Air Force Retiree Michael Giles Fatally Shot and Buried in Backyard of Texas Home; Kwaneta Harris Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison (July 4, 2006)

On July 4, 2006June 30, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, USAF2 Comments

Michael Giles, US Air Force

Michael Giles, US Air Force Retired

Air Force Retiree Michael Giles, 46, of Garland, Texas disappeared on July 4, 2006. He was supposed to attend a Fourth of July event with his family but he never showed up. He texted his sister informing her he was staying home. On October 12, 2007, Veterans Affairs agents contacted a detective in Garland because they were concerned about the missing veteran, who the same month he went missing, stopped making payments on his VA home loan which wasn’t like him. VA agents were investigating his foreclosure because he was never late and sometime made double payments but they were unable to get ahold of him since he stopped making payments one year earlier. The VA agents noticed a concrete slab of cement in the backyard that looked random, it had no useful purpose. The detective who was called to investigate the circumstances immediately suspected the concrete slab was a grave. They learned the current tenant didn’t know Michael Giles and that he was renting from Kwaneta Harris, who lived in Detroit, Michigan.

Kwaneta Harris met Michael Giles in England where both of them lived. Kwaneta was married to an Air Force service member and they were in the middle of a divorce when she met Michael Giles. Giles was also stationed in England with the Air Force where he worked on overhauling engines for helicopters. He was Kwaneta’s husband’s supervisor and felt for her because she didn’t have a place to live after her husband kicked her out. The pair quickly became friends and eventually began a romantic relationship. In 1996, Kwaneta Harris moved back to Detroit, Michigan and Michael Giles finished up a twenty year career and retired from the Air Force. He bought a home in Garland, Texas and it wasn’t until 2002 that he began having conversations with Kwaneta again. Michael was excited about his new life and new job and between his Air Force pension and his salary, he did well. He began a long distance relationship with Kwaneta Harris again and she began flying back and forth between Michigan and Texas. Kwaneta was also dating Deandre Knight in Michigan at the same time.

After VA agents contacted detectives, they initiated a search of the backyard with a cadaver dog. The dog hit on the area where the random concrete slab was placed. They needed a warrant but they needed more evidence before they could begin digging in Michael’s backyard. They contacted Michael’s family and learned they had not seen him since July 2006, although they didn’t report him missing because he continued to text them to let them know he was okay but needed some time to himself. This was not like Michael and the family was concerned but they were lead to believe that he was still alive when they received the texts so they never filed a missing person’s report. When detectives began digging deeper into Michael’s life, they learned that Kwaneta Harris had systematically drained all of Michael’s bank accounts and liquidated his assets. Kwaneta Harris stole $200,000 from Michael since the time of his disappearance. As a result of this new information, investigators were able to search the backyard and recovered Michael’s body underneath the concrete slab. His badly decomposed body was found with a bullet in his head. Kwaneta Harris was arrested and extradited to Texas.

In a search of Kwaneta’s home in Michigan, investigators discovered all of Michael Gile’s personal belongings including his personal information, bank account passwords, cell phone, and official documents. Kwaneta was charged with murder. In the middle of the trial, Kwaneta plead guilty and was sentenced to fifty years in prison. In September 2015, Kwaneta Harris received a court order reducing her sentence from 50 years to 8 years, meaning she would be eligible for parole immediately. But as it turns out this court order was not real because she forged the judge’s signature. This was one more con in a long history of evil doing and conniving. Kwaneta’s husband, Deandre Knight, was also arrested for his role in the fraud. He wasn’t involved in the murder but he was involved in the elaborate fraud schemes to steal money and assets from Michael Giles. If not for the VA agents caring about the Air Force veteran who stopped making his VA home loan payments all of a sudden, this case may never have been solved. The VA home loan agents went above and beyond unlike a regular bank would have and reported their suspicions about the sudden disappearance of the homeowner Air Force retiree Michael Giles.

Kwaneta Yatrice Harris, a licensed nurse, shot Michael Giles, her on-again, off-again lover of a decade, in the back of the head in 2006. She then cooked up an elaborate ploy to cover up the killing of Giles, a military retiree who lived in Garland. Harris hired someone to dig Giles’ grave under the ruse that she was installing a pond, then got a man to pour a 3-by-15-foot concrete slab on top. She posed as Giles in emails and texts, telling his family he was in New Mexico and needed some time away. Prosecutors say she even had a new boyfriend pretend to be Giles, dressed up in bandages after a supposed car accident, so she could gain access to Giles’ financial accounts. Authorities excavated Giles’ body from his own backyard in 2007. –Dallas News (April 2016)

Snapped: After The Verdict – Kwaneta Harris, Snapped, Oxygen

Marine Veteran Robert McClancy Poisoned with PTSD Medications; Martha McClancy & Charles Kaczmarczyk Convicted of Fraud & Murder (May 15, 2006)

On May 15, 2006August 24, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Cold Cases, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Scandals, USMCLeave a comment

screen-shot-2016-12-04-at-12-57-32-pm — Robert ‘Bob’ McClancy, US Marine Corps Veteran

“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.

Retired Marine Walter Smith Drowned Girlfriend Nicole Speirs in Bathtub and Blamed Post Traumatic Stress; Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison (2006)

On March 25, 2006July 6, 2017 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, USMCLeave a comment

Screen Shot 2016-08-30 at 12.30.36 PM — Nicole Speirs

In August 2004, hard working Walter Smith was managing a photoshop at a local department store in a town outside Salt Lake City, Utah. Walter met the future mother of his children Nicole Speirs on a social media site. Nicole was a tomboy, she was into skateboarding, adventure, and the two appeared to get along really well. They went out on a couple dates and spent the night together. But Walter was not sure how close he wanted to get because he had other things on his mind. He only recently returned home after a tour of duty in the Marine Corps. He joined the Marine Corps after high school and in early 2000, he was at boot camp in California. One of his Marine friends spoke highly of him and shared that one wanted to spend time with Walter because he was very interesting. Then September 11, 2001… Of course the Marines were deployed to Iraq and in February of 2003, Walter and and his team were some of the first on the ground during Operation Iraqi Freedom. This was war and the possibility of dying was something they had to accept after witnessing many of their own die around them.

In the summer of 2003 after six months in Iraq, Walter returned to Utah for a visit and then was sent to a marksman training course in Virginia. While on a rifle range, the sounds of munitions were giving Walter flashbacks and he thought he was shooting at people in Iraq. According to a comrade, something was triggered inside him and he just lost it. The was the beginning of his medical discharge. He was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and medically discharged from the USMC. One of Walter’s Marine friends shared that most begin to experience the PTSD after they get out but they don’t push the subject with one another. But everyone recognized that Walter was depressed; he wasn’t the same person he was when they met him. Walter met Nicole Speirs shortly after his military discharge. Although after a few dates and intense nights spent together, Walter retreated. In the meantime, Nicole called Walter to let him know that she was pregnant. He went to the first doctor visit with her and they found out together they were having twins.

