Army SSG John Russell Killed Five Fellow Soldiers at a Mental Health Clinic in Iraq; Found Guilty of Premeditated Murder, Sentenced to Life in Prison (May 11, 2009)

On May 11, 2009May 4, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Military PolicyLeave a comment

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Honoring the Victims:

On May 11, 2009, SSG John Russell gunned down five of his fellow comrades at a mental health clinic at Camp Liberty in Iraq with his M-16. It was revealed that he had an argument with someone at the clinic, left, and came back with his gun. His crimes were determined to be premeditated. He was arrested and subsequently charged with murder and aggravated assault of another soldier that was seriously injured. Days before the killings witnesses noticed that he was distant and having suicidal thoughts. He was also scheduled to leave Iraq in a few days. He was tried for the murders of his fellow comrades and found guilty. He was sentenced to life in prison on May 16, 2013. But his family feels that the Army should also take responsibility for their actions. The family believes that John was broken and not treated for the injuries he sustained in combat, in the line of duty. SSG Russell was being treated for symptoms associated with Post Traumatic Stress with medications but it is believed that the psychotropics the military psychiatrists prescribed to him may have played a role in his actions. He was described as a kind, caring man up until the day he committed the unforeseen murders against his fellow soldiers.

Related Links:
DoD Identifies Navy Casualty
DoD Identifies Army Casualties
Army IDs Sgt. John M. Russell as the shooter who killed 5 fellow soldiers at Iraq base
U.S. soldier charged with murder in Iraq shooting deaths
Army Sgt. that killed 5 comrades in Iraq a Sherman native
Father: Army ‘Broke’ Soldier Held in Kilings
Did Doctors Deny Iraq Shooter’s Stress?
U.S. Soldier Charged in Baghdad Shooting Was Due to Leave Iraq Soon
Horror and stresses of Iraq duty led US sergeant to kill comrades
When PTSD Comes Marching Home
Military Mental Health Crisis Exposed With Camp Liberty Killings
Trial date set in case of officer’s murder
Wait for court-martial in fratricide case frustrates victim’s family
Army judge orders soldier who killed five in Iraq to be hypnotised
Army sergeant pleads guilty to 2009 killing of fellow soldiers
US soldier ‘coolly smoked a cigarette’ before shooting dead five of his comrades in Iraq, court hears
US soldier who shot five troops was ‘broken’ by counsellors
Judge: Soldier premeditated murder of 5 at Iraq combat stress clinic
U.S. soldier found guilty of 5 premeditated killings in Iraq
Sgt. John Russell: Wrenching testimony in penalty phase
Soldier who killed fellow U.S. troops in Iraq gets life sentence
US army sergeant jailed for life over Iraq killings
Psychiatry in the Military: The Hidden Enemy—Full Documentary
Violent Crime at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington
Army SSG John Russell Sentenced to Life in Prison for the Premeditated Murders of Five Fellow Soldiers at a Mental Health Clinic in Iraq (May 16, 2013)

Marine Corps Veteran Carri Goodwin Died of Alcohol Poisoning in Alliance, Ohio; Dad Finds Evidence of Military Rape & Suicidal Thoughts in Journals (February 28, 2009)

On February 28, 2009August 9, 2020 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Felony Crime, In Their Name, Medical, Military Policy, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Sexual Assault, Stateside Death, USMC, Veterans1 Comment

My original efforts were inspired by Carri Leigh Goodwin, LaVena Johnson, and the many other servicemembers who did not survive as a result of their service to this country. In honor of these men and women, we pledge to fight for justice on their behalf, amplify their voices, and support the families who deserve to know the truth.

In August 2007 at the age of eighteen (18), Carri Leigh Goodwin of Alliance, Ohio enlisted in the United States Marine Corps to make her Marine Corps veteran father proud. During her short time in the Marine Corps, Carri was sexually assaulted by two different men while serving, reported the crimes, and instead of being taking seriously was discharged with a mental health diagnosis and misconduct discharge. Like most rape survivors, Carri had acute Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD) from the brutal assaults she endured. Carri Leigh Goodwin died on February 28, 2009 from alcohol poisoning only a few days after being discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps. Gary Noling wants to honor her and all the families who have lost their child to the sexual assault and violence epidemic in the U.S. military. Gary wrote about his experience with the tragic loss of his daughter in the New York Times in August 2016: What the Military Owes Rape Survivors Like My Daughter.

Related Links:
Carri Leigh Goodwin (1989 – 2009)
Carri Leigh Goodwin MST
More charges in court brawl
Speaking Out: US Military Sexual Violence and Trauma Against Women
In Harm’s Way: Non-combat deaths of Ohio soldiers raise questions about U.S. military’s treatment of female members
The Tragic Case of Maria Lauterbach
Military Sexual Trauma: Is this how we treat women in the military?
Military Sexual Trauma: The Women’s War
Sexual Assault Prevention & Response Services: The Invisible War
Military Fails to Protect Service Members from Rape— Class Action Lawsuit filed against the Pentagon
Why suicide rate among veterans may be more than 22 a day
Tammi Sue Goodwin-Smith Obituary
What the Military Owes Rape Survivors Like My Daughter | NY Times
What the Military Owes Rape Survivors Like My Daughter | SOFREP
Petition: Support Victims Of Military Sexual Assault
RAPE & SEXUAL ASSAULT are Dirty Little Secrets for the Military, Especially the US Navy
‘Military Sexual Trauma’: the victims behind allegations of abuse in the U.S. Armed Forces
Carri Leigh Goodwin | Wikipedia

Nellis Air Force Base Airman Jason Klinkenberg Murdered his Wife Crystal & Then Killed Himself After a Stand-off with North Las Vegas Police (2009)

On February 20, 2009August 30, 2016 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Suicide, USAFLeave a comment

Screen Shot 2016-08-30 at 6.41.59 PM — Jason & Crystal Klinkenberg

On February 20, 2009, US Air Force service member Jason Klinkenberg murdered his wife Crystal Louise Gray and then committed suicide in North Las Vegas after a stand-off with police. Jason was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. The family believes that Jason was never the same after returning home from a deployment to Iraq in 2005. Jason was plucked from his base to be a member of Detachment 2632, a unit assembled to augment the Army and provide security for cargo trucks on Iraq’s bomb laden roads. Jason witnessed a fellow soldier die after the vehicle they were driving was struck with a rocket-propelled grenade. The family shared that Jason had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and continued to see images of his friend in his last moments. Jason’s sister shared that Jason attempted to get help for PTSD but the Air Force called him a liar. The Air Force denied this assertion. They claimed they regularly assess for mental health issues and referred Jason to counseling off base.

“Veterans advocates like Manji Varghese say nothing excuses violence. But they say military and veterans officials too often ignore a pattern of problems that has played out again and again, with deadly results.” -Salt Lake Tribune

Related Links:
Airman, wife die in shooting
Murder Suicide is Official Cause of Couple’s Deaths
Iraq vet struggled with PTSD then killed wife, himself
Air Force joins investigation into deaths of former airman and wife
Family: Post-traumatic stress led to tragic murder-suicide
Police had earlier responded to location of murder-suicide

Civilian Jacqwelyn Villagomez Died at the Hands of Boyfriend and Retired Army Private John Needham (2008)

On September 1, 2008September 1, 2017 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, PTSD, TBI, Mental IllnessLeave a comment

Jacqwelyn Joann Villagomez (2008) — Jacqwelyn Villagomez

Honoring Jacqwelyn Joann Villagomez, 19, who tragically died on September 1, 2008 at the hands of Army Private John Needham, a medically retired soldier struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. Although John was charged with her murder, he died on February 19, 2010 shortly before the trial of an apparent overdose on painkillers.

Related Links:
Woman, 19, dies after apparent beating in condo
‘Mentally unstable’ Iraq veteran arrested in death of girlfriend, 19
Iraq vet charged with killing girlfriend is found dead in Arizona
Former Carson soldier Needham, charged in slaying, dies in Arizona
Private Needham’s War: A soldier is accused of killing the woman he loves
Deadly duty for Fort Carson
‘Lethal Warriors’ in Iraq, Linked to String of Crimes Back Home
John Needham Back in Court
Iraq War Vet’s Dad Accused of Threatening Victim’s Friend
Was PTSD to blame? Mystery over troubled Iraq veteran who killed girlfriend and was found dead after overdosing 18 months later
Soldier in “Coming Home” series dies after surgery
Iraq veteran accused of murder has died
Troubled Iraq vet charged with murder dies
Military Whistleblower Ends Up Dead
A Focus on Violence by Returning G.I.’s
The Hell of War Comes Home: Newspaper Series Documents Murder, Suicide, Kidnappings by Iraq Vets
John Needham, Iraq Veteran, Accuses Army Of War Crimes
New Photos Released of Iraq Atrocity, With Documents and Video
Are they both victims? Veteran Suffering Traumatic Brain Injury Beats Girlfriend to Death, Kills Himself
Army Ranger John Needham Exposes Possible American War Crimes in Iraq, and is Punished For it
Project Censored Recommends: Video “On the Dark Side in Al Doura, A Soldier in the Shadows” Addresses Soldier’s War Crimes Allegations & Iraq Atrocity Photos
On the Dark Side in Al Doura – A Soldier in the Shadows
“48 Hours” preview: Private Needham’s war

The Denver Post Published ‘Waging Internal War’: An Examination of the Army’s Tendency to Deploy Soldiers Who Need Medication Management (August 26, 2008)

On August 26, 2008March 5, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, Non Combat Death, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Suicide, USAF, USCG, USMCLeave a comment

An event on the Auraria campus aimed to help community members understand mental health issues in returning veterans. -The Denver Post (November 17, 2011)

“Chad Barrett’s war on terror started in the hours after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, when he was called to help dig bodies out of a smoking Pentagon. It ended Feb. 2, 2008, in Mosul, Iraq, when his roommate awoke to find him gasping and gurgling, with foam coming from his mouth. Barrett had been cleared for a third combat tour in Iraq despite a recent suicide attempt, crushing headaches and a mental illness treated with medication for anxiety and depression. Two months after he arrived, he killed himself by swallowing an unknown number of pills. He was the sixth soldier from Fort Carson to commit suicide in Iraq. At least 10 others have killed themselves in the U.S., nine after returning from the war.” -David Olinger & Erin Emery, The Denver Post (August 26, 2008)

An analysis of the information showed that:

• Army suicides in Iraq tripled in three years, from 10 in 2004 to 32 in 2007.

• In 2006 and 2007, 20 of the 59 soldiers who killed themselves in Iraq were deployed from a single base — Fort Hood in Texas.

• Fourteen of the soldiers who killed themselves in Iraq were 19 years old. Nearly half were 23 or younger.

Read more ‘Waging Internal War’ from The Denver Post here.

Related Links:
Understanding Mental Health in Veterans
Waging internal war – The Denver Post

Senator Patty Murray Calls for Changes at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Wake of Suicides (May 1, 2008)

On May 1, 2008September 21, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, National Guard, Navy, Non Combat Death, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Scandals, Stateside Death, Suicide, Suspicious Deaths, USAF, USCG, USMC, VeteransLeave a comment

Despite recent efforts by the Veterans Administration to prevent veteran suicide, seven have committed suicide in the Inland Northwest in the last four months and US Senator Patty Murray is calling the situation unacceptable. -4 News Now (May 1, 2008)

Related Links:
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
Veterans – United States Senator Patty Murray
“Epidemic” of military suicides investigated
Veterans and Suicide | CBS (November 13, 2007)
President Bush Signed the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act Into Law
Army National Guardsman Spc. Timothy Juneman Died by Suicide; Family Shares Imminent Redeployment to Iraq ‘Major Stressor’ (March 5, 2008)
CBS News: Veteran Suicides An Epidemic (March 20, 2008)
Seven Veterans Under VA’s Care Commit Suicide
Murray calls for changes in VA in wake of veteran suicides
Murray Assails Top VA Official over Vets Suicide Cover-Up
Rural Veterans Access to Care Act, VA’s ‘Strength of a Warrior’ Campaign, Sen. Patty Murray Calls for More to Be Done for Suicidal Vets
Murray’s visit to Vancouver puts focus on veterans issues
New data reveals high death rates for Iraq, Afghanistan vets
Investigation blasts VA over wait times for mental health care
Senator Patty Murray: Veteran’s suicide prevention bill passes Senate
Murray Reiterates Mental Health Challenges Facing Veterans
U.S. military veteran suicides rise, one dies every 65 minutes
Mental Health and Suicide Among Veterans (Senate Hearing)
Waiting At VA Hospitals: A Matter Of Life And Death
Sen. Murray: VA system needs change now, not another report
Spokane Veterans Affairs hospital brings budget concerns to Sen. Patty Murray
Senator Patty Murray Urges DEA to Get Right on Pot
Sen. Murray Urges Greater Accountability, Assistance for Veteran Suicide Prevention at Senate Hearing
As Senate Prepares to Vote on Sweeping Legislation to Improve Veteran Access to Care, Senator Murray Highlights a Provision of the Bill That She Wrote, Which Would Finally Expand VA’s Caregiver Support Program
Senator Murray Continues to Fight for Veterans and their Families, Urges Support for Bill to Reduce Medical Costs for Veterans with Newborns
Timeline of Veteran Suicides, Legislative Efforts, and Nationwide Negligence at the Department of Veterans Affairs

CBS News: Veteran Suicides An Epidemic (March 20, 2008)

On March 20, 2008September 20, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, National Guard, Navy, Non Combat Death, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Scandals, Stateside Death, Suicide, Suspicious Deaths, USAF, USCG, USMC, VeteransLeave a comment

CBS News first reported on the staggering number of veteran suicides in a report last year. Now, newly-released data shows that vets who get help from the VA are still at risk. Armen Keteyian reports. -CBS News (March 20, 2008)

Related Links:
Veteran Suicides An Epidemic (CBS News)
Suicides Seen Among Vets Treated By VA
Eye to Eye with Katie Couric on CBS News: Veterans and Suicide (November 13, 2007)
Timeline of Veteran Suicides, Legislative Efforts, and Nationwide Negligence at the Department of Veterans Affairs
Wounded Warrior Project
Home Base Program, Veteran & Family Care
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
American Federation of Suicide Prevention
NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness
320 Changes Direction – The Campaign to Change Direction
Give an Hour: Department of Veteran’s Affairs Partnership
US Department of Veterans Affairs
VA MISSION Act

Army National Guardsman Spc. Timothy Juneman Died by Suicide; Family Shares Imminent Redeployment to Iraq ‘Major Stressor’ (March 5, 2008)

On March 5, 2008September 6, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, National Guard, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Stateside Death, SuicideLeave a comment

“The identity of one other veteran who killed himself this year became public when his family wrote U.S. Sen. Patty Murray in April about concerns with VA mental health care. Spc. Timothy Juneman, 25, a National Guardsman and former [Fort Lewis] Stryker Brigade soldier who was injured in a roadside explosion in Iraq, died March 5, 2008…Juneman’s body was found in his Pullman home March 25, nearly three weeks after he had hanged himself. He had missed several appointments at the Spokane VA. In records obtained by Juneman before his death, Brown wrote that imminent redeployment to Iraq with the National Guard was a ‘major stressor’ contributing to Juneman’s condition, his mother said.” Read more from The Spokesman here.

In the News:

CBS News first reported on the staggering number of veteran suicides in a report last year. Now, newly-released data shows that vets who get help from the VA are still at risk. -CBS News (March 20, 2008)

They served their country honorably but after risking their life in combat abroad, coping with coming home was too much. In the last three months seven servicemen being treated by Spokane’s VA Hospital have committed suicide. -4 News Now (April 29, 2008)

Related Links:
Timothy Dean Juneman | Find A Grave
Timothy D. Juneman | Time of Remembrance
Interview with SPC Timothy Juneman | DVIDS
Lives lost at home | The Spokeman-Review
Apr. 29, More Suicide News: Seven Veterans Under VA Care in Washington Commit Suicide
US: Veteran turned away from military hospital commits suicide
Distress Signal | The American Prospect
Local veteran’s suicide reflects troubling trend
Suicide Watch | The New Republic
Soldiers’ emotional battle scars put doctors in dilemma
Veteran Suicides An Epidemic (CBS News)
Seven veterans under VA’s care commit suicide
Murray calls for changes in VA in wake of veteran suicides
Timeline of Veteran Suicides, Legislative Efforts, and Nationwide Negligence at the Department of Veterans Affairs

Eye to Eye with Katie Couric on CBS News: Veterans and Suicide (November 13, 2007)

On November 13, 2007September 20, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, National Guard, Navy, Non Combat Death, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Scandals, Stateside Death, Suicide, Suspicious Deaths, USAF, USCG, USMC, VeteransLeave a comment

Paul Sullivan of Veterans for Common Sense tells Armen Keteyian that the No. 1 problem facing vets of Afghanistan and Iraq will be mental health. -CBS News (November 13, 2007)

Related Links:
Eye To Eye: Vets And Suicide (CBS News)
The Veteran Suicide “Epidemic” (CBS News)
Nov. 13: CBS News Interviews VCS About Epidemic of Iraq War Veteran Suicides
CBS News: Veteran Suicides An Epidemic (March 20, 2008)
Timeline of Veteran Suicides, Legislative Efforts, and Nationwide Negligence at the Department of Veterans Affairs
Wounded Warrior Project
Home Base Program, Veteran & Family Care
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
American Federation of Suicide Prevention
NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness
320 Changes Direction – The Campaign to Change Direction
Give an Hour: Department of Veteran’s Affairs Partnership
US Department of Veterans Affairs
VA MISSION Act

President George W. Bush Signed the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act Into Law (November 5, 2007)

On November 5, 2007September 3, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, National Guard, Navy, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Stateside Death, Suicide, USAF, USCG, USMC, VeteransLeave a comment

House of Representatives Veterans Suicide Prevention Act Debate:

The House debates the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act, which directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop and implement a comprehensive program to reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans. The bill is named for an Iraq veteran who took his own life, and recognizes the special needs of veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and elderly veterans who are at high risk for depression and experience high rates of suicide. The bill follows hearings in the Oversight and Veterans Affairs committees seeking to address the tragic mental anguish experienced by many veterans, and is part of ongoing, comprehensive efforts by the new Congress to make veterans a top priority. Rep. Tim Walz speaks in favor. -Nancy Pelosi (October 23, 2007)

Rep. Bruce Braley speaks in favor. -Nancy Pelosi (October 23, 2007)

Rep. Tim Walz speaks in favor. -Nancy Pelosi (October 23, 2007)

Congressman Boswell’s floor statement before the final passage of the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act. (October 23, 2007)

Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act Signed Into Law:

Iowa Gov. Chet Culver, Congressman Leonard Boswell, Sen. Tom Harkin and Sen. Charles Grassley present Randy and Ellen Omvig with the red line copy of the bill signed by President George W. Bush at a Jan. 25 ceremony at the Iowa Statehouse. Joshua Omvig was an Iowa soldier who committed suicide upon returning home from Iraq. The Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act, authored by Boswell, is now national law. –
IowaPoliticsDotCom (January 25, 2008)

Part 1 -IowaPoliticsDotCom (January 25, 2008)

Part 2 -IowaPoliticsDotCom (January 25, 2008)

Part 3 -IowaPoliticsDotCom (January 25, 2008)

Rep. Boswell Asks for Increased Funding for Soldier Suicide Prevention:

In 2007, Boswell’s legislation, the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act, was the first major legislation passed and signed into law to address and prevent veteran suicide. Since enactment, the Veterans Crisis Hotline and VA Suicide Prevention Coordinators have made more than 21,000 life-saving rescues. -Rep. Leonard Boswell (July 9, 2012)

MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL

Tag: PTSD

Army SSG John Russell Killed Five Fellow Soldiers at a Mental Health Clinic in Iraq; Found Guilty of Premeditated Murder, Sentenced to Life in Prison (May 11, 2009)

Marine Corps Veteran Carri Goodwin Died of Alcohol Poisoning in Alliance, Ohio; Dad Finds Evidence of Military Rape & Suicidal Thoughts in Journals (February 28, 2009)

Nellis Air Force Base Airman Jason Klinkenberg Murdered his Wife Crystal & Then Killed Himself After a Stand-off with North Las Vegas Police (2009)

Civilian Jacqwelyn Villagomez Died at the Hands of Boyfriend and Retired Army Private John Needham (2008)

Senator Patty Murray Calls for Changes at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Wake of Suicides (May 1, 2008)

CBS News: Veteran Suicides An Epidemic (March 20, 2008)

Army National Guardsman Spc. Timothy Juneman Died by Suicide; Family Shares Imminent Redeployment to Iraq ‘Major Stressor’ (March 5, 2008)

Eye to Eye with Katie Couric on CBS News: Veterans and Suicide (November 13, 2007)

President George W. Bush Signed the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act Into Law (November 5, 2007)

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: