would be right down but James felt like something was wrong so he entered the bedroom and found Larry hiding on the other side of his bed. James said after he found Larry, he left, got in his car, and drove. His first thought was to go to the Command but Wendy called and asked him to come back to the house. Wendy told him that she cheated on him because he was never home. James was floored she turned things around and made herself out to be the victim. She said she was sorry and wanted to make things work because she loved him. James was sad and the hurt ran deep but the love of his family ran deeper; James stayed because he was scared to lose his children.
James was in a deployable status with the Marines and if Wendy left and took the children, he might not see them as often. He told Wendy he wanted to work it out and agreed to keep the indiscretions to himself; Wendy agreed to stop the affair. But Larry’s wife wasn’t as forgiving. Shelly divorced Larry and moved back to Montana with their kids. Larry was devastated. James and Wendy started seeing a counselor but the trust was gone and difficult to get it back. Their children felt like they loved each other but they weren’t in love. Slowly, things between the couple improved. The two overcame a traumatic event but privately James still had suspicion and hurt to work through. James was deployed again and when he returned in November 2002, Wendy planned a romantic trip to a cabin in the Laguna mountains. James felt like things were getting back to normal and this was a new beginning for James and Wendy.
Wendy Glass and James Glass, U.S. Marine Corps (photo: CBS)
On their romantic trip, James was feeling jetlagged and tired but later on he had a hard time getting to sleep because of the time difference. Wendy suggested he take a pill to help him get to sleep. James took the pill but it had very little effect on him. The next day they returned home feeling like the effort fell flat. James tried to rebuild the trust and the faith but things only got worse for Wendy and James when James was deployed again to Kuwait. This deployment was very stressful and there was no telling when James would return home this time. James tried to be mindful of staying more connected with Wendy back home. Two weeks into his deployment to Kuwait, James ran into Larry Framness. They both attended regular meetings together so it was impossible to avoid him. James was glad Larry was deployed because he didn’t have to worry about him spending time with Wendy. Larry apologized to James and said he had a lapse in judgment.
James’ Marine unit deployed to Camp Snake Pit, Iraq for thirty (30) days and when they returned to Kuwait, he was tired and went to bed. Larry woke him up and told him he noticed some suspicious activity near the base and wanted James to observe with him. On May 14, 2003, James Glass was lead to a guard shack/bunker where the two stayed for a few minutes; but he didn’t see what he thought he was going to see. The next thing he knows, an explosion went off. James was blown against the side of the building. James survived but he couldn’t see, he couldn’t hear, and there was blood all over him. James thought it was a rocket attack on the military base. The explosion lead to an investigation that revealed a sinister plot months in the making. Military officials scrambled to find out what happened. A few days later, James learned he was targeted.
James was lucky to be alive and the water bottles nearby absorbed a great deal of the shock of the explosion. James was in survival mode after it happened and he walked out of the bunker to get medical help. He was met by Larry with a shocked look on his face. Larry helped him get to the medical tent. James was airlifted to a hospital in Spain where he underwent surgery to remove shrapnel from his arms, necks, and legs. Back in Yuma, Wendy broke the shocking news to their two daughters; she assured them he was going to be okay. Meanwhile in Kuwait, investigators started interviewing witnesses. They started with Larry Framness who claimed that an Al Qaida operative must have done it. But the investigators were skeptical given they were in Kuwait because it wasn’t considered a dangerous place like Iraq. They also reminded him the intelligence gathering operatives didn’t have anything on record to back his theory up.
Investigators started putting the pressure on Larry Framness and he broke. He told them he threw a grenade in the bunker in an attempt to kill James so he could be with Wendy back in California. Larry admitted that the plan had been months in the making while James thought the affair between Larry and Wendy was something in the past. But the affair wasn’t over, not by a long shot. Larry and Wendy determined James was worth more dead than alive; they planned to murder him for the insurance money. The two stood to gain over $500,000 from the insurance policies. In the search, investigators found a note that appeared to be written by Wendy to Larry which basically itemized every life insurance policy and what they planned to purchase. Larry was taken into police custody while military investigators questioned Wendy Glass in Yuma. Wendy denied any involvement and told them she was unhappy but would never kill him.
Wendy denied any involvement in the murder attempt and portrayed herself as a good military spouse with an injured husband. But while military investigators were at her house, they started noticing things that belonged to Larry Framness. They asked her for permission to search the entire residence and found e-mails between Larry and Wendy that were very incriminating. They were professing their love for one another and talking about future plans. With the evidence piling up, Wendy had to make a confession of her own. She indicated that if she divorced her husband, he would take the children. And Larry had convinced her that she could be very happy with him with all that insurance money. A week after the explosion, Wendy was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder. As James recovered from surgery, he learned the devastating news. James’ Commanding Officer told him Wendy and Larry did it.
James was informed that Larry and Wendy were both arrested for conspiring to murder him. In James’ mind, everything clicked and the sense of betrayal he experienced before was magnified. James’ whole life changed that day but he decided he was not going to let what they did to him define his life. After James got out of the hospital, he filed for divorce. On January 27, 2004, an article 32 hearing was held and James was a witness. At this hearing, James learned that the grenade was not the first attempt on his life. Wendy and Larry had conspired to murder James in the Laguna mountains in California. They wanted to get him drunk, put him in a moving vehicle, and launch him over a cliff. Unbeknownst to James, Larry was in the area to assist with the the murder. James realized the pill Wendy gave him was part of their sinister plot. Thankfully, it had zero effect on him. James’ children learned about the case on television.
Marine Larry Framness was found guilty and sentenced to twenty-five (25) years to life in prison for conspiracy to commit murder. Wendy Glass took a plea deal with prosecutors and was sentenced to seven (7) years in prison in exchange for testifying against Larry Framness. Per her plea agreement, Wendy was required to admit her full culpability in the conspiracy and she did so. One of James and Wendy’s daughters wanted to know why their mom would try and kill her dad so she did some research, and learned the hard way. Their other daughter talked about how difficult it was to transition from their mom being there all the time to now being gone. In January 2005, James’ divorce from Wendy was finalized. While reflecting back on the marriage, James said he doesn’t regret his marriage to Wendy because they had a lot of good years and two beautiful daughters, but it will take him a long time to trust anyone ever again.
James is a Marine living the American dream. His duty often takes him away from home, but he still provides for his family. While away his wife seeks companionship closer to home. A sordid affair culminates in an explosive revelation. -Collateral Damage, Cold Hearted (S1,E1)
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.
Vanity Fair Confidential featured an episode called Don’t Ask Don’t Kill on Investigation Discovery highlighting the case of Army Pfc. Barry Winchell at Fort Campbell, Kentucky in 1999. Winchell was bludgeoned to death by a fellow soldier while he lay asleep in his cot on July 5 in the barracks. Winchell was described by his friends as someone who would give the shirt off his back for you. He was a model soldier and had dreams of becoming a Warrant Officer. He was a member of the elite Screaming Eagles, 101st Airborne and was considered a perfect fit for the military. He was described by fellow soldiers as a 50 caliber expert.
After Barry Winchell died, the military immediately began downplaying what had occurred on base at Fort Campbell. They initially claimed it was a fight that had gone too far. They told the family that Barry Winchell had been kicked in the head with a boot but his injuries did not match that theory. As a result, the family and media outlets were convinced the military was hiding the real story and believed they were trying to cover up the crime. Why? The military concluded that this was a rare soldier on soldier attack in their barracks but the claim that he was kicked in the head did not match the crime scene either. Although the military was tasked with the investigation of the murder, they declined to speculate on a motive.
The Army was not cooperating with anyone. ~Vanity Fair Confidential
When Barry’s girlfriend Calpernia Addams learned about what happened to Barry, he was on life support and considered brain dead. He died twelve hours after the attack and she didn’t get an opportunity to see him. Calpernia learned that he had been murdered on base and believed that there was more to this story then what the Army was sharing. As a result, she set out to make sure both Barry’s parents and the media knew what she knew and suspected had happened. Calpernia was born a boy. She served in the US Navy as a transsexual and then once she got out of the military, she began her transition from man to woman. When Calpernia and Barry met, they hit it off immediately and started dating. When she met Barry, she was halfway to becoming a woman. She lovingly shared that Barry accepted her for who she was and supported her in her transition from man to woman.
Calpernia strongly believed that people were blurring the lines between whether Barry was gay or straight. She wanted people to know that he was straight and he liked women. Calpernia believed that Barry’s troubles began with an anonymous accusation that Barry was gay. She claimed that a fellow soldier said he saw Barry giving oral sex to a man in a Nashville gay bar. But no one believed it and his military comrades didn’t think he was gay. Calpernia believed that it was Barry’s roommate, Justin Fisher, who started spreading the rumors in an effort to cause harm to Barry. In 1999 the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy was in effect and a soldier could in fact lose their career if they were found out. Justin Fisher didn’t have the best reputation. He was described as someone who thought he was a gangster even though he was from Nebraska. And some believed that Justin never should have been allowed to join the military.
According to Calpernia, Justin Fisher and Barry Winchell had a love/hate relationship. Fisher tormented him, joked about his sexuality, about him being a homosexual, and kept calling him a faggot. He told others that he didn’t trust him and eventually openly spread rumors that Barry was gay. Fisher also blackmailed Barry with his alleged homosexuality. He told their Non Commissioned Officers (NCOs) about him being gay knowing that Barry could lose his career under the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) policy. Back in those days, once accused of being gay, you were dead in the water in a military setting. Some believe this case reveals that if gone unchecked the military can become an incubator for hate. At the time of DADT, it was virtually impossible to report anti-gay harassment and Barry’s family and friends were not quite sure how he dealt with the regular doses of harassment. As evidenced in this case and many others, he had nowhere to turn without fear of losing his cherished career.
At the time of DADT, it was virtually impossible to report anti-gay harassment without fear of losing your career. ~Vanity Fair Confidential
The military was in charge of the investigation because the crime occurred on a federal base. As with many cases, family, friends, and the media forced the Army to be accountable for what happened on their base on their watch. So as the investigation into Barry’s Winchell’s death continued, we learned what actually happened. Calvin Glover, an eighteen year old new recruit, was ultimately charged with the murder of Barry Winchell. Observers felt that he did it because of a combination of too many men, too much alcohol, and too little to do. The day before the murder, Calvin and Winchell got into a fight. Apparently Winchell dealt him one punch in the face and he went down. Calvin who was highly intoxicated swore he would get him back but Winchell apologized to him the next day and it appeared that everything was fine. Unfortunately, Justin Fisher (Winchell’s roommate) was provoking Calvin all day long asking him if he was going to take Winchell’s abuse.
That same night after Calvin Glover had consumed seventeen beers, he decided he was going to bed. Fisher went to his room and told him that Barry was telling everyone that he beat him up and they were all laughing about it. Fisher handed Calvin a wooden bat, suggested he hit Barry with it, and Calvin said he felt compelled to use it. In a drunken, peer pressured stupor, Calvin hit Barry Winchell multiple times in the head with the wooden bat. Barry Winchell was asleep and couldn’t defend himself. After Calvin was done hitting Barry, Fisher was laughing, jumping up and down, and told Calvin that they would keep it in the family. Then Calvin immediately began to destroy evidence. Fisher acted like he stumbled upon Winchell on the cot and was trying to help him. The soldiers tried calling 911 but they were not able to get through to emergency services on a base phone. Barry was taken to the hospital and twelve hours later, he was dead. Everyone in the barracks was wondering who would come in the barracks and kill them.
The soldiers tried calling 911 but they were not able to get through to emergency services on a base phone. ~Vanity Fair Confidential
In the course of the investigation, Justin Fisher eventually identified Calvin Glover as the culprit. As a result of Calpernia Addams and others that stepped forward, we learned that there was more to the story underneath the surface. We learned that Justin Fisher had a much larger role in the crime then he was willing to admit. Justin Fisher introduced Calpernia Addams to Barry Winchell. Apparently Justin Fisher was interested in Calpernia Addams and after she chose Barry, he asked her if she would hook him up with one of her drag queen friends. Justin ended up hooking up with Kimmie Mayfield, who was a man. Everyone suspected that Justin was interested in guys because of his relationship with Kimmie. They hooked up several times in the course of a few months. We also learned this wasn’t Justin’s first walk on the wild side. He had a history of experimentation. Barry shared with Calpernia that one time he woke up to Justin playing with his feet. Calpernia deduced that Justin may have been jealous of Calpernia being with Barry or vice versa. It was noted that people tend to hate those who remind them of something they don’t want to face.
In the end about 90% of the soldiers who served with Barry Winchell, Calvin Glover, and Justin Fisher didn’t think this was a hate crime but instead a crime of passion. They did not witness any anti-gay rage; but they did witness too much alcohol. One of the soldiers believed that Justin Fisher also hit Barry Winchell with the bat because of the blood spatter evidence left at the crime scene. It matched someone who was left handed and Fisher was left handed. One of the soldiers mentioned this to Fisher and Fisher told him he was in the wrong career and should be a detective instead. The soldiers who served with them believed that Justin Fisher was the murderer and Calvin Glover was the murder weapon. Calvin felt pressured by Justin Fisher to hit Winchell while he was intoxicated. It is suspected that Fisher hit Winchell with the bat as well and may have been the one that dealt the fatal blows. Calvin participated in the Vanity Fair programming by phone from prison and did in fact express remorse for his role in Barry Winchell’s death.
Both Calvin Glover and Justin Fisher were court martialed. In the end, Calvin Glover was convicted of pre-meditated murder and was sentenced to life in prison with an opportunity for parole. Justin Fisher was charged as an accessory and restricted to his barracks while he was going through trial. Observers felt that it was ridiculous that Fisher was restricted to his barracks when in fact he was the mastermind of the murder. He too was convicted and sentenced to twelve and half years but was released early in 2006 after only serving seven years. Observers felt that Justin Fisher’s sentence was a miscarriage of justice considering it never would have happened if it wasn’t for him pushing Calvin Glover to hit Barry Winchell with the baseball bat that night. Justin Fisher now lives in the Mid-West and declined to comment on this Vanity Fair episode. He walks as a free man. In retrospect, Calvin Glover shared that he feels like this was a love triangle gone wrong and he wishes that he could take it all back.
At the end of the programming, Pat and Wally Kutteles (Barry’s parents) shared that they sent their son off to serve in the military, they did not send him off to be beaten to death with a bat while he was sleeping. Dixon Osborn from the Servicemen’s Legal Defense Network (SLDN) believed that the military simply wanted to sweep it under the rug with no connection to the gay reference. The military hoped the general public, the media, and Barry’s parents would just accept that it was a drunken brawl. All those involved felt like the military investigation was a joke. Calpernia Addams, Barry’s parents and friends, and the SLDN wanted to honor Barry’s memory by exposing the truth about Barry’s untimely death. They used Barry Winchell’s case as a catalyst to lift the dangerous Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy. According to those involved, President Bill Clinton’s DADT policy was the biggest mistake ever for the military because it taught people to lie. At the peak of DADT, there were 3-4 soldiers discharged per day for their sexual orientation. DADT was a failure of the Clinton administration.
All those involved felt like the military investigation was a joke. ~Vanity Fair Confidential
In an interesting twist, the Commander who was in charge at the time of the death of Barry Winchell sparked protest in Washington DC in 2000 when he was reassigned to the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon. In response, Eric Shinseki, the Army’s Chief of Staff, stated that General Clark’s command at Fort Campbell had been “distinguished by great competence and compassionate leadership. The Army has placed its trust and confidence in Major General Clark and I am confident he will continue to excel in service to our nation.” The military concluded in a public statement that this was the first gay bashing murder in over ten years and that soldier on soldier violence was rare. In October 1999, President Clinton signed an executive order increasing penalties for hate crimes in the military justice code and allowed a sentencing authority to hear evidence that a violent crime was based on race, color or sexual orientation. However, the order only applied to crimes committed after Nov. 30, 1999.
Barry Winchell’s parents lobbied with the SLDN to help change the DADT policy after losing their son. Even though their son was not gay, he was accused of being gay which eventually led to his death. Roughly ten years later in 2010, President Barack Obama signed a historic bill ending the DADT policy, a policy that compelled gay and lesbian service members to hide their sexual orientation. The ending of the policy made it official for gays and lesbians to serve openly in the Armed Forces. President Obama said he “hopes all those who left the service because of the policy will seek to re-enlist. And he encouraged all gays to consider service.” Although, gays and lesbians were cautioned to keep their identity to themselves until the law was official in 2011. This comes as one of the first major actions by Secretary Defense Leon Panetta, who had been on the job for three weeks. SecDef Panetta also lifted the ban on women in combat in 2013. Our military is now officially equal in all respects.
In 1999, the television program 60 Minutes reported on the hidden War at Home in the U.S. military. They reported that at the time of airing, Pentagon records showed that 58,000 military spouses were victims of domestic violence and that rate was three times higher than the civilian population rate. The overall concerns were that the military justice system was a system that routinely failed to punish even the most violent and abusive servicemen. As a result, it often left an abused spouse alone without protection to fight a secret war. 60 Minutes highlighted the cases of three Fort Campbell soldiers who were charged with killing their wives or girlfriends (Bill Coffin, Dane Zafari, Tracy Leonard) and one Navy spouse who was a victim of domestic violence.
One of the cases singled out was that of Fort Campbell Sergeant Bill Coffin who murdered his ex-fiance Ronnie Spence after a civilian judge granted her an emergency protection order. In December 1997, Sgt. Coffin murdered Ronnie in front of their baby daughter in a shared home near Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Sgt. Coffin shot her twice through the trailer, entered the home and then shot her in the face and through the heart. While Ronnie was lying dead on the floor, Sgt. Coffin emptied the gun into her. Several weeks before the shooting, court records showed that Sgt. Coffin had repeatedly threatened to kill Ronnie and his superior officers at Fort Campbell knew about the threats.
I think they should have confined him to that army base. They should have gotten him some help. They should have stopped him, they should have intervened. They did nothing. -Kathy Spence (mother)
60 Minutes interviewed Kentucky Judge Peter MacDonald who stated that domestic violence cases involving Fort Campbell soldiers routinely showed up in his courtroom. He said that Army commanders regularly ignored court orders issued to protect the abused spouses. Judge MacDonald issued the emergency protective order requiring Sgt. Bill Coffin to stay away from Ronnie Spence. Sgt. Coffin instead shot and killed her. According to 60 Minutes, Sgt. Coffin pleaded guilty to domestic violence and other charges, and was sentenced. Judge MacDonald felt the readiness of the troops was more important than the protection of the battered and abused spouses.
In an in depth investigation, 60 Minutes learned that the Army’s domestic violence guide for commanders listed a number of things that could have been done in Sgt. Bill Coffin’s case but were not. The guide included restricting an abuser to the barracks or assigning them to the quarters of a superior. They also learned that the military spends millions yearly on a Family Advocacy program designed to treat and prevent domestic violence. But Sherry Arnold, a licensed clinical social worker, who helped run the program for the Marines in Camp Pendleton in California, said the Commanders have preconceived notions. She often witnessed victim blaming, minimization, a hands off approach, an ‘it’s a family matter’ attitude, and indifference to the seriousness of the situation and escalating violence.
Robert Clark, the commanding general of Fort Campbell, Ky., where several particularly violent incidents have occurred, said the military does a good job handling domestic violence cases. But Peter MacDonald, chief district court judge in Kentucky with jurisdiction over Fort Campbell, said the Army routinely ignores his court orders designed to protect abused spouses. “They have no conception of what’s going on in domestic violence.” –Deseret News
After the public learned of the scandalous way the U.S. military handles felony crimes like domestic violence, rape, and stalking, the Pentagon was ordered by Congress to investigate domestic violence in the armed forces. Congress recommended stronger protections for battered spouses and stiffer penalties for the servicemen who abuse them. In 2000, Major Joanne P.T. Eldridge suggested a proposal to add anti-stalking provisions to Article 134 in the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Since 1999 and long before this, domestic violence has continued to be an on-going serious invisible issue in the military. Both military spouses and service members are victims of domestic abuse. The year 60 Minutes aired the ‘The War at Home’ programming, Fort Campbell soldier Barry Winchell was murdered because a couple soldiers suspected he might be gay. Barry’s murder prompted the lift of the controversial Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy.
The year after 60 minutes aired, civilian spouse Michelle Theer conspired with her lover, Army Ranger John Diamond, to kill her husband Air Force Captain Frank Theer for the life insurance money. In 2002, four wives were slain in six weeks at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. They were Teresa Nieves, Jennifer Wright, Andrea Floyd, and Marilyn Griffin. In 2008, Army Lt. Holley Wimunc was abused, stalked, and murdered by her Marine husband. In 2011, Holley’s father advocated for H.R. 1517 sponsored by Representative Bruce Braley. This law was aimed at protecting both domestic violence and sexual assault victims. This law would have required the removal of Commanders from the investigation and prosecution of felony crimes. The Holley Lynn James Act and any subsequent legislation, like the Military Justice Improvement Act, suggesting the removal of the Commander from the processing of felony crimes have been unsuccessful.
Rep. Bruce Braley introduces the Holley Lynn James Act — a bill to help victims of sexual assault and domestic violence in the military get justice. The bill is named after Holley Lynn James, a constituent of Rep. Braley who was killed by her husband while both were in the service.
“Timothy McVeigh, a former U.S. Army soldier, is convicted on 15 counts of murder and conspiracy for his role in the 1995 terrorist bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. On April 19, 1995, just after 9 a.m., a massive truck bomb exploded outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The blast collapsed the north face of the nine-story building, instantly killing more than 100 people and trapping dozens more in the rubble. Emergency crews raced to Oklahoma City from across the country, and when the rescue effort finally ended two weeks later, the death toll stood at 168 people, including 19 young children who were in the building’s day-care center at the time of the blast.” Read more from This Day in Historyhere.
MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL 