Steensland said his client is a disabled veteran of the U.S. military: “It’s my understanding he’s 100 percent disabled, and diagnosed with PTSD,” Steensland said. “I believe he served a 15-month tour in Iraq, and served approximately eight years in the Army.” Read more from Dothan Eaglehere.
Army Reserve veteran Micah Johnson was accused of gunning down and murdering five Dallas police officers during a Black Lives Matter Event on July 7, 2016. This is considered one of the deadliest attacks on police officers since September 11, 2001. He was eventually killed in a stand off with police. In recent media reports we learned that Micah Johnson deployed to Afghanistan from November 2013 to July 2014. He was accused of sexual harassment while deployed to Afghanistan in May 2014. He was accused of stalking and stealing women’s underwear as well. The victim sought a protection order and told superiors he needed mental health treatment. The protection order was granted and the Commanding officer recommended an Other Than Honorable discharge and sent him home early from his deployment to Afghanistan. Johnson’s military attorney stated that this kind of punishment is unusual for an isolated incident of sexual harassment. As part of a tentative agreement, it was recommended that Johnson receive a general discharge which saves the Army time and resources needed to discharge soldiers under Other Than Honorable conditions. Instead he was eventually released from the Army with a honorable discharge in April 2015.
As a result of his actions while serving, he was not investigated and prosecuted but instead sent back home from overseas and discharged from the US Army Reserves honorably. Although we have limited information in which to base conclusions, at first glance this looks like a case of escalation of predatory behavior that starts with sexual harassment, progresses to stalking, then the individual gets brazen and starts breaking and entering to steal his victims belongings. It would only be a matter of time before the individual escalated to sexual assault, rape and then murder. It’s too early to make a definitive conclusion as we are still waiting for information to come in because this story is developing. But one thing we do know is that the US Army Reserves took the easy way out, booted Micah Johnson from the military to protect it’s service members, and unleashed him on society with no warning or records. This case is another reason why we need the military to investigate and process each and every case through the legal system so we at least have a fighting chance at prevention and escalation of crimes. If the military can’t handle or afford to investigate and prosecute each case to determine the soldier’s danger to society, then maybe they should hand over the investigation and prosecution of crimes to the civilians. This isn’t the first case they let slip through the cracks and it certainly won’t be the last.
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Why wasn’t the deaths of five Dallas Police Officers enough to warrant an investigation of the way the Army handles crime? Instead the conversation was stifled in the media. The following is a list of questions sent to the Army Times and other media outlets to help them help us find answers.
• What were his behaviors prior to being reported?
• What evidence did the Commander have to grant a protection order?
• Why was the protection order for her home as well?
• Why was he sent back home from Afghanistan?
• Why did the deployed Commander recommend sexual harassment with other than honorable discharge?
• Does the Commander understand the difference between sexual harassment and escalation of a violent criminal? (sex harassment, stalking, stealing victims belongings, sexual assault, rape, murder)
• Did the deployed Commander do any follow up with Army or Army Reserves?
• Where was he sent after leaving Afghanistan?
• Did he process through Fort Hood and was anyone informed of his status?
• Why and when was he assigned an attorney? (usually not necessary for sex harassment)
• Why no follow up on what happened in Afghanistan?
• Why no punishment whatsoever for sex harassment charge, protection order?
• Why no investigation of circumstances to determine if this individual was a danger to fellow soldiers in the US?
• Why no investigation of circumstances to determine if this individual was a danger to society?
• Why only a recommendation for other than honorable discharge?
• Why no concern that this individual may harm others in the community?
• Why no concern for records and informing local community of potential danger?
• Why did Micah Johnson end up getting discharged with a honorable discharge?
• Why is media reporting that the attorney and victim cannot speak to the media?
• Do you have the money to process soldiers through the legal system?
• If you don’t have the money, why not refer the case to the civilian authorities to help you determine if this person is a danger to society?
• Why no follow up with local police after victim got a military protection order?
• Where did the victim live? On base? Off base? Was protection order coordinated between deployed commander and commander in the states?
• Where did Micah Johnson live? On base? Were others informed of the protection order and reasons why?
• Why did it take so long to discharge Micah Johnson from the military after he was sent home from Afghanistan?
• Did he continue to go to work until he was discharged?
• Did he have any other victims or accusations while serving?
• Do you keep records of reports of sex crimes if the allegation cannot be substantiated because it’s a “he said, she said” crime?
• What triggers an investigation by CID? Where are they located?
• Do you investigate if the crime is considered sex harassment?
• Why sex harassment when stalking, stealing panties, protection order, and early return home from Afghanistan?
In the News:
Micah Johnson, the suspect who shot and killed five Dallas police officers, was killed by a police robot with a bomb attached. CBS News transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave joins CBSN to discuss a new use for the technology. -CBS News (July 8, 2016)
Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, has been identified as one of the suspected gunmen in an ambush Thursday that left five Dallas law enforcement officers dead and seven more officers injured, according to multiple law enforcement sources. -ABC News (July 8, 2016)
Dallas Sniper Micah Xavier Johnson Was Ex-Army Reservist. -ABC News (July 8, 2016)
The gunman who killed five police officers and wounded seven others Thursday night before being killed in a standoff with cops in Dallas has been identified as Micah Xavier Johnson, according to reports. Johnson, 25, was killed in a parking garage at El Centro College after opening fire as demonstrators with the Black Lives Matter movement protested police’s treatment of blacks in America, according to reports. Johnson claimed to be an army vet. -Inside Edition (July 8, 2016)
Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, was killed by robot-detonated bomb after lengthy negotiations. -CBC News (July 8, 2016)
The first family member of the gunman who killed five police officers in Dallas is speaking out. Nicole Johnson, sister of Micah Xavier Johnson, took her shock to Facebook writing, ‘I keep saying it’s not true.’ She has deleted the post and but added another saying the media will show one image of her sibling, while those who knew him will keep another. Her 25-year-old brother shot the officers during a peaceful protest in response to the recent killings of two black men by police. -Inside Edition (July 8, 2016)
Micah Johnson ambushed police during a protest in downtown Dallas Thursday, killing five officers and wounding nine others. We are finding out more about the gunman’s planning and what police found in his home. -CBS This Morning (July 9, 2016)
Five officers were killed and nine others wounded during a protest Thursday, when a gunman targeted them following the deadly shootings of two black men at the hands of police officers this week. Investigators say Micah Johnson, an Afghan war veteran, was amassing an arsenal at his home outside Dallas. His tour of duty ended in 2014 when he was sent back to the U.S. after a female soldier accused him of sexual harassment. Manuel Bojorquez reports. -CBS This Morning (July 9, 2016)
ABC News’ Matt Gutman and Pierre Thomas report the latest news in the deadly sniper attack in Texas. -ABC News (July 9, 2016)
Police said a robot was used to kill Micah Xavier Johnson, the ex-Army reservist suspected of opening fire during a police shooting rally. -ABC News (July 9, 2016)
The parents of Dallas gunman Micah Johnson have spoken out for the first time since their son’s attack on police Thursday night. Speaking to The Blaze, Johnson’s father, James Johnson and his ex-wife, Delphine broke down in tears as they discussed their veteran son’s devastating actions during a protest march. “I love my son with all my heart. I hate what he did,” James said. The astonished father added: “I don’t know what to say to anybody to make anything better. I didn’t see it coming.” -Inside Edition (July 11, 2016)
Jake Hunt said he couldn’t go a day without Micah Johnson “making you laugh at least twice a day.” -ABC News (July 11, 2016)
As the investigations continue into the three police-involved shootings within three days, CNN speaks to a man who claims to have sold a military-style rifle to Micah Johnson, the Dallas sniper attack suspect. -CNN (July 12, 2016)
CBS News’ Manuel Bojorquez discusses the interview with Dallas shooter Micah Johnson’s parents. Bojorquez is in Dallas, where President Obama and George W. Bush will speak at a memorial today. -CBS News (July 12, 2016)
Thousands of people have attended a candlelight vigil outside the Dallas Police Department to honour the five officers shot dead during a protest over the killings of two black men. Micah Johnson killed Lorne Aherns, 48; Michael Krol, 40; Brent Thompson, 43; Mike Smith, 55; and Hispanic officer Patrick Zamarripa, 32. -Euronews (July 12, 2016)
As the funerals for the slain Dallas police officers continue, the investigation into the background and motive of Dallas shooter, Micah Johnson, continues. The US Army has opened an investigation into Johnson’s military service. Johnson reportedly spent six years in the Army Reserves and was accused of sexual harassment while serving. RT America’s Manuel Rapalo reports from Dallas, where police are also investigating claims that Johnson purchased an AK-47 off of Facebook for $600 before the shooting. -RT America (July 14, 2016)
On July 7, 2016, Micah Johnson killed five police officers and injured nine others. This 3d animation shows what we know about the path of his deadly ambush through downtown Dallas at the end of a peaceful march to protest police shootings of black men around the country. -The Dallas Morning News (July 31, 2016)
Honoring the five Dallas Police Department police officers murdered by Micah Johnson, US Army Reserve veteran, on July 7, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. They are Lorne Ahrens, 48; Michael Krol, 40; Michael Smith, 55; Brent Thompson, 43; and Patrick Zamarripa, 32.
“Sexual assault is a huge problem in the US military. And for many victims, the process of reporting their crime and seeking justice can be as traumatic as their assault.
Most members of Congress and military officials agree that these basic facts are true, and that more reforms to the military justice system could help. But there’s a profound disagreement on how, and how much, the system needs to change.
The US Senate is expected to vote this week on the Military Justice Improvement Act (MJIA). Advocates, who have been pushing for the MJIA since 2013, say the reform would make the process of prosecuting sex crimes a lot easier and smoother for victims and help victims feel more empowered to come forward and report the crimes against them.
An unusual bipartisan cadre of senators support the MJIA, from Elizabeth Warren to Ted Cruz. But the Pentagon adamantly opposes it, and many senators listen to the Pentagon when it says the MJIA would undermine “good order and discipline.” So there’s still no filibuster-proof, 60-vote majority for the measure, and it’s been defeated every year it’s come up.”
ID Go: Two young couples in an Idaho apartment building walk on eggshells around a neighbor who can’t stand the one couple’s music and the other’s dog. Tensions keep rising between all parties until finally hell breaks loose and a violent rampage erupts. -Night of the Machete, Fear Thy Neighbor (S3, E10)
“Thomas Twain, an Idaho man with a machete, kicked down the door of home of Kaila Gearhart and James Cvengros and attempted to attack the couple. Upon hearing the shocking sounds of the door coming off its hinges, Cvengros ran the front room, screamed at Twain to leave, and ultimately shot the intruder.
The Idaho machete attacker survived the gunshot wound, and faces up to 15 years in prison for the home invasion. Idaho prosecutors claimed that Thomas Twain’s years of military service meant that he was a danger to the public.”
Man with machete breaks into apartment; victims tell all. -KAKE News (January 15, 2015)
February 2014, Twain N Thomas was shot three times after he kicked in a neighbors door and came at the occupants with a machete. -Idaho State Journal (January 16, 2015)
Twain Thomas sentenced. -KIFI Local News 8 (January 16, 2015)
Interview with Bannock County Prosecutor and footage of Thomas being shot after knocking down neighbor’s door. -Idaho State Journal (January 16, 2015)
An attempted murder is caught on camera, along with a confession. CNN’s Brianna Keilar reports on the Idaho machete attack. -CNN (January 28, 2015)
Watch as a man with a machete hacks into a neighbor’s apartment – not realizing he brought a knife to a gun fight! -True Crime Daily (September 26, 2018)
Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch all of the Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. Download the ID Go app and binge away. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $2.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict.
ID Go: An argument about access to a disputed road puts two Lompico, California men at each other’s throats. Things progress from intimidation and property damage to a backhoe attack and, finally, one of the most shocking murders the area has ever seen. -Bonfire of Blood, Fear Thy Neighbor (S3, E9)
Coast Guard veteran Walter Stephens shot and killed Bob Hall in Lompico, California on November 20, 1998. After killing Bob, Walt burned and attempted to hide his body in a bonfire on his property. Bob’s co-workers grew concerned when Bob didn’t show up for his retirement party at work. They called the police and asked them to do a welfare check on Bob. In the course of the investigation, police learned from family members that if anything happened to Bob, they needed to talk to his neighbor Walter Stephens. Bob and Walter had been in a long standing neighborhood feud with one another over a property issue. When police went to visit Walter at his home, they found him tending a large fire. They questioned Walter about Bob’s disappearance but he denied having any knowledge or information useful to the missing persons investigation. Upon closer examination of the bonfire, the police observed what appeared to be human remains in the fire. Walter admitted to killing Bob and he was arrested.
Fellow neighbors always thought it would be the other way around, that Bob would kill Walter. Some believe Walter finally snapped. Bob’s family believed it was first degree murder. Facing a possible death sentence, Walter pleaded self-defense but the prosecutors believed otherwise after the forensic evidence was examined. Walter said he thought Bob had a weapon when he approached him late one night on his property but his gun told another story. Walter pistol whipped Bob with his gun and then shot him while he was helpless and down on the ground. Prosecutors argued it wasn’t self-defense, it was straight up murder. They believed Walter started that confrontation with Bob that night with the intent to kill. Walter Stephens was found guilty and sentenced to 40 years to life in prison for second degree murder. He got 14 years for the murder and another 25 years for use of weapon. Bob’s bones were burned and mostly disintegrated and his body was not recognizable. Detectives believe that had the police not discovered Bob’s remains in the fire, Walter Stephens may have got away with it.
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.
Marine Veteran & Civilian Contractor Kenneth Gadson Found Guilty of the Rape & Murder of Rina Shimabukuro; Sentenced to Life in Japanese Prison (December 1, 2017)
Tricia Todd, U.S. Air Force Veteran (Photo: HuffPost)
SSgt Steven Williams, 30, US Air Force, and USAF veteran Tricia Todd, 30, were married for 11 years and had one child
Williams and Todd divorced on February 2, 2016
Williams was stationed at Seymour Johnson AFB in North Carolina
Tricia Todd lived in Hobe Sound, Florida with their only child
Williams traveled to Florida to visit their only child
Tricia vanished from Florida on April 26, 2016
Williams is accused in May 2016 of murdering Tricia Todd
Williams admitted to getting in an argument about finances & pushed Todd
Williams pleaded no contest to the second degree murder of Tricia Todd
Williams was sentenced to 35 years in prison if he led investigators to the body
Williams led investigators to her mutilated body in Florida
Williams could face additional federal penalties under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) as he was an active member of the armed forces at the time the crime was committed
According to The Object of Murder (Investigation Discovery), civilian prosecutors want the Air Force to try Williams in a military death penalty trial but the Air Force has not taken any action thus far
In the News:
Part 1: Tricia Todd’s life was filled with intense moments of both love and violence. She wrote in great detail about those moments on her online blog. -True Crime Daily (November 11, 2016)
Part 2: Murdered Woman’s Journal Helps Catch Her Killer -True Crime Daily (November 11, 2016)
Part 1: Tricia Todd divorced her husband Steven Williams after more than ten years of marriage. Before Tricia went missing, she wrote in an online journal about falling for another man, and that her husband had a dark side. She was later found dead. -True Crime Daily (March 30, 2017)
Part 2: Murdered Woman’s Diary Helps Catch Her Killer -True Crime Daily (March 30, 2017)
Tricia Todd’s life was filled with intense moments of both love and violence. She wrote in great detail about those moments on her blog. -True Crime Daily (November 16, 2018)
Investigation Discovery:
In 2016, 33-year-old Tricia Todd was reported missing after failing to pick up her daughter from a babysitter. As her family hoped and prayed, investigators found her online journal that revealed the true horror of what had happened. -Beauty for Ashes, The Object of Murder (S1,E1)
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.
MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL 