Navy Veteran Victor Saucedo Shot and Killed in Home by Ex-Girlfriend; Navy Veteran Vegas Bray Sentenced to 50 Years to Life in Prison (October 16, 2012)

On October 16, 2012August 24, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Navy, VeteransLeave a comment

Victor Saucedo served as a damage controlman in the U.S. Navy and was stationed at Naval Base San Diego in California. Victor left the Navy in 2012 and began working on a college degree in law enforcement right away. He wanted to do well so he could provide for his four year old son. He had lots of friends, a loving family, and was an all around great guy. Victor met Vegas Bray in the Navy at the Naval Base in San Diego; they remained friends even after she was discharged. Victor reconnected with Vegas at the gym; they both liked to work out. Victor was smitten initially and the two started a serious relationship in March 2011. Victor and Vegas spent a lot of time together.

Then Vegas realized she had to share Victor with his child, an ex-girlfriend, and all his friends. Vegas was especially jealous of the mother of his child because she had to be the only person in Victor’s life. She was immature. Vegas Bray was abandoned and abused, and as a result had a difficult time with men. Vegas tried to use sex to control Victor. If Victor went out with his friends, Vegas would show up and ask him to leave. This behavior embarrassed Victor and he may have lost his friends but he was never going to give up on his son. Vegas accused Victor of spending all his time with his son. Victor didn’t hide the fact that his kid came first and broke up with Vegas in March 2012. Although they still hooked up even after the break-up.

Vegas had a rough childhood. Her mother abandoned her when she was twelve; she didn’t know who her father was. She was described as nice by those who grew up with her. She grew up in the military community in San Diego and as a result was inspired to join the Navy’s enlisted ranks after high school graduation in 2007. She worked as a Machinist at Naval Base San Diego. But Vegas didn’t like it. She did not adjust well to the rules and regulations and as a result applied for an early discharge. The discharge application was approved and she was administratively discharged from the Navy in 2010. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do so she began working as a cocktail waitress. She met Victor in 2011. After the break-up in 2012, Vegas started pulling childish pranks.

Vegas sat outside his home, followed him, threw eggs at his car, keyed his car, punctured his tires, threw paint at his door, and threatened to kill him. Victor moved to a new apartment within the complex to escape her escalating abuse. He even considered moving back to Chicago, Illinois but didn’t want to leave his son behind. He had a feeling Vegas would kill him. After she found out where he lived, Vegas broke a window at the new place. Victor didn’t want any confrontations with her. And even after all this, he still wanted to be friends. He went to the police once to report the stalking behavior and the threats to his life but he didn’t feel like he was taken seriously. He also chased Vegas down after she threw a bottle through his car window. He called the police but declined to press charges hoping the warning would do the trick.

Vegas told Victor she was going to move into the same apartment complex as him and Victor agreed to be a co-signer on the new apartment. Vegas went to Victor’s place on October 15, 2012 to talk about the co-signing arrangement. Vegas and Victor drank and talked all evening; they had a good time and ended up sleeping together. The next morning, Vegas wanted to go to breakfast but Victor did not. Vegas felt used and taken advantage of; she was angry. What Victor thought was a casual night with an ex meant something completely different to Vegas. This night made her feel closer to Victor, more possessive, and got her hopes up that something would rekindle. Once Victor realized his mistake, it was too late. Because of her abandonment issues, she felt rejected.

Vegas was devastated by this experience and her rage kicked into overdrive. Vegas was obsessed with Victor and wanted to know why he broke up with her. On October 16, 2012, Vegas went to Victor’s home in Imperial Beach and confronted him. He reiterated that it was over. She shot him six times at close range. Then when he was down, she coldly pointed the gun at his head and fired three more times. Police learned she left him a message on his answering machine begging him not to leave her. She went to his apartment with a plan after he didn’t call her back and she murdered him in cold blood. Once he was dead, she called the police to report that she found Victor dead with his gun lying next to him. Vegas implied that Victor committed suicide.

After detectives observed the crime scene, they found Victor lying in the hallway with a gun at his side. He had been shot multiple times in the face, head, and upper body; a suicide was not possible. The police felt that referring to Victor’s death as a suicide was preposterous; they quickly deduced this was a homicide. But Vegas continued to insist that Victor’s death was a suicide. Then Vegas voluntarily went to the police station and told investigators that she couldn’t remember what happened because she blacked out. During the interview, Vegas told investigators that Victor broke up with her on the phone and unfriended her Facebook. She turned around on the highway and went to Victor’s home to confront him. Vegas Bray said she didn’t plan on going back to Victor’s house.

Vegas said she didn’t remember anything and blacked out but remembered her ears were ringing. She also admitted that the black-outs began in childhood. She said she was sexually abused as a child and when she reported it to her mother, she wasn’t believed. She did see a psychiatrist to work on her depression and post traumatic stress disorder. She also admitted that the 38 caliber revolver was hers. Others described Vegas as unstable; she had quick temper and flew off at the handle. Witnesses confirmed she was jealous of the ex-girlfriend and would often cause scenes. They said one time she even held a gun to Victor’s face and this is when he left her. He didn’t want anymore drama unfortunately leaving her only heightened the drama.

Vegas Bray was arrested later that day and charged with the murder of Victor Saucedo. It took two years to declare Vegas mentally fit to stand trial. The jury learned Victor was shot nine times with hollow point bullets meant to do maximum damage. And they learned that a 38 caliber revolver only held six bullets so Vegas had to reload the gun before shooting Victor three more times. This fact also matched testimony by witnesses who said they heard 5-6 gunshots, silence, then three more shots. The defense brought up Vegas’ difficult upbringing with her abusive, neglectful mother but the jury decided it didn’t excuse taking a life. In 2016, Vegas Bray was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to fifty years to life in prison. Vegas Bray was an unstable, jealous ex with a gun who killed Victor Saucedo because she couldn’t control him.

Never have sex with a crazy ex. -Profiler Candice DeLong, Deadly Women

Source: Deadly Women ‘Cling ‘Til Death’, Investigation Discovery

In the News:

A woman accused of fatally shooting her ex-boyfriend pleaded not guilty. -ABC 10 News (October 19, 2012)

A woman accused of fatally shooting her ex-lover inside his Imperial Beach apartment last year was ordered Wednesday to undergo a mental competency examination after shouting out in court that she was not jealous of the victim and didn’t remember the shooting. -ABC 10 News (April 24, 2013)

A preliminary hearing was held Wednesday for a 24-year-old woman accused of fatally shooting her ex-lover inside his Imperial Beach apartment after stalking and harassing him for a year. -ABC 10 News (April 24, 2013)

A Dec. 10 mental competency trial was set Monday for a woman accused of fatally shooting her ex-boyfriend inside his Imperial Beach apartment after stalking and harassing him for a year. -ABC 10 News (October 28, 2013)

Vegas Bray convicted of killing ex-boyfriend. -ABC 10 News (November 2, 2015)

Oxygen:

There’s a gun lying next to the victim. Is it suicide or murder? -Vegas Bray, Snapped, Oxygen (May 9, 2017)

An attractive woman witnesses her ex-boyfriend’s shooting, but can’t remember what happened, raising questions about suicide, stalking and split personalities. -Vegas Bray, Snapped, Oxygen (May 9, 2017)

Vegas Bray is convicted of murder and sentenced 25 years to life in prison. A friend of Vegas’s, Kevin Oseguera says “the monster inside of her” shot Victor, not his friend. -Vegas Bray, Snapped, Oxygen (May 14, 2017)

Vegas Bray says it’s hard to talk about what happened to her. She shows no remorse. -Vegas Bray, Snapped, Oxygen (May 15, 2017)

Investigation Discovery:

A young Navy recruit falls for a fellow officer, but becomes overwhelmed by jealousy when she learns he is friendly with the mother of his child. -Deadly Women, Investigation Discovery

These Deadly Women won’t let their men go… they “Cling Til Death.” -Cling ‘Til Death, Deadly Women (S10,E4)

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.

Marine Corps Spouse Brittany Killgore Held Captive, Tortured, Raped, and Murdered After Refusing Sex; 3 BDSM Cult Members Sentenced to Life (April 14, 2012)

On April 14, 2012July 2, 2018 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Scandals, Sexual Assault, USMCLeave a comment

Image: Brittany Dawn Killgore — Brittany Killgore, US Marine Corps Spouse

Brittany Killgore, a civilian married to a man serving in the US Marine Corps, was initially reported missing on April 14, 2012 but was later found dead near Lake Skinner in California in 2012. Her husband was deployed at the time she went missing. They were stationed at Camp Pendleton and Brittany was in the process of getting a divorce and moving out of her home. On her last night at Camp Pendleton, another Marine named Sgt Louis Perez, offered to not only help her move but asked her to go out one last time before she left. Brittany was acquaintances with Perez, his live in girlfriend Dorothy Maraglino, and another woman named Jessica Lopez, who also lived at the residence of Maraglino.

After a lengthy investigation by civilian police in San Diego, it was determined that Louis Perez lured Brittany and eventually took her to his home where he and his girlfriend (Maraglino) lived. Perez, Maraglino, and Jessica Lopez all engaged in what is referred to as BDSM and they decided that Brittany would join them whether she wanted to or not. In the course of sexually abusing and torturing Brittany, Louis Perez strangled her to death. Maraglino and Perez decided that Jessica Lopez needed to take the fall for her death and they coerced Jessica into not only admitting to the murder but also to take her own life. She was found near death in a hotel room after a failed suicide attempt. In 2015, Perez, Maraglino, and Lopez were all sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The search for a young missing military wife takes NCIS agents into the dark world of master and slave role playing where they uncover the dual life of a Marine sergeant. -A Date with Evil, 48 Hours NCIS

Tonight’s episode of “48 Hours: NCIS” takes you inside the real-life investigation into a missing Marine wife. “A Date with Evil” follows an agent as he pursues the truth behind her disappearance. -48 Hours NCIS

When the battered corpse of a young woman turns up on the outskirts of Fallbrook, California, detectives unravel a secret world where dominance, sadomasochism, and manipulation reign. -Murder Among Friends, Investigation Discovery

Brittany Killgore’s mother’s first thought is always, “Brittany should have been here. Watch episodes of In Ice Cold Blood, only on Oxygen. -Oxygen Media (April 12, 2018)

Video Links:
TEMECULA: Body Found Near Lake Skinner
Friend testifies Marine wife Brittany Killgore texted ‘help’ after dinner cruise with Louis Perez
Abduction fantasy revealed during Killgore murder hearing
Suspects accused in death of Brittany Killgore ordered to stand trial
Dismissal of charges denied for suspect in sex-torture murder case
Graphic autopsy reveals Brittany Killgore strangled, dismembered
Killgore murder-torture trial underway Monday
Parents of murder victim share grief
3 Sex Cult Members Convicted of Murdering Marine’s Wife for ‘Sadistic Pleasure’
Sex Cult Sentencing: Marine Wife Murder
Jessica Lynn Lopez Sentencing 01/08/16
Dungeons and Dying | Murder Among Friends | Investigation Discovery
In Ice Cold Blood: Bonus Clip – Michelle Wrest (Season 1, Episode 3) | Oxygen
“48 Hours: NCIS”: Inside the investigation into a missing Marine wife
“48 Hours: NCIS” sneak peek: A Date with Evil
The search for a missing military wife takes NCIS agents into a dark world | by Military Times
Sex cult murder: sadomasochists convicted for killing Marine wife who refused rough sex
48 Hours NCIS Premiered ‘A Date With Evil’ on CBS: Everything You Need to Know About the Brittney Killgore Rape & Murder Case (June 5, 2018)

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

On January 26, 2012August 25, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Stateside Death, True Crime, USAFLeave a comment

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)

Dateline: Mystery on Blood Mountain | Gary Hilton aka ‘The National Forest Serial Killer’ Found Guilty of Murdering Four Hikers (August 26, 2011)

On August 26, 2011June 13, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Cold Cases, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Scandals, Sexual Assault, VeteransLeave a comment

It was a case that resonated with just about everyone who followed it. On New Year’s Day 2008, Meredith Emerson set out for a vigorous hike up Union County’s Blood Mountain with her black Labrador retriever mix, Ella. There she encountered a grizzled, toothless drifter searching for his next victim. AJC’s Rhonda Cook and Christian Boone talk about covering that story years ago, as well as talk to the lead GBI agent on the case John Cage, who is still moved by the very thought of Emerson, ten years later. Atlanta Journal-Constitution (December 31, 2017)

Oxygen’s Dateline: Secrets Uncovered featured ‘Mystery on Blood Mountain’ which is the true crime story of the ‘National Forest Serial Killer’ Gary Michael Hilton. The show started with the missing Meredith Emerson of Buford, Georgia who set out on a hike at Blood Mountain in the Chattahoochee National Forest with her rescue dog Ella. Meredith’s roommate became concerned when she never came back home and never showed up to work the next day. Meredith was reliable and never missed work so her roommate called the police department. Meredith’s friends and family and the local sheriffs office began a search for Meredith who was initially considered a missing hiker. Although the police found some disturbing items during their search for Meredith. The items were located in an area where the ground was disturbed, possibly a sign of a struggle and they were especially concerned about the expandable police baton they found. Witnesses reported seeing Meredith with a strange looking man with a white van. A hiker took a picture of the van and the police sent out a be on the lookout for the van. Police learned that Meredith wasn’t the only missing hiker.

A witness, John Tabor, suspected the description of the unsavory character police were looking for was Gary Hilton and he reported this information to the police. The police showed Hilton’s picture to the hikers who saw Meredith and they identified Gary Hilton as the man they saw with Meredith. The manhunt was on. In the meantime, police learned that Cheryl Dunlap of Florida was missing as well. Cheryl’s daughter-in-law called the police after Cheryl didn’t show up for work. After a search was initiated, the police found Cheryl’s car abandoned and parked well off the highway. It appeared, one of the tires had been purposefully flattened. More people gathered to look for Cheryl after it was confirmed something was definitely. In the meantime, the police looked at Cheryl’s financial activity and found that a male subject was using her ATM card. The police staked out the ATMs, but the man never reappeared. In mid-December 2007, hikers found a female body missing it’s head and hands. The police took a DNA sample and it matched Cheryl Dunlap. Authorities learned of two more homicides in the National Forest in North Carolina and this detective suspected Hilton was involved in these unsolved murders to.

John and Irene Bryant retired in North Carolina close to the hiking trails they loved. They traveled extensively and both loved hiking; John hiked the entire Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. The couple went for a day hike in the Pisgah National Forest and they never came back. One of their sons started looking for them and eventually found their car. And not long after they began their search, they found Irene Bryant’s remains not far from their vehicle. She was bludgeoned to death. The search continued for John Bryant. During the course of the investigation, detectives discovered a male subject was successfully using the Bryant’s ATM card. Meanwhile, detectives in North Carolina noticed similarities in the Bryant’s case and Meredith Emerson’s case. They observed the crimes were all occurring in the National Forests. Gary Hilton was a suspect in the disappearance of Meredith Emerson and a person of interest in other homicides in the National Forest. John Tabor worked with Gary Hilton and he saw things change with him drastically in 2007. Hilton was missing several teeth and claimed he removed his own teeth with a pair of pliers. Tabor fired Hilton and Hilton threatened to kill him. Tabor armed himself and took every precaution including contacting the police and a couple days later, Hilton left.

Tabor said he spent 10 years with Gary Hilton and it wasn’t until the end of their friendship that he noticed the deterioration. A lawyer who represented Hilton claimed he was a conman but admitted that Hilton assisted him with making horror movies. One of the movies they worked on together was called Deadly Run. It featured women who were taken to the woods and murdered. Hilton wanted to make things dark and include rape and more murder. Coincidentally, they shot a scene in the Chattahoochee National Forest where Meredith went missing. The pair eventually had a falling out after Hilton stole his dog. After Meredith’s murder, Gary Hilton called his old boss John Tabor and acted like he knew nothing about the manhunt for him. He said he wanted to get back to work and was looking for money he felt was owed to him. John Tabor agreed to meet with him to give him the money and then called the police. On January 4, 2008, the U.S. Marshall’s Service discovered activity on Meredith’s bank card. They were failed attempts which most likely meant Meredith didn’t give Hilton the right code. Gary didn’t show up to pick up the money. Meanwhile, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) got involved with Meredith Emerson’s missing persons case. Then one day someone reported that a dog was roaming around with no owner. The dog looked like Ella and an identity chip confirmed it.

While police were canvassing the location, they discovered some of Meredith’s belongings in a dumpster including her identification and her bloody clothing. Meanwhile, another person reported a sighting of Gary Hilton and his white van at a gas station. Police quickly arrived a the scene and arrested Hilton. Detectives attempted to interview Gary Hilton so they could find Meredith but he lawyered up. So investigators offered to cut a deal with Gary so they could retrieve Meredith Emerson’s body for her family. Hilton told them where she was located and the police found her remains in a wooded area. Investigators were stunned by Gary Hilton’s confession. He said he ambushed Meredith as she was walking down the trail. She fought back using her martial arts and was able to get two weapons out of his control, a knife and a police baton. Hilton admitted he fought back hard to subdue her. After he wore Meredith down, he tied her to a tree, and told her he was going to shoot her. Later he led her back to his van, tied her up, and then took her ATM cards. Meredith didn’t give him the right numbers, probably in an attempt to stay alive. He made camp with his captive in a remote forest. He tried the ATM card again the next day and still nothing so he returned to his van. He let Ella the dog go because he didn’t have the heart to kill the dog.

Gary Hilton admitted that he bludgeoned Meredith to death, decapitated her, and dumped bleach all over her body. In a stunning twist, Hilton would not talk about any of the other homicides the police believed he was involved in. Hilton was found guilty of Meredith’s murder and sentenced to life in prison in the State of Georgia. The prosecutor honored the plea agreement and removed the death penalty off the table. State and federal investigators in Florida and North Carolina continued their investigation. They learned Hilton was more than a vagrant in a van. He was an Army veteran, a college graduate, he got a pilot’s license on the GI Bill, and was married three times before the wheel’s came off. Hilton was raised by his mother and a step-father he claimed to not get along with. When he was 14 years old, he shot his step-father who lived; Gary was institutionalized. He later joined the Army and admitted his time in the Army was the only time he worked full-time. He admitted to being a career criminal; he was a scam artist. In his interview with the GBI, he had grandiose conversation about his life and touted his exceptionalism. Gary has a very high IQ and believed he was smarter than the investigators.

In January 2008, Mr. Bryant’s remains were discovered in the National Forest in North Carolina. And investigators in Florida believed Cheryl Dunlap’s case fit Gary Hilton’s modus operandi. The State of Florida indicted Gary Hilton in a capital murder trial for Cheryl Dunlap’s homicide but they were not allowed to enter any of the other suspected homicides or the Meredith Emerson case into evidence even to establish a pattern. In addition, the prosecution was not allowed to refer to the horror movie Hilton was involved with. A month after Cheryl went missing, Meredith went missing. So investigators went deep in the woods hoping to find additional evidence and they stumbled upon the head and hands of Cheryl Dunlap in a fire. It appeared someone had worked hard to destroy evidence. Unfortunately, no witnesses came forward to put Cheryl Dunlap with Gary Hilton so the prosecution had to make a connection in some other way. After they found the knife that Meredith wrestled away from Hilton, they found the link they needed to make the connection between Gary and Cheryl. The knife used in the Meredith Emerson abduction was the same knife used to decapitate Cheryl Dunlap.

Hilton’s homicide case for the murder of Cheryl Dunlap in Florida started in February 2011. This was a capital murder case and a death penalty case. Investigators left no stone unturned. They searched all of Gary Hilton’s belongings and his van and were able to make another connection. Cheryl’s DNA was found on Gary’s boots and his sleeping bag. In his defense, Gary Hilton declined to take the stand and his attorney claimed there was no direct evidence linking Gary Hilton to Cheryl Dunlap’s murder. The prosecution’s argument was compelling because Hilton was found guilty of first degree murder. And the prosecution was allowed to talk about Meredith Emerson’s homicide in the sentencing phase of the trial. The defense claimed Hilton suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury when he was a child and was also abused as a child. He was diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder and schizoaffective disorder. The prosecution’s rebuttal witnessed claimed Hilton was a psychopath who knew right from wrong. Gary Hilton was sentenced to death to by lethal injection in the State of Florida on April 21, 2011. Hilton was indicted in federal court in North Carolina for the murders of John and Irene Bryant and was a person of interest in other cases. Hilton filed an appeal in the State of Florida to have his death sentenced conviction overturned but the appeal was denied.

UPDATE: Gary Michael Hilton was found guilty of murdering Rossana Miliani, 26, Cheryl Hodges Dunlap, 46, John, 80, and Irene Bryant, 84, Michael Scot Louis, 27, and Meredith Hope Emerson, 24, between December 7, 2005 and January 4, 2008. Gary Hilton was sentenced to life in prison in Georgia on January 31, 2008, sentenced to death in Florida on April 21, 2011, and sentenced to four life sentences in North Carolina on April 25, 2013.

Source: ‘Mystery on Blood Mountain’ Dateline

Authorities met Tuesday to discuss possible links between Georgia murder suspect Gary Michael Hilton and cases in other states. -Associated Press (January 16, 2008)

Authorities say they have linked Gary Michael Hilton to the the slaying of a N.C. hiker and the disappearance of her husband. Earlier this month, he w as charged with killing a 24-year old female Georgia hiker. – Associated Press (January 17, 2008)

The man accused of killing a Hendersonville couple in the Pisgah National Forest was in court Monday morning. -WYFF News 4 (July 25, 2011)

A confessed serial killer, who pleaded guilty to killing two hikers from Henderson County, is sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without parole. Last year, Gary Hilton admitted to killing John and Irene Bryant as they hiked in the Pisgah National Forest in October 2007. -WLOS News 13 (April 25, 2013)

Gary Hilton was sentenced today for killing John and Irene Bryant from Henderson County in the Pisgah National Forest back in 2007. A federal judge gave Hilton four more life terms without parole. That’s on top of his Florida death sentence for a killing there, and a life term for a killing in Georgia. -WLOS News 13 (April 26, 2013)

A double murder case in the mountains involving a serial killer finally comes to a close almost six years later. Gary Hilton was sentenced today for killing John and Irene Bryant from Henderson County in the Pisgah National Forest back in 2007. A federal judge gave Hilton four more life terms without parole. -WLOS News 13 (April 29, 2013)

Dateline NBC Premiered ‘The Mystery of the Murdered Major’: Fort Bragg Army Officer David Shannon Fatally Shot While Sleeping (August 12, 2011)

On August 12, 2011November 9, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Stateside Death, True CrimeLeave a comment

“He was a military man, a respected Major in the US Army. When he was attacked in the middle of the night, police launched an investigation that would reveal wild secrets – secrets that might hold the key to murder.” –The Mystery of the Murdered Major, Dateline: Secrets Uncovered, Oxygen

Snapped Premiered ‘Erika Sifrit’ on Oxygen: Woman’s Arrest Leads to Shocking Homicides of Tourists in Ocean City, Maryland (June 16, 2011)

On June 16, 2011August 16, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, True Crime, VeteransLeave a comment

A young woman’s scrapbook offers insight into a shocking crime. -Erika Sifrit, Snapped (S8,E11)

A vacationing couple’s disappearance exposes the horrific crimes of a murderous husband and wife. -Erika and BJ Sifrit, Killer Couples (S11,E2)

Oxygen (Previews & Bonus Clips):

Erica Sifrit was your typical girl next door during high school, but experienced issues with anxiety and OCD at Mary Washington College. -Erika & BJ Sifrit, Killer Couples (January 29, 2019)

Erika and Benjamin Sifrit’s marriage ended in thrill killings, pain, and anguish. -Erika & BJ Sifrit, Killer Couples (January 29, 2019)

Scott Bernal, Ocean City Lead Detective discusses the murder trials of Erika and Benjamin Sifrit’s for the death two tourists. -Erika & BJ Sifrit, Killer Couples (January 30, 2019)

Ocean City Detectives Brett Case and Scott Bernal reflect on the murder of Joshua Edward Ford and the acquittal of Benjamin Sifrit, and his potential release. -Erika & BJ Sifrit, Killer Couples (January 30, 2019)

Kristen Heinbaugh, a high school friend of Erika Sifrit, reflects on the character of the person she used to know before the murders of Joshua Edward Ford and Martha Margene Crutchley. -Erika & BJ Sifrit, Killer Couples (January 30, 2019)

Forensic Files:

Full Episode: The couple spent Memorial Day weekend at the beach, and then they simply vanished. Their clothes and personal items were still in the rented condo, their car was parked outside, and there were no signs of forced entry or foul play. A week later, police would get an unexpected lead from a robbery in progress, and the evidence they found helped them to solve a crime of unparalleled violence and brutality. -Dirty Little Seacret, Forensic Files (S13, E46)

Podcast:

Once Upon A Crime – Episode 112: Listener Suggestions: Erika and Benjamin Sifrit – Killer Couple (December 22, 2018)

Army Veteran Samuel Wiggins Jr. Stabbed to Death by Girlfriend; Carmen Montelongo Found Guilty & Sentenced to 26 Years to Life in Prison (May 29, 2011)

On May 29, 2011August 24, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, VeteransLeave a comment

screen-shot-2016-11-26-at-2-56-08-pm — Samuel Wiggins, Jr., US Army Veteran

Army Vietnam veteran Samuel Wiggins, Jr., 63, was found dead in Diamond Bar, California on May 29, 2011 after police found his body parts in a trash can. Carmen Montelongo (Montenegro) was caught red-handed by the police wheeling around a trash can with Samuel’s remains. Samuel met Carmen a couple years earlier. The family shared that Samuel waited 60 years for the right woman and Carmen would be the biggest mistake of his life. He was good to her from the beginning even offering to pay for her daughter’s college and a vehicle. Carmen started stealing from him immediately, taking little things. Samuel noticed but Carmen became angry when Samuel accused her. This was their first fight so Samuel forgave her and they continued the affair. And eventually Samuel asked Carmen to marry him. But Carmen continued to steal from him. Samuel caught her again and this time he finally had enough; he ended the relationship.

Samuel was last seen by relatives on May 1, 2011. The family became concerned and his nephew went looking for him at his house. Samuel’s nephew witnessed fine blood spray on the walls and doors of his home. Carmen had to think fast because she knew the police were going to be notified. Carmen panicked and started digging up Samuel’s remains in the backyard so she could move the body. Carmen was putting Samuel’s body parts in a trash can when some of her family members showed up to the house unannounced. She began offering to pay them to help her move the garbage bags. In the course of moving the garbage bags from the garden to the trash can, one of the bags came open and her family saw a body part. They refused to help, left, and called the police. When the police showed up, they found Carmen wheeling a trash can down the road and the stink of death was following her.

Court testimony revealed that Carmen snapped after Samuel decided to end the relationship and stabbed him to death. An autopsy revealed that Samuel was fatally stabbed twice in the chest and then Carmen stabbed him 22 more times in the back post mortem. Carmen had to get rid of the body so she dismembered Samuel with a chainsaw. She cut off his head, arms, and legs. She buried his head and arms in potted plants and buried the rest of his body (torso and legs) in the garden in the backyard. She gave the potted plants as a gift to her cousin. Then she immediately drained Samuel’s bank accounts and made it look like he was alive for over a month. The District Attorney declared that the motive for murder was financial gain. Carmen Montelongo was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to 26 years to life in prison.

Source: Love Leaves Town, Deadly Women, Investigation Discovery

Oxygen:

A mysterious disappearance leads police to a woman pushing a trash can full of body parts down the street. -Carmen Montelongo, Snapped (S16, E4)

Investigation Discovery:

With hearts of stone, these Deadly Women give their men special send-offs when “Love Leaves Town.” -Love Leaves Town, Deadly Women (S10, E12)

Snapped Premiered ‘Monique Berkley’ on Oxygen: Navy Reservist Paul Berkley Shot and Killed While Home on Leave for Christmas (May 26, 2011)

On May 26, 2011August 24, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, Stateside Death, True CrimeLeave a comment

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

Investigation Discovery:

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

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

Air Force Staff Sgt. Nathan Paet Shot & Killed as He Got Ready to Leave for Work; Spouse Michelle Paet Sentenced to Life, No Parole for Murder (December 1, 2010)

On December 1, 2010August 19, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Stateside Death, True Crime, USAFLeave a comment

Air Force service member Nathan Paet was shot and killed after opening his garage door as he was leaving for work on December 1st, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nathan and Michelle Paet were both from Guam, were high school sweethearts, and had four beautiful children together. Nathan was an assistant NCOIC for the Strike Aircraft Maintenance Supply section of the 757th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. The couple were struggling financially after they bought a new home in Las Vegas so Nathan volunteered for a six-month deployment to Iraq and Michelle got a part-time job. Upon Nathan’s return to Nevada, he treated his family to an extra special Christmas. And Nathan’s brother Eric Paet paid him a special visit. Eric said the last time he saw his brother, he could sense something wasn’t right. Eric observed that Nathan and Michelle didn’t appear to be getting along and the couple were struggling to pay the bills. As Eric and his wife were leaving, they sensed Nathan wanted to tell them something, but he didn’t.

On December 1, 2010, Michelle called 911 to get help for Nathan who had been shot in the neck and couldn’t talk but was still alive. Unfortunately, despite the doctor’s best efforts, Nathan died at the hospital. Police wasted no time hunting for Nathan’s killer because this wasn’t something they were used to in the Mountain’s Edge suburb. A witness observed a man speed away in a black Cadillac on the day in question. When Michelle Paet was interviewed, she admitted to knowing someone who owned a black Cadillac and his name was Michael Rodriguez. Rodriguez had a police record but nothing violent. When Rodriguez was questioned, he admitted to having a casual affair with Michelle but nothing sexual. His alibi at the time of the murder was that he was sleeping with a woman he met at a Wal-Mart. He even offered up a video of the encounter. Police went to the motel he claimed he was at and they indeed found him on the security camera footage. In the meantime, Michael’s alibi, the woman he claimed to be with, saw the media coverage and decided to go to the police.

Michael’s alibi told police that Jessica Austin asked her to be an alibi for Corry Hawkins and Michael Rodriguez. She was supposed to say she was with them all day. The alibi claimed when the pair got back from murdering Nathan Paet, Jessica burned their clothes in the fire place. The police also learned that Michael worked with Michelle Paet. While the Nellis AFB community was honoring Nathan, the Las Vegas Police Department were turning up the heat on Michelle. She finally admitted to having a sexual relationship with Michael Rodriguez. And at this point, detectives suspected that Michelle was involved with Nathan’s murder. Michelle admitted that Nathan suspected her of having an affair and she was afraid Nathan would leave her. She didn’t want to leave the marriage empty handed. Michelle and Michael started discussing ways to kill her husband so they could cash out on the life insurance proceeds. The day of the murder, Michelle texted Michael as Nathan was running out the door. She set up the ambush that lead to Nathan’s death. Hours after he was dead, Michelle texted Michael a smiley face.

Michelle Paet was arrested on suspicion of murder. The district attorney theorized Michael Rodriguez and Corry Hawkins lied in wait for Nathan to leave for work. The plan was to kidnap Nathan at gunpoint, drive him out to the desert, kill him and leave him. As soon as Nathan opened up the garage door, he was confronted and refused to cooperate so Rodriguez shot him and fled the scene. Nathan immediately went inside his home thinking he was running away from danger but instead he was running right into it. On December 7, 2010, Michael Rodriguez was arrested for the murder of Nathan Paet. Rodriguez was found guilty of first degree murder, Corry Hawkins pleaded guilty to first degree murder, and Jessica Austin was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder. Michelle Paet was the cold, calculating and cunning planner. She wanted to take the $650,000, go to Guam with her children, and live like a queen. To avoid the death penalty, Michelle Paet pleaded guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Source: ‘Watch Your Back’ American Monster, Investigation Discovery

In the News:

Michelle Paet sobbed in court as she pleaded guilty to plotting her husband’s death with her ex-lover, Michael Rodriguez, who was also found guilty last week of gunning down Nathan Paet. -PNC News

Michelle Paet had pleaded guilty to murdering her husband to avoid the death penalty. -PNC News

Corry Hawkins, who pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the slaying of Nellis airman Nathan Paet, was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. -Las Vegas Review-Journal

Oxygen:

A happy military family kept walls up that were soon to be knocked down. Did Michelle’s husband bring his fate upon himself, or was she behind the whole thing? -Michelle Paet, Snapped

Those involved with the case give their input on the verdict and Michelle’s future. -Michelle Paet, Snapped

Michelle Fleck details all the ways Michelle Paet plotted to “get rid” of her late husband, Nathan. -Michelle Paet, Snapped

Michelle’s sister, Melissa, speaks fondly of Michelle. -Michelle Paet, Snapped

An Air Force sergeant is gunned down in his garage revealing an elaborate conspiracy with an unlikely mastermind. -Michelle Paet, Snapped

Investigation Discovery:

US Air Force sergeant Nathan Paet and his family appear to live a blissfully normal life – as these never-before-aired home videos attest. But blind greed would bring about the destruction of this loving family. -Watch Your Back, American Monster (S3, E6)

Forensic Files Premiered ‘Dirty Little Seacret’: Thrill Killers Erika and Benjamin Sifrit Murdered Two Tourists in Ocean City, Maryland (May 28, 2010)

On May 28, 2010October 11, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, True Crime, VeteransLeave a comment

Editor’s Note: Full episodes of Forensic Files are available on a variety of media platforms. FilmRise Channel and Forensic Files Channel both feature full episodes of Forensic Files on YouTube. You can also find full episodes of Forensic Files on both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. On Netflix, the seasons are grouped as collection 1-9. On Amazon Prime Video, you can find Season 1-10 here; Season 11; Season 12; Season 13; Season 14; Season 15; Season 16; Season 17; Season 18; Season 19; Season 20; and Season 21. Start bingeing and see for yourself why Forensic Files is such a hit!

MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL

Tag: Oxygen

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Army Veteran Samuel Wiggins Jr. Stabbed to Death by Girlfriend; Carmen Montelongo Found Guilty & Sentenced to 26 Years to Life in Prison (May 29, 2011)

Snapped Premiered ‘Monique Berkley’ on Oxygen: Navy Reservist Paul Berkley Shot and Killed While Home on Leave for Christmas (May 26, 2011)

Air Force Staff Sgt. Nathan Paet Shot & Killed as He Got Ready to Leave for Work; Spouse Michelle Paet Sentenced to Life, No Parole for Murder (December 1, 2010)

Forensic Files Premiered ‘Dirty Little Seacret’: Thrill Killers Erika and Benjamin Sifrit Murdered Two Tourists in Ocean City, Maryland (May 28, 2010)

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