Fort Carson Army Soldier Marc O’Leary Raped 18 yo Woman in Washington; Three Years Later Arrested in Colorado for Multiple Rapes, Sentenced to 300+ Years (August 11, 2008)

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Marc Patrick O’Leary, U.S. Army

On August 11, 2008, Marc Patrick O’Leary raped an eighteen year old at knife point in Lynnwood, Washington. The 18 year old woman reported the rape to her local police department but they accused her of lying and she was charged with false reporting. In 2011, Marc O’Leary was arrested in Colorado for rape and consequently admitted to raping several women in Washington and Colorado. DNA, digital evidence, and O’Leary’s vehicle linked him physically to several rapes. As it turns out, there was evidence on a camera corroborating the 18 year old’s report of rape in 2008. Investigators learned the Lynnwood, Washington police didn’t believe the alleged victim of rape and she was indeed found guilty of false reporting and fined $500.

The victim sued the City of Lynnwood who refunded her $500 fine and settled out of court for $150,000. Marc O’Leary pleaded guilty to the rapes in Colorado and was sentenced to over 300 years in prison. ProPublica covered the story and highlighted the dangers of mishandling rape cases and not using the FBI national database created to help catch repeat offenders. ProPublica won a Pulitzer prize for their coverage of “An Unbelievable Story of Rape” with The Marshall Project. Maureen Maher of 48 Hours also did an investigation titled the “Hunted” and she went inside the mind of a serial rapist who was hunting his victims while two detectives were hunting him.

Cops can be protective about their cases, fearing that information could be leaked that would jeopardize their investigations. They often don’t know about, or fail to use, an FBI database created years ago to help catch repeat offenders. Between one-fourth to two-thirds of rapists are serial attackers, studies show. -ProPublica

True Crime:

48 Hours” goes inside the mind of a serial rapist hunting his victims while two detectives were hunting him. -48 Hours (November 17, 2016)

48 Hours Premiered ‘Hunted’ on CBS; An Investigation of a Military Serial Rapist Hunting Victims While Two Detectives Hunt for Him (November 19, 2016)

Inspired by real events, a teen reports and eventually recants her reported rape, while two female detectives, states away, investigate evidence that could reveal the truth. Based on The Marshall Project & ProPublica Pulitzer Prize-winning article, “An Unbelievable Story of Rape,” written by T. Christian Miller & Ken Armstrong, “Unbelievable” is a story of unspeakable trauma, unwavering tenacity, & astounding resilience. -Netflix (July 18, 2019)

Netflix Premiered “Unbelievable”; Based on the Pulitzer Prize-Winning Article, “An Unbelievable Story of Rape” About Marie Adler (September 13, 2019)

Related Links:
Golden Police Department Arrest Affidavit for Marc O’Leary
Lakewood Man Accused Of Being Masked Rapist
Pictures in Accused Rapist’s Camera Provide Chilling Evidence Against Him
Victim of accused serial rapist was charged with false reporting
Disturbing Details Emerge In Suspected Serial Rapist Case
Affidavit: Colorado rape suspect believed he was member of secret society, could have sex with anyone
Serial rapist pleads guilty, faces life in Colorado prison
Photos lead to charge of rape against former Mountlake Terrace man
Colorado man charged in local 2008 rapes
Accused Colorado serial rapist charged in Kirkland attack
‘I went and threw up,’ says girlfriend of serial rapist
327 ½ years to life Prison Sentence for Serial Rapist
Marc O’Leary, serial rapist who felt entitled to assault anyone he wanted, gets 327 years
Suspect in Lynnwood rape sentenced to 325 years for Colorado crimes
Marc O’Leary Sentenced To Over 300 Years For Rapes In Colorado, Washington
Convicted rapist pleads guilty to rapes in Lynnwood, Kirkland
Serial Rapist Given Multiple Life Sentences — Rocky Mountain RCFL Recovered Critical Digital Evidence
Serial rapist serving life sentence gets 40 more years for raping Kirkland woman
In tracking down a serial rapist, two detectives help 18-year-old victim prove she wasn’t lying
No One Believed This Girl Was Telling the Truth About Being Raped Until They Found Pictures on Her Rapist’s Camera
Woman Sues City of Lynnwood Charging Cops Refused to Believe She Had Been Raped
Woman suing police after she was fined $500 for making up rape it turns out was TRUE and committed by serial attacker
Rape victim called a liar by authorities
Lynnwood settles with rape victim for $150K
Lynnwood to pay rape victim $150,000 in false-claim suit
Rape Victim Gets $150,000 After Police Accuse Her Of Lying
An Unbelievable Story of Rape
How We Reported ‘An Unbelievable Story of Rape’
Why was a rape victim interrogated as a crime suspect?
How A Colorado Rape Investigation Highlights Good Police Work
This Bone-Chilling Story Shows How 1 Serial Rapist Almost Got Away With His Crimes
A story about the dangers of not believing rape victims wins Pulitzer Prize
Lynnwood woman’s story highlights mishandling of rape cases
Inside the Year’s Most Unbelievable Story Of Rape
’48 Hours’ To Feature Investigation Into Colorado Serial Rapist

Videos:
48 Hours Premiered ‘Hunted’ on CBS (2017)
48 Hours “Hunted”
“48 Hours” preview: Hunted
“48 Hours” investigates the hunt for a serial rapist

Is There an Army Cover-Up of Rape and Murder of Women Soldiers?

US Army SealIs There an Army Cover-Up of Rape and Murder of Women Soldiers? by Ann Wright

The Department of Defense statistics are alarming – one in three women who join the US military will be sexually assaulted or raped by men in the military. The warnings to women should begin above the doors of the military recruiting stations, as that is where assaults on women in the military begin – before they are even recruited.

But, now, even more alarming, are deaths of women soldiers in Iraq and in the United States following rape. The military has characterized each death of women who were first sexually assaulted as deaths from “noncombat related injuries,” and then added “suicide.” Yet, the families of the women whom the military has declared to have committed suicide strongly dispute the findings and are calling for further investigations into the deaths of their daughters. Specific US Army units and certain US military bases in Iraq have an inordinate number of women soldiers who have died of “noncombat related injuries,” with several identified as “suicides.”

Ninety-four US military women have died in Iraq or during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Twelve US civilian women have been killed in OIF. Thirteen US military women have been killed in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Twelve US Civilian women have been killed in Afghanistan.

Of the 94 US military women who died in Iraq or in OIF, the military says 36 died from noncombat related injuries, which included vehicle accidents, illness, death by “natural causes” and self-inflicted gunshot wounds, or suicide. The military has declared the deaths of the Navy women in Bahrain, which were killed by a third sailor, as homicides. Five deaths have been labeled as suicides, but 15 more deaths occurred under extremely suspicious circumstances.

Eight women soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas, (six from the Fourth Infantry Division and two from the 1st Armored Cavalry Division) have died of “noncombat related injuries” on the same base, Camp Taji, and three were raped before their deaths. Two were raped immediately before their deaths and another raped prior to arriving in Iraq. Two military women have died of suspicious “noncombat related injuries” on Balad base, and one was raped before she died. Four deaths have been classified as “suicides.”

Read more here.

College Student Brianna Denison Kidnapped, Raped and Strangled by a Former Marine in Reno, Nevada; James Biela Sentenced to Death (January 20, 2008)

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Brianna Denison (Reno, Nevada)

Brianna Denison, 19, was abducted by former Marine James Biela in Reno, Nevada on January 20th, 2008. She was subsequently found raped and murdered. According to Joe Biela, James Biela once wore the uniform of a Marine but was kicked out of the service. James Biela was convicted of raping and strangling Brianna and sentenced to death in 2010. Brianna’s family fought for ‘Brianna’s Law’ in Nevada and it passed:

The bill mandates a DNA cheek-swab whenever a person is booked for a felony arrest. If the arrest is deemed legitimate, the DNA would be cross-referenced with DNA from other crime scenes to see if the arrestee was involved. The proposal is named after Brianna Denison who was raped and murdered by James Biela in Reno in 2008. Proponents believe such a law may have saved Denison because Biela had a prior felony arrest.

ID Go: When a young college student is abducted from a friend’s home in the middle of the night, the city of Reno lives in fear of who might be next. Dogged investigation leads detectives to a serial rapist who’s just escalated to murder. -Vanished in Reno, Unusual Suspects (S6,E1)

Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch all of the Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. Download the ID Go app and binge away. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $2.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict.

Related Links:
Bring Bri Justice
Who is James Biela?
Reno Police Hunt for Serial Rapist
Biela had trouble with women, law
Details emerge about suspect in Brianna Denison murder
Police Arrest Suspect in Sex Assault Slaying of Reno Teen Brianna Denison
Pregnant Rape Victim Forgives James Biela In Court
James Biela’s Ex-Girlfriend Carleen Harmon Testifies in Murder Case of Brianna Denison
Lab Investigator Testifies About Denison Crime Scene in James Biela Trial
Nevada man convicted of raping, strangling college student
Serial Rapist Found Guilty of Rape and Murder of Nevada Coed
Brianna Denison Murder Verdict: James Biela Found Guilty of Killing, Raping College Student
Brianna Denison’s Murderer Gets Four Life Sentences for Sexual Assault, Kidnapping
Brianna Denison’s Killer, James Biela, Gets Death; Mom Says “He Messed With the Wrong Family”
Harry Reid meets with Brianna Denison’s mother on new DNA law
Moms of murdered daughters push for Nevada DNA bill
Nevada Assembly Committee Advances Brianna’s Law
Senate unanimously passes Brianna’s Law
Senate unanimously passes Brianna’s Law 2
Brianna’s Law Passes Assembly 29-9
Brianna’s Law passes in Nevada Assembly
Brianna’s Law Officially Becomes Nevada State Law
The Basics of Brianna’s Law
Brianna’s Law Now in Effect, Las Vegas Police Can Now Search Your DNA For Any Crime Without Probable Cause
New Nevada DNA swab law sees little pushback
Brianna’s Law Begins in Nevada
Death row inmate seeks new trial in Brianna Denison killing
James Biela petitions court for retrial in rape, murder of 19-year-old Brianna Denison
Biela won’t get a new trial in Denison murder case
Reno man denied new trial in rape, murder near university
From May 2013: Brianna’s Law officially becomes Nevada state law
Brianna’s Law has matched more than 1,000 DNA samples to crimes
Brianna’s Law has matched more than 1,000 DNA samples to crimes
Vanished in Reno | Unusual Suspects | Investigation Discovery (website)
Vanished in Reno | Unusual Suspects | Investigation Discovery (S6,E1)
Vanished in Reno | Unusual Suspects | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)

Jamie Leigh Jones Testified at the House Judiciary Committee Halliburton/KBR Iraq Rape Case Hearing (December 19, 2007)

House Judiciary Committee hearings on the Jamie Leigh Jones gang rape by Halliburton/KBR employees | Jamie Leigh Jones Testifies Before House Judiciary Committee (December 19, 2007)

House Judiciary Committee hearings on the Jamie Leigh Jones gang rape by Halliburton/KBR employees | Chairman Conyers’ Witness Questions at the KBR Rape Hearing (December 19, 2007)

House Judiciary Committee hearings on the Jamie Leigh Jones gang rape by Halliburton/KBR employees | Rep. Anthony Weiner Statement at the KBR Rape Hearing (December 19, 2007)

House Judiciary Committee hearings on the Jamie Leigh Jones gang rape by Halliburton/KBR employees | Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee at the KBR Rape Hearing (December 19, 2007)

House Judiciary Committee hearings on the Jamie Leigh Jones gang rape by Halliburton/KBR employees | Rep. Bobby Scott Questions Witnesses at the KBR Rape Hear (December 19, 2007)

House Judiciary Committee hearings on the Jamie Leigh Jones gang rape by Halliburton/KBR employees | Chairman Conyers’ Statement at the KBR Rape Hearing (December 19,2007)

Related Links:
Jamie Leigh Jones | Wikipedia
Justice Silent on KBR Rape, Sex Assault Cases | ABC News
Pentagon contractor hit by ex-worker’s rape charges (2007)
Justice department accused of delaying Iraq rape inquiry
Lawmakers want details in KBR rape case inquiry (2007)
Rep. Poe: KBR Gang Rape Was Not ‘An Isolated Case Of Sexual Assault’
Clinton Joins Call For Iraq Rape Probe | CBS News
Judiciary Committee Announces Hearing on Alleged Rape of Former KBR/Halliburton Employee | Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (2007)
Iraq rape allegation gets congressional hearing
Jamie Leigh Jones Testifies Before House Judiciary Committee
Chairman Conyers’ Witness Questions at the KBR Rape Hearing
Rep. Anthony Weiner Statement at the KBR Rape Hearing
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee at the KBR Rape Hearing
Rep. Bobby Scott Questions Witnesses at the KBR Rape Hear
Chairman Conyers’ Statement at the KBR Rape Hearing
Hearing on KBR Rape Case | Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Blog
Breaking: House Judiciary Committee Hears Testimony from Jamie Leigh Jones About KBR “Lawlessness”
US: House Panel Looking Into Charges by Former KBR Employee
Ex-KBR worker who alleges rape testifies (2007)
Media Benjamin’s Letter to Mr. Kittel | Codepink
Another KBR Rape Case | The Nation (2008)
Dogs of War: No justice on contractor rape (2008)
Woman Can’t Sue Halliburton Over Rape Because Of Cheney Policy
The KBR/Halliburton Iraq Rape Case Goes Forward (2009)
Workplace Fairness: Has the Supreme Court Been Misinterpreting Laws Designed to Protect American Workers from Discrimination
Defeated at trial, KBR rape accuser sticks to her story (2011)
Why Jamie Leigh Jones Lost Her KBR Rape Case (2011)
How Women Won the KBR Rape Case (2011)
The Assault of Jamie Leigh Jones: How One Woman’s Horror Story Is Changing Arbitration in America
Jury Trials — Not Arbitration — Find the Truth, As Jamie Leigh Jones Case Shows (2013)
The War of Rape | Washington Monthly
Committee on the Judiciary | House of Representatives

NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams Featured ‘The Other PTSD: Sexual Abuse of Women in the Military’ (May 4, 2007)

The Other PTSD: Sexual Abuse of Women in the Military, NBC Nightly News (May 4, 2007)

“All the stories you hear about women not doing anything about it and crawling into their own little hole and hiding from it and not talking about it — I always thought, ‘Well, that’s ridiculous. If it happens to me, I’m gonna be out there,” Tina says. “That’s not what I did at all. I hid and I didn’t talk about it.” –NBC Nightly News

Related Links:
The Other PTSD: Sexual Abuse of Women in the Military (May 4, 2007)
Military sexual trauma — the new face of PTSD | NBC Nightly News
Men’s Trauma Recovery Program (MTRP) | Department of Veterans Affairs
Women’s Trauma Recovery Program (WTRP) | Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans for Peace: Sexual Assault on Military Members Press Conference, Seattle, Washington (August 11, 2006)
Jamie Leigh Jones Testified at the House Judiciary Committee Halliburton/KBR Iraq Rape Case Hearing (December 19, 2007)
Air Force TSgt. Jennifer Norris Testified Before the House Armed Services Committee in Washington DC (January 23, 2013)
CBS News: Sexual assault victim, “The system is rigged” (May 16, 2013)
Paying It Forward Thanks to Army Specialist Suzanne Swift (March 6, 2016)
Christine Hassing Published ‘Jennifer and Onyx’ | Our Story of Triumph & Hope After Military Sexual Trauma (February 17, 2019)

Forensic Files Premiered ‘Blanket of Evidence’: Michael Dean Overstreet Raped & Murdered Franklin College Student Kelly Eckart (April 4, 2007)

A young woman disappeared after working the late shift in a department store. Days later, her body was found in an isolated ravine. Tiny clues told police a great deal about the killer. He would own olive-colored carpeting, a white blanket, and distinctive bullets made from wax, not lead. -Blacket of Evidence, Forensic Files (S11,E38)

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!

Related Links:
Blanket of Evidence | Forensic Files | IMDb
Blanket of Evidence | Forensic Files | FilmRise (S11,E38)
Blanket of Evidence | Forensic Files | Full Episode (YouTube)
Blanket of Evidence | Forensic Files | Netflix (Collection 1, E8)
Blanket of Evidence | Forensic Files | Amazon Prime Video (S11,E19)
Kelly Eckart Found Murdered in Indiana; Michael Overstreet Sentenced to Death But Court Ruled Not Competent for Execution (September 27, 1997)
Murder Comes to Town Premiered ‘All-American Sweethearts’ on ID: Kelly Eckart Found Raped & Murdered in Indiana State Park (January 27, 2014)
Evil Lives Here Premiered ‘First Love, Forever Evil’ on ID: Michael Dean Overstreet Abused Wife, Raped & Murdered Kelly Eckart (February 11, 2018)
Forensic Files: 6 Active Duty Military and Veteran Homicide Cases

Did the Army do enough to prevent soldier’s death? (2007)

Tina PriestPfc. Tina Priest of Smithville died in Iraq on March 1, 2006 and her family is worried that the Army botched its care for her after a rape claim that was followed by her apparent suicide.

Investigations did not find sufficient evidence to continue the rape inquiry, but the family, skeptical of what it sees as holes in the Army’s information, is waiting for a final review by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command.

Family members also say Army officials told them that the investigation was concluded in September, but their requests for the final report are being denied. A recent article in the Hartford Courant newspaper citing that final report has heightened the Priests’ anger.

“I need some closure,” said Joy Priest, Tina Priest’s mother. “I want to know. Why can a newspaper get a copy of that report and we can’t?”

An investigation conducted in Iraq by Fort Hood’s 4th Infantry Division, in which Priest served, was conducted after her death, and its findings — which the family was given — are an accurate portrayal of events, said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, a spokesman for the division. He said the Criminal Investigation Command report will be the last one issued, “and we do still owe that to the family.”

Continue reading “Did the Army do enough to prevent soldier’s death? (2007)”

CBS: Sexual Abuse By Military Recruiters (August 19, 2006)

xl_deptofdefenselogo“More than 100 young women who expressed interest in joining the military in the past year were preyed upon sexually by their recruiters. Women were raped on recruiting office couches, assaulted in government cars and groped en route to entrance exams.

A six-month Associated Press investigation found that more than 80 military recruiters were disciplined last year for sexual misconduct with potential enlistees. The cases occurred across all branches of the military and in all regions of the country.”

Read more from CBS here.

Related Links:
Sexual Abuse By Military Recruiters
Military Recruiters Prey on Potential Enlistees
Military Recruiters Cited for Misconduct
80 Military Recruiters Disciplined for Sexual Misconduct Over the Past Year
Former Guard recruiter pleads guilty in sex misconduct cases
Army recruiter charged with sexually assaulting recruit
Charlotte army recruiter arrested on sexual assault charges
Army Recruiter from Midland, Texas Arrested on Federal Child Sexual Exploitation Charges
A murder-suicide and the dark side of military recruiting
Former Army recruiter pleads guilty to sexual assault charges
Marine recruiter charged with sexual assault in luring of 3 children
California Marine Corps Recruiter Arrested For Alleged Sexual Assault
In the military, trusted officers became alleged assailants in sex crimes
Army recruiter charged with sexual conduct with minor
Sentence reduced for Marine recruiter who sent thousands of explicit messages to four high school students
Palm Beach Gardens Army Recruiter Faces Federal Child Pornography and Enticement Charges
Army recruiter facing rape, child molestation charges
Army recruiter from Troutdale held on $16M bail
High school Army recruiter accused of having sex with 17-year-old
U.S. Army recruiter pleads not guilty to child porn-related charges
Army recruiter arrested on molestation charges
Former Army recruiter facing sex charges planned jail escape through roof, police say
Arapahoe County Army recruiter arrested, accused of soliciting girls as young as 10 for sex
US Army recruiter arrested in sexual exploitation of minor case
Portsmouth US Army recruiter charged with taking indecent liberties with child
Idaho Army recruiter arrested for sexual contact with minor 16 or under, facing life in prison
New military crimes in 2019: Domestic violence, same-sex affairs, cyberstalking

Army Criminal Investigation Report for the Death of Pfc. LaVena Johnson in Balad, Iraq (April 28, 2006)

We are not exactly sure when Army Pfc. LaVena Johnson’s CID Report was dumped on-line by the government but it appears to have shown up after the death of Vanessa Guillen. (Source: US Army CID)
Dr. John Johnson clarified in an interview on the Donny Walker Morning Show that wound statin was found on LaVena’s genitals. Listen to the full interview here.

Related Links:
Non Combat Deaths of Female Service Members in the U.S. Military (Iraq)
Fort Campbell Army Pfc. LaVena Johnson Died of Non Combat Related Injuries in Iraq; Death Ruled Suicide But Independent Investigation Revealed Rape and Murder (July 19, 2005)
Army Criminal Investigation Report for the Death of Pfc. LaVena Johnson in Balad, Iraq (April 28, 2006) *ORIGINAL SOURCE
Army Criminal Investigation Report for the Death of Pfc. LaVena Johnson in Balad, Iraq (April 28, 2006)
‘The Silent Truth’ Documentary: The Rape, Murder & Military Cover-Up of Army Pfc. LaVena Johnson in Iraq (July 1, 2014)
The Generation Why Podcast Featured the Suspicious Death of Army Pfc. LaVena Johnson in Balad, Iraq: Was It Suicide or Murder? (November 19, 2017)
Crime Junkie Podcast Featured the Suspicious Deaths of LaVena Johnson & Tina Priest in ‘Conspiracy: Women in the US Military’ (October 22, 2018)
Military Murder Podcast Featured the Suspicious Death of Fort Campbell Army Pfc. Lavena Johnson in Balad, Iraq (July 27, 2020)
WGLRO Radio welcomes Dr. John Johnson – Whistle Blower – the DWMS 1 15 2021
Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel Hearings: Sexual Assault in the Military (March 24, 2021)