Walter wasn’t sure he was ready to have a family. He also learned that his parents were getting a divorce after 25 years of marriage. It rocked the foundations of all of the siblings. Walter retreated completely after the doctor visit with Nicole and requested a DNA test to prove they were his children. Nicole had to accept Walter’s decision; she didn’t know that he was struggling with PTSD. Walter became quiet and withdrawn. Once harmless, the civilian world now had several threats everywhere after his return. Walter’s family couldn’t understand what he had been through. Walter’s comrades shared that he engaged in one of the most violent fights during the deployment in Iraq. They were hit with an RPG and three guys were hurt. The enemy was packing families in cars and driving right at them. Walter had no choice but to use the gun to stop the existing threat. They had a hard time witnessing the innocent children die. The Marines in Walter’s company were never the same.

Now that Walter was back in Utah, his depression was getting worse. He was downward spiraling. By September 2004, Walter’s dad moved in with him. The family was concerned for them because they both were feeling extremely depressed. Walter’s dad shared that his own father committed suicide when he was young because he felt that he was a burden to the family. On June 30, 2004, Walter reached a breaking point. His thoughts were more distorted. Walter Sr. didn’t know it but Walter was experiencing violent tendencies. He feared for his own father’s life. He left their home before he harmed his father and made a decision to kill himself with a shotgun. He called some family to say goodbye but before he could pull the trigger, a friend contacted the local police to intervene. As a result, Walter was admitted into a psychiatric ward. He was diagnosed with PTSD, severe depression with psychosis, and alcohol dependency. Meanwhile, Nicole was on bedrest with a difficult labor and gave birth a month earlier then expected.

Nicole’s babies were both underdeveloped and needed to remain in the NICU for over a month but they finally got the green light to take them home. Nicole had a girl and a boy. Walter never went to visit Nicole at the hospital. By the time the children were five years old, Nicole filed for child support. Meanwhile, Walter looked at Nicole’s pictures on social media and could tell that the children were his right away and wanted to see them. This time, he told her the truth about the PTSD. Walter met the children and things seemed really good. Nicole was a phenomenal mom and this appeared to help Walter cope better too because she was calm and caring. Nicole was really excited that Walter came back. But Walter still doesn’t feel the same way as Nicole and wasn’t sure that he ever would; he had his own demons to contend with. But, they were both trying to strengthen their relationship for the sake of the children.

On March 9, 2006, Nicole was feeling dizzy so she left work and went home to rest. Two weeks later on March 24, 2006, Nicole and Walter were up late after a relaxing evening together at home. They made love and got in the bathtub to get cleaned up. Nicole asked Walter what she thought about their future; she wanted to get married. Walter said he needed more time and wasn’t ready to make that decision. He knew that he wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment. She was upset about this but decided to play it out and see where things went. The next morning Walter and the children left at 5 am to visit his family. The rest of the grandchildren were going to be there for a group photo. Shortly after Walter arrived, he began arguing with a relative and acting erratically. The family eventually called the police on Walter because they were concerned about his behavior. Walter called Nicole and told her he was returning instead of spending the night with his family.

Walter entered through the garage around 1 a.m. like he usually did and put the children to bed. He went to the bathroom where he heard water running and found Nicole face down in the bathtub. She appeared to be dead. He called 911. He was rattled, couldn’t remember the address, he realized that she was dead and this appeared to deflate him. Walter was hesitant to do the CPR when asked by the 911 dispatcher but he did it and unfortunately it was too late. Nicole was gone. Police arrived to find Walter and Nicole’s dead body. The body had been in a cold tub which made the time of death difficult to determine. There was no clear sign of foul play. Walter was questioned and claimed that Nicole was taking an anti-depressant for depression. His demeanor striked investigators as guarded and numb. Walter was with his family so could corroborate his whereabouts. Walter made the dreadful phone calls to family members and loved ones but Nicole’s death didn’t make sense to any of them.

In the days after Nicole’s death, the police kept their eye on Walter Smith. They questioned neighbors who denied any knowledge of abuse or volatility in the relationship; as a matter of fact, neighbors observed that both appeared happy together. The Speirs family was concerned about when Nicole got sick and wondered if that had anything to do with it. And suicide was a theory that Walter planted until Nicole’s autopsy put an end to that. There were no drugs in her system but the manner of death was drowning; the cause of death was unknown. The big question was why and how did this happen? Walter and the Speirs family worked together to take care of the children over the next few months. But nothing could hold back the depression that Walter was fighting off. Sometimes he felt like the PTSD was going to break him.

On December 4, 2006, Walter drove himself to the Veterans Affairs hospital emergency room because he was feeling suicidal and homicidal. He called his Uncle Craig and told him he couldn’t live another day. After questioned by his uncle, Walter admitted that he had something to do with Nicole’s death. His Uncle Craig recommended he remain silent until he got there but Walter Smith already told the VA that he felt guilty about what happened to Nicole. The VA called the police department who showed up around the time that his uncle showed up. He was quiet initially but then told them he was responsible for Nicole’s death. It was not an accident; it was something more. He was arrested for suspicion of homicide and taken in custody. Walter Sr.’s heart was shattered and he was in absolute disbelief that his son could do something like this. Walter Sr. and Craig let Nicole Speir’s family know right away that Walter admitted to being responsible for Nicole’s death.

Two days later, detectives got a second crack at Walter. Walter explained that he was in the bathtub with Nicole. She was sitting towards the faucet with him behind her. She washed her hair and she had to bend forward to rinse it. He then pushed her head down in the water from the back until she drowned to death. He was emotionless, matter of fact, and flat when he talked about the crime. He admitted that they had not been arguing prior to the act. When asked, Walter said that Nicole did fight back to the best of her ability. The detectives did not believe PTSD was an excuse because he took advantage of her in the most vulnerable position. Investigators exclaimed that this was an intimate domestic violence encounter that could only be accomplished in that position of trust. Walter didn’t know why he did it; he couldn’t explain it to those who were questioning him. His reasoning for coming forward was because he wanted help; the crime had in fact eaten away at him. After his confession, Walter was charged with murder in the first degree. But the legal teams validated that PTSD is a legitimate mitigating factor to reduce a charge from murder to manslaughter.

The prosecution recognized and believed this murder probably would not have happened if not for PTSD. The Speirs family learned from the prosecution that there was a lack of physical evidence, that most likely a jury would be sympathetic to a war vet with PTSD, and that these factors could lead to a not guilty verdict. As a result, the family agreed to a plea deal and a sentence was negotiated; Walter Smith received 1 to 15 years in prison. The sentence automatically gave the Speir family custody of the two children. The family felt the sentence was weak but ultimately they wanted to protect the children. Detectives wanted the public to remember that this was still a homicide and the PTSD didn’t cause this. Walter began serving his sentence in the fall of 2007. Four years later, his family and the Speirs family attended his parole hearing; Walter wasn’t allowed to look at any of them. As he sat hunched and humbled, he was asked if there was anything he wanted to say. He was silent at first but then he finally said that he didn’t disagree with what the family wanted including spending all 15 years in prison because he deserved it. He also said he was truly sorry for what he did. Walter Smith’s parole was turned down and he will spend the entire fifteen years in prison.

Did the status as a Marine with PTSD shape the way this crime was handled?

Learn more: Complex Post Traumatic Stress and Dissociation in Military and Veteran Populations

The PTSD Defense:

Vet with PTSD dissociates, overreacts, self defense
Vet with PTSD dissociates, blames suicidal thoughts & pain, unravels
Vet who is violent criminal, doesn’t have PTSD, yet uses as defense
Vet who is violent criminal & has PTSD, yet would have committed crime regardless because violent criminal first (who happens to have PTSD)
How do we differentiate between dissociation & violent criminal activity?
When do we apply PTSD as a mitigating factor in homicide cases?
PTSD doesn’t cause crime, the propensity to harm is innate, can have both
Although manslaughter is lesser offense, it is still a homicide
Is it fair to use mitigating circumstances like PTSD, crime of passion, jealousy, etc. when the end result was murder? Impact on victim’s family.

“Walter Smith is a Marine Corps soldier just back from Iraq. Diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Walter finds comfort in the arms of young artist Nicole Speirs. But in the darkest recesses of the mind, their cruel fate is already decided.” -Discovery ID

Sheila LaBarre Murdered Army Veteran Kenneth Countie at Epping, New Hampshire Farm; Sentenced to Life in Prison for Two Homicides (March 21, 2006)

On March 21, 2006August 24, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, VeteransLeave a comment

Epping, New Hampshire police were looking for a young man reported missing by his family. They searched for him at his last known whereabouts at Sheila LaBarre’s farm in March 2006. During the search of the farm, they found a burn pit still smoldering on the property and what appeared to be human bone and flesh in the burn pit. But, wouldn’t know for sure until it was tested. This was the first clue that a crime had been committed on this property. Epping, NH is typically a quiet New England town, until Sheila LaBarre showed up. Sheila was incredibly confident and charming and caught the attention of wealthy doctor Wilfred ‘Bill’ LaBarre. He placed a lonely hearts ad in a newspaper and Sheila responded with topless photos of herself.

It wasn’t long before she moved from Alabama to Dr. LaBarre’s 100 plus acre horse farm in New Hampshire. After some digging, local reporter Kevin Flynn discovered Sheila was a demanding partner, she was a really mean person, and had an unnatural control over people. People in Dr. LaBarre’s life told him to ditch her but he just couldn’t. She took complete control over him and started asking for Power of Attorney and rewriting the will, eventually she was the executor. A few years later, the Doctor died of what the coroner called heart disease but Bill LaBarre’s family thinks Sheila used poison to speed up the process so she could get her hands on the farm, his Chiropractor business, and other properties he owned in New Hampshire. Despite never marrying Bill LaBarre, Sheila changed her name to his and inherited everything.

Soon Shiela started enticing young men to share the work at the farm, and her bed. Neighbors witnessed what they observed as badly beaten men walking up and down the road near the farm. District Attorney Kristen Wilson said the farm became a sadistic playground because it was isolated and with Sheila, it was always about control. Sheila took advantage of young men and men who were trusting and vulnerable. She went to a homeless shelter initially to find them. In February 2006, Sheila was on the prowl for a new victim, someone innocent and defenseless, someone like Army veteran Kenneth ‘Kenny’ Countie. Kenny’s mother shared that Kenny was indeed a kind and trusting soul. Unfortunately, he had a low IQ and a child like trust that led him into a deadly trap.

Kenny called Shiela about work on the farm and after a few phone calls, he was serious about her. Sheila promised more than just work to entice him and picked him up at his home in Massachusetts. Kenny moved to her New Hampshire farm and was never seen again. Sheila used her seductive qualities to attract her victims, then she isolated them, and then she began the psychological and physical torture. A few nights before 24-year-old Kenny died, Sheila took Kenny shopping at a local Wal-Mart and the employees were concerned. Kenny couldn’t walk, he had bruises all over his face, and his complexion was an odd shade of green. Sheila was making a ruckus at the store so they called the police department but Kenny didn’t ask the police for help when they arrived because he was under Sheila’s spell. After the encounter in the store, Kenny was never seen alive again.

Late one night, Sheila called the police to report that Kenny Countie was a “child molester” and a “pervert.” She seemed frantic and from what the police learned, she obsessively recorded everything she did. She played some tapes for the police over the phone. It sounded as if Kenny was being interrogated and vomiting. Of course, Sheila said he was faking the vomiting and again accused him of being a “pedophile.” The reality was Kenny wasn’t a pedophile or pervert but Sheila had to fantasize that the men she killed were pedophiles so she could justify the murder. Police investigated the situation the next day but didn’t realize Kenny was already dead. Prosecutors theorized that when Kenny finally stood up for himself, it most likely triggered Sheila into a homicidal rage. After police obtained a search warrant, they observed blood spatter and blood smears in the house but didn’t know who it belonged to until it was tested.

They would eventually learn that Sheila calmly sat on the night of March 21, 2006 and watched Kenny Countie burn after she stabbed him, dismembered him, and set his body on fire in her backyard on a mattress. Despite Sheila trying hard to destroy Kenny’s body, forensic evidence gave her away. Police compared the blood spatter found in the home and the bone and flesh found in the burn pit with DNA the U.S. Army had on file and it was a match. During the search of Sheila LaBarre’s property, the police also found a wallet in the septic tank that belonged to Michael Deloge, another young man who had fallen prey to Sheila. In June 2008, Sheila LaBarre was convicted of the pre-meditated murders of Michael Deloge and Kenneth Countie and is currently serving two life sentences in prison. Although prosecutors only had evidence to convict Shelia LaBarre of two murders, it is believed there are more.

In the News:

A Connecticut family is hoping to learn what happened to a loved one who used to live with Sheila LaBarre, the woman accused of killing and dismembering a man on her Epping farm. -WMUR-TV (May 31, 2007)

A woman charged with killing a man and incinerating his body admitted in court that the state has enough evidence to convict her of not one but two killings. -WMUR-TV (February 15, 2008)

The Sheila LaBarre trial got underway with a trip to LaBarre’s Epping farm and the Wal-Mart where Kenneth Countie was last seen alive. -WMUR-TV (February 15, 2008)

A woman charged with killing a man and incinerating his body admitted in court that the state has enough evidence to convict her of not one but two killings. -WMUR-TV (February 15, 2008)

The defense in the Sheila LaBarre trial made their opening statements. -WMUR-TV (May 19, 2008)

Sheila LaBarre appeards to roll her head back and laugh as tape recordings are played in court. -WMUR-TV (May 19, 2008)

Lynn Noojin, Sheila LaBarre’s sister, testified that that two suffered abuse at the hand of their father as they grew up. -WMUR-TV (May 19, 2008)

Sheila LaBarre is sentenced after being found Sane and Guilty in connection with the killings of Michael Deloge and Kenneth Countie. -WMUR-TV (June 27, 2008)

The state Supreme Court heard an appeal Wednesday from a woman convicted of killing two men on her Epping, N.H., farm. -WMUR-TV (January 13, 2010)

The mother of one of the victims of Sheila LaBarre is telling her son’s story, saying he was more than the pictures shown during the trial. -WMUR-TV (May 28, 2010)

The mother of one of Sheila LaBarre’s victims hand-delivered a petition to the state Attorney General’s Office on Friday accusing Epping police of “gross negligence” in how they handled the case. -WMUR-TV (August 31, 2012)

A decade after the arrest of Sheila LaBarre, those who worked the case said the memories are still with them. -WMUR-TV (March 31, 2016)

Arts & Entertainment:

Kevin Flynn discusses his book Wicked Intentions, an account of real-life serial murderer Sheila LaBarre. -MacmillanUSA (April 25, 2011)

14 :: Sheila LaBarre Part 1 :: w\ Kate from Ignorance Was Bliss (July 5, 2018)

How to spot women who are master manipulators so you don’t compromise your values, what you want and end up being manipulated, used, abused, taken advantage of and tossed aside after they are done with you. -Coach Corey Wayne (May 24, 2017)

Investigation Discovery:

Preview: This cougar uses her feminine wiles to get the attention of young men, breaks them down and leaves their remains. -Master Manipulators, Deadly Women (S4,E6)

Video Links:
Searching For Sheila’s Missing Man
LaBarre Admits State Can Convict Of Two Killings
LaBarre Undergoes Third Psychiatric Evaluation
Sheila LaBarre Trial Begins With Trip To Wal-Mart, Farm
Jury Visits Wal-Mart, Farm On Day One Of LaBarre Trial
Part 1: Video Shows Interior Of Sheila LaBarre’s House
Part 2: Video Shows Interior Of Sheila LaBarre’s House
Part 3: Video Shows Interior Of Sheila LaBarre’s House
Part 4: Video Shows Interior Of Sheila LaBarre’s House
Part 5: Video Shows Interior Of Sheila LaBarre’s House
Prosecutors Make Opening Statements In LaBarre Trial
LaBarre Appears To Laugh As Recordings Are Played
Court Ends Early As LaBarre Has Reaction To Tapes
Rogers: LaBarre’s Conversations Had A Pedophilia Theme
Rogers: LaBarre’s Ideas “Outlandish”
Psychiatrist Explains “Rabbit Or Pedophile” Comment
Rogers On Progression Of Deteriorating Mental State
LaBarre’s Defense Makes Openings Statements
LaBarre’s Sister Testifies About Father’s Abuse
Sister Describes LaBarre’s Stay At Hospital
Noojin: LaBarre Thought She Was Reincarnated Witch
Sheila LaBarre Sentenced
Mother Says Countie Was Always Smiling
Lawyers Say Police Violated LaBarre’s Privacy
LaBarre victim’s mother accuses of police of negligence
Sheila LaBarre’s Farm Auctioned Off
Remembering Sheila LaBarre case, 10 years later
Serial Killer Sheila Labarre’s House – Farmhand’s Nightmare
Serial Killer Sheila Labarre, House of Horror Now
Book Trailer for “Wicked Intentions”
Kevin Flynn on Wicked Intentions, the story of Sheila LaBarre
Wicked Intentions: The Sheila LaBarre Murders by Kevin Flynn (A True Story)
Red Flags – Coach Corey Wayne
Master Manipulators – Coach Corey Wayne
Deadly Women – Cougar Seduces, Tortures and Kills Men (Preview)
Master Manipulators | Shiela LaBarre | Female Killers (S4, E6)
Master Manipulators | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (website)
Master Manipulators | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Killing Farm | Killer Instinct | Amazon (S1,E4)

Eddie Makdessi Convicted of Two Counts of 1st Degree Murder in Virginia; Given Two Life Sentences for the Homicides of Navy Sailors Elise Makdessi & Quincy Brown (March 16, 2006)

On March 16, 2006July 7, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Cold Cases, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, ScandalsLeave a comment

Eddie Makdessi.jpg — Eddie Makdessi, U.S. Navy Spouse (photo courtesy of 48 Hours NCIS)

Navy Petty Officer Elise Makdessi worked as an Air Traffic Controller at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia. Elise was married to Eddie Makdessi for five years and they lived off base in Virginia Beach. Elise unknowingly helped plan, organize, and carry out her own murder and it is unclear if she was a willing participant in the original plot with Eddie to scam the government out of money or if she was controlled by Eddie. Eddie Makdessi murdered Elise Makdessi and Navy Petty Officer Quincy Brown on May 14, 1996 as part of an elaborate scam. The whole thing was a set up. Elise thought she was part of an arrangement where she would invite Quincy Brown to the house, have sex with him, then accuse him of rape. She also manufactured evidence to make it look like she was documenting sexual abuse in an effort to sue the Navy and make millions. She had journals and created what looked like a rehearsed video outlining what four Navy men, including Quincy Brown, did to her on the job.

Five years earlier in 1991 the Navy Tailhook scandal in Nevada made national headlines. Navy Lieutenant Paula Coughlin was one of the alleged victims who went public with her story. Two years before Elise and Quincy were murdered, Paula Coughlin won 1.7 millionafter suing the Las Vegas Hilton hotel where the Tailhook Association convention was held. Eddie must have convinced Elise that they too could make millions if they alleged that Elise was sexually assaulted on the job. What they didn’t realize is that you can’t sue the Navy; Coughlin won a lawsuit against the Hilton hotel. The Feres Doctrine prevents any soldier or their family from suing the Department of Defense for compensatory damages. Investigators believe that knowledge of this information gave Eddie and Elise Makdessi the motive to come up with the false accusation scheme to sue the Navy. Eddie was a scammer and always looking for new ways to make quick money. Elise didn’t know she was double crossed until Eddie was plunging the knife. A month before the murders, Eddie purchased $700,000 worth of life insurance on Elise.

Eddie and Elise Makdessi invited Petty Officer Quincy Brown over to the house under the guise of having a threesome. DNA evidence revealed that Elise and Quincy Brown had sex. Investigators would learn that Eddie shot Quincy first, then stabbed Elise. He hurt himself to make it appear that Quincy invaded the house, knocked him out, raped and killed Elise, and then he awoke from unconsciousness and shot the intruder. Eddie staged the crime scene and he almost got away with it. But investigators figured out this was a ‘set up’ based on the crime scene evidence, interviews with Elise’s co-workers, the video tape, and the large insurance policy. They were also savvy enough to recognize that this was a copycat case. Elise’s sexual harassment and sexual assault claims were in fact fabricated. All the men she accused of sex crimes in the video passed a polygraph examination and her supervisors testified that Elise never reported sexual harassment or sexual assault like she claimed in her video testimony. Unfortunately Quincy Brown was the pawn they used in their game and he never got the chance to see that the allegations were proven false.

Eddie was indicted in 2001. But by the time investigators were ready to arrest Eddie Makdessi for the murder of Elise Makdessi and Quincy Brown, Eddie had fled the country. They eventually caught up with him in Russia. Unfortunately, Russia did not have an extradition treaty with the United States so police could not force Eddie to come back to the states. Mike Mather, an investigative reporter, went to Russia to interview Makdessi and learned that he was remarried with a child yet things weren’t going so well for Eddie financially in Russia. After that interview, Eddie decided to leave his wife and child in Russia and go back to America to face the charges. He was going to prove his innocence and clear his name. He was sure he would beat the charges. It would be ten years after he committed the first degree murders of Elise and Quincy Brown before he went to trial. On March 16, 2006, Eddie Makdessi was convicted of two counts of murder, sentenced to life in prison, and ordered to pay a $202,500 fine. The motive was the life insurance money. He used the $700,000 payout to travel the world before settling in Russia. Eddie continues to deny committing the crimes.

Elise Makdessi’s sister, Dawn Crosby, asked the jury to “show Eddie Makdessi that my sister’s life was worth more than $700,000.” –The Virginia-Pilot (March 17, 2006)

Victims:

P.O. Elise Makdessi, U.S. Navy

P.O. Quincy Brown, U.S. Navy

Forensic Files:

Full Episode: Virginia Beach police arrive at the Makdessi apartment to find Elise Makdessi and her lover, Quincy Brown, dead. Elise’s husband Eddie had reported that he killed Quincy Brown in self-defense after Brown had murdered Elise. Eddie gave the police a videotape Elise had made a week before, alleging that she had been the victim of sexual harassment. -Double Cross, Forensic Files (S13,E5)

Investigation Discovery:

Paramedics respond to a horrific crime scene – a woman is found tied to a bed with slashes across her body. Next to her on the floor, a man with three gunshot wounds. Detectives spend the next several years unraveling this bizarre mystery. -Last Man Standing, Solved (S2,E10)

When a Naval Officer is apparently raped and stabbed by a coworker, a mysterious VHS tape suggests the victim may have been silenced to prevent a scandal. Dogged investigation and cutting edge forensic science reveals a shocking murder plot. -Deadly Accusations, Unusual Suspects (S7,E4)

Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch all of the Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. Download the ID Go app and binge away. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $2.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict.

Navy Reservist Paul Berkley Murdered While Home on Leave From Middle East; Wife Monique Berkley Sentenced to Life in Prison (December 18, 2005)

On December 18, 2005August 24, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, Stateside DeathLeave a comment

Navy Reservist Paul Berkley was murdered by his wife, Monique Wallace Berkley, her teenage lover, and his friend in Raleigh, North Carolina on December 18, 2005. Paul was home for Christmas on leave from a deployment in the Middle East. Monique, Andrew Deshawn Canty, and Latwon Darrell Johnson were all charged with first degree murder. The motive was the $400,000 Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance payout. Monique pleaded guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. The state announced it was going to seek the death penalty if Berkley had gone to trial. Andrew Canty pleaded guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Latwon Darrell Johnson pleaded guilty to second degree murder and conspiracy to commit first degree murder. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison. Johnson appealed his sentence claiming that it was too harsh given his role in the slaying and his cooperation with police and prosecutors.

Paul Berkley survived his deployment in the Middle East without any injury, but he couldn’t survive one week with his wife Monique. -Profiler Candice DeLong

Oxygen:

A military wife is caught in deadly love triangle. -Monique Berkley, Snapped, Oxygen (S8,E8)

Investigation Discovery:

The young and wild Monique Wallace is married to 40-year-old Paul Berkley, a navy reservist and father of two in suburban North Carolina. But with Paul leaving on a mission overseas, temptation and lust will lead them all down a dark path to murder. -Rules of Engagement, Scorned: Love Kills (S2,E7)

Some women like others to do their dirty work. A drama queen brings her love triangle to a permanent end; an intimate betrayal turns friends into deadly foes; and a loose woman will do anything to protect her freedom. -Murder for Me, Deadly Women (S9,E11)

Shaun Cleland, US Army (2005)

On October 2, 2005September 13, 2016 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, HomicideLeave a comment

Army soldier Shaun Cleland was found guilty of the first degree murder of David Heinricht on October 2, 2005 in Ohio. He was sentenced to life in prison.

Shaun Cleland’s military career separates him from his young bride. And when they each take lovers, someone is bound to lose it all. -Discovery ID

Marine Corps Reservist Rosendo Rodriguez Murdered Summer Baldwin and Unborn Child; Sentenced to Death in Texas (September 13, 2005)

On September 13, 2005September 13, 2020 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, USMCLeave a comment

Summer Baldwin and Rosendo Rodriguez, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve

On September 13, 2005, Summer Baldwin, 29, was found in a suitcase in a landfill in Lubbock, Texas. After an extensive investigation, authorities zeroed in on US Marine Corps Reservist Rosendo Rodriguez. In the course of the investigation, Rodriguez also admitted to murdering Joanna Rogers, 16, on May 4, 2004 in Lubbock Texas. Rodriguez was found guilty of two capital murders: Summer Baldwin and her unborn baby. Rosendo Rodriguez was sentenced to death in the State of Texas. Rodriguez appealed his death penalty conviction but a federal court denied the request in May 2017. Rosendo Rodriguez was executed on March 27, 2018. Rodriguez was never prosecuted for the murder of Joanna Rogers.

On September 13, 2005, the Lubbock Texas landfill discovered the dead body of a female in a suitcase. The horrified foreman called the police and they rushed to the scene. The police believed that any human being that can do this to another human being is the lowest form of life. Police were angered by the injuries and pain Summer must have suffered with. She most likely died 48 hours prior to the discovery of her body. Police noted the landfill is not a sanitary place and it makes it difficult to collect forensic evidence. Investigators had to turn to her body to find clues. The medical examiner found a tattoo ‘Summer’ on her wrist and they entered her fingerprints in the system in the hopes they could determine who she was. They learned the deceased individual was Summer Baldwin. The police now had the difficult task of informing her mother 200 miles away in Roswell, New Mexico.

Summer grew up in New Mexico. She studied cosmetology and eventually ended up in Lubbock, Texas near her Aunt Terri to make a life for herself. Aunt Terri shared that Summer was only in Lubbock for 3 or 4 days and that was the last time she saw her. Upon the examination of Summer’s body, it was noted there were very obvious injuries to her body and she fought back against her attacker. She was severely beaten before she died and was thrown out like garbage. It broke her family’s heart to learn that she suffered so much before dying. Anyone could have done it and police needed leads. They began with the garbage collection employees to determine which dumpster she had been found in. The police looked at CCTV but the footage was useless. The medical examiner also determined that Summer was about five weeks pregnant. In Texas, this was a double homicide.

To investigators, an unborn child meant there was a father out there and a potential suspect. The police started reaching out to friends and family to learn more about Summer’s life and the one name that kept surfacing was Margie Estrada. Police would learn the two were inseparable friends. After informing a shocked Margie that Summer was dead, she was quick to offer up a suspect, Laquincy Freeman. Summer and Laquincy were boyfriend/girlfriend and known for stints of verbal altercations. He was definitely someone police needed to question if they could track him down. Finally they obtained an address for him so they picked Laquincy up for questioning. At this point, he was considered the prime suspect. He seemed strangely calm about Summer’s death but he admitted they dated, broke up, and he moved on. He wasn’t anywhere near his ex at the time of her murder. Police ask him to take a lie detector test and he passed with no signs of deception. The police let him go.

After some time passed, Summer’s best friend Margie went back to the police station because she felt she left out an important detail. She said she spotted Summer at a 7-11 convenience store and she was with a man she had never seen before. But she was able to describe him as a light skinned Hispanic who was clean cut. Margie said Summer drove off with him and provided a scant description of the vehicle: a red pick-up. Police chased this lead and headed to the 7-11 convenience store to look at the CCTV video footage. They hoped it would help them determine who was with Summer that night and maybe even what he was driving. The detectives catch a break and spot the red pick-up truck at about 11:30 p.m.; they are able to determine it’s most likely a Dodge Ram but couldn’t see Summer or ID the driver.

Detectives next turned to the suitcase to see if they could find any evidence. They observed the suitcase appeared to be new as if it was recently purchased. They found a UPC code on the inside and hoped it was traceable. They learned Wal-Mart was the only store that carried that suitcase and there were only two Wal-Marts in Lubbock. They headed to the stores and learned that specific suitcase was sold a couple of times, one in the afternoon and one at 3 a.m., a couple hours after Summer was spotted at the 7-11. Detectives combed through the CCTV video footage at Wal-Mart and saw the suitcase being purchased in the afternoon but couldn’t see the person. But they were able to track down the purchaser via a Wal-Mart loyalty card. This person came back clean so they moved on to the suitcase purchased at 3:20 a.m.

When they were viewing the CCTV video footage, all the police could see was a Hispanic male with a military haircut purchasing a suitcase. But when they looked closer, this same person made a second purchase; they would learn via other video footage in the store that the second purchase was a box of latex gloves. This was consistent with someone who didn’t want to get caught. In hindsight, this was a chilling combination. Now they needed to tie this individual to a red truck so they used outside CCTV video footage to track his movements in the parking lot. They observed this man calmly walk out, dragging the suitcase in hand, and he headed towards a dark colored pick-up truck. They couldn’t make out the vehicle on his way out but they were able to determine the make of the pick-up truck on his way into the Wal-Mart parking lot. But the footage was too blurry to give them a license plate number. Police were certain they had their man.

The Lubbock police zeroed in on their new suspect. They had him on camera and observed he used a debit or credit card to make the suitcase purchase. The police had to get a search warrant for the bank so they could determine who owned that card. The card belonged to Rosendo Rodriguez, a 25 year old whose permanent residence was 400 miles away in San Antonio, Texas. The debit card also reveals Rodriguez made another purchase in Lubbock on the day of Summer’s murder. It was a purchase at the same 7-11 Summer had been spotted at prior to her murder. The video footage police collected was crucial because it proved that Rodriguez was in the general vicinity on the day of the murder. After getting a name, police learned Rodriguez was a Reservist with the US Marine Corps and his reserve unit was based in Lubbock, Texas. Police contacted the Marines and learn that Rodriguez did not stay on base because he normally stays at a Holiday Inn.

The Holiday Inn Rodriguez usually stayed at just happened to be across the street from the same 7-11 where he made a purchase the day Summer Baldwin was last seen alive. Investigators raced to the hotel but Rodriguez had already checked out but they were able to search his hotel room. The police called in the forensic’s team for assistance and they found a patch of dry blood, a Wal-Mart bag, and some latex gloves. Now, detectives were ready to arrest Rosendo Rodriguez. And it wasn’t hard because he was at his mother’s house. Once questioned, he talked and told a very self serving story. He admitted to taking Summer back to his room and having consensual sex with her. But then he claims they got into an argument and she pulled a knife out on him. In self-defense, he put her in a choke hold and she still wouldn’t drop the knife. Eventually she stopped fighting and dropped to the floor.

Rosendo’s statement to the police did not match the medical examiner’s findings whatsoever. The police deduced Rodriguez was just a liar. Rodriguez even had an excuse for the blood at the scene; he claimed Summer had a nose bleed. Everything Rodriguez said was inconsistent with the forensic evidence. In March 2008, Rosendo Rodriguez went on trial in Texas for two capital murders: Summer and her unborn child. Shockingly, Rodriguez also admitted to killing Joanna Rogers. She was someone that had been missing since 2004 and it appeared that he murdered Joanna and Summer in the same way. Rodriguez had an excuse for Joanna’s murder too. He claimed she started raising her voice so he put his hands around her throat and choked her. On April 1st, 2008, Rosendo Rodriguez was found guilty of two capital murders in Texas and sentenced to death. Summer’s mom is devastated by the loss and said she was patiently awaiting the execution date. Rosendo Rodriguez III was executed by the State of Texas on March 27, 2018.

Source: Last Look of Summer, See No Evil, Investigation Discovery

Investigation Discovery:

When a young woman is found dead in a Texas landfill, detectives race to discover the killer behind the brutal crime. With no leads, police turn to their only witnesses: video cameras that captured the murderer’s chilling attempt to cover his tracks. -Last Look of Summer, See No Evil (S3,E6)

Air Force SSgt Michael Severance Fatally Drugged by Wife in Texas; Wendi Davidson Plead ‘No Contest’ to 1st Degree Murder, Sentenced to 25 Years (January 15, 2005)

On January 15, 2005June 24, 2018 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, USAF2 Comments

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — SSgt Michael Severance, US Air Force

Air Force SSgt. Michael Severance was poisoned with animal medications by his veterinarian wife Wendi Davidson on January 15, 2005 in San Angelo, Texas. SSgt. Severance enlisted with the United States Air Force in 1998 and was a flying crew chief stationed at Dyess Air Force Base. He met Wendi at a local club and they hit it off right away. Shortly after meeting, she got pregnant with his child. Michael wanted to do the right thing so he eventually married Wendi and moved in with her in a small apartment attached to her new Veterinarian Clinic. He commuted 90 miles one way to the base where he worked. Michael was reported missing to the local police on January 16th after his wife Wendi informed Michael’s parents that she wouldn’t make the flight to Maine with him for a visit with their child because he was nowhere to be found. She cancelled the flights for all three of them. Michael’s parents also called the base to report him missing but Air Force leadership informed them that their hands were tied until he was considered Absent Without Leave (AWOL). After Michael’s leave was up 8 days later and he didn’t return to duty, he was officially considered AWOL. This prompted the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) to join forces with the local civilian authorities. Wendi led all the investigators to believe that Mike had deserted the military. She claimed that he didn’t want to go back to Iraq and was thinking about heading to Canada. Michael, Wendi, and their child were planning a trip to visit his parents in Maine because Mike was scheduled to deploy to the Middle East after returning from the trip.

The San Angelo police department investigators visited Wendi at her veterinarian clinic on January 17, 2005. Wendi told them Mike had been drinking lately and was out all the time, but investigators observed that all of his personal belongings were still at their shared apartment. On January 18th, Wendi filed divorce papers and attempted to get a restraining order against Mike. Civilian investigators were suspicious of Wendi and believed that she was cold and calculating. They gave her a polygraph test but the results came back inconclusive. Once Mike’s leave was up and he was considered officially AWOL, AFOSI joined the San Angelo police department investigation. AFOSI doubted that Michael was a deserter and would just up and leave. In the meantime, the San Angelo police department put a GPS tracking device on Wendi’s car. They learned that on February 7th, Wendi traveled to a remote area owned by a friend of hers. Because investigators considered Wendi a person of interest, they traveled to the location where she had been and found a large retaining pond on the property. In March 2005, investigators were able to look at the search history on Wendi’s computer and learned that Wendi had done a search for ‘decomposition of bodies’ and ‘how to pass a lie detector test’. Investigator’s confronted Wendi but didn’t buy her story so they started turning up the heat. Wendi appeared to dismiss the investigators and then after the interview left the vet clinic in a hurry. She traveled back to her friend’s remote property but this time the police were there to make sure she wasn’t able to disturb a potential crime scene while they worked on obtaining a search warrant.

In the meantime, Wendi confided in her brother Marshall. She told him that she came home and found Mike dead. She said she was scared so she disposed of his body. But her brother didn’t buy her story either and reported her to the police. On March 6th, law enforcement searched the pond on her friend’s property and found Michael Severance’s body anchored down with cinder blocks. When they searched Wendi’s home and business, they found a knife, rope, drug log book, and bottles of medication. Wendi was arrested for the murder of Mike Severance and after 32 days behind bars, her parents raised the $500,000 bond to get her released. Investigators learned that they had only been married for four months when she murdered him. Wendi gave birth to her first child in October 2001. In December 2003, she met Michael and eventually got pregnant but Michael wasn’t ready to settle down or get married quite yet. And Wendi’s parents apparently didn’t like Mike and labeled him lazy and disrespectful; they did not want Wendi to marry him. In September 2004, Wendi gave birth to their son and they were quietly married twelve days later at the courthouse. Two weeks later, Wendi purchased a veterinarian clinic and Mike moved in with her, despite the commute 90 miles one way to work at the base. Shortly after moving in, Mike was sent to Airman Leadership School in Wichita Falls and then he got orders to go to the Middle East. Mike planned a vacation to Maine in January 2005 so his parents could meet his new wife and child, their grandchild, before he was deployed overseas. After Mike returned from Airman Leadership School shortly before their trip to Maine, he observed that Wendi was cold towards him and her mother made it clear that she didn’t like Mike and she didn’t want Wendi going to Maine.

The coroner was not able to determine if there was physical trauma to Mike’s body due to decomposition. But an autopsy revealed that Michael overdosed on drugs usually found in an animal clinic. They found Phenobarbital and B-Euthanasia in his system and he was stabbed 41 times after he was dead. Investigators learned from Wendi’s google searches that Mike was most likely stabbed post mortem so his body wouldn’t float to the surface in the pond. Wendi was arrested again on April 15th for evidence tampering after police learned she falsified log records at the animal clinic so she could justify taking the medication she used to kill her husband. Her bail was now $100,000 per tampering. In the meantime, her family arranged for her to have a privately administered polygraph. On May 24th, a grand jury indicted Wendi for murder and shortly after she was released on bond again. While awaiting trial, on August 20th, Wendi was arrested for child endangerment. One of her children got lost while looking for her; she was out at a night club. She spent another night in jail. In preparation for trial, prosecutors theorized that Wendi concocted her homicidal plan on January 14th. She asked Mike out to dinner on January 15th and then afterwards they went to a bar where they drank and danced. Upon return to their residence, prosecutors believe that Wendi mixed Phenobarbital in his drink. After he was unconscious, she plunged a syringe full of B-Euthanasia into his chest. Then she had to get rid of his body so she drove him out to the pond on her friend’s property and used fishing line to tie cinder blocks to his body. From google searches she learned that gases will make the body float so she went back to the retainer pond and stabbed him 41 times to release the gases; she attached more weight to his body.

Wendi Mae Davidson was looking at 9 to 99 years in prison so instead of going to trial, she plead ‘no contest’ which also left things open for appeal. Her lawyers argued the validity of the search warrants and believed that the GPS tracker was placed in an illegal manner; the resulting evidence was fruit of the poisonous tree. Wendi Davidson was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison. She also received an additional 10 years for evidence tampering. Investigators and prosecutors were somewhat baffled with the motive for this crime and because Wendi plead ‘no contest’, we may never know the real reason she murdered Mike. Authorities theorized that maybe Wendi was motivated to kill because Mike Severance wanted to leave her. They theorized that Wendi’s mother didn’t like Mike so instead of divorcing him, she killed him. They also theorized that Wendi and her family wanted custody of the child with no incident. It’s important to note that Michael’s family believes Wendi also wanted the $500,000 life insurance payout. This was an unusual case because Wendi never had any known predisposition or tendency for violence but Mike’s family believes that her mother specifically had something to do with Wendi committing the murder. The question remains why didn’t she just divorce him instead of killing him?

Wendi may have made this decision because control and financial motive is a common motive for murder. It was noted that Wendi met Mike at a bar and shortly thereafter became pregnant; he may have been targeted for exploitation. It was noted that Wendi was in debt after purchasing a new animal clinic providing the motive for financial gain. It was noted that the crime was premeditated as evidenced by her plan to steal the medications from her animal clinic used to kill Mike. It was noted that Mike was murdered only four months after marrying Wendi; was he a means to an end? It was noted that Wendi’s parents didn’t like Mike and their beliefs may have been the fuel to light the fire; she may have been manipulated because she didn’t want to defy or disappoint them, afraid of the consequences. It was noted by Mike’s family that Wendi was the recipient of the life insurance policy. It was noted that Wendi attempted to manipulate the investigation and make Mike out to be someone he was not; even going so far as to get a restraining order a couple days after she killed him. Wendi Davidson does appear to be cold and calculating. Wendi Davidson appears to be a sociopath; but she exercised her right to remain silent in another attempt to abuse the process, she knows how the system works. As a result, she is eligible for parole in April 2019; she will be 41 years old.

Source: Nightmare Next Door ‘The Unwelcome Wagon’

Preview: When Staff Sgt. Michael Severance goes AWOL the community of San Angelo rallies around his new bride. But there is something more sinister behind his disappearance, and investigators uncover a saga of treachery and passion as big as the state of Texas. -Nightmare Next Door, Investigation Discovery (S10 E2)

When Staff Sgt. Michael Severance goes AWOL the community of San Angelo rallies around his new bride. But there is something more sinister behind his disappearance, and investigators uncover a saga of treachery and passion as big as the state of Texas. -Nightmare Next Door, Investigation Discovery (S10 E2)

Former Air Force Reservist Michelle Theer Convicted of Murder of Husband Frank Theer; Sentenced to Life in Prison, No Parole (December 3, 2004)

On December 3, 2004August 25, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Homicide, Scandals, USAFLeave a comment

Michelle,September,2007(2) — Michelle Theer

Former Air Force Reservist Michelle Theer was indicted in 2002 for first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of her husband Air Force Captain Marty Theer on December 17, 2000. Theer was accused of killing her husband with her lover, Army Special Forces soldier John Diamond. In August 2001, John Diamond was found guilty by a military jury of first degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Around the date of the 2002 indictment, Michelle, who had moved to New Orleans since the murder, left Louisiana to “start a new life.” Michelle moved to Florida where she rented an apartment and had plastic surgery performed under an assumed name.

The police located and arrested Michelle Theer in August 2002 and her trial concluded on December 3, 2004. The jury returned verdicts of guilty of first-degree murder by aiding and abetting and of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. The motive for the homicide was an early attempt to collect Marty’s $500,000 Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance policy. The prosecutor ascertained Michelle manipulated John Diamond into murdering her husband. Diamond was accused of shooting Marty multiple times execution style as he ascended a stairwell at Michelle’s place of employment in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The civilian trial court sentenced Michelle Theer to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Investigation Discovery:

In 2000, Michelle Theer was an Air Force wife in the military town of Fayetteville until a fatal shooting made her a widow. The investigation into her husband’s death led police to the door of an Army Ranger – taking orders from very unlikely accomplices. -Fayetteville, Sins and Secrets (S2,E3)

Sexy psychologist and doting Air Force wife Michelle begins a swinging affair with Army Sgt. Diamond while her husband, Captain Marty Theer, is away. But all’s fair in love and war, and Marty’s return will remind them that love is a battlefield. -Sergeant Swinger, Scorned: Love Kills (S4,E1)

Oxygen:

A frantic, distraught woman runs into a video rental store screaming that her husband has been shot. -Michelle Theer & John Diamond, Killer Couples

Killer Couples: S8 E5 Preview – Michelle Theer and John Diamond | Oxygen

Killer Couples: S8 E5 After the Verdict – Michelle Theer and John Diamond | Oxygen

Psychologist Debbie Layton-Tholl talks about her experience meeting with Michelle Theer. -Michelle Theer & John Diamond, Killer Couples

A lonely military wife and psychologist go searching for sex on the Internet with deadly results. -Michelle Theer & John Diamond, Killer Couples (S8,E5)

MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL

Tag: Investigation Discovery

Air Force Retiree Michael Giles Fatally Shot and Buried in Backyard of Texas Home; Kwaneta Harris Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison (July 4, 2006)

Marine Veteran Robert McClancy Poisoned with PTSD Medications; Martha McClancy & Charles Kaczmarczyk Convicted of Fraud & Murder (May 15, 2006)

Retired Marine Walter Smith Drowned Girlfriend Nicole Speirs in Bathtub and Blamed Post Traumatic Stress; Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison (2006)

Sheila LaBarre Murdered Army Veteran Kenneth Countie at Epping, New Hampshire Farm; Sentenced to Life in Prison for Two Homicides (March 21, 2006)

Eddie Makdessi Convicted of Two Counts of 1st Degree Murder in Virginia; Given Two Life Sentences for the Homicides of Navy Sailors Elise Makdessi & Quincy Brown (March 16, 2006)

Navy Reservist Paul Berkley Murdered While Home on Leave From Middle East; Wife Monique Berkley Sentenced to Life in Prison (December 18, 2005)

Shaun Cleland, US Army (2005)

Marine Corps Reservist Rosendo Rodriguez Murdered Summer Baldwin and Unborn Child; Sentenced to Death in Texas (September 13, 2005)

Air Force SSgt Michael Severance Fatally Drugged by Wife in Texas; Wendi Davidson Plead ‘No Contest’ to 1st Degree Murder, Sentenced to 25 Years (January 15, 2005)

Former Air Force Reservist Michelle Theer Convicted of Murder of Husband Frank Theer; Sentenced to Life in Prison, No Parole (December 3, 2004)

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