Iraq War Army Veteran Steven Russell Jr. Convicted of the Capital Murder of Girlfriend Joy Owen; Sentenced to Life in Prison, No Parole (2012)

Steven Russell
Steven Russell, Jr., US Army Veteran

Army veteran Steven Russell, Jr. was convicted of the capital murder of his girlfriend Joy Owen on January 27, 2012. Russell was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors say Russell killed Joy because she tried to leave him. In the middle of the night on November 3, 2009, Russell cocked his gun and fired it four times at Owen with no apparent provocation. The North Little Rock Police Department found Joy Owen’s body around 4:30 a.m. In the course of the homicide investigation, police learned that Russell had received 5-years probation in Clark County, Arkansas for the second-degree domestic battery of another girlfriend in 2008. According to reports, the U.S. Army said Russell was a mechanic stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and he enlisted in the Army in 2001; the year he left the Army was not available.

Steven Russell’s defense team admitted he killed Owen but blamed the shooting on post-traumatic stress disorder brought on by his war service in Iraq in 2003. The attorneys appealed the decision claiming he “had the dubious task of recovering bodies and equipment after they had come in contact with improvised explosive devices.” But the state Supreme Court disagreed with the defense saying the judge was confronted with conflicting forensic evaluations. While two mental health professionals “found that Russell lacked capacity as a result of mental disease or defect to conform his conduct to the requirements of the law or to appreciate the criminality of his conduct, the court also had before it (another doctor’s) opinion to the contrary.” The Supreme Court upheld a Pulaski County jury’s 2012 conviction of capital murder.

“You would have to believe [Owen] did something that reminded him of his Iraqi war experience … and I can’t make that jump. To me, it was too convenient, and there was too much purposeful action.” –Dr. Brad Diner, psychologist

Related Links:
Arkansas Iraq War vet gets life in prison for killing girlfriend
Joy Owens, former MP daughter, students talk about her slaying
Ark. court upholds veteran’s murder conviction
Arkansas Man Challenging Judge Barring Partner At Home

Sins and Secrets Premiered ‘Fayetteville’ on Investigation Discovery: Michelle Theer & John Diamond Left a Permanent Mark on Community (January 26, 2012)

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)

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.

Related Links:
Fayetteville | Sins and Secrets | Investigation Discovery (S2,E3)
Fayetteville | Sins and Secrets | Investigation Discovery (website)
Fayetteville | Sins and Secrets | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Sergeant Swinger | Scorned: Love Kills | Investigation Discovery (S4,E1)
Sergeant Swinger | Scorned: Love Kills | Investigation Discovery (website)
Sergeant Swinger | Scorned: Love Kills | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Killer Couples: S8 E5 Sneak Peek – My Husband Has Been Shot! | Oxygen
Killer Couples: S8 E5 Preview – Michelle Theer and John Diamond | Oxygen
Killer Couples: S8 E5 After the Verdict – Michelle Theer and John Diamond | Oxygen
Killer Couples: S8 E5 Bonus Clip – Michelle Was Villified by the Media | Oxygen
Michelle Theer & John Diamond | Killer Couples | Oxygen (S8,E5)
Michelle Theer & John Diamond | Killer Couples | Oxygen (Amazon)
Air Force Capt. Frank Theer Murdered by Unidentified Gunman; Wife Michelle & Army SSG John Diamond Sentenced to Life in Prison (December 17, 2000)
Army SSG John Diamond Convicted of Murder of Air Force Capt. Frank Theer; Military Court Sentenced to Life in Prison, No Parole (August 28, 2001)
Former Air Force Reservist Michelle Theer Convicted of Murder of Husband Frank Theer; Sentenced to Life in Prison, No Parole (December 3, 2004)
Scorned, Love Kills Premiered ‘Sergeant Swinger’ on ID: Air Force Captain’s Murder Reveals Wife’s Evil Intent, Adultery & Greed (October 4, 2014)
Killer Couples Premiered ‘Michelle Theer & John Diamond’ on Oxygen: Affair Leads to Murder of Air Force Capt. Marty Theer (September 3, 2016)
Scorned, Love Kills: 6 Active Duty Military Homicide Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

Ice Cold Killers Premiered ‘Hunting Humans’ on ID: After Multiple Disappearances, Alaska Authorities on Hunt for Serial Killer (January 24, 2012)

Robert Hansen was a mild-mannered family man with a passion for hunting. A master at his trade, Hansen sought a more challenging prey – his fellow human. Hansen kidnapped women, set them loose in the Alaskan wilderness, and hunted them down for sport. -Hunting Humans, Ice Cold Killers (S1,E1)

Victims:
Andrea “Fish” Altiery (disappeared 12/2/81, unknown if body recovered)
Roxanne Easlund, 24 (disappeared 6/28/1980, unknown if body recovered)
Megan Emerick, 17 (suspected abduction on 7/7/73, body never recovered)
Angela Feddern, 24 (disappeared February 1983, body found)
DeLynn “Sugar” Frey (disappeared September 1983, body found)
Lisa “Betty” Futrell, 41 (disappeared 9/7/1980, body found)
Malai Larsen, 28 (disappeared June 1981, body found)
Paula Goulding (disappeared 4/25/83, body found)
Sue Luna, 23 (disappeared 5/16/82, body found)
Joanna Messina (disappeared 5/19/1989, body found)
Sherry Morrow, 23 (disappeared 11/17/81, body found)
Tamara Pederson, 20 (disappeared August 1982, body found)
Mary Kathleen Thill, 23 (suspected abduction on 7/5/75, body never recovered)
Cecelia “Beth” Van Zanten, 17 (suspected abduction on 12/22/71, body found)
Theresa Watson (disappeared 4/29/83, body found)
“Eklutna Annie” (real name unknown, disappeared 11/1979, body found)
Cindy Paulson (abducted & raped on 6/13/1983, escaped & survived)

List compliments of The Frozen Ground.

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.

Related Links:
Hunting Humans | Ice Cold Killers | Investigation Discovery (S1,E1)
Hunting Humans | Ice Cold Killers | Investigation Discovery (website)
Hunting Humans | Ice Cold Killers | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Army Reserve Veteran Robert C. Hansen Sentenced to 461 Years Plus Life in Prison, No Parole for Murders of Multiple Women in Alaska (February 28, 1984)
Serial Killer & Army Reserve Veteran Robert C. Hansen Died of Natural Causes While Serving Out a Life Sentence in Alaska State Prison (August 21, 2014)
Ice Cold Killers: Five Military & Veteran Homicide Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

Army Soldier Sgt. Brandy Fonteneaux Found Murdered in Fort Carson Barracks; Sgt. Vincinte Jackson Sentenced to Life, No Parole (2012)

Brandy Fonteneaux
Sgt. Brandy Fonteneaux, US Army

Army soldier Sgt. Brandy Fonteneaux was found stabbed to death in her barracks room at Fort Carson in Colorado on January 9, 2012. An autopsy revealed that she was stabbed 74 times and choked to death. After an investigation, co-worker and Army Sgt. Vincinte Jackson was charged with her murder. Both Sgt. Jackson and Brandy were assigned to the 4th Engineer Battalion at Fort Carson but they were not close. According to Brandy’s family, she knew him but they were not friends and didn’t hang out. Brandy shared with family that Sgt. Jackson would often talk about his crumbling marriage.

Sgt. Jackson was accused of going to the barracks, looking for a door that was unlocked, entering, and killing Brandy Fonteneaux. The prosecution argued that Jackson made a conscience decision to leave his home, go to the barracks, enter Brandy’s room, and murder her. The defense argued that Jackson was not aware of his actions due to a combination of heavy alcohol use and anti-depressants. Sgt. Jackson was found guilty of murder on December 13, 2012 and a military jury sentenced him to life without parole. Jackson was acquitted of premeditated murder.

Related Links:
Brandy Fonteneaux: Houston Soldier Found Nude, Stabbed to Death in Colorado Barracks
Female Soldier Stabbed 74 Times In Own Barracks [VIDEO]
Army: Death of Sgt. Brandy Fonteneau in Ft. Carson barracks a homicide
Army ‘Aggressively’ Investigating Soldier’s Slaying
Fort Carson Soldier Arrested In Murder On Base
Court martial begins nearly one year after soldier’s death
Fort Carson Soldier Faces Hearing In Female Soldier’s Slaying
Fort Carson sergeant charged in soldier’s death
Court-martial starts Monday for soldier charged in stabbing death
Court martial begins nearly one year after soldier’s death
Court-martial under way in Army barracks killing
Soldier’s Mental State Barracks Killing Issue
Expert testifies that pills, alcohol led soldier to kill
Carson soldier sentenced to life in January slaying
Colorado soldier guilty of unpremeditated murder
Army sergeant sentenced to life in Colorado slaying
Soldier Sentenced To Life For Slaying At Fort Carson
Army sergeant sentenced to life in prison for murder of female solider after stabbing her 74 times while high on cocktail of drugs and alcohol
Army sgt. apologizes to family of slain soldier
Soldier’s slaying in US is bitter irony for family
Life in Prison for Fort Carson Soldier Sgt Vincinte Jackson

Iraq War Army Veteran Benjamin Barnes Found Dead in Mount Rainier National Park; Suspect in Death of Park Ranger Margaret Anderson (2012)

Benjamin Colton Barnes
Benjamin Colton Barnes, US Army Veteran

Related Links:
Park ranger killed by gunman in national park
Suspect in Ranger’s Slaying Was “Troubled and Vindictive”
Ranger shot, killed at Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier park remains closed after shooting
Mount Rainier National Park closed; manhunt on for gunman who killed ranger
Manhunt after US park ranger shooting
Rainier National Park Ranger Shot: Suspect Armed And Hiding In Park
Authorities Find Body of Mt. Rainier Shooting Suspect
Suspect’s downward spiral ended with killing at Rainier
Mt. Rainier Body Is Murder Suspect: Police
Benjamin Barnes Identified as Gunman in Mt. Rainier Shooting of Margaret Anderson
Killer’s icy grave: Iraq war vet who gunned down park ranger is found dead after freezing to death in snow
Iraq war vet who murdered park ranger before freezing to death in snow was stationed at U.S. Army’s most troubled base
Benjamin Colton Barnes, Mount Rainier Gunman, Died Of Drowning, Hypothermia
Troubled picture emerges of suspect in park ranger’s slaying
Suspect in shooting of ranger, others found dead in park
Former Army private sought in Rainier shootings found dead
Mount Rainier shooting suspect Benjamin Colton Barnes confirmed dead
FBI: Suspect in Rainier ranger’s killing dead
Man Believed to Have Killed Park Ranger Is Found Dead
Icy death for suspected killer of park ranger
Suspect in ranger shooting is found dead
Suspect in ranger’s slaying found dead in creek
Mt. Rainier New Year’s shooter had Riverside County ties
Police: Body found at Rainier park is that of gunman who killed ranger
Troubled vet on lam dies in Washington wilds
Family of Mount Rainier ranger grieves, celebrates his life
The Killing of a Park Ranger on Mount Rainier Reminds Us to Help Returning Soldiers
Lisa Buscani on Benjamin Colton Barnes and the War that isn’t over
The Mt. Rainier Shooting and PTSD: How the Media Got It Wrong
Our Sickening Rush to See PTSD – and What It Costs Vets
How America’s Wars Came Home With the Troops
The Devil on Paradise Road

Lauterbach Case Prompts Policy Reforms for Victims of Sexual Assault in the Military (December 25, 2011)

Maria Lauterbach
LCpl. Maria Lauterbach, U.S. Marine Corps

The family of slain Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach is hailing recent provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act that profoundly change the way the Department of Defense will handle sexual assault charges.

The Defense STRONG Act has cleared both the House and the Senate and is awaiting President Barack Obama’s signature. Provisions include access to legal counsel for victims and the right to request a base transfer.

Lauterbach’s mother, Mary Lauterbach of Vandalia, said the new law would have made the difference in the case of her daughter, who was denied a base transfer after accusing fellow Marine Cesar Laurean of sexual assault. “Maria would be alive today if the base transfer had been available to her,” she said.

Turner concurred, “In civilian life you have complete control of your movements, and if you’re in an unsafe situation you can remove yourself. In military life, the victim needs permission to take even basic self-preservation actions.”

In the News:

New provisions handed down from the Department of Defense are giving sexual assault victims in the military rights they never had before. It’s all thanks to the fight from Congressman Mike Turner and a local mother Mary Lauterbach. The provisions make certain that a victim has legal counsel throughout the whole process so they understand what their legal rights are and how to protect themselves. The provisions also remove the accused from the situation and not the victim. -WKEF/WRGT (August 15, 2013)

A major hurdle cleared for sexual assault victims in the military. Congress passed a bill that would give victims rights and protection they never had before. The push came after the tragic murder of local marine Maria Lauterbach and her unborn son. Congress approved a bill that would give military sexual assault victims legal counsel and criminalize retaliation against any victim. “If Maria had had this, she would be alive today, it’s very important.” The bill now heads to President Barack Obama for his signature. -WKEF/WRGT (December 20, 2013)

Law protecting military victims of sexual assault discussed. -WDTN-TV (May 1, 2018)

Key changes in military policy

  • By executive order, communication between victims and victim advocates will now be privileged. Previously conversations between victim and victim advocates can be subpoenaed in court, making victims reluctant to come forward. Pending legislation HR 1540, passed by both the House and Senate, provides for:
  • Legal assistance for victims of sexual assault. Previously, only defendants in the military have been guaranteed access to a lawyer.
  • Stricter training guidelines and greater oversight for Sexual Assault Response Coordinators and Sexual Assault Victim Advocates.
  • Retention of sexual assault records with lifetime access for service members.
  • The victim’s right to a base transfer or unit transfer. Under the new law, these requests will be expedited, with decisions being made within 72 hours and the bias should be in favor of the victim.

Read more here.

On the Dark Side in Al Doura (Iraq): Documentary Gives You an Inside Look at Toxic Leadership in the U.S. Army (December 17, 2011)

U.S. Army Ranger John Needham, who was awarded two purple hearts and three medals for heroism, wrote to military authorities in 2007 reporting war crimes that he witnessed being committed by his own command and fellow soldiers in Al Doura, Iraq. His charges were supported by atrocity photos which, in the public interest, are now released in this video. John paid a terrible price for his opposition to these acts. His story is tragic. –On the Dark Side in Al Doura (December 17, 2011)

After watching the 2011 documentary ‘On the Dark Side in Al Doura’ which profiles the case of Army Private John Needham, one can clearly observe the similarities to ‘The Kill Team’ PBS documentary released in 2014. On the Dark Side in Al Doura interviewed Michael Needham, the father of John Needham, who was an Army whistleblower from Fort Carson, Colorado and reported witnessing war crimes and atrocities in Iraq; The Kill Team profiled Adam Winfield, an Army whistleblower from Fort Lewis, Washington who witnessed and tried to report the same war crimes and atrocities in Afghanistan. For the sake of preservation, both John Needham and Adam Winfield admitted feeling pressured to conform or risk their own lives if they didn’t. They both felt like they were being set up to die or participate in the war crimes. Both soldiers at times felt like suicide was their only way out because there was no safe place for them to report overseas nor could they escape the situation. If they made it out of the war zone alive, the return home didn’t fair well for them. The PBS documentary  ‘The Wounded Platoon’ released in 2010 reveals the impacts the wars overseas had on Fort Carson soldiers. After watching these three documentaries, it’s clear why our soldier’s combat experiences traumatized and changed some of them. They not only had to fight a credible threat on the battlefields but some were betrayed by the very team they depended on for their lives.

Michael Needham takes us through the series of events that occurred in the course of John’s short Army career. He shared how John was the fifth generation in the family to fight in a war. John volunteered to join the Army in the spring of 2006, went to Fort Benning, Georgia for training, and then got stationed at Fort Carson. John was an Army Ranger assigned to the 212th, 2nd Combat Team, 12th Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was part of the infamous team known as the ‘Lethal Warriors’ which now appears to be disbanded. Part of his initiation into his new band of brothers was fighting other soldiers to determine where one fell in the pecking order. John held his own in the fights and was respected for his wins. According to John, the soldiers that didn’t fair so well in the fights were ‘smoked’ by leadership and peers, which ultimately forced them to leave, quit, or commit suicide. In October of 2006 John was deployed with his Fort Carson team to Al Doura, Iraq. His team was assigned to the Quarter Cav which was known for having some of the deadliest fights in the Iraq war.

Screen Shot 2016-09-04 at 10.02.14 PM
Private John Needham, U.S. Army

John was a good soldier. He worked hard, saved lives in Iraq, and was awarded three medals for heroism and two Purple Hearts. John excelled as part of team, was brave, and his resilience was admirable. But during the course of John’s deployment, he witnessed war crimes and other atrocities committed by leadership and his fellow soldiers that affected his morale. John would also admit that initially he wasn’t quiet about it and when he did question superiors, he was told he didn’t have the right to question leadership. He didn’t dare report the war crimes via e-mail or telephone because he knew leadership could monitor everything. So for the sake of preservation and life’s sake, he did what he had to do to get by and stay alive. John would share that the Army was short of personnel so most of the soldiers got driven into the ground and deprived of sleep. After awhile John felt that he was forced into committing war atrocities that were illegal but feared if he didn’t do it, he would become a liability to the team and ultimately a casualty of his own people.

One night John was sent out on a mission with a Lieutenant (who did not commit war crimes yet remained silent). John thought this was unusual because they didn’t usually get sent out in pairs. They were ambushed by three shooters in the middle of the night who were determined to see them dead. When the shooting began, John pushed the Lieutenant to safety and kept the shooters at bay. He shot every round he had and when he was almost out of ammunition, he called the 212th for back-up on the radio but nobody answered him. Luckily another team was nearby who did answer him and was able to extract the soldiers from the situation and save their lives. It would be this incident that would break John’s spirit. He immediately suspected that he and the other soldier were sent on this mission to be killed. When he got back to the base, he began yelling “Why did you set us up?” And “If you want to kill me, kill me to my face!” But nobody acknowledged him so he went back to his tent where he decided that he would commit suicide. John was exhausted, irate, and he saw no way out. He didn’t want to live anymore. He felt that committing suicide was his only way out. John put a handgun to his head but just as he got ready to pull the trigger, his roommate dove and pushed the gun away from his head. The gun discharged and put a hole in the wall. Soldiers immediately began ascending upon the area. According to John, once leadership learned what happened, they held him down and beat him then locked him in captivity in a small room. The Battalion Commander was the one who kept John captive yet he didn’t press any formal charges.

John’s father Michael learned through John’s friends in Afghanistan that John was being held captive by the Battalion Commander. They were concerned about him. John’s family was already concerned about John’s earlier e-mails and posts on MySpace because it sounded like he had given up, which was not like him. With this information Michael Needham contacted Army commands, Fort Carson, Congressional leaders and the Army Inspector General (IG). He reports that the only office that took him seriously at the time was the IG. Michael was trying to save his son’s life. He told the IG that he didn’t want him to die. The IG’s office shared a list of rights for both John and Michael. And it was at this time Michael learned that he had third party rights and could intervene and act on John’s behalf. Michael was finally able to get in touch with the Battalion Commander only to learn that John was being treated like a criminal. The Battalion Commander informed Michael that John committed crimes and was being sent to prison in Kuwait. But Michael was able to intervene and get the Command to send him to medical instead. Medical determined that John was severely injured both physically and mentally. He had significant back injuries from the multiple explosions and blasts, shrapnel in his body, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Army medical in Iraq referred John to medical in Germany and from there he would be sent to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in the states. But not before the Battalion Commander would put up one more roadblock. Instead, Michael Needham won this battle and John was flown to Germany.

Eventually, John was sent to Ward 54 which is the psychiatric ward at Walter Reed. Michael shared that John appeared to like the psychiatric help he was getting. A month into John’s stay at Walter Reed, he was informed that the Iraq Battalion Commander contacted the 212th Command in Colorado and requested that John be sent back to Fort Carson where he was facing criminal charges including unlawful discharge of a weapon. They were making him go and sent armed guards to accompany him back to Fort Carson. Michael Needham tried to intervene with the 212th at Fort Carson but they said they couldn’t do anything because they had orders from the Battalion Commander. John was sent back to Fort Carson and the harassment he endured in Iraq continued with the 212th in Colorado. John shared that they mentally tortured him, banged on his barracks door, stole his things, and isolated him. It was at this time Michael elicited the help of a veteran advocate Andrew Pogany who went to the command in Colorado and held these people personally accountable. Andrew helps soldiers in John’s situation because he understands how important it is to intervene. John could not get the kind of help that he needed at Fort Carson. Michael shared that the soldiers could see a professional once a week if they were suicidal and once a month if they were not. John’s father wanted him transferred to a Naval Medical Center in San Diego for intensive treatment and so he could be closer to home. Andrew helped make that happen.

Michael began to understand the impacts the war had on his son after John got back to California. John couldn’t handle driving above 35 mph, was suspicious of trash on the side of the road, and was easily startled by loud noises. He could not function in public and suffered with what is known as flashbacks. The Naval Medical Center in San Diego recommended that John get surgery on his back right away. They warned him that he could become paralyzed if he didn’t get the surgery. In the meantime Johns father spoke candidly with one of the Navy doctors about the treatment John received both in Iraq and at Fort Carson. He reiterated that he was concerned about his well being and asked him to help him find a way to prevent John from being sent back to Fort Carson, Colorado. Michael Needham feared that if John got sent back to Fort Carson that he would not return. This doctor agreed to help John. And Andrew Pogany recommended that John report the war crimes to the Army in an effort to protect John from being complicit and implicated in the future. John reported to the Army that he witnessed both leadership and peers killing innocent Iraqi civilians during the October 2006 to October 2007 timeframe in and around Al Doura. It wasn’t long after John made the report that all the charges against him were dropped and Fort Carson gave the necessary approval to transfer him to Balboa Naval Command. John went in front of the medical board and was medically retired for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, and back injuries. He was discharged honorably from the Army. The Army investigated John’s claims but concluded that no war crimes were committed.

Michael and John won a lot of battles with the US Army but soon they would lose the war. Just days after John was discharged from the Army, he would be accused of beating his new girlfriend to death with his bare hands. John Needham was charged with the murder of Jacqwelyn Villagomez and jailed for ten months until his family raised enough money to get him out on bail. John was not given treatment while jailed so the family was motivated to get him out so he could get the treatment he needed. John did in fact follow through with getting treatment and he learned a lot about himself in the process. He spent some time on camera talking about how the combat stress and the betrayal from his team impacted him. He talked about how he didn’t realize the significant impacts from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. John recognized how PTSD and TBI did in fact play a role in his fight or flight response mechanisms and that it may be because these conditions went untreated that he disocciated, snapped and beat his girlfriend to death. The two were in a heated argument after Jacqwelyn attacked one of John’s female friends. Both of them were volatile but unfortunately there were no witnesses to the event as John’s friend was outside the home calling the police to report Jacqwelyn. While John was awaiting trial, he went to Arizona to get another surgery and visit with his mom. On February 19, 2010 following treatment at the Department of Veterans Affairs, John would be found dead in his room from an overdose on painkillers. The cause of death at autopsy was considered undetermined and it is unclear if John accidentally overdosed or committed suicide.

Brig. Gen. Stephen Xenakis, M.D. (Ret.), a former top military psychiatrist who until recently was a consultant to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told us: “[TBI ]most sensitively affects executive functioning, that part of the brain that we use for judgment and we use for decision making … when we are in situations of intense emotion. So if a person is affected neurologically … they don’t have the controls that they had before. … They can’t think as clearly. …They are really vulnerable to just reacting, overreacting, particularly maybe doing something that they had done when they’d been in combat.” –The Wounded Platoon

As a parent, Michael Needham has questions for the Army. Why don’t they even recognize the problem? Why don’t they take care of the soldiers? And why did they leave his son John Needham behind? The documentary ‘On the Dark Side in Al Doura’ concludes with the reminder that since the Patriot Act was passed and Dick Cheney declared that we needed to go into the shadows, the definition of torture has been blurred. The Abu Ghraib prisoner torture and abuse scandal erupted under the Bush administration in 2003 but no war crimes have been investigated under President Barack Obama’s administration. If the rule of law has been lost, what do we have? Our military personnel have a responsibility to abide by the rules established by the Geneva Conventions. John Needham and Adam Winfield both reported witnessing innocent civilians murdered by their fellow leadership and peers in Iraq and Afghanistan. They both also shared the impact the crimes had on their mental health and morale. They wished they could have reported the crimes to someone who would have listened and understood that their lives were in danger. We can learn a lot from John Needham and Adam Winfield; they have experienced what it’s like to be a whistleblower in the US Army. They have clearly illustrated what toxic leadership in the Army looks like and how whistleblowers in the US military have nowhere to turn.

Related Links:
Dateline NBC Mystery: Private Needhams War
PBS Documentary: The Wounded Platoon
On the Dark Side in Al Doura: A Soldier in the Shadows
PBS Documentary: The Kill Team
The PBS Documentary ‘The Kill Team’ Nominated for an Emmy
Retired Army Pvt John Needham Beat his Girlfriend Jacqwelyn Villagomez to Death, Then Died of an Overdose on Painkillers Awaiting Murder Trial (2008)
Honoring Jacqwelyn Villagomez who Died at the Hands of Retired Army Private John Needham (2008)

Navy Veteran Francis Patrick Fleming Found Stabbed to Death; Brenda Nicholas & Charles Jungbluth Received Prison Sentences (December 8, 2011)

patrick-fleming
Francis Patrick Fleming, U.S. Navy Veteran

Navy veteran Francis Patrick Fleming, 70, was found stabbed to death in his elderly apartment complex at the Four Freedoms in Seattle, Washington on December 8, 2011. Patrick’s girlfriend Rosemary Garnett found him after she was not able to reach him by phone. Patrick had been stabbed and his throat was cut in what looked like a struggle for his life. Patrick’s apartment had been ransacked and his valuable coin collection was gone. A witness saw three women much too young to live at the complex in the building that night but did not know who they were. They appeared to be in costume and were wearing wigs. Rosemary told detectives that she planned to marry Patrick and the only other person close to him was another resident by the name of Sylvia Sutton who had moved out of the apartment complex in a hurry a few months earlier. Rosemary shared that she became uneasy when she observed that Patrick was showing off both his war medals (including two Purple Hearts) and his coin collection valued at $60,000 in this part of town. Rosemary was suspicious of Sylvia because of how much time they spent together and some of the people Sylvia introduced him to.

When detectives caught up with Sylvia Sutton, they learned she was a victim of crime too. She had been swindled of her million dollar life savings by a woman named Monica Marks but the name was an alias for Brenda Nicholas. Sylvia positively identified her. Brenda had a prior conviction for drugging an elderly male. She would offer to take him out for a milkshake, put drugs in his milkshake, and then go to the ATM machine. Brenda was also connected to a robbery case, had an extensive criminal record, and a connection to a Gypsy crime ring that started with sweetheart scams and escalated to murder and violence. After Brenda Nicholas’ home was searched, police discovered a brief case with a piece of paper bearing Patrick Fleming’s name. A second blood sample belonging to an unknown male was found at the scene of the crime so police needed to connect this sample to people who associated with Brenda. Archie Marks was identified as a person of interest because of his relationship with Brenda Nicholas but he was not a match. Sylvia’s driver, Charles Jungbluth, was also interviewed and tested despite having no criminal history. Jungbluth gave detectives nothing to work with in the interview but his DNA was compared to DNA found at the crime scene and it was a match.

Jungbluth admitted that he targeted Patrick Fleming with Brenda Nicholas and Gilda Ramirez. He shared that they dressed in disguises and used a ruse to enter the apartment. When Patrick didn’t fall for it, Brenda pushed them all in the door. They immediately started stabbing Patrick. In the course of the murder, Brenda stabbed Charles because he wasn’t stabbing Patrick hard enough. As a result, Charles left behind blood that sealed their fate. Detectives suspect that they most likely killed Patrick to eliminate a living witness. On July 2, 2012, Brenda Nicholas was arrested and charged with over 50 crimes in relation to Sylvia Sutton. After Jungbluth’s confession, Nicholas was charged with murder too. On November 8, 2012, Brenda Nicholas’ murder trial began. Brenda tried to blame her upbringing in the gypsy community for her wicked ways but the jury wasn’t buying it. Brenda Nicholas was found guilty and sentenced to 34 years in prison for murder. Charles Jungbluth was found guilty and sentenced to 22 years in prison. And Gilda Ramirez got six years in prison because she did not stab Patrick. Francis Patrick Fleming rests with full honors at the Tahoma National Cemetery in Washington. Rosemary shared that Patrick made her feel complete.

Source: Senseless in Seattle, Killer Instinct with Chris Hansen, Investigation Discovery

Investigation Discovery:

Navy veteran, Patrick Fleming was found brutally stabbed to death in a Seattle elderly home. Detectives are lead to a con-artists named Monica, but DNA from the scene belongs to a man. Soon a call from the lab helps solve this bizarre whodunnit. -Misfortune Teller, Dead of Night (S2,E8)

When an elderly Vietnam vet is stabbed to death, Seattle detectives expose a crime ring led by a Gypsy con woman and killer. Finally she’s exposed for defrauding millions from her victims and murdering those who’ve stood in her way. -Senseless in Seattle, Killer Instinct with Chris Hansen (S1,E5)

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.

Related Links:
Murderpedia: Brenda Nicholas
Suspect Arrested In Bloody Bitter Lake Murder
Murder charged in Seattle coin collection robbery
Murder charge filed against Seattle woman accused in palm reader scam
3rd person charged in December slaying of North Seattle man
2 plead not guilty to killing 70-year-old Navy veteran
Seattle woman charged in gruesome murder of elderly Navy vet
Torture, rare coins, psychic readings key elements in brutal slaying
Woman found guilty in brutal murder of Bitter Lake man
Guilty verdict in murder, robbery of elderly Bitter Lake man
Woman sentenced in vicious killing of Seattle veteran
Woman gets 34 years in brutal murder of Purple Heart veteran
Man convicted in N. Seattle torture killing sentenced to prison
22-year sentence in stabbing death of Bitter Lake man
Torture Murder Kirkland Police Helped Solve Draws 22-Year Sentence
King County Prosecutor’s Post: Case Updates (2013)
Investigation Discovery Takes an In-Depth Look at America’s Most Horrific Crimes with the All-New Series Killer Instinct with Chris Hansen
Dead of Night Premiered ‘Misfortune Teller’ on ID: Navy Veteran Patrick Fleming Found Stabbed to Death in Seattle Home (June 25, 2014)
Killer Instinct with Chris Hansen Premiered ‘Senseless in Seattle’ on ID: Who Killed Navy Veteran Francis Patrick Fleming? (September 14, 2015)
Misfortune Teller | Dead of Night | Investigation Discovery (S2,E8)
Misfortune Teller | Dead of Night | Investigation Discovery (website)
Misfortune Teller | Dead of Night | Investigation Discovery (Prime Video)
Senseless in Seattle | Killer Instinct with Chris Hansen | Investigation Discovery (S1,E5)
Senseless in Seattle | Killer Instinct with Chris Hansen | Investigation Discovery (website)
Senseless in Seattle | Killer Instinct with Chris Hansen | Investigation Discovery (Prime Video)

Retired Marine Brian Brimager Pleaded Guilty to the Second Degree Murder of Yvonne Baldelli in Panama; Sentenced to 26 Years in Federal Prison (2011)

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Yvonne Baldelli and Brian Brimager, US Marine Corps Veteran

Retired Marine Brian Brimager pleaded guilty on February 24, 2016 to murdering his girlfriend Yvonne Baldelli in Panama on November 27, 2011. Brimager admitted in a California US District Court that he had viciously beat, stabbed, dismembered and dumped Yvonne in the jungle. In his guilty plea, Brimager also admitted to obstructing the investigation into her murder by destroying, concealing and disposing of evidence, including a blood-stained mattress, clothes and jewelry;  killing Baldelli’s two dogs; accessing Baldelli’s email account after her murder and impersonating Baldelli in emails sent from her account to friends and family; withdrawing money from Baldelli’s bank account in Costa Rica after her death; and providing false statements to an FBI agent in an attempt to make it seem as though Baldelli were alive and well and traveling with another man in Costa Rica. The prosecutor told the court that Brimager killed Baldelli in order to silence her because she discovered he had a girlfriend and daughter in San Diego, California. Brimager was afraid Baldelli would ruin his relationship with his new girlfriend by revealing their relationship to her. In an interesting twist, Brimager married his girlfriend in San Diego two weeks after he killed Yvonne. Brian Brimager was sentenced in federal court to twenty-six years for second degree murder and ordered to pay $11,132 in restitution to Baldelli’s father and a $10,000 fine.

“This murder was particularly cruel and depraved…The lengths Mr. Brimager went to to avoid detection were particularly brazen and ultimately shattering to the Bardelli family. I dare say they will never recover. A day may never go by without them thinking of Ms. Baldelli’s murder and the images seared in to their psyches.” –US District Judge Jeffrey T. Miller

Related Links:
Justice for Yvonne Baldelli
Yvonne Baldelli Candlelight Vigil
The March Yvonne Baldelli
48 Hours: Preview of Devil’s Island
’48 Hours’ Preview: Devils Island
48 Hours: Devil’s Island
Yvonne Baldelli’s Remains Found in Panama
Skeletal remains found in Panama are US citizen Yvonne Baldelli
Yvonne Baldelli, Body Found: Top 10 Facts You Need to Know
Panama authorities charge Brian Brimager in death of Yvonne Baldelli
Ex-Marine Charged With Girlfriend’s Murder in Panama
“48 Hours” preview: Nov. 15 double feature
“48 Hours” investigates American’s death in Panama
Search for missing American takes “48 Hours” to Panama
Family of woman who vanished in Panama continues searching
“48 Hours” investigates new revelations in 2011 Panama disappearance
Yvonne Baldelli’s boyfriend a “person of interest” in case
Former Marine accused of killing girlfriend in Panama
Man indicted in disappearance, possible death of former girlfriend
Retired Marine to change plea in Panama murder case
Marine changes plea, admits killing girlfriend
Man pleads guilty to cutting up his Dana Point girlfriend in Panama, leaving her remains in backpack
FBI: Retired Marine Sentenced to 26 Years in Prison for Fatally Stabbing his Girlfriend, Dismembering her Body with a Machete and Dumping her Remains in the Panamanian Jungle
Retired Marine admits killing, dismembering girlfriend
Machete Slicing of Girlfriend Nets Ex-Marine 26-Year Term
Ex-Marine Sentenced to 26 Years in Girlfriend’s Grisly Machete Murder
Former Marine Sentenced To 26 Years For Murdering, Dismembering Girlfriend with Machete
Retired Marine who killed his girlfriend in Panama and dismembered her body with machete is sentenced to 26 years in prison
Former marine admits killing and dismembering his girlfriend before dumping her remains in a backpack in the Panama jungle
‘Island of Lost Dreams’: Wife Stands by Husband Convicted of Killing Girlfriend
Wife stands by Marine husband who killed girlfriend (Pt. 1)
Wife stands by Marine husband who killed girlfriend (Pt. 2)
Wife stands by Marine husband who killed girlfriend (Pt. 3)
Wife stands by Marine husband who killed girlfriend (Pt. 4)
Wife stands by Marine husband who killed girlfriend (Pt. 5)
‘Semper free!!!!!!’: The ‘cruel and depraved’ case of the murderous Marine veteran
Parents of woman BRUTALLY murdered by ex-Marine boyfriend speak of their heartbreak


An ex-Marine with a secret life has a girlfriend who goes missing in Panama – was it murder? -48 Hours

Homicide Hunter Premiered ‘Secret Life’ on ID: Fort Carson Soldier Strangled Lourdes Riddle to Silence Sextortion Threats (November 22, 2011)

After Lourdes Riddle in found strangled to death in the trunk of her car, homicide detective Joe Kenda follows the trail through a twisting maze of military and cultural secrets. Just what was Lourdes doing behind her husband’s back? -Secret Life, Homicide Hunter (S1, E5)

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.

Related Links:
Army CID warns Soldiers to beware of ‘sextortion’ scams
Secret Life | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (S1, E5)
Secret Life | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (website)
Secret Life | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Secret Life | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (Hulu)
Nowhere to Turn: Soldier Extorted by a Military Wife Ends in Murder
Fort Carson Army Soldier Nolly Depadua Killed Air Force Spouse Lourdes Riddle to Silence Sextortion Threats; Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison, Out in 7 (March 26, 1985)
Violent Crime, Suicide & Non Combat Death at Fort Carson, Colorado