Cottonwood Heights woman charged with murder in the death of her National Guard husband

“According to Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill, Jennifer Gledhill, 41, is facing several felonies including first-degree murder after she allegedly shot her husband, Matthew Johnson, and buried him in a shallow grave last month.

“Documents say the missing person investigation began on Sept. 25 when the Utah National Guard called the police requesting assistance in locating Johnson after he did not come into work.

Read on www.abc4.com/news/wasatch-front/utah-woman-charged-with-murder-in-the-death-of-her-husband/

Former Air Force Member Indicted for 2019 Sexual Assault at Air Base in the United Kingdom | USDOJ

“The indictment charges James Loubeau, 36, of Miami, with one count of sexual abuse and two counts of abusive sexual contact. Loubeau made his initial court appearance today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.”

“According to the indictment, on May 4, 2019, Loubeau sexually assaulted the victim at Royal Air Force Mildenhall. Loubeau was later discharged from the Air Force in March 2020. The charges were brought under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA), which establishes U.S. jurisdiction over certain offenses committed abroad by, among others, persons who served with the armed forces but who are no longer subject to military prosecution.”

Read on www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-air-force-member-indicted-2019-sexual-assault-air-base-united-kingdom

Army Reservist sentenced in Fayetteville 2021 killing of Kotasha Griffith

Army reservist sentenced for her part in 2021 Fayetteville murder

“A former Army reservist was sentenced to probation last week for her part in a deadly shooting in 2021 in which a man was gunned down in a neighborhood off Ramsey Street as he waited to meet up with a girl he talked to on Instagram.”

“Damaryia Shantelle Mack, 23, pleaded guilty in January to felony accessory after the fact of discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle in the July 23, 2021, death of Kotasha Glenroy Griffith, 27, of Fayetteville. Mack received a sentence of three years probation with a suspended prison sentence of 25 to 42 months.”

Read on www.fayobserver.com/story/news/crime/2024/10/14/woman-sentenced-in-fayetteville-2021-killing-of-kotasha-griffith/75587432007/

Family members, victims of Lewiston mass shooting to take legal action against Army

Attorneys say the notices summarize some of the key facts uncovered to date that support their negligence claims, including:

  • Between March and July 2023, the Army became aware that Card had suffered a severe and precipitous decline in his mental health, resulting in erratic and combative behaviors, and promised to take steps to address Card’s condition. The Army failed to act.
  • The Army, KACH and DoD knew that Card had been exposed to thousands of blast events from his work as a firearms and grenade instructor but did not investigate whether physiological damage to Card’s brain from such blast exposure was a root cause of Card’s sudden and inexplicable onset of mental illness, or otherwise determine whether Card’s illness was caused or exacerbated in the “line of duty,” as required by Army regulations.
  • In July and August 2023, the Army and KACH determined that Card’s mental illness—including paranoia, delusions, and homicidal ideations with development of a “hit list”—posed a serious risk to himself and others, but nevertheless allowed Card to return to the community without the cause of his mental illness determined or a plan for treatment, and without reporting Card under New York’s SAFE Act or Red Flag laws.
  • Although Card’s doctors released him from the hospital on the condition that he no longer have access to firearms, and the Army and KACH assured his doctors that they would remove Card’s firearms, they did not do so and left Card in possession of numerous weapons, including the AR-10 assault rifle he used to carry out the mass shooting.
  • Following Card’s release from the hospital and return to Maine, the Army and KACH failed to notify local Maine law enforcement, provide them with Card’s recent history or inform them that Card’s doctors had directed that Card be separated from his firearms.
  • In September 2023, when the Army learned that Card had threated to shoot up the military base in Saco and commit a mass shooting, the Army downplayed and minimized the threat (despite later acknowledging that it was serious and credible), and actively discouraged local law enforcement from taking decisive action.

Read more here: wgme.com/news/local/family-members-victims-of-lewiston-mass-shooting-start-process-of-suing-army-robert-card-maine-gun-violence-schemengees-bar-and-grille-just-in-time-recreation-governor-janet-mills-attorney-general-aaron-frey

Cadet’s haunting suicide note prompts parents to file wrongful death claims against Air Force Academy (November 14, 2023)

Cadet’s haunting suicide note prompts parents to file wrongful death claims against Air Force Academy

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — A haunting note written by a former United States Air Force Academy cadet, now leading her parents to file wrongful death claims against the Academy.

“Do all that you can to make sure I am the last one,” was the chilling directive 22-year-old Cailin Foster left in her suicide note to her parents on Nov. 7, 2021.


Cailin Foster’s suicide note to her family, November 2021

Gary, a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel who graduated in 1990, attempted to engage with Academy leadership about what happened to his daughter. He spoke with people who were his former colleagues and friends, only to be met with what he described as people unable to comment. 

When they requested a report regarding the investigation into their daughter’s death, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base sent them 159 black pages of redacted content.


1 of 159-page report regarding Cailin’s death sent to The Fosters by USAFA. Courtesy: Gary Foster

“Not one letter, word, or punctuation mark was provided. They literally gave us 159 pages like this,” said Gary in disbelief. The Fosters say Air Force Academy has yet to provide any direct documentation to them.

Read more here.

Related Links:

Military Injustice: Nowhere to Turn, Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide; The Story of Kamisha Block and How U.S. Army Leadership Contributed to Her Death

Major Case Closed: U.S. Marshals Capture Army Deserter Wanted for 2016 Murder of Wife in South Carolina (July 21, 2022)

John Blauvelt and Catherine Blauvelt (photo: PEOPLE)

Press Release from U.S. Marshal’s Service (July 21, 2022):

Washington, D.C.  – U.S. Marshals in Oregon have arrested a South Carolina murder suspect, putting an end to the man’s six-year run from the law.

Major Case Fugitive John Tufton Blauvelt, 33, was taken into custody in Medford, Oregon, July 20 by U.S. Marshals and Medford police following a lead provided by a dedicated cold case team of investigators at the agency’s headquarters.  

Blauvelt is wanted for the killing of his estranged wife, Catherine “Cati” Blauvelt, who was found stabbed to death in an abandoned home in Simpsonville on Oct. 24, 2016. She was 22. Cati had been reported missing by her family the previous day after failing to meet with her friends after work. She was last seen leaving her place of work, a Greenville pet store, at approximately 2:15 p.m. on Oct. 23, 2016.

On Nov. 18, 2016, Simpsonville Police obtained warrants for Blauvelt’s arrest for murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. 

Blauvelt, who worked as a U.S. Army recruiter in Greenville County at the time of the murder, but was classified by the Army as a deserter shortly thereafter, fled the area just after the murder with his 17-year-old girlfriend Hannah Thompson, of Fountain Inn. Blauvelt had last been seen in Las Cruces, New Mexico, Nov. 15, 2016, traveling with a female passenger police said they believe was Thompson.  

Thompson’s parents reported the teen missing to the Fountain Inn Police Department on Nov. 21, 2016. 

After the U.S. Marshals joined the search to find Blauvelt, they learned he and Thompson had traveled through Alabama, Texas and California. 

Thompson was found safe in Oregon on Dec. 12, 2016, having been abandoned by Blauvelt. She went to a family friend’s home in Eugene and called her parents, saying she wanted to come home. She and Blauvelt had been homeless while in Oregon.  

The case was aired on In Pursuit with John Walsh in 2019. 

In early 2022, a U.S. Marshals dedicated cold and complex case investigative team, composed of various USMS components, joined the investigation for Blauvelt.  Working closely with investigators from the District of South Carolina, the Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, as well as Simpsonville detectives, the South Carolina Highway Patrol and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, the team was able to put Blauvelt in Medford, Oregon, and sent a collateral lead to the District of Oregon.  The U.S. Marshals Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force in Oregon committed numerous personnel and hours to the investigation. Ultimately, investigators there, working with the Medford Police Department and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, located Blauvelt, who had assumed the alias “Ben Klein,” and took him into custody without incident.  

Blauvelt is being held in Jackson County Jail pending extradition to South Carolina to face the charges against him.

“This arrest represents a tremendous amount of cooperation among numerous agencies dedicated to seeking justice for a victim of a heinous crime six years ago,” said Heather Walker-Wright, Assistant Director of the USMS Investigative Operations Division. “I want to commend the investigators and Deputy U.S. Marshals in South Carolina, Oregon and here at headquarters, as well as our partner agencies, who worked so tirelessly to get John Blauvelt into custody.”  

Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of South Carolina Karen Thomas said, “The U.S. Marshals Service dedication to duty, pursuit of justice, and relentless team effort across the nation led to the capture of a violent fugitive.”

“I hope that the arrest of John Blauvelt brings Cati’s family some relief from the situation that they have had to endure the past few years,” said Simpsonville Police Chief Mike Henshaw. “I want to thank the U.S. Marshals Service and all the various agencies that assisted in making this arrest possible.  The team effort by law enforcement is to be commended.” 

Established in 1985, the U.S. Marshals Major Case Fugitive Program prioritizes the investigation and apprehension of high-profile offenders considered to be some of the country’s most dangerous. These individuals tend to be career criminals with histories of violence or whose instant offense(s) poses a significant threat to public safety.

Related Videos:

Related Links:
Recruiter on the Run – Unsolved Mysteries
Major Case Closed: U.S. Marshals Capture Army Deserter Wanted for 2016 Murder of Wife in SC
U.S. Marshals detail their hunt for South Carolina man accused of killing estranged wife
Army Deserter Accused Of Murdering Estranged Wife Captured After Six Years On The Run
‘Justice isn’t served yet:’ Cati Blauvelt’s family speaks after murder suspect caught
‘We knew John did it’: Family of slain Simpsonville woman says they never lost hope
US Army Spouse Catherine Blauvelt Allegedly Murdered by Estranged Husband and Active Duty Recruiter John Blauvelt in South Carolina (2016)
Reward Offered for Armed & Dangerous Fugitive: Army Recruiter John Blauvelt Wanted for Allegedly Murdering Estranged Wife in South Carolina (2017)
SC v. John Tufton Blauvelt: Military Wife Murder Trial
Blauvelt found guilty of murdering estranged wife
Verdict Reached In Military Wife Murder Trial
Former Army recruiter convicted of murdering estranged wife
Prosecutors Say Soldier Killed His Wife to Be with His Teenage Girlfriend, Then Deserted the Army
John Blauvelt trial features texts and emotional testimony

Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel Hearings: Sexual Assault in the Military (March 24, 2021)

“Sexual assault victims and victims’ advocates testified on the need for Congress to address prevention and handling of such cases in the military. The Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel convened the hearing and was considering various proposals, including making changes to the military justice system, to address how assault cases are prosecuted.”Sexual Assault in the Military | CSPAN.org (March 24, 2021)

Video:

Senate armed services committee holds hearing on sexual assault in the military
Senator Elizabeth Warren on Sexual Assault in the Military
Sen. Gillibrand: sexual assault in military an ‘epidemic’ that’s getting worse
How personal experience is guiding this military corp’s attempt to combat sexual assault
Sen. Gillibrand Pushes For Sexual Assault Reform In Military

Witness Testimony of Ms. Amy Braley Franck, Founder, Never Alone:

Download Testimony here.

Chairman Gillibrand, Ranking Member Tillis, and Members of the Committee, I thank you for this opportunity.  

My name is Amy Braley Franck I have been working with victims of sexual violence since 2006.  Currently employed as Victims’ Advocate at 416th Theater Engineer Command.  

I am currently being retaliated against for reporting Command for illegally concealing and failing to report 3 violent Sexual Assaults to Law Enforcement.  

I have been on a paid suspension since 20 November 2019 the day after I emailed LTG Charles Luckey the evidence.  I emailed the same evidence to the Chief of Staff of the Army, GEN James McConville on 22 November 2019.  I also sent this evidence to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, GEN Mark Milley and DOD SAPRO Admiral Burkhart and Nate Galbreath.  This evidence mirrors what was documented in the Ft. Hood Report. 

Sexual assaults and violent rapes not reported to CID or Law Enforcement, there was retaliation against victims and reporters of crimes, no Case Management Group or attendance for over a year.  

I have been left in this “suspension” after protecting victims and reporting command for over 16 months completely ostracized and isolated in retaliation.   

This evidence was reported to the Office of Special Counsel and the DOD IG  

The Army’s Internal 15-6 process has impeded justice for my victims and myself.  This internal investigative process does not allow for transparency and should be abolished. 

17-year-old Private in Granite City, Illinois reserve center was raped resulting in broken bones.  She had to stand next to her assailant in formation.  The Command’s illegal 15-6 investigation was documented in a Memorandum for Record. 

For over a year no one assisted her until I was notified in June 2019 but after my suspension, that ended. 

Advocates are continually blocked by layers of Command from protecting their victims.  When Commanders ignore the advice of Advocates, we have no recourse.  There are no consequences for Commanders when they violate law.      

Documented by the number of murders and murders by suicide.  Nicole Burnham’s, Brigade Commander Col John Mountford left Nicole in the same barracks at Camp Casey with her offenders raped and later gang raped tortured for over 82 days before her Transfer was executed.  Nicole is dead. 

Staff Sgt. Morgan Robinson’s first offender is still serving in the Oklahoma Army National Guard.  Staff Sgt. Robinson’s report of 9 Special Forces Soldiers placing a covering over her head, dragging her out of a tent and gang-raping her. Never investigated.  

An outstanding Soldier committed Suicide; she was not protected.  

Lavena Johnson’s brutal murder has never been investigated. The Army still states that it was a suicide.  

16 years later the toxic culture again exposed with the murder of Vanessa Guillen.  

This is not isolated to Fort Hood, documented across all components of the Military.   

Ft. Campbell April 2020 another victim of a gang rape was arrested illegally by CID and denied counsel. 

MG Shadley retired alerted MG Donna Martin.  Nothing was done. 

Never Alone helped Soldier with Suicidal Ideations.  She is still fighting to clear her record.     

Fort Bliss, 31 December 2020 Pfc. Asia Graham was found dead. Asia’s offender is identified as an accused serial rapist.   Walking free no pre-trial confinement.  He continued to live in the same barracks on the same floor with Asia and was moved into Headquarters Company with Asia until her untimely death. 

Asia’s leadership failed to protect her after she reported her rape in February 2020 not June.  

PVT Richard Halliday is still missing from Ft. Bliss. 

When victims and victim advocates speak out about the broken process and illegal actions of commanders.  We face severe retaliation.  

All felony crimes murder, rape, sexual assault, domestic violence do not belong within the chain of Command’s control to investigate or prosecute.   

Kamisha Block’s death deemed friendly fire, she was murdered due to Domestic Abuse. 

The Abuse of Power is real. 

In Italy the Provost Marshal,LTC Michae Parsons Army Garrison filed an espionage charge in Italian Court against an Army Spouse, Michela Morellato.  Retaliation for exposing Gen Harrington resulting in his firing and demotion.  This retaliation was reported to GEN Milley and IG.  Nothing was done.    

Illegal internal 15-6 process.  Ability to redact investigations. None of us will ever know the truth or get justice.   

Just this week my own sexual assault by a 2-star general still under investigation was improperly released to be weaponized against another sexual assault advocate during an unrelated court martial. The military has no checks and balances.    

I was raised in the military and a proud mother of a Veteran.  I will not stop until our Military is a safe.  “Sexual misconduct is an abuse of power and force protection issue.  The inability of commanders to execute essential command functions of “protection” is a significant threat to the United States Military’s ability to protect this great Nation.”  Soldiers should Never be Alone.

Other Witnesses:
Ms. Amy Marsh, Military Spouse
Mr. Quinton McNair, Former SARC/SHARP Victim Advocate
Ms. Brenda S. Farrell, Director, Defense Capabilities And Management, GAO
Mr. Eugene R. Fidell, Senior Research Scholar, Yale Law School Adjunct Professor Of Law, New York University Law School
Colonel Don M. Christensen, USAF (Ret.), President, Protect Our Defenders
Colonel Lawrence J. Morris, USA Ret. (No electronic testimony submitted)

Honoring the Fallen:

Related Links:
Sexual Assault in the Military | C-SPAN.org
SASC Sexual Assault in the Military Hearings Press Release (March 24, 2021) 
Senate armed services committee holds hearing on sexual assault in the military
Senate panel holds hearing on sexual assault in the military | FULL HEARING
Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on sexual assault in the military
How personal experience is guiding this military corp’s attempt to combat sexual assault
Transcript for Committee on Armed Services to Receive Testimony on Sexual Assault in the Military
Sen. Gillibrand: sexual assault in military an ‘epidemic’ that’s getting worse
Gillibrand renews push for military sexual assault reform
Gillibrand launches new push to punish sexual predators in the military
Pentagon leaders have opposed plans overhauling the military system for trying sexual assault for years. Has the time come for change?
‘Just heartbreaking’: Sen. Gillibrand pushes for sexual assault reform in military
Editorial — Military injustice: Independent prosecutors should handle sexual assault cases
Army Pvt. Nicole Burnham Found Unresponsive in Fort Carson Barracks; Death Ruled Suicide After Sexual Assault, Retaliation & a Three Month Expedited Transfer Delay (January 26, 2018)
“They took her soul”: Army did “nothing” for soldier who reported sexual assault, mom says
Speier, Mullin Introduce Bipartisan ‘I Am Vanessa Guillén Act’ to Transform the Military’s Response to Sexual Violence & Missing Servicemembers (September 16, 2020)
Fort Campbell Army Pfc. LaVena Johnson Died of Non Combat Related Injuries in Iraq; Death Ruled Suicide But Independent Investigation Revealed Rape and Murder (July 19, 2005)
Report of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee (November 6, 2020)
New sexual assault accusations after soldier’s death at Fort Bliss; Army opens investigation
Search Continues for Fort Bliss Soldier Reported Missing Over 200 Days
Fort Hood Army Staff Sgt. Paul Norris Fatally Shot Spc. Kamisha Block in Murder-Suicide in Iraq; Family Calls for Congressional Hearings & Independent Investigations (August 16, 2007)
Gillibrand: The Military Justice Improvement Act Would Give Service Members a Justice System That Works (July 1, 2019)
Find Richard Halliday | Facebook

“Truth will come to light…At length the truth will out.” William Shakespeare

It has been over a year since we lost Daniel.  On February 28, 2020, we were devastated when the Suffolk County Grand Jury issued a No Bill and did …

“Truth will come to light…At length the truth will out.” William Shakespeare

Report of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee (November 6, 2020)

Fort Hood Independent Review:

“Former Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy and the five civilian members of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee unveiled the results of a three-month examination of the command climate and culture at Fort Hood and the surrounding military community on Dec. 8, 2020.”

“The independent review, which was directed by former Secretary McCarthy, arose from the questions and concerns voiced by family members, Congress, and various Hispanic advocacy groups during the investigation into the disappearance and murder of Spc. Vanessa Guillén.”

“The committee examined the command climate and culture at Fort Hood and the surrounding military community to determine whether they reflect the Army’s commitment to safety, respect, inclusiveness, diversity, and freedom from sexual harassment.”

“Committee members Chris Swecker, Jonathan Harmon, Carrie Ricci, Queta Rodriguez and Jack White conducted a two-week fact-finding mission to the Texas base, meeting with unit leaders, Soldiers, members of the Guillén family, local officials, law enforcement and community groups.”

“The 136-page Report of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee offers findings and recommendations intended to benefit Fort Hood and the entire Army. In response, the former Secretary McCarthy has taken significant measures to hold leaders accountable at Fort Hood, instituted a new policy on missing Soldiers and formed the People First Task Force to map out a plan to tackle issues identified in the report.”

Read more here.

Secretary of the Army McCarthy addresses the report of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee
MLP Hearing: “Military Criminal Investigative Organization Reform Recommendations

Related Links:
Important @Military_Crime Links (Linktree)
Trends in Active-Duty Military Deaths Since 2006
Fort Hood Independent Review (Official Army website)
Research Reveals Pattern of Suspicious Deaths & Cover-up at Fort Hood (Sep. 11, 2020)
Report of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee (November 6, 2020)
Report of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee (November 6, 2020)
15 Things Every American Should Know About the Fort Hood Report
MLP Hearing: “Military Criminal Investigative Organization Reform Recommendations
Fort Hood’s toxic culture? Red flags raised over mysterious disappearances, sexual assaults
Army Soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas Are Dying at Alarming Rates Stateside (Jan. 1, 2016 to Present)
Washington D.C. Veteran’s Presentation on the Current Status of the Armed Forces at Fort Hood in Texas (December 12, 2017)
1st AD, Fort Bliss change command: Maj. Gen. Pat White takes ‘Old Ironsides’ helm
Never Forgotten: The Fort Hood Fallen (2016)

Stars and Stripes: Why is Fort Hood the Army’s Most Crime-Ridden Post? (August 21, 2020)

#IAmVanessaGuillen

by Rose Thayer

Keeping Track

“In the last five years, 165 soldiers assigned to Fort Hood have died, according to the Fort Hood Public Affairs Office, which regularly released information on soldiers’ death until a 2018 decision to stop the practice. The post was an outlier in this level of transparency.

In those years, seven soldiers died by homicide, while six died in a combat zone. The deaths of 70 soldiers were ruled suicides, and on- and off-base accidents resulted in the deaths of 60 soldiers.”

(Army Soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas Are Dying at Alarming Rates Stateside (January 1, 2016 to Present) *we missed close to 25 deaths because Fort Hood stopped issuing press releases for the death of soldiers in early 2018)

Asking for a Solution

Air Force veteran Jennifer Norris believes Fort Hood’s current situation has been years in the making.

For the past decade, Norris, a trained social worker with a master’s degree in public policy, has been tracking crimes committed by and against service members and advocating for reform. She posts her research on her website, Military Justice for All.

She first focused her research on several large military bases, but after noticing a trend of Fort Hood deaths, Norris narrowed her efforts to the Texas post.

‘I didn’t set up to go after Fort Hood at all. It’s a compilation of systematic issues,’ she said.

At the end of 2017, Norris used her own money to travel from her home in Maine to Washington to meet with lawmakers. By the time she got home, Norris said she thought everyone had moved on without intending to address the problems.

‘The other bases are nothing like Fort Hood is right now,’ she said. ‘I think the anomaly with Fort Hood is that its isolated and that it’s such an economic powerhouse in the community that it’s in everybody’s best interest to protect it so they can protect themselves.’”

(Washington D.C. Veteran’s Presentation on the Current Status of the Armed Forces at Fort Hood in Texas (December 12, 2017))

Read more here: Why is Fort Hood the Army’s most crime-ridden post?

Related Links:
Fort Hood Army Staff Sgt. Paul Norris Fatally Shot Spc. Kamisha Block in Murder-Suicide in Iraq; Family Calls for Congressional Hearings & Independent Investigations (August 16, 2007)
Air Force TSgt. Jennifer Norris Testified Before the House Armed Services Committee in Washington DC (January 23, 2013)
Gillibrand: The Military Justice Improvement Act Would Give Service Members a Justice System That Works (July 1, 2019)
Rep. Seth Moulton Introduces The Brandon Act to Change DoD Mental Health Policy, Pay Tribute to Fallen Navy Sailor Brandon Caserta (June 25, 2020)
Open Letter to House of Representatives in Support of an Independent Investigation of the Murder of Vanessa Guillen at Fort Hood (July 7, 2020)
Austin American-Statesman: Vanessa Guillen’s Death Shines Light on More Tragedies at Fort Hood (July 28, 2020)