“The courtroom was gripped as details emerged of how West, trained in crime scene investigation, allegedly used his expertise to stage an accident. A medical specialist testified that Kat’s head wound was too extreme to result from a fall, given her petite stature at 5ft 2in.“
“During discourse on the couple’s tensions, prosecutors illustrated a volatile relationship, asserting they had argued about Kat’s mature online content after drinking. The prosecutor painted a scenario: “He is fed up with this stuff,” then suggested an altercation ensued where West tossed Kat’s phone onto the street.“
“In November 2020, after five hours of jury deliberation, West wasacquitted of murderbut convicted of reckless manslaughter… The judge acknowledged West’s military service and clean record but reproached him for not admitting guilt in a plea deal, leaving it to the jury to determine his responsibility for Kat’s death.“
John Blauvelt and Catherine Blauvelt (photo: PEOPLE)
Press Release from U.S. Marshal’s Service (July 21, 2022):
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Marshals in Oregon have arrested a South Carolina murder suspect, putting an end to the man’s six-year run from the law.
Major Case Fugitive John Tufton Blauvelt, 33, was taken into custody in Medford, Oregon, July 20 by U.S. Marshals and Medford police following a lead provided by a dedicated cold case team of investigators at the agency’s headquarters.
Blauvelt is wanted for the killing of his estranged wife, Catherine “Cati” Blauvelt, who was found stabbed to death in an abandoned home in Simpsonville on Oct. 24, 2016. She was 22. Cati had been reported missing by her family the previous day after failing to meet with her friends after work. She was last seen leaving her place of work, a Greenville pet store, at approximately 2:15 p.m. on Oct. 23, 2016.
On Nov. 18, 2016, Simpsonville Police obtained warrants for Blauvelt’s arrest for murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
Blauvelt, who worked as a U.S. Army recruiter in Greenville County at the time of the murder, but was classified by the Army as a deserter shortly thereafter, fled the area just after the murder with his 17-year-old girlfriend Hannah Thompson, of Fountain Inn. Blauvelt had last been seen in Las Cruces, New Mexico, Nov. 15, 2016, traveling with a female passenger police said they believe was Thompson.
Thompson’s parents reported the teen missing to the Fountain Inn Police Department on Nov. 21, 2016.
After the U.S. Marshals joined the search to find Blauvelt, they learned he and Thompson had traveled through Alabama, Texas and California.
Thompson was found safe in Oregon on Dec. 12, 2016, having been abandoned by Blauvelt. She went to a family friend’s home in Eugene and called her parents, saying she wanted to come home. She and Blauvelt had been homeless while in Oregon.
The case was aired on In Pursuit with John Walsh in 2019.
In early 2022, a U.S. Marshals dedicated cold and complex case investigative team, composed of various USMS components, joined the investigation for Blauvelt. Working closely with investigators from the District of South Carolina, the Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, as well as Simpsonville detectives, the South Carolina Highway Patrol and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, the team was able to put Blauvelt in Medford, Oregon, and sent a collateral lead to the District of Oregon. The U.S. Marshals Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force in Oregon committed numerous personnel and hours to the investigation. Ultimately, investigators there, working with the Medford Police Department and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, located Blauvelt, who had assumed the alias “Ben Klein,” and took him into custody without incident.
Blauvelt is being held in Jackson County Jail pending extradition to South Carolina to face the charges against him.
“This arrest represents a tremendous amount of cooperation among numerous agencies dedicated to seeking justice for a victim of a heinous crime six years ago,” said Heather Walker-Wright, Assistant Director of the USMS Investigative Operations Division. “I want to commend the investigators and Deputy U.S. Marshals in South Carolina, Oregon and here at headquarters, as well as our partner agencies, who worked so tirelessly to get John Blauvelt into custody.”
Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of South Carolina Karen Thomas said, “The U.S. Marshals Service dedication to duty, pursuit of justice, and relentless team effort across the nation led to the capture of a violent fugitive.”
“I hope that the arrest of John Blauvelt brings Cati’s family some relief from the situation that they have had to endure the past few years,” said Simpsonville Police Chief Mike Henshaw. “I want to thank the U.S. Marshals Service and all the various agencies that assisted in making this arrest possible. The team effort by law enforcement is to be commended.”
Established in 1985, the U.S. Marshals Major Case Fugitive Program prioritizes the investigation and apprehension of high-profile offenders considered to be some of the country’s most dangerous. These individuals tend to be career criminals with histories of violence or whose instant offense(s) poses a significant threat to public safety.
“Sexual assault victims and victims’ advocates testified on the need for Congress to address prevention and handling of such cases in the military. The Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel convened the hearing and was considering various proposals, including making changes to the military justice system, to address how assault cases are prosecuted.” –Sexual Assault in the Military | CSPAN.org (March 24, 2021)
Chairman Gillibrand, Ranking Member Tillis, and Members of the Committee, I thank you for this opportunity.
My name is Amy Braley Franck I have been working with victims of sexual violence since 2006. Currently employed as Victims’ Advocate at 416th Theater Engineer Command.
I am currently being retaliated against for reporting Command for illegally concealing and failing to report 3 violent Sexual Assaults to Law Enforcement.
I have been on a paid suspension since 20 November 2019 the day after I emailed LTG Charles Luckey the evidence. I emailed the same evidence to the Chief of Staff of the Army, GEN James McConville on 22 November 2019. I also sent this evidence to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, GEN Mark Milley and DOD SAPRO Admiral Burkhart and Nate Galbreath. This evidence mirrors what was documented in the Ft. Hood Report.
Sexual assaults and violent rapes not reported to CID or Law Enforcement, there was retaliation against victims and reporters of crimes, no Case Management Group or attendance for over a year.
I have been left in this “suspension” after protecting victims and reporting command for over 16 months completely ostracized and isolated in retaliation.
This evidence was reported to the Office of Special Counsel and the DOD IG
The Army’s Internal 15-6 process has impeded justice for my victims and myself. This internal investigative process does not allow for transparency and should be abolished.
A 17-year-old Private in Granite City, Illinois reserve center was raped resulting in broken bones. She had to stand next to her assailant in formation. The Command’s illegal 15-6 investigation was documented in a Memorandum for Record.
For over a year no one assisted her until I was notified in June 2019 but after my suspension, that ended.
Advocates are continually blocked by layers of Command from protecting their victims. When Commanders ignore the advice of Advocates, we have no recourse. There are no consequences for Commanders when they violate law.
Documented by the number of murders and murders by suicide. Nicole Burnham’s, Brigade Commander Col John Mountford left Nicole in the same barracks at Camp Casey with her offenders raped and later gang raped tortured for over 82 days before her Transfer was executed. Nicole is dead.
Staff Sgt. Morgan Robinson’s first offender is still serving in the Oklahoma Army National Guard. Staff Sgt. Robinson’s report of 9 Special Forces Soldiers placing a covering over her head, dragging her out of a tent and gang-raping her. Never investigated.
An outstanding Soldier committed Suicide; she was not protected.
Lavena Johnson’s brutal murder has never been investigated. The Army still states that it was a suicide.
16 years later the toxic culture again exposed with the murder of Vanessa Guillen.
This is not isolated to Fort Hood, documented across all components of the Military.
Ft. Campbell April 2020 another victim of a gang rape was arrested illegally by CID and denied counsel.
MG Shadley retired alerted MG Donna Martin. Nothing was done.
Never Alone helped Soldier with Suicidal Ideations. She is still fighting to clear her record.
Fort Bliss, 31 December 2020 Pfc. Asia Graham was found dead. Asia’s offender is identified as an accused serial rapist. Walking free no pre-trial confinement. He continued to live in the same barracks on the same floor with Asia and was moved into Headquarters Company with Asia until her untimely death.
Asia’s leadership failed to protect her after she reported her rape in February 2020 not June.
When victims and victim advocates speak out about the broken process and illegal actions of commanders. We face severe retaliation.
All felony crimes murder, rape, sexual assault, domestic violence do not belong within the chain of Command’s control to investigate or prosecute.
Kamisha Block’s death deemed friendly fire, she was murdered due to Domestic Abuse.
The Abuse of Power is real.
In Italy the Provost Marshal,LTC Michae Parsons Army Garrison filed an espionage charge in Italian Court against an Army Spouse, Michela Morellato. Retaliation for exposing Gen Harrington resulting in his firing and demotion. This retaliation was reported to GEN Milley and IG. Nothing was done.
Illegal internal 15-6 process. Ability to redact investigations. None of us will ever know the truth or get justice.
Just this week my own sexual assault by a 2-star general still under investigation was improperly released to be weaponized against another sexual assault advocate during an unrelated court martial. The military has no checks and balances.
I was raised in the military and a proud mother of a Veteran. I will not stop until our Military is a safe. “Sexual misconduct is an abuse of power and force protection issue. The inability of commanders to execute essential command functions of “protection” is a significant threat to the United States Military’s ability to protect this great Nation.” Soldiers should Never be Alone.
“Former Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy and the five civilian members of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee unveiled the results of a three-month examination of the command climate and culture at Fort Hood and the surrounding military community on Dec. 8, 2020.”
“The independent review, which was directed by former Secretary McCarthy, arose from the questions and concerns voiced by family members, Congress, and various Hispanic advocacy groups during the investigation into the disappearance and murder of Spc. Vanessa Guillén.”
“The committee examined the command climate and culture at Fort Hood and the surrounding military community to determine whether they reflect the Army’s commitment to safety, respect, inclusiveness, diversity, and freedom from sexual harassment.”
“Committee members Chris Swecker, Jonathan Harmon, Carrie Ricci, Queta Rodriguez and Jack White conducted a two-week fact-finding mission to the Texas base, meeting with unit leaders, Soldiers, members of the Guillén family, local officials, law enforcement and community groups.”
*Submitted to the House Armed Services Committee on September 11, 2020 and received no response
Dear House Armed Services Committee:
I accidentally stumbled upon Fort Hood while conducting research on the non combat deaths of female service members overseas. Fort Hood, along with a few other big Army bases in the U.S., was the common denominator in non combat death overseas. I also learned there are countless numbers of non combat deaths of male service members as well. They shouldn’t have to face death as a way to escape their situation (whether they are a victim of crime and/or it’s a mental health emergency). This issue in and of itself is its own animal and the reason we need policy enacted immediately to create a “bug out” plan for those in danger (or mental health emergencies) in overseas locations, especially if the chain of command fails them. There is no 911 overseas. Why is it the military is not accountable to the American public with the outcome of the investigations of a U.S. service member’s death? They conveniently get to hide behind the non combat death label and because they don’t disclose why or how the service member died in most cases, we are not able to make informed consent as to whether we want to join an organization that appears to hide their misdeeds in an effort to protect the reputation of the institution. I was inspired to look into the other non combat deaths of women overseas after learning the military labeled the obvious rape and murder of LaVena Johnson as a suicide. My research found this isn’t an anomaly, this is a pattern.
After noticing the pattern of the same bases tied to the non combat deaths overseas, I decided to start researching crime in and around the bases in question. Crime knows no boundaries. I took a look at JBLM, Fort Bragg, Fort Hood, Fort Carson, Fort Campbell, JBER, Fort Wainwright, Camp Pendleton, etc. I not only discovered violent crime in and around the bases but I discovered suicide and homicide in garrison were significant issues as well. In late 2016, I noticed a large cluster of deaths at Fort Hood on the heels of learning about all the other violent crime, non combat death and suicide at Fort Hood since 9/11/2001. I was especially upset with the way Fort Hood handled the missing person case of Dakota Stump and how they treated his family. As a result of me taking an interest in the issues at Fort Hood, families of the fallen started contacting me. What I learned collectively was startling. Please keep in mind, each family didn’t know about my conversations with the other families as all this information is considered confidential unless they want to tell their loved ones story on my website: www.militaryjusticeforall.com
As a result of the intel I was getting from families of the fallen at Fort Hood, I decided I was going to start paying closer attention to what was going on at this base. It was by far the most problematic compared to any other base. But please understand Fort Hood is symbolic of the other bases; they all have these same problems. The Army is by far the worst offender concerning death and violent crime in the military. The patterns that emerged from the Fort Hood families included lack of interest in missing persons cases, mislabeling deaths, shoddy death investigations, reports and information from Army leadership that didn’t add up or make sense, evidence goes missing, computer devices and phones are erased, secretiveness, dismissiveness, misleading, and cover-up. When it comes to an untimely or dubious death, it’s hard to find a family who won’t stop fighting for their loved one until justice is served. No justice, no peace. We currently have a group of families at Fort Hood and elsewhere who want to file a class action lawsuit to get the suspicious deaths of their loved ones reopened so they can be investigated properly by independent investigators. The Army did not investigate each death as a homicide until ruled out, therefore the scene was not preserved for evidence collection; they quickly ruled the death a suicide and moved on. According to Stars and Stripes, in the last five years, we’ve lost 165 soldiers at Fort Hood and 70 of those deaths were deaths ruled suicide. I have not included all cases because a lot of families have not come forward to share their story publicly because they are heartbroken, traumatized, confused, and overwhelmed. This experience leaves the families feeling helpless. Even if the death was in fact a suicide, these families want answers, they want the truth, and they want an avenue to find the truth. I was so concerned with the number of deaths stateside at Fort Hood, I went to Washington D.C. in December 2017 to ask for help and it fell on deaf ears including the office of the chair of the House Armed Services Committee, Mac Thornberry.
‘Gangs and the Military: Gangsters, Bikers, and Terrorists with Military Training’ by Carter F. Smith (2017)
“An internal report, obtained by Military.com through a Freedom of Information Act request, shows that gang members were tied to dozens of Army felony law enforcement reports and more than 100 criminal investigations in fiscal 2018, the latest year for which data is available. While these reports and investigations make up less than 1% of all Army law enforcement incidents, the new report shows that the little-discussed problem of military gang activity continues to be a headache for base commanders and other service leaders.”
While investigators searched for Spc. Vanessa Guillen, the skeletal remains of Pvt. Gregory Wedel-Morales were found near Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas. His mother, Kim Wedel, wishes investigators looked for her son like they did Guillen. He had been missing for ten months. Once former Fort Hood soldier Jorgina Butler read about the disappearance and death of Guillen, she said it returned her to the night she was sexually by a staff sergeant in 2009. On July 29, 2020, lawmakers plan to hold a congressional hearing in Washington D.C. focused on the review of Fort Hood’s handling of sexual misconduct in the wake of a national outcry for justice for Guillen and her family. –Austin American-Statesman (July 28, 2020)
MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL 