Fort Hood Army Staff Sergeant Ellsworth Allen Raup III Died After Motorcycle Crashed Into the Back of a Van on U.S. 190 in Killeen, Texas (May 9, 2016)

Ellsworth Raup
Ellsworth Raup III, U.S. Army

Staff Sergeant Ellsworth Allen Raup III, 33, passed away suddenly on May 9th, 2016 in Killeen, Texas. According to KWTX 10, Staff Sergeant Raup was following a van too closely on U.S. 190 when it stopped suddenly and he didn’t have time to react. As a result, he slammed into the van with his motorcycle and was thrown through the rear window. Allen was born in Texas City, Texas on November 13th, 1982. He was an Eagle Scout and graduated from La Marque High School in 2001 where he was active in the ROTC program. After graduation, he married Dana Pacheco-Raup on October 29, 2001. He enlisted in the Marine Corps while still in high school and attended boot camp in November 2001. During his time in the Marines, he served two deployments, one to Iraq and one to Honduras. He transferred to the Army in 2010 and was trained as an EOD technician. Staff Sergeant Raup served as a team leader with the 797th Explosive Ordnance Division and was also attached to the 752nd Ordnance Company at Fort Hood. He was deployed twice with the Army, once to Iraq and once to Kuwait. Allen was awarded numerous medal and awards during his military career including commendations from the Army, Marines, and the Joint Services.

Source: Obituary, Carnes Funeral Home

Related Links:
Ellsworth Raup III | Legacy.com
Ellsworth Allen Raup III | Killeen Daily Herald
Obituary: SSG Ellsworth Raup (Nov 13, 1982 – May 9, 2016)
797th Ordnance Company – EOD Memorial
Motorcycle slams into rear of van; rider thrown through rear window
Missouri soldier killed in fatal accident in Texas
Army probing death of investigator at Fort Hood, 1 of 6 deaths at the base this year
Violent Crime, Suicide, and Non Combat Death at Fort Hood, Texas
Army Soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas Are Dying at Alarming Rates Stateside (January 1, 2016 to Present)

Fear Thy Neighbor Premiered ‘Burn Neighbor, Burn’ on ID: In Retaliation, Andrew Sindriewicz Burned Down Two Family Homes in New York (May 4, 2016)

ID Go: In peaceful Alden, New York, siblings who live in neighboring houses get into a conflict when their prodigal brother returns home. Soon, the family is at each other’s throats until their war finally comes to a shocking, fiery end. -Burn Neighbor, Burn, Fear Thy Neighbor (S3, E6)

Date: June 3, 2009
Victims: Helena & David Ward, Raymond Sindriewicz, and Holly & Dale Earsing
Offender: Andrew Sindriewicz, 49, Marine Corps veteran, disabled, caretaker for mother
Location: Alden, New York
Circumstances: Brothers Raymond and Andrew didn’t get along as they got older, Raymond moved in next-door with his sister Helena due to failing health, Andrew started blasting heavy metal music in the garage and Raymond asked him to turn down the music, Andrew would turn it down initially but after Raymond left, he turned it back up, Andrew harbored grudges, sister Helena described Andrew as menacing, Andrew had a dark side, Raymond collected furniture that he restored & sold at local flea markets, Andrew didn’t like all the junk collecting on his sister’s property, Andrew trimmed a tree that dropped on Raymond’s furniture but he wouldn’t admit he did it on purpose, Andrew refused to turn down loud music, Andrew and Raymond got in a physical altercation because of the loud music, Andrew was accidentally cut by the skill saw, Andrew became distraught about their oldest sister who died, Andrew pointed a gun at his sister Helena one night, Andrew suffered with anxiety, Andrew wouldn’t leave the house because he was afraid Raymond would shoot him, Helena called the police for fear that Andrew would commit suicide, instead Andrew was charged with menacing behavior and possession of a deadly weapon, Helena felt bad that he was arrested and went to bat for him at court, the charges are dropped, but Andrew didn’t forgive her, their mother died in the spring of 2007, Raymond was cut out of the will, Raymond felt betrayed that he got nothing and believed that Andrew manipulated their mom, Andrew and sister Helena inherited their mom’s house but Andrew had no money to maintain the house, Andrew wanted his niece and her family to move into the house and help him pay the bills, Andrew turned the garage into his permanent home after they moved in, Andrew started getting annoyed with the children and their messes, Andrew played loud music day after day and wouldn’t turn it down as if he was torturing everyone, niece Holly called the police on Andrew who pretended to be asleep, Holly hoped the issue was settled but it was not, Andrew was very upset that she called the police, the kids got a new puppy but Andrew was not happy because they didn’t ask his permission first, Andrew got his own dog and gave the dog commands to bite their dog, he hoped his dog would kill their dog, Dale confronted Andrew and they got in a fight, Andrew resorted to underhanded tactics like removing the A/C unit from the window, Andrew stopped talking to Holly and Dale, everyone was walking on eggshells, Andrew blasted his music later and later into the night so Holly & Dale shut off his power one night, Andrew tried breaking into their home and they called the police but he couldn’t be charged because it wasn’t criminal in nature, it was a nuisance, there was nothing the police could do to help Holly and Dale, Helena obtained a court order on June 2, 2009 allowing her to sell their mother’s property without Andrew’s say, Andrew was not happy, when Helena returned home the next day, her house was on fire, Dale and Holly’s home was also on fire, both homes were permanently damaged, the family pet was trapped inside and died, the garage apartment also was engulfed in flames, authorities initiated a manhunt for Andrew, the presumed arsonist, after the fire was out, firefighters discovered Andrew’s body in his mother’s home, after an investigation, the family learned that Andrew was seen filling gas cans in town, he poured gasoline all over the properties and then he cut the gas lines, Andrew also purposefully killed the dog and himself in the house fire, neither house was salvageable
Disposition: Andrew Sindriewicz died in the housefire, ruled suicide

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.

Related Links:
N.Y. family dispute ends with fiery death
Sibling dispute turns tragic, ending in arson and suicide Brother dies after setting fire to 2 homes
Fire rescue of man poses a puzzle
Burn Neighbor, Burn | Fear Thy Neighbor | Investigation Discovery (S3, E6)
Burn Neighbor, Burn | Fear Thy Neighbor | Investigation Discovery (website)
Burn Neighbor, Burn | Fear Thy Neighbor | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Fear Thy Neighbor: 23 Veteran Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

Osama El-Atari, One-Time Informant Who Got Marine Jorge Torrez to Confess to 3 Murders Including Amanda Snell, Found Dead in Vehicle; Three Suspects Arrested for Murder (February 16, 2016)

“A Virginia man found murdered in Maryland over the weekend was an informant who successfully got a Marine to confess to three murders in prison. Osama El-Atari had been reported missing by his family…Two days later, El Atari was found dead inside his truck…In August of 2010, the feds wanted to see if El-Atari could get Jorge Torrez, a Marine, to confess on tape to the murder of Amanda Jean Snell, a sailor who was found murdered in Fort Myer. El-Atari and Torrez were in the same cellblock in Arlington County Jail. The two talked for hours with El-Atari getting Torrez to admit to the vicious crime…El-Atari was also able to get Torrez to admit to the 2005 killing of two little girls in his hometown of Zion, Illinois. It is a crime in which a suspect had already confessed. Also, DNA evidence pointed to Torrez.” Read more from Fox 5 DC here.

Related Links:
Slain Va. man was one-time informant who got Marine to confess to murders
Admitted bank scammer who turned into jailhouse informant in terror, murder cases found slain in truck on Maryland street
VA Man Convicted of Scamming Banks for Millions Found Dead in MD
Police arrest 2 in slaying of freed jailhouse informant
Arrests made in murder of informant who got Marine to confess to murders
Third man arrested in Leesburg bank scammer’s death
Third man arrested in death of scam artist turned informant
3rd Suspect Arrested for Convicted Loudoun Restauranteur’s Murder
Robbery Cited as Motive in El-Atari Homicide
The King of Ashburn: The life and murder of a con man
Navy Petty Officer Amanda Snell Murdered by Marine Jorge Torrez in Barracks at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Virginia; Sentenced to Death by Federal Judge (July 13, 2009)

Bradley Stone, US Marine Corps Reserve Veteran, Methodically Killed His Wife & Five In-Laws in Pennsylvania, Then Two Days Later Killed Himself (2014)

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Bradley William Stone, USMC Reserve

On December 16, 2014, Bradley William Stone, a US Marine Corps veteran, killed his wife and five of his in-laws at three different locations throughout Montgomery County in Pennsylvania. After killing them he went on the run and it would be two days before he was found dead in the woods of an apparent suicide. He died from self inflicted knife wounds. The community breathed a sigh of relief after learning that he could no longer harm anyone else.

Patricia Flick, 36: An autopsy conducted found that she suffered gunshot wounds to her right forearm and to her face and a gaping “chop” wound to her head. The coroner determined the cause of death to be gunshot wounds to the arm and head.
Aaron Flick, 39: An autopsy found he suffered gunshot wounds to his right hand and his head and “chopping” wounds to his arm and his head, all of which caused his death.
Nina Flick, 14: An autopsy found she suffered 12 “chop” wounds to her head, which proved fatal, and one “chop” wound to the back of her neck.
Joanne Gilbert, 57: An autopsy found she suffered a gunshot wound to the face and her throat had been slashed; both wounds contributed to her death.
Patricia Hill, 75: An autopsy found she suffered a cutting wound to her left forearm and, the fatal wound, a gunshot wound near her right eye.
Nicole Hill Stone, 33: An autopsy found she suffered a gunshot wound to her hand and two gunshot wounds to her head. The coroner determined the cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds.

Related Links:
Bradley Stone: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
Surviving family in shock after Bradley Stone killings
Pennsylvania Shooting Suspect Never Saw Combat, Says Marine Who Served with Him
Bradley Stone: Pennsylvania Shootings Suspect Was ‘Odd’ And ‘Out There’ Fellow Marine Recalls
Relative: Anthony Flick Speaking, Knows Nothing of Shootings
Search continues for accused mass killer Bradley Stone
Police in Pa. search for man suspected of killing ex-wife, 5 former in-laws
Manhunt for ‘Armed and Dangerous’ Suspect in Pennsylvania Shooting Spree
Manhunt for Shooting Spree Suspect Bradley Stone Intensifies in 2nd Day
Bradley Michael Stone at large after Pennsylvania shooting spree killed 6 people
Iraq war veteran suspected in 6 fatal Pennsylvania shootings still at large
Police: Stone found dead
‘Sense Of Relief’ In Pennsylvania As Manhunt Ends
Iraq Vet Who Killed Ex-Wife and Five In-Laws Is Found Dead
PA Shooter Reportedly Found Dead in Woods of Apparent Suicide
Bradley Stone brutalized his seven victims, poisoned himself, authorities reveal
DA: Montgomery County Murder Spree Victims Shot and Cut; Suspect Found Dead
Bradley Stone cleared by Veterans Affairs doctor one week before murders, suicide
Ex-military gunman committed suicide with a sword after he killed six family members and chopped three fingers off teenage boy who survived
Overdose Cited in Death of Man Who Killed 6 in Pennsylvania
Bradley Stone case: Ex-Marine’s suicide ends rampage, manhunt near Philadelphia
Sources: Pennsylvania Murder Spree Suspect Bradley Stone Killed Self with Sword
Pa. killings suspect found dead with self-inflicted knife wounds
Night Of “Horrific Tragedy”: Pennsylvania Rampage That Left 6 Family Members Dead
Suspected Pennsylvania killer of 6 found dead as schools close, security tightens
At vigil, Souderton community remembers mass killing victim Nina Flick
Memorial service held for Flick family

Marine Corps Prosecutor Lt. Col. Thomas Jasper Cleared of Inappropriate Touching by Board of Inquiry at Camp Pendleton (2014)

USMC

On March 1, 2014, Marine Corps Times published Marine sex-assault prosecutor accused of touching woman inappropriately but the article has since been deleted. History of the accusation against Marine prosecutor Lt. Col. Thomas Jasper was located on the Protect Our Defenders Blog. On April 1, 2014, the Marine Corps Times published Marine Corps prosecutor cleared of inappropriate touching and this too has been deleted. History that Lt. Col. Jasper was cleared of the inappropriate touching charge was found on Topix Camp Pendleton.

The Marine Corps Times shouldn’t be deleting history especially history that includes an individual was cleared of charges and is in fact considered an innocent man. Hastily reporting that an individual has been accused of misconduct has long lasting effects. The accusation will forever stay with Lt. Col. Thomas Jasper hence the reason for this post. Lt. Col. Jasper was cleared of the inappropriate touching charges and the Marine Corps Times didn’t do him any justice when they printed the accusation or deleted the fact that he was cleared of the charges.

CAAFlog “Thinking Slowly About Sexual Assault in the Military”:

k fischer says:

Now, what I want to know is why aren’t the national or military media runing with this story?  Why were they quick to villify him and report on a mere allegation as if it were gospel?

It’s because he was the Marine sex assault prosecutor.  What better way to advance the narrative that sexual assault in the Military is out of control and an epidemic if the persons who are charged with prosecuting sexual assault are committing sexual assault???

And, if your question was not merely a rhetorical one, then how does it change your views when the issue of (1) accuser privacy in the press vs. the presumed innocent accused’s lack of privacy in the press or (2) using the term “victim” to describe a complaining witness before anyone is ever convicted, hits so close to home?  I’m sure this is the way Brandon Wright feels right now, but he’s just an Airman first class, so it’s no big deal, right?  The Military has a war to win against it’s number one enemy.  Not Al Qaeda or the North Koreans, but the enemy called sexual assault.

Related Links:
Thomas Jasper | United States Marine Corps Judge Advocate
Marine sex-assault prosecutor accused of touching woman inappropriately (Marine Corps Times)
Marine sex-assault prosecutor accused of touching woman inappropriately
Marine Corps prosecutor cleared of inappropriate touching (Marine Corps Times)
“Thinking Slow About Sexual Assault in the Military” | CAAFlog
Marine Corps prosecutor cleared of inappropriate touching
Marine Lt Col Thomas Jasper – Guantanamo Bay Military Commissions
Iraqi captive at Guantánamo gets Marine lawyer who invaded Iraq
Alleged al Qaida commander fires legal team, paralyzing Guantánamo trial

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Army Sgt. Okan Cetinbag Found Dead at Home With Gunshot Wound to Face on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska; Mother Wants Answers (2014)

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Okan Murat Cetinbag, US Army

Sgt. Okan Cetinbag, 24, of Morton Grove, Illinois died on February 11, 2014 from gunshot injuries sustained on February 7th at his home on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska. Sgt. Cetinbag was an infantryman with Company B, 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment. He joined the Army in January 2013, attended basic and airborne training at Fort Benning, Georgia and arrived in Alaska in June 2013. He served with the U.S. Marine Corps, including a combat tour in Afghanistan in 2010, before joining the Army. The Army reported they were investigating the case but did not appear to be cooperating with the mother of Sgt. Cetinbag who has been questioning what happened to her son. Media reports indicate that Sgt. Cetinbag was one of four servicemen from JBER found dead this month: SrA Katrina Jackson on February 15; and SSgt. Darian Miller on February 18; and SSgt. Samuel Davis on February 23.

Related Links:
JBER soldier dies due to injuries
Soldier from Chicago area dies on base in Alaska
Army probes death of Alaska-based soldier
Army probes death of soldier at JBER
Army Probes Death Of Alaska-Based Soldier From Chicago Area
Soldier’s fatal injuries at JBER home being investigated
JBER Soldier’s Fatal Home Injuries Under Investigation
US Army Investigating Death of Morton Grove Soldier Sgt. Okan Murat Cetinbag
Army investigating mysterious death of soldier found unconscious at home just minutes after kissing his wife and daughter goodbye for a night out with his colleagues
‘There is a cover-up’: Mother of Army soldier who died after being shot in the face at home he shared with his wife and six other colleagues claims authorities are hiding something
Soldier’s death marks fourth JBER fatality in a month
JBER airman’s passing marks fourth death in February
Mother Says Army Is Covering Up How Her Son Was Killed


Sgt. Okan Cetinbag was shot in the face at his home on an Alaska Army base. There were six colleagues in the house that day, plus Okan’s wife and young daughter. His mother believes they know what happened and are not telling authorities. -WGN News

Unusual Suspects Premiered ‘Vanished in Reno’ on Investigation Discovery: The Rape & Murder of Brianna Denison Leads to Nevada Passing Brianna’s Law (January 12, 2014)

ID Go: When a young college student is abducted from a friend’s home in the middle of the night, the city of Reno lives in fear of who might be next. Dogged investigation leads detectives to a serial rapist who’s just escalated to murder. -Vanished in Reno, Unusual Suspects (S6,E1)

“The bill mandates a DNA cheek-swab whenever a person is booked for a felony arrest. If the arrest is deemed legitimate, the DNA would be cross-referenced with DNA from other crime scenes to see if the arrestee was involved. The proposal is named after Brianna Denison who was raped and murdered by James Biela in Reno in 2008. Proponents believe such a law may have saved Denison because Biela had a prior felony arrest.”

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.

Related Links:
Vanished in Reno | Unusual Suspects | Investigation Discovery (website)
Vanished in Reno | Unusual Suspects | Investigation Discovery (S6,E1)
Vanished in Reno | Unusual Suspects | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
College Student Brianna Denison Kidnapped, Raped and Strangled by a Former Marine in Reno, Nevada; James Biela Sentenced to Death (January 20, 2008)
From May 2013: Brianna’s Law officially becomes Nevada state law
Brianna’s Law has matched more than 1,000 DNA samples to crimes

The Washington Times: Top Marine Gen. James Amos Accused of Interfering in Sex Assault, Desecration Cases (July 28, 2013)

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Gen. James Amos, U.S. Marine Corps

“A military judge did something extraordinary last summer when he ordered the Marine Corps‘ top officer to submit sworn statements in a sexual assault case. The answers from the commandant, Gen. James F. Amos, have some in Marine legal circles wondering whether he told the full truth. Gen. Amos, a Joint Chiefs of Staff member, faces charges from defense attorneys that his words and actions have unleashed a wave of unlawful command influence over jurors who venerate the commandant.” Read more from The Washington Times here.

‘Bath Salts,’ ‘Spice’ and U.S. Military: Are Service Members Abusing Synthetic Drugs? | National Geographic (July 9, 2013)

national-geographic

“An undercover investigation for National Geographic explores the availability of powerful synthetic drugs, with names like “spice” and “bath salts,” and its popularity among members of the U.S. military. For the next installment of National Geographic’s “Inside: Secret America” series, which takes an in-depth look at how people can easily purchase synthetic drugs, investigative journalist Mariana van Zeller went undercover with a former Marine and a Marine on active duty in San Diego to local smoke shops as they purchased bath salts.” Read more from National Geographic here.