ID Go: When high school senior Michelle Miller joins the Future Soldiers program, she sees it as the first step to realizing her dream of enlisting in the Army. But a forbidden affair with her recruiter risks her career in the Army, and her future itself. -The Sergeant and the Schoolgirl, Forbidden: Dying for Love (S2,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.
ID Go: A Filipino woman falls for a married US Navy Officer who will do anything to keep his mistress and his money. -An Officer, Not a Gentleman, Forbidden: Dying for Love (S1,E4)
Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch all of the Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. Download the ID Go app and binge away. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $2.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict.
The story of 17 year old Michelle Miller was featured on Forbidden: Dying for Love on Investigation Discovery. U.S. Army Reserve recruiter Adam Arndt, 31, enlisted the Rockville, Maryland high school senior in the Army Reserve Future Soldier’s Program. Michelle enlisted in part to help pay her tuition for Arizona State University. Unfortunately, in what appeared to be a downward spiral triggered by an ongoing military investigation, he took her with him. Because both Adam and Michelle were in the military, Army investigators concluded the investigation. In the end, they would add insult to injury and imply this was a ‘couple’ that wanted to die together in a double suicide despite background, testimony, and physical evidence to the contrary. Michelle’s father believes the Army changed the facts to fit their agenda.
According to her father Kevin Miller, Michelle left her Rockville, Maryland home at around 9:15 p.m. on April 8, 2013 after receiving a text message from someone in her reservist platoon about Staff Sgt. Adam Arndt. Michelle rushed out of her house believing that Arndt was suicidal and told her family she had to help a friend. Her father asked her to send the exact address, but he only received one vague message from her. He called the police and they arrived shortly before 9 a.m. the next day. When they were unable to make contact with anyone inside the house, they forced their way in and found Michelle Miller and Adam Arndt dead in the bathroom tub from what appeared initially to be a murder-suicide. Kevin Miller knows his daughter did not want to commit suicide because she simply had too much going for her.
Investigation Discovery:
ID Go: When high school senior Michelle Miller joins the Future Soldiers program, she sees it as the first step to realizing her dream of enlisting in the Army. But a forbidden affair with her recruiter risks her career in the Army, and her future itself. -The Sergeant & the Schoolgirl, Forbidden: Dying for Love (S2, 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.
On January 13, 2012, Shannon O’Roark of Texas drove 250 miles to Missouri to kill her estranged husband’s mistress fourty-six year old Dr. Irina Puscariu. Shannon O’Roark Griffin was an aeronautical engineer who worked for NASA training astronauts until she experienced a seizure that put her on definite sick leave. Shannon’s husband was a Colonel in the Air Force who decided he wasn’t ready to retire. Shannon and Col. Roscoe Griffin had been living separately for quite some time and discussed divorce but it appeared Shannon did not want a divorce after twenty years of marriage. Meanwhile, Col. Griffin lost a fellow service member to suicide and it devastated him.
Col. Griffin began seeing Dr. Irina Puscariu, a Veterans Affairs psychiatrist, for help. The professional relationship evolved into a romantic relationship, which is strictly forbidden in the world of psychiatry. Dr. Puscariu put her own career at risk when she chose to date Col. Griffin. Shannon found out thru social media that her husband was seeing Dr. Puscariu when he posted a picture with Irina on Facebook. Col. Griffin also changed his relationship status to “it’s complicated” which to Shannon was rejection, and rejection was the trigger. Col. Roscoe Griffin had no idea what was in store for him when someone is dumped and dangerous.
Shannon may have felt like the post meant the last twenty years were horrible and now I am going to replace you. Shannon asked Col. Griffin to go to a counseling appointment with her one last time in an effort to save the relationship. It would be here she would learn her husband of twenty years loved Dr. Puscariu and wanted to continue to see her. After this counseling session is when Shannon decided to go to Missouri and kill Dr. Puscariu. She wanted to obliterate Dr. Puscariu from her life so the problem would go away. She drove 250 miles to Irina’ home in Missouri and shot and killed her four times in front of her own mother, the last shot was to her face.
Shannon then fled the scene back to Texas and was held in custody until she could be extradited back to Missouri for a murder charge. Shannon plead guilty to second degree murder to avoid a trial. She was sentenced to twenty years for second degree murder and twenty years for armed criminal action. Investigators noted that before this incident Shannon had zero criminal history or violent behavior, she didn’t even have a speeding ticket. But when she got rejected by her husband Col. Roscoe Griffin, it would be jealousy and revenge that would drive her to murder the woman who stole her life.
A woman charged in the slaying of a Gladstone psychiatrist will be coming back to Missouri to face first-degree murder charges. -KMBC 9 (January 17, 2012)
Shannon O’Roark-Griffin, charged in the slaying of a Gladstone doctor, returns to Missouri for the first time since her arrest last week. -KMBC 9 (January 19, 2012)
A former NASA training specialist from Texas allegedly drove to Missouri and gunned down her husbandâs mistress after he admitted in therapy that he was not willing to give up the affair. -HLN (December 3, 2012)
Investigation Discovery:
When their love life goes sour these Deadly Women take lethal revenge. They are “Dumped and Dangerous.” -Dumped and Dangerous, Deadly Women (S11,E13)
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.
Pensacola, Florida resident Samira Watkins’ body was discovered stuffed inside a duffel bag floating along the west bank of the Bayou Grande on November 3, 2009. Samira, 25, was 2-months’-pregnant and the mother of one child; she was reported missing by her family on October 29, 2009. After an investigation, Navy sailor Zachary Littleton, 26, was arrested for homicide at the Pensacola Naval Air Station on November 23, 2009 and held without bond. A search of Zachary Littleton’s computer showed that he planned Samira Watkins’ murder.
Prosecutors allege Littleton could no longer juggle his affairs with other women: Samira was pregnant with his child and would not have an abortion; his wife, who was also in the Navy, was about to move to Pensacola to live with him; and, if the Navy found out about Samira’s pregnancy, it could end his military career. Adultery is a crime in the military and punishable by the Uniform Code of Military Justice. In June 2011, Zachary Littleton was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. Littleton’s attorney said the evidence in the case was circumstantial and maintained his innocence.
According to prosecutors, the crime happened like this:
After breaking it off with Samira Watkins, Zachary Littleton made several phone calls to Samira.
He lured her to his home under the guise of working things out and discussing the pregnancy.
When she arrived, he strangled her until she was unconscious.
He put tape on her mouth and then stuffed her inside of duffel bag.
After that, he drove to the Bayou Grande and dumped her body from the bridge.
He later dumped her car in another area, before calling a taxi to pick him up at the Waffle House.
Investigation Discovery:
ID Go: A young mom falls for a married military man after a chance meeting at his naval base. -The Girl with the Gold Earring, Forbidden: Dying for Love (S2,E8)
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.
Investigation Discovery’s show Forbidden: Dying for Love aired an episode titled ‘An Officer, Not a Gentleman’ which featured the story of Navy Master Chief Petty Officer John Bench. Bench first killed his son and then attempted to kill his wife Agnus and their daughter on August 30, 2009 at Sasebo Naval Base in Japan. After the attacks, he then made a run for it and left the base traveling on his motorcycle. On that ride, John Bench slammed directly into the path of an oncoming truck and was killed instantly. NCIS was assigned to the case and discovered the crime scene. As a result they were able to get care for John’s wife and daughter who survived the brutal attack. Once Travis Tritten of Stars and Stripes discovered John Bench was involved in a homicide investigation in the Philippines, he did some digging because he knew this was no coincidence. The story he uncovers leads the Philippines police to another killer.
The Philippines is a key site for military and home to about 12 million citizens. Lilibeth Eniceo, 29, lived in the Philippines with her parents where she shared a room with her five children. Every day was a struggle for survival. A series of men let Lilibeth down but she continued to have hopes for a relationship. Ultimately, she was looking for love and stability for her family. Then one day in January 2007, she got a friend request from a Navy man named John Bench. He was a completely different kind of man than most. And he was the highest enlisted rank one could be in the Navy, therefore highly successful. But John was stationed thousands of miles away in Japan. Regardless, John continued to woo her and they stayed in constant contact; an internet romance grew very quickly.
Months later, John told Lilibeth his ship was traveling to the Philippines and he wanted to meet her in person. So Lilibeth traveled 100 miles to Subic Bay to meet John where his ship was at port. She was so excited to be meeting her prince charming for the first time. Lilibeth was upfront about her children from the beginning so John knew what he was getting into. John had no problems with her family and let her know he was committed to all of them. During the visit, John told Lilibeth he was divorced with two kids and free to pursue a relationship. John purposefully made her think that they had a future together. Lilibeth was happy and overwhelmed that she found a man like John Bench. It felt like they knew each other for years. Before John went back to Japan, he assured Lilibeth he would send money to support her and her family.
After years of despair and heart break, John Bench gained Lilibeth’s trust but he was keeping a secret too. John was still married with two children and they all lived on Sasebo Naval Base in Japan. John was married to Agnus, also a native of the Philippines, and they had two children: Anthony, 10, and Angelica, 15. But John was deeply unhappy in his marriage. And the success he worked so hard for would be destroyed in a divorce. John didn’t want to lose half of his military pension. Although, John was obviously not thinking clearly when he decided to have an affair because adultery is a crime in the military. John took a big risk when he started sending money to Lilibeth regularly. John felt trapped in a life he didn’t like and wanted to be free of it. He took a big gamble with his career because if caught he could lose everything. But no one could imagine the plot he was scheming.
Lilibeth and John had fallen madly in love but they had to keep it a secret. A year or so after they met, Lilibeth and John had another rendezvous but this time she introduced him to her children. John appeared to be the ideal family man because he was loving and very good with the children. They had a great visit. Right before he left, John informed Lilibeth he couldn’t give her anymore money because most of his money went towards alimony he was forced to pay after the divorce. John made it appear to Lilibeth that his ‘ex-wife’ was endangering their relationship and standing in the way of their future. He was point blank and didn’t mince words. He said he wanted to kill his wife. Because Lilibeth was blinded by her dreams of getting everything she ever wanted, she asked him what he wanted her to do. John asked her to find a hitman in the Philippines and then he returned to Japan.
Lilibeth was nervous and never thought she would be involved in an assassination plot. But she found someone to kill John’s wife. The hit would cost $1,250 with a downpayment of $700. John called Lilibeth to let her know when his wife was going to be in the Philippines visiting her family. This was the first opportunity they had to make their move. Lilibeth and the hitman lied in wait outside Agnus’ hotel and after she appeared, Lilibeth aborted the plan because her mother instincts kicked in. Agnus was exiting her hotel with her daughter. Lilibeth couldn’t imagine killing a mother in front of her daughter. Lilibeth told John she couldn’t do it and he was furious that his orders were not carried out. He eventually apologized for getting angry at her. The vulnerable Lilibeth forgave him and continued to remain under his spell.
In February 2009, John returned to the Philippines for another visit. Lilibeth still saw a relationship happening and the perfect life with John. She wanted security for her family so badly. On this visit, John asked Lilibeth to marry him and of course she said yes. She was so excited because this was a fairy tale turning into reality. But unfortunately this reality was built on lies. John was not divorced yet told Lilibeth that because he was paying alimony to his ‘ex-wife’, he would have to support two families and things would be tough. Lilibeth told him she didn’t care about the money as long as they were together and happy. But John continued to pressure her and this time he wanted her to find someone to kill his ‘ex-wife’ and the two children. Lilibeth wanted no part in this plan because to her it was unthinkable that someone would consider murdering their own children.
The cold hard truth is if John Bench was capable of committing these crimes, Lilibeth was one of his victims too. She desperately hoped John would abandon the evil plan. He told her his family didn’t care about him or love him. He made himself out to be the victim. She was torn because she would be letting go of a future with security if she said no, so she agreed to take part in the plot to kill his family. Lilibeth found another hitman and this time tried to limit her involvement by having John speak directly to him. John and Lilibeth met with the hitman and John told him how he wanted the plan to go down. He told the hitman he wanted him to carjack his family and then kill them. John assured Lilibeth afterwards they would finally be together.
The whole idea behind the plot was that this would be a failed robbery attempt and John would miraculously be the lone survivor. But again Lilibeth was having a hard time coping with the reality of the situation. She knew that a family was going to be murdered. The hitman waited at a pre-determined location and pulled the taxi over at gunpoint. He jumped in, demanded they drive to a remote location, and then told them all to get out of the car. He killed the taxi-cab driver first. Then he hesitated and called Lilibeth to tell her he was going to kill them. She told him she didn’t want to know anything. While the hitman was distracted, Agnus lunged at him and fought back in an attempt to get the gun. John hesitated to help her because he had been waiting so long for this plan to unfold so he could be free. John finally acted because otherwise he risked his wife finding out about his murderous plan.
The Bench family was taken to the local police department to give a statement. John Bench was quietly concerned about the hitman being on the run. He knew if he was caught and the plan was made public, it would ruin him. Ruby Ramores was also looking for answers as her brother was the taxi-cab driver who was murdered. She wanted justice for her brother; he was a father of three children and was just trying to make a living. John appeared to want to brush the whole incident under the rug. He denied hesitating to assist Agnus and boldly stated that he was simply waiting for the right opportunity. He then told the police he was tired and leaving so his family could go back to Japan. Ruby read the police reports and questioned why John was hesitant to help his family especially since he had the training to do so. Ruby wasn’t going to let this case go cold.
John kept a very low profile the weeks following the incident and stopped sending Lilibeth any money. Then after months of silence, John called Lilibeth out of the blue. He told her he missed her, wanted to be with her, and apologized for his actions. She eventually relented and forgave him. John told her they would be together soon. But once again, John was lying. After this call to Lilibeth, John unraveled and took matters into his own hands. First he savagely beat and murdered his son. Then he bludgened his wife and daughter with a baseball bat and left them for dead. Afterwards, he fled the scene on his motorcycle. Everything in John’s life was on the line and there was no coming back from this. So John gunned his engine and slammed directly into the path of an oncoming truck. He was killed instantly.
When Japanese authorities realized John was in the Navy, Naval Criminal Investigation Services (NCIS) took over. As a result, they went to John’s home and discovered the crime scene. They were able to save both Agnus and her daughter’s life. Once the news was reported, Travis Tritten of Stars and Stripes began looking into the case. He learned that John Bench was also involved in a homicide case in the Philippines. He suspected something wasn’t right and John’s involvement in the homicide in the Philippines was not coincidental. Travis found out that John Bench was having an affair so he contacted Lilibeth. She opened up to him about the details of the relationship and the various plots to kill John’s family. Lilibeth also gave him the name of the hitman who killed Ruby’s brother. The hitman was charged and imprisoned for the homicide. Ruby opted not to press charges against Lilibeth because she empathized with her and her children. Everyone involved was a victim of John Bench. He used a victimhood narrative to justify his evil intentions and manipulated others to do his dirty work for him. He is the definition of a sneaky sociopath.
I made a mistake. If I have to pay for it, I will pay for it…I was in love with a monster. -Lilibeth Eniceo
ID Go: A Filipino woman falls for a married US Navy Officer who will do anything to keep his mistress and his money. -An Officer, Not a Gentleman, Forbidden: Dying for Love
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.
Fort Hood Army Spc. Kamisha Block, 20, died of a non combat related incident in Baghdad, Iraq on August 16, 2007. Spc. Block was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom on behalf of the 401st Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade in Fort Hood, Texas. The Department of Defense announced at the time of the press release that the circumstances surrounding the incident were under investigation. Media reports indicate that Kamisha died of gunshot wounds after she was shot in the shoulder, chest, and head area five times by a fellow Army soldier, Staff Sgt. Paul Norris. Norris then turned the gun on himself putting a single bullet into the right side of his head. Medics found Norris dead at the scene and Kamisha with a sucking chest wound. Kamisha Block was pronounced dead a few minutes later at the Camp Liberty Troop Medical Clinic. The family claims there was no serious relationship with Norris yet he became possessive and began abusing her. They believe she was not protected by the Army. (Get the latest updates on the case here)
“She spent a year in Korea, and then returned for a few months to Fort Hood before she left for Iraq in 2007. While in Texas she began a relationship with Staff Sgt. Brandon Norris, her parents said, a man in the same battalion. Although the Blocks never believed Norris and Kamisha Block had a serious relationship, Norris became attached and possessive of her, Army investigators told the family. Before they left Fort Hood for Iraq, Norris physically assaulted Kamisha Block, her family learned through later Army reports. He was disciplined and received counseling, but he did not lose his jealous nature.” ~Home of the Brave
The family learned Kamisha Block was shot and killed while serving in Iraq. The Department of Defense told the Block family Kamisha was shot in the chest by friendly fire. -12NewsNow (February 12, 2019)
Families from across the U.S. held a rally outside Fort Hood demanding answers about the deaths of their loved ones who died while serving. -KCEN News (July 11, 2020)
The Story (Love is a Battlefield, Forbidden: Dying for Love):
Fort Hood is the largest military base in world. It’s home to 53,000 soldiers and located in the heart of Texas. Kamisha Block joined the Army straight out of high school and was a specialist with the 401st Military Police Company. She was the first born in her family and her loved ones said she was a bright light. “She was always smiling and positive about everything.” Kamisha’s squad was in training for a deployment to Iraq in four months. Her fellow comrades called her “wonder woman” and said she always seemed happy. She was the kind of person who would always make others feel better even if they were having a bad day. She was described as loving, caring, and a great listener. Kamisha even worked on her own vehicles and her father taught her everything she knew. She was very independent and loved serving in the Army. Thirty-year-old Staff Sgt. Brandon Norris was a veteran of two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. One of his military comrades said he did some outstanding things in the Army because Brandon was a go-getter. Brandon wanted to achieve and he quickly climbed the ladder. Brandon had also experienced some tough times. His wife had recently left him and took their daughter and he lost two sisters in a preventable car accident the year before. But Brandon was a squad leader and damn good at what he did.
Both Brandon and Kamisha were out one night at the same bar having some drinks with friends. Brandon noticed Kamisha on the dance floor and pushed his way to get to her. Upon introducing himself, they both realized they were stationed at Fort Hood. And although they were attracted to one another immediately, Brandon reminded Kamisha that what they were thinking of doing was against the rules. Fraternizing in the Army was against the law but Brandon and Kamisha didn’t care. In the Army, a relationship between an NCO and a junior enlisted soldier, especially in the same platoon, is against the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Both of them were taking a huge risk because if they were ever seen together, they could lose everything. In reality, they would be kicked out of the Army, lose their benefits, and get a dishonorable discharge. Brandon and Kamisha both knew it was a bad idea but over the next few weeks, they found every opportunity to see each other. According to Brandon’s military comrade, there was a real genuine connection between the two of them. And they managed to keep it secret aside from a few close friends who knew what was going on. They would say they were seeing someone but never named names. Kamisha regularly visited Brandon at his apartment eight miles away from the post.
Brandon was in love and it was obvious that the Army and Kamisha was his life. They both loved each other. Meanwhile, their squad knew they were deploying soon but they didn’t know the exact date. And then they were tasked to deploy four days before they were supposed to leave. Brandon found out that he wasn’t going to Iraq with the squad because he had to go to a leadership training session first. He would fly to Iraq at a later time. He wasn’t happy that he wasn’t going with the squad and with Kamisha and as a result, Brandon’s mood started changing. According to friends, he was getting more aggressive and angry. Brandon could control his demons until he started drinking alcohol. He was drinking more and began pushing Kamisha away and accusing her of being with other men in Iraq if he wasn’t around. Brandon was fragile and his current state of mind reflected what appeared to be attachment issues, he couldn’t handle losing anyone else he loved. Kamisha assured Brandon that they were all good but no one could deny that Brandon was possessive of Kamisha. Before deploying to Iraq, Kamisha took Brandon to meet her family. Her mom said Brandon didn’t introduce himself and they thought that was strange. They observed that he kept his head down and unless he was spoken to, he didn’t speak.
Kamisha’s family was worried about her with the upcoming deployment. The family sensed something was wrong but she said she really couldn’t talk about it. Twelve hours prior to the deployment, Brandon and Kamisha spent some quality time together. He told her he wanted to talk to her everyday on the phone until he got there. Because Brandon was possessive and controlling of Kamisha, he wanted to make sure she was okay everyday while she was away. Once Kamisha got to Iraq, Brandon called her daily and started becoming jealous and afraid that she was with other guys. Brandon admitted to his mom that he loved Kamisha and she was a special person. He also shared with his family that he couldn’t sleep and was only getting one hour a night of sleep on some nights. Brandon’s family was worried about losing him overseas because they couldn’t handle losing another child after losing two daughters the year before. Brandon Norris deployed to Iraq and he was transferred to Kamisha’s squad. Everyone knew there were tents in Iraq that had cots and they weren’t the only ones using them. Then there were signs that Brandon was giving Kamisha preferential treatment and she didn’t like it. Kamisha wanted to do the job and was irritated with Brandon.
Brandon’s biggest hang up was his jealousy. He would get jealous if Kamisha was talking to another guy. His friend said he’d get pretty fired up about that really quick. One day, the squad was in a convoy on a routine mission to an outpost. Kamisha was back at the base and Brandon was distracted. According to a comrade, Brandon stopped focusing on the task at hand and was paying attention to Kamisha instead. The squad was consistently concerned about Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and they turned down a road where they were met with an IED. It blew one of their trucks clear into the air. Brandon’s convoy had been hit by a roadside bomb and he jumped out of his vehicle and started firing despite the fact that they were not taking on any small arms fire or anything. Brandon easily could have killed an innocent civilian and gone to jail. They discovered three soldiers were injured in the IED explosion. Brandon’s squad questioned him after firing indiscriminately and were even more concerned when he didn’t have any response. Brandon felt guilty and responsible because he wasn’t paying attention and missed the road side bomb. He was in the lead truck and this was his job. One of his comrades decided he needed to be reported to the Chain of Command.
Brandon’s military comrade told the Chain of Command he knew something bad was going to happen because Brandon’s jealousy and possessiveness was getting out of hand. He explained how he was not the same leader that he had been at Fort Hood. And this same comrade said the military Chain of Command could have helped if they had moved either one of them and got them away from each other. Instead of transferring Kamisha or Brandon, the Chain of Command transferred the guy who reported them to another squad. He said they needed Norris and as a result, they didn’t dig or investigate to get to the bottom of of the whole relationship. They questioned Kamisha and Brandon and took them at their word when they denied a relationship. They issued a ‘no contact order’ but everyone knew that it was difficult to monitor. Over time, Kamisha was getting more agitated and less comfortable with the direction the relationship was heading. Brandon consistently accused her of talking to other men. Something was wrong. This relationship was anything but love. Kamisha was trying to get away from him but he would not leave her alone. Kamisha was getting scared and ended the relationship with Brandon. Brandon didn’t take it very well and told her he couldn’t live without her.
Brandon and Kamisha cooled things down for about three days and Kamisha tried hard not to have contact with Brandon. But Brandon was unraveling and drinking. Kamisha called home on her sister’s birthday and they had a really nice conversation but she had to go because the squad had another mission. The next day, the Casualty Assistance Officers (CAOs) showed up at Kamisha’s parent’s home. The CAOs told Kamisha’s family that Kamisha had died in Iraq as a result of a non-combat incident. Kamisha’s mom and dad broke down. The CAOs told the family she was killed by one shot to the chest. All the family wanted was the truth. They wanted answers and they wanted to know what happened. Kamisha’s body was flown back to Texas. The family was in shock. They knew it was her but they didn’t want to believe it was her. They were all so upset. Then Kamisha’s mom noticed what appeared to be a patch on the side of her head. The Army told her she was shot in the chest but it appeared she was shot in the head too. Jane Block admitted she cried for days. The military wasn’t telling her everything, they held back. Jane accused the Army of waiting until Kamisha got to the funeral home before they found out the truth. Now they were determined to find out who shot Kamisha and what happened. Jane Block called the CAO who confirmed that Kamisha was shot five times by Brandon Norris. The family was devastated.
And eventually the details of what happened in Iraq were revealed to Kamisha’s family. Brandon wasn’t doing well and he wanted to talk to Kamisha. Brandon’s friends said his eyes were glazed over and he was in a mood. During the discussion, Kamisha reminded Brandon that she didn’t want to be in the relationship anymore. Then Brandon brandished a gun and shot Kamisha five times. He also shot at another soldier who luckily missed the bullets. When they found Kamisha, she was bleeding profusely. They observed she had been shot in the head. Brandon had also shot himself and was still breathing. His comrade said the last thing he said to Brandon was ‘F^*k You’. Kamisha’s family believes the military failed Kamisha. They could have moved her out of there and they didn’t. The Army also knew Brandon had PTSD and deployed him anyways. Kamisha’s family felt like it was a cover-up. The Army failed Kamisha and they failed Brandon Norris. Before deploying to Iraq, Brandon told a family member that he didn’t know if he could handle another tour in Iraq. But he was insistent that he needed to be there for his squad and Kamisha. Now, there’s a hole in both families. Brandon’s friend admits he has survivor guilt because he wished there was more he could do. Jane Block said Kamisha didn’t get to finish her mission to live out her hopes and dreams.
ID Go: A young Army recruit enlists with dreams of serving her country. What she doesn’t expect is to find love with a commanding officer in her platoon. The two battle to keep their forbidden affair secret but can they defeat the enemy within? -Love is a Battlefield, Forbidden: Dying for Love (S3, 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.
Date: February 29, 2004 Victim: Kimberly O’Neal, U.S. Marine Corps Spouse Offender: Archie O’Neil, Jr., U.S. Marine Corps Location: Deer Park, Camp Pendleton, California Circumstances: Archie O’Neil and Kimberly O’Neal engaged in a forbidden affair for a couple of years, before Archie was suppose to deploy to Iraq, they had one more tryst, Kimberly got angry when she learned Archie wasn’t going to leave his wife, Archie shot Kimberly O’Neal multiple times, during the investigation, Archie’s wife claimed Kimberly tried to run her down with her car but didn’t report it because no proof, Archie said he had severe headaches and shot Kimberly because she threatened to kill his family (most likely not true), Archie confessed to Kimberly’s murder but showed no remorse, charged with 1st degree premeditated murder, used PTSD defense to mitigate his crimes, defense claimed Archie had an abnormal startle response Disposition: O’Neil sentenced to life in prison, no parole
Investigation Discovery:
ID Go: A decorated marine faces war at home when he falls for a married woman. Suspicion and jealousy plague their affair as they battle to keep their secret from their spouses but with the stakes so high it’s a truth they’ll stop at nothing to hide. -Love is War, Forbidden: Dying for Love (S4,E8)
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.
“On July 19 the perfect picture shattered. After a loud argument that was overheard by neighbors, Brandon Floyd shot his wife Andrea, then turned his gun on himself. The double slaying was the fourth domestic tragedy at Fort Bragg in recent weeks. On June 11 Sgt. First Class Rigoberto Nieves, 32, shot himself and his wife, Teresa, 28, two days after returning from Afghanistan. Over the next six weeks Master Sgt. William Wright, 36, allegedly strangled his wife, Jennifer, 32; Sgt. Cedric Griffin, 28, allegedly stabbed his estranged wife, Marilyn, 32, and set fire to her home; and Maj. David Shannon, 40, was shot while sleeping in his home, a killing in which police have said that the wife remains a suspect.” Read more from Peoplehere.
Forbidden: Dying for Love featured the Jennifer and William Wright 2002 homicide-suicide case on Investigation Discovery. ‘Onward, Christian Soldier’ highlighted the circumstances that lead to the murder of Jennifer Wright and the pain it inflicted on those who were left behind including their three sons. According to the show, William Wright was a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Army and was stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina with his wife and three children. MSgt Wright was routinely deployed after 9/11/2001 and as a result he was never home. Bill’s absence was hard on Jennifer and the marriage. She wanted Bill to leave the Army but the Army was his life; it’s what he was meant to do. While Bill was deployed in Afghanistan, he learned that Jennifer was telling people back home that he divorced her.
Bill was stunned to learn the news and was granted leave to go back stateside and deal with his family crisis. Bill learned Jennifer was having an affair with the pastor at church and she wanted a divorce. Instead of salvaging his marriage, Bill murdered Jennifer in the family home on June 29, 2002 and covered it up. When investigators questioned Bill about Jennifer’s murder, he broke down and told them everything. Bill admitted he hit his wife with a baseball bat and then strangled her to death. He then put her body in a garbage bag and buried her in some woods near Fort Bragg. In 2003, William Wright was in prison awaiting trial when he died by suicide in his jail cell. Jennifer and William’s sons expressed concern that the Army’s anti-malaria drugs negatively impacted their father’s health and was most likely the reason this tragedy occurred.
This domestic violence related homicide was one of five murders that occurred in a six week period at Fort Bragg in 2002. Rigoberto Nieves fatally shot his wife Teresa on June 11, 2002; Cedric Griffin fatally stabbed his wife Marilyn on July 9, 2002; Brandon Floyd fatally shot his wife Andrea on July 19, 2002; and military spouse Joan Shannon manipulated her daughter Elizabeth to shoot her step-father Major David Shannon on July 23, 2002 while he slept.
ID Go: While her husband serves in the army, a lonely married mother of three finds comfort in the arms of her church’s charismatic new minister. But danger looms in the form of a jealous love-rival that will stop at nothing to scare her away. -Onward, Christian Soldier, Forbidden: Dying for Love (S4,E4)
Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch all of the Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. Download the ID Go app and binge away. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $2.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict.
MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL 