Scorned, Love Kills Premiered ‘Sex, Secrets & Sergeants’ on Investigation Discovery: Kathy Lipscomb Found Dead on Side of Texas Highway (April 10, 2015)

Preview: When a wife begins an affair behind her domineering husband’s back with a coworker, he soon finds out and begins an affair of his own. Little do they realize that the relationships they have entered into are not what they seem. -Sex, Secrets & Sergeants, Scorned: Love Kills (S5,E5)

While Kathy Lipscomb spends late nights at the hospital with the handsome Dr. Pearle, her husband’s career in the Air Force is taking off, but so is his relationship with a hot young officer. When the affairs are exposed the consequences are fatal. -Sex, Secrets & Sergeants, Scorned: Love Kills (S5,E5)

Forensic Files:

Full episode: Kathleen Lipscomb’s body was found on a deserted street outside of San Antonio. Months passed, then years, and the crime went cold. Then Kathleen’s family hired a private investigator who discovered a diary among her personal effects. Two of the diary entries helped police to piece together what had happened to Kathleen Lipscomb, and why. -True Lies, Forensic Files (S8,E27)

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:
“A Clue From the Grave” by Irene Pence
True Lies | Forensic Files [Full Episode]
Two Couples, Two Dangerous Affairs | Scorned: Love Kills (Preview)
Sex, Secrets & Sergeants | Scorned: Love Kills | Investigation Discovery (S5,E5)
Sex, Secrets & Sergeants | Scorned: Love Kills | Investigation Discovery (website)
Sex, Secrets & Sergeants | Scorned: Love Kills | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Kathleen Lipscomb Found Dead on Side of Highway; Air Force MSgt William Lipscomb Pleaded Guilty to Rape & Murder, Sentenced to Life (June 9, 1986)
‘A Clue From the Grave’ by Irene Pence Unveils the Military Homicide Investigation of Air Force Spouse Kathleen Lipscomb in Texas (May 1, 1997)
Scorned, Love Kills: 6 Active Duty Military Homicide Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

Unusual Suspects Premiered ‘An Eye for Murder’ on Investigation Discovery: Navy Spouse Dina Kichler Found Raped & Strangled in Florida Home (February 22, 2015)

ID Go: In December of 1990, young Navy wife and mother Dina Kichler is found brutalized and strangled in her Mayport, Florida apartment. Investigators work through a list of the victim’s admirers before closing in on the killer. -An Eye for Murder, Unusual Suspects (S7,E7)

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:
An Eye for Murder | Unusual Suspects | Investigation Discovery (website)
An Eye for Murder | Unusual Suspects | Investigation Discovery (S7,E7)
An Eye for Murder | Unusual Suspects | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Navy Wife Dina Kichler Raped & Murdered in Mayport, Florida; John Brewer Targeted Her Shortly After Husband Deployed on USS Forestall, Sentenced to Life in Prison (December 3, 1990)

Ashley Pullen Sentenced to Life in Prison in Oklahoma for Multiple Rapes with Narcotic Agent; Dishonorably Discharged from the Army for Sexual Assault (February 5, 2015)

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Ashley Pullen, US Army Veteran

Lorianna Parker dated her partner Rodney for four years before they became parents on April 5, 2012 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Rodney was described as genuine; he had a heart of gold and treated Lorianna like a princess. Rodney’s job kept him on the road a lot and tragically on April 13, 2012, nine days after their first child was born, Rodney died in a car accident. Lorianna was devastated by the news his mother shared that day because Rodney was her life, Rodney was the father of her son. About a month later, Lorianna went back to work to support her family and eventually enrolled in school at the community college. It would be two years after Rodney’s death that she finally decided to date again. She used a social media dating app to begin the dating process and immediately recognized she was comparing everyone to Rodney.

Then one day Corey Davis showed up on Facebook. She noticed they had mutual friends and she thought he was super hot. She thought about friend requesting him but hoped he would friend request her. The next day Corey friend requested her. She couldn’t believe this hot guy was interested in her; he said he was a model, and looked like one too. He also mentioned that he noticed her at the community college; Lorianna was flattered that he noticed her and pursued her. The two chatted via text all day, every day from there on out. After two and a half weeks, Corey invited her to hang out with his friends. The first date didn’t pan out because Lorianna got sick. After canceling, Corey’s response was anger and she didn’t hear from him again until the next day. They ‘made up’ and everything was okay.

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“Corey Davis” on Facebook

This time Corey invited Lorianna to hang out at his apartment in North Tulsa. He told her he left the apartment to pick up some food but suggested Lorianna go to his apartment and wait for him, his roommate Ashley and his son would be there to greet her. Lorianna finally found his apartment and Ashley Pullen and his five year old son Daniel were outside waiting for her. Ashley graciously invited Lorianna up to the apartment to wait until Corey came home. Lorianna felt safe because Ashley was a wonderful father. While they were chatting, Ashley shared that Daniels’s mom took off and abandoned him; he was a single dad. Then Lorianna got a text from Corey informing her he was going to be late (he was playing video games with his friends); he told her to relax and have a drink while she was waiting. Ashley offered Lorianna a vodka shot and then a second shot. By midnight, Lorianna felt like her chest was heavy and she could have slept for days.

When Lorianna woke up the first time, she was on a mattress on the floor and a man was on top of her. She was afraid to open her eyes and let him know that she was awake because she feared he would kill her. Lorianna drifted back into unconsciousness and what happened next was a blur. When she came to the second time, she was wearing someone else’s basketball shorts with no shirt. Her first instinct was to flee from the situation. She jumped up, got dressed, and gathered her belongings. In the meantime, Ashley awoke and before she could leave, he told her he had a great night and wanted to see her again. Lorianna was confused and left the apartment, she was thinking, “What just happened between you and I?’ There was so much confusion and Lorianna struggled to remember what happened. She wanted to believe that what she thought happened didn’t happen. Meanwhile, Ashley continued to text her and acted as if they both had a great time.

The next day, Lorianna got bombarded with text messages from both Ashley and Corey right in to the evening. Ashley texted Lorianna and told her Corey never showed up because he got pulled over for speeding and was thrown in jail for some outstanding tickets and warrants. Ashley also tried to make her believe that she came onto him. Adding to the confusion, she felt like he was trying to say everything was her fault. She decided she was done with him, told him to leave her alone, and blocked him on Facebook. Then Corey contacted her upset that she had sex with Ashley. He claimed he showed up to the apartment that night, saw them in bed, and left because he was angry. Corey was calling her names, including slut and whore, and belittling her because she slept with his roommate. Lorianna told Corey she was done with him to and to leave her alone.

Two weeks earlier, a young woman made a report of sexual assault to the Tulsa Police Department. She too met Corey Davis on Facebook and eventually went to his apartment where Ashley Pullen and his son were there to greet her. She too felt like she was drugged and sexually assaulted but could not identify who raped her. She was asked to get a sexual assault examination to determine if there was any DNA, but the victim reported two days after the assault so police were unable to obtain a DNA profile to match to a suspect. Meanwhile two more women reported the same eerily similar circumstances. Both alleged Ashley Pullen gave them two shots and after the second shot, they blacked out but they knew they were sexually assaulted. Unfortunately because they were most likely drugged, these three victims couldn’t positively identify who raped them. Then a fourth victim came forward who remembered the sexual assault and she could positively identify Ashley Pullen. As a result, Pullen was arrested. After the arrest, police learned Ashley Pullen was dishonorably discharged from the Army after he was convicted in 2002 and 2003 for assaulting two women at Fort Carson.

The Tulsa Police Department reached out to the media in an attempt to find out if there were more victims. After Lorianna learned of Ashley Pullen’s arrest, she contacted the police. She thought her social media messages would be helpful to the investigation. The police made copies of the messages and then Lorianna gave a statement. Lorianna remembered waking up with someone on top of her; she knew it was Ashley Pullen because she woke up next to him listening to his drivel about how they had a great time. As a result, she was the second woman to positively identify Ashley Pullen as the man who drugged and raped her. Both victims who could positively identify Ashley told police they had two shots with him then felt tired. It did not make sense. Why do I feel woozy, why is my head spinning, and why did I black out after only two shots? The police recognized the modus operandi of this serial rapist who used the second shot to drug his victims in an effort to incapacitate them. The police searched Ashley’s apartment for any traces of date rape drugs.

Investigators did in fact find unknown substances in Ashley Pullen’s home and forensic tests confirmed the unknown substances were GHB, which is a common date rape drug and usually given to those with sleep disorders. Unfortunately, this particular drug can be manufactured at home with common chemicals. GHB is clear and odorless and within 10 minutes one will feel the effects; all the victims noted they felt dizzy and unexplainably tired after the second shot they consumed. And like most, these victims assumed they overindulged, and that is was causes the confusion. Investigators explained that GBH metabolizes out of the system in 10 hours which makes it the perfect drug for a rapist. By the time the victim realizes what happened to them, it’s too late. GHB also makes the brain cease from properly forming memory which is identical to a blackout; the drug shuts down the brain. Victims have half memories at best. The Tulsa Police Department charged Ashley Pullen with first degree rape by narcotic agent.

Next investigators wanted to know who Corey Davis was? They wanted to know if he helped facilitate the crimes, if he himself committed similar crimes, or if he was a victim too. After some digging, the police deduced that ‘Corey Davis’ was a fictitious, manufactured profile on Facebook. Detectives could find no trace of Corey Davis anywhere. Corey Davis was a complete fabrication invented on a fake Facebook profile by Ashley Pullen. He created the fake profile using a ‘hot model’ to lure unsuspecting women to his home after ‘Corey’ asked them out on a date. Ashley created a person, a life, and he used Corey Davis to trick others; he friend requested females as Corey Davis the hot model to groom them and build trust. The victims reported Corey Davis was a nice guy, very flattering, and made them feel good about themselves. When Lorianna learned that Corey Davis was actually Ashley Pullen, she was felt sick to her stomach that she had been fooled by Ashley Pullen again.

According to investigators, Ashley Pullin had absolutely zero remorse. He was described as ‘evil to the core and a ruthless manipulator’. Ashley used his fake Facebook profile Corey Davis the model to reel in his victims. Then he used his fail safe strategy, his five year old son, to help make his future victims safe when they arrived to Corey’s home. None of women who arrived at Corey’s apartment thought they would be raped by someone with a five year old present. They thought Ashley was a great dad and as a result wouldn’t hurt anyone. Ashley told all of his victims that his son’s mother abandoned him when in fact he kidnapped the child from his mother three years prior to his string of sexual assaults. Ashley used his own child to further his deceit in an elaborate scheme to drug and rape unsuspecting women. On February 5, 2015, Ashley Pullen was convicted of first degree rape by narcotic agent. Pullen was sentenced to life in prison and it is not eligible for parole until 2060; he will be 77 years.

Tulsa Police Department say “before you meet someone in person, Google them or do a court records search, and even then, be careful. Meet in a public place somewhere, not just public, but public and crowded. If you do meet someone, you shouldn’t accept a drink from them because it’s easy to slip something in it.”

Source: People You May Know, Web of Lies, Investigation Discovery

Investigation Discovery:

Single mom Lorianna Parker is excited when she meets popular good-looking Corey Davis online, and filled with hope as their friendship blossoms. But when she goes to meet him in the flesh, her dream date turns into a living nightmare. -People You May Know, Web of Lies (S4,E1)

Related Links:
Accused rapist used stolen identity to lure victims
Suspect Accused of Using Facebook to Rape his Victims
Tulsa Man Accused of Using Facebook to Lure Women into Apartment
Police Arrest Tulsa Man In Sexual Assault Of Three Women
Tulsa Serial Rape Suspect Using Fake Facebook Page Is Arrested
Tulsa Jury Recommends Life Sentence For ‘Facebook Rapist’
Tulsa man gets life sentence after using Facebook to lure rape victim
Tulsa man convicted of rape lured possible victims with fake Facebook profile
Tulsa County prosecutors discuss Facebook rape case
State Court Affirms Tulsa Man’s Rape Conviction, Life Sentence
State of Oklahoma v. Ashley Reed Pullen (2015)
Ashley Pullen vs. State of Oklahoma (2016)
People You May Know | Web of Lies | Investigation Discovery (S4,E1)
People You May Know | Web of Lies | Investigation Discovery (website)
People You May Know | Web of Lies | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)

Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals Overturns Rape Conviction & 20 Year Prison Sentence for Lackland Basic Military Training Instructor MSgt Michael Silva (2017)

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MSgt Michael Silva, USAF

In the 2011/2012 timeframe, the Lackland Air Force Base Sex Scandal coverage began to gain serious momentum in the media. As a result, military leadership set up a hotline number for former recruits to report claims of sexual abuse while attending basic training. After a base wide investigation, 35 basic military training instructors were court-martialed for allegedly abusing trainees or sex related offenses. MSgt Michael Silva was one of two basic military training instructors at Lackland AFB found guilty and sentenced by the military courts to 20 years for rape. SSgt Luis Walker was the other instructor and committed suicide shortly after learning his appeal was denied. At an Article 32 evidentiary hearing convened in Silva’s case, he was facing charges of raping a basic trainee from 1995 and two ex-wives (one in the 1992-1993 time frame and another in 2007). In January 2015, Silva was convicted of raping two of the alleged victims, the basic trainee in 1995 and one of the ex-wives. MSgt Silva wrote a clemency letter to the convening authority in the courts-martial at Joint Base San-Antonio claiming that he was falsely accused and wanted to retire with the rank, pay and benefits of an Air Force senior master sergeant, the rank he earned but was never allowed to wear. Silva claims that his accusers (also military members at the time of the alleged incidents) were motivated to accuse him of rape in an effort to collect veteran’s benefits totaling over $3000 a month. The alleged victim’s names in this case have been protected for their own privacy. Both the 2nd AF SJA office and the convening authority taking action on this case were provided over 150 pages of evidence found post trial proving that the alleged victims were either lying or not credible.

On July 20, 2017, Save Our Heroes reported that MSgt Michael Silva’s rape conviction and twenty year prison sentence had been overturned by the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals. MSgt Silva’s defense presented seven arguments and the Court of Criminal Appeals made their decision after seeing only one of those arguments, although they referenced some of the injustice in the other arguments, they ruled them moot at this point and would not be answered. MSgt Silva’s case was overturned due to an error on the part of Judge (Col) Natalie Richardson provided, inter alia, the following instructions to the court members before counsels’ arguments on findings:

“An accused may be convicted based only on evidence before the court, not on evidence of a general criminal predisposition. Each offense must stand on its own, and you must keep the evidence of each offense separate. Stated differently: if you find or believe that the accused is guilty of one offense, that—you may not use that finding, or that belief as a basis for inferring, assuming, or proving that he committed any other offense. . . . Proof of one offense carries with it no inference that the accused is guilty of any other offense.”

“Evidence that the accused committed one sexual offense alleged in a Specification—so 1, 2, 3, or 4 of the Charge—may have no bearing on your deliberations in relation to any other of those Specifications unless you first determine by preponderance of the evidence, that is more likely than not, that one offense alleged oc- curred. So if you determine by preponderance of the evidence that the offense alleged in the specification of the Charge occurred, even if you are not convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty of that offense, you may nonetheless then con- sider the evidence of that offense for its bearing on any matter to which it is relevant in relation to the other alleged specifications. You may also consider the evidence of such other sexual offenses for its tendency, if any, to show the accused [sic] propensity or predisposition to engage in sexual offenses. You may not, how- ever, convict the accused solely because you believe he commit- ted this other offense or solely because you believe the accused has a propensity or predisposition to engage in sexual offenses. In other words you cannot use this evidence to overcome a fail- ure of proof in the government’s case if you perceive any to exist. The accused may be convicted of an alleged offense only if the prosecution has proven each element beyond a reasonable doubt. Each offense must stand on its own, and the proof of one offense carries no inference that the accused is guilty of any other of- fense. In other words, proof of one sexual offense creates no in- ference that the accused is guilty of any other sexual offense. However, it may demonstrate that the accused has a propensity to commit that type of offense. The prosecution’s burden of proof to establish the accused [sic] guilt beyond a reasonable doubt re- mains as to each and every element of each offense charged. Proof of one, proof of one charged offense carries with it no infer-ence that the accused is guilty of any other charged offense.”

“…There were weaknesses in the Government’s case. The alleged crimes occurred far in the past. There were no eyewitnesses other than the victims themselves. The only one of the charged or uncharged victims to report the alleged crimes to law enforcement prior to 2012 was JB, and she recanted her initial allegation. The Prosecution presented no physical, scientific, or photographic evidence of any of the offenses. The Government offered no confessions or admissions to any of the offenses by Appellant, who did not testify.” –United States Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals

MSgt Silva was merely a scapegoat in the Lackland sex scandal. His wife Lisa made the following statement: “They finally did the right thing by admitting that my husband wasn’t afforded a fair trial. They simply used him as a scape goat because of all the political pressure and attention on the alleged Lackland Sex Scandal. By convicting Mike they were sending a message to all the MTI’s both past and present demonstrating that they would go after them no matter what. I don’t know who would want want to even be a MTI knowing that a potential false allegation could be hanging over their head for 20 years and potentially ruin your life. Mike was an amazing mentor to so many over his 24 year career and all they did was destroy him. He was defeated by the very institution he served to protect and defend.”

The political witch hunts produced convictions of military training instructors to appease congressional leaders, and it resulted in one sided investigations. In MSgt Silva’s case, they didn’t even verify statements made by the accusers. In other words, there was no evidence to charge MSgt Silva to begin with because this was indeed a purely ‘he said, she said’ case. And the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) went on a fishing expedition when they sought out MSgt Silva’s ex-wives, who technically may not have the necessary credibility if they were at all resentful or angry that the marriage ended. It appears the AFOSI attempted to connect three accusers in an effort to prove MSgt Silva was a serial rapist with a propensity to commit crimes in the future. As part of a response to the high profile Lackland sex scandal, the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) set up a temporary hot line. One accuser used the specially created hotline to report an alleged rape in 1995 and the other two accusers were ex-wives sought out by AFOSI to bolster their case (one recanted her allegation). Instead, they gave the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals grounds to throw the conviction out because the alleged criminal modus operandi was not similar in pattern whatsoever and MSgt Silva was never charged or convicted of any crimes prior to his court-martial. Let’s hope the United States Air Force does the right thing in this case and demonstrates to Congress and the civilian organizations that they are serious about fighting crime only when there is evidence to support it.

“The court authorized a rehearing where the government could, in theory, bring new evidence justifying a new trial. This is highly unlikely, given that a new trial would only deepen the embarrassment.” –John Q. Public

Related Links:
Lackland Rape Charge the Result of Air Force Outreach
New Charges At Lackland On 20-Year-Old Case
Air Force sergeant charged with raping 3 women
Master sgt. faces hearing on multiple rape charges
Master sgt. Michael Silva on trial in 1995 rape
Rape hearing runs 30 minutes
Lackland’s Master Sgt. Silva guilty in 1995 rape
Lackland instructor gets 20 years in prison in rape cases
Air Force instructor at Lackland AFB gets 20 years in prison for rapes
Air Force instructor gets 20 years in prison for rapes
Conviction in Air Force rape case
Air Force jury sentences former instructor to 20 years in prison for rapes
Gender-based focus groups to address sex harassment at AMC
Is Accuser’s Facebook Update Riddled With Inaccuracies?
Social Media Postings Reveal Much About ‘Psychic Medium’ Who Accused AF Basic Training Instructor of Sexual Assault
Something’s Seriously Wrong When Military Justice System Sides With Psychics, Convicted Felons and Porn Queens
Clemency Letter Reveals Much About Pentagon’s Eagerness to Convict Military Men on False Sexual Assault Allegations
MSgt Michael Silva. Falsely accused and convicted of rape…serving 20 years for a crime he didn’t commit
A Complete List of the 35 Basic Military Training Instructors Court Martialed in the Lackland Air Force Base Sex Scandal
The Lackland Air Force Base Sex Scandal, Texas (2011)
Save Our Heroes Official Website
Save Our Heroes on Facebook
U.S. Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals Decision for MSgt Michael Silva (2017)
MSgt Michael Silva is Save Our Heroes very first client and the husband of Save Our Heroes co-founder Lisa Silva
Military appeals court drops sexual misconduct conviction of former Air Force drill sergeant
Lackland Rape Case Tossed on Appeal, Wrongly Convicted SNCO to Walk Free
30 Days After Appellate Ruling, Air Force Continues Wrongful Imprisonment of MSgt. Mike Silva


A widening sex scandal has rocked Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. Four male instructors are charged with having sex with trainees and in one case raping female trainees. -AP

Fort Carson Army Soldiers Noel Acevedo-Mercado and John Donathan Accused of Raping Colorado Teen; Donathan Died Just Weeks Before Trial (2014)

Fort Carson Army soldiers Spc. Noel Acevedo-Mercado, 21, and Pfc. John Donathan, 20, were charged with the rape of a 17-year-old girl on October 4, 2014 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Prosecutors alleged the pair met the girl at a party on Gold Camp Road and later attacked her in a bedroom of her home. According to an arrest affidavit, the girl said both men held her down during the assault and changed positions when one of them said “switch.” Court records indicated both Acevedo-Mercado and Donathan were freed on $50,000 bail. Three weeks before John Donathan was due to stand trial, an obituary indicated he died on March 15, 2015. The cause of death was not specified and the local coroner’s office said they were not notified. Acevedo-Mercado was scheduled for a July 12, 2015 trial on three counts of sexual assault and if convicted, Acevedo-Mercado could face up to 24 years in prison. Reports indicated that it was most likely that Acevedo-Mercado would agree to a plea agreement but no further details are available at this time.

Related Links:
Two Fort Carson Soldiers Accused Of Rape
2 Fort Carson soldiers accused of raping teen after party
Fort Carson soldiers accused of raping Colorado Springs teen after party
2 Fort Carson Soldiers Accused Of Raping High School Student
Fort Carson soldiers accused of raping Colorado Springs teen
Two Fort Carson soldiers charged with rape
Two Fort Carson soldiers charged with rape of 17-year-old girl
Fort Carson soldiers charged with raping 17-year-old girl at party
2 Fort Carson soldiers accused of raping 17-year-old girl after party
Fort Carson soldiers accused of raping teen plead not guilty
Two Fort Carson soldiers accused of raping teen plead not guilty
Fort Carson soldiers accused of raping teen plead not guilty
Trial date set for Fort Carson soldiers accused of raping teen
Trial date set for Fort Carson soldiers accused of raping teen
Plea deal could be in works for accused Fort Carson soldiers
Plea deal could be in works for Fort Carson soldiers accused of raping Colorado Springs teen
Ex-Fort Carson soldier charged in rape died weeks before trial
Violent Crime, Suicide and Non Combat Death at Fort Carson, Colorado (US Army)

United States Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals Overturns the Sentence of Lackland Basic Military Training Instructor SSgt Eddy Soto (2014)

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SSgt Eddy Soto, US Air Force

“Soto faced as much as life without parole for the rape, one of six charges and eight specifications of misconduct.” -My SA

SSgt Eddy Soto was a basic military training instructor at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. Soto was one of the 35 instructors courts martialed in what is referred to as the Lackland Sex Scandal. SSgt Soto was accused of unprofessional relationships, adultery, and the rape of one airman whom it appeared he had a relationship with. Investigators learned of the relationship Soto had with the airman who accused him of rape as part of a widespread probe into MTI misconduct. Soto faced life without parole but prosecutors asked for 12-15 years. Soto pleaded guilty to five charges and admitted that he had unprofessional relationships with a trainee and a civilian who had come to the base to see her husband graduate from basic training. He also admitted to adultery charges but he denied the rape accusation. He was convicted and sentenced to four years in prison in March 2013. After his confinement ended, he would be dishonorably discharged from the Air Force. Soto was the second instructor convicted of rape in the scandal. SSgt Luis Walker was the first conviction and he received 20 years for the rape of one airman and sexual assault of several others.

In an exceptional ruling by the Air Force Criminal Court of Appeals, Soto’s conviction for rape was overturned in Sept 2014. The military appeals court ruled the evidence was “factually insufficient” to support the conviction. In other words, there wasn’t enough evidence to find him guilty in the first place. The appeals court upheld the lesser charges of unprofessional relationships, adultery, and false official statement. The judge ruled the four year sentence and dishonorable discharge should be set aside and the case was referred back to the convening authority who had the authority to hold a new sentencing hearing. Soto remained jailed at the Naval Consolidated Brig Miramar in California while the government decided whether to ask the appeals court to reconsider their ruling. SSgt Eddy Soto served over a year and a half for a rape conviction that lacked evidence beyond a reasonable doubt. Media reports stated Soto would be re-sentenced by a lower court for unprofessional relationships, adultery, and false official statement. Further on-line research did not find evidence of the final disposition of SSgt Soto’s case. We do not know if he was re-sentenced, released from prison and when, or if he was discharged from the military.

The findings of guilty for Charge III, Specification 1 are set aside and dismissed. The remaining findings of guilty are affirmed. The sentence is set aside. The record of trial is returned to The Judge Advocate General for remand to an appropriate convening authority who may order a rehearing to determine an appropriate sentence for the affirmed findings of guilty. If the convening authority determines that a rehearing on the sentence is impracticable, the convening authority may approve a sentence of “no punishment” or dismiss the remaining charges and specifications. –USAF Court of Criminal Appeals

Related Links:
General admits failure in Lackland sex scandal; 32 alleged culprits
Cross-Cultural Expert Brought In For Lackland Court-Martial
Lackland trainer handed 4 years in rape
Lackland sergeant found guilty in rape case
Air Force instructor gets 4 years for raping trainee
Air Force trainer convicted of raping ex-trainee
Air Force trainer found guilty of raping cadet in Lackland base abuse scandal
US v. SSgt EDDY C. SOTO, US Air Force, ACM 38422, 16 September 2014
Court throws out Lackland trainer’s rape conviction (San Antonio Express)
Court throws out Lackland trainer’s rape conviction (Stars & Stripes)
Air Force appeals court tosses MTI rape conviction
Military overturns Lackland Air Force Base rape conviction
SSgt Eddy Soto Court-Martial Conviction for Rape Set Aside by Air Force Appellate Court
The Lackland Air Force Base Sex Scandal, Texas (2011)
A Complete List of the 35 Basic Military Training Instructors Court Martialed in the Lackland Air Force Base Sex Scandal

Military Sexual Assault: Photojournalist Mary Calvert Documented Some of Their Stories | Cosmopolitan (August 26, 2014)

Mary Calvert
Mary Calvert

In Photos: The Epidemic of Military Sexual Assault

Some 26,000 women [and men] are sexually assaulted in the military every year. Photojournalist Mary Calvert documented some of their stories.

“Why is this happening? To answer that question, Mary Calvert met with survivors and went to congressional hearings on military sexual assault. The women she met connected her with more women, and she photographed them in their homes and communities. Through her work, she learned that just 1 in 7 victims of sexual assault in the military reported the attack; of those assaults that were reported, just 1 in 10 ever saw a trial.”

Read more from  Cosmopolitan here.

“I get emails, and comments from people saying, ‘I was sexually assaulted in the military and I’ve never told anybody and when I saw these pictures and read these stories I felt more courage to go out and get some help.'” -World Press Photo Foundation (May 18, 2017)

Related Links:
Mary F. Calvert Official Website
The Battle Within: Sexual Assault in America’s Military Part 1: The Hearings
The Battle Within: Sexual Assault in America’s Military Part 1: The Survivors
Missing in Action: Homeless Women Veterans
The Battle Within: Sexual Assault in America’s Military
Mary F. Calvert | John Simon Guggenheim Foundation
Surviving Rape in the Military – The New York Times
The New York Times Discusses Mary F. Calvert’s Photography on Sexual Assault in the Military
Thousands Are Sexually Assaulted In The U.S. Military Every Year. These Are Some Of Their Stories.
Photos: Women Who Risked Everything to Expose Sexual Assault in the Military
Haunting Photo Essay Illustrates the Real-Life Toll of Military Sexual Assault in America
Sexual Assault in America’s Military | Photographer: Mary F. Calvert
World Press Photo Winners: Mary F. Calvert and Military Sexual Assault
“It’s sad to think that this could become my life’s work”
Mary F. Calvert on Photographing Military Sexual Assault Without Adding to Her Subjects’ Suffering
The Battle Within: Sexual violence in America’s military laid bare as record numbers of women are raped
‘I just pulled up my pants and went back to work’: Women veterans reveal the shocking sexual and physical abuse they suffered in the US armed forces
The Battle Within: Sexual Assault in America’s Military | Visa pour l’image
Mary F. Calvert on ‘Sexual Assault in America’s Military’

A Very Realistic Military Game | Inside Amy Schumer (August 26, 2014)

Amy discovers that her boyfriend’s war game unfolds very differently when the player chooses a female character. -Inside Amy Schumer, Comedy Central (August 26, 2014)

The sketch says it all… there’s a reason the majority of service members don’t report crime. Character assassination and retaliation is real for both male and female victims of crime in the military. Their lives, reputations, careers, and futures are dependent on the actions of the convening authority who has the power to do nothing. In the civilian world, after reporting a crime to the local police department and evidence is gathered, a prosecutor determines whether or not a case moves forward in the judicial system. The Military Justice Improvement Act (MJIA) attempts to mirror this process and was reintroduced in June 2019, yet again was not allowed on the Senate floor for a vote. The last cloture vote on the way the military should handle felony crimes was on March 6, 2014. Invoking cloture means 60 Senators or two-thirds is required for passage of a bill as opposed to the majority of Senators. The biggest opponents of the MJIA were former Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and former Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), both since voted out of the Senate and replaced by Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ). This pair of military officers are proponents of keeping the Chain of Command involved in the decision making process of adjudicating felony crime despite what the majority of military sexual assault survivors have asked for because the fear and retaliation continues. Meanwhile, the fight for military justice reform rages on. #PassMJIA

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Army Veteran Carlos Holcombe Kidnapped & Raped 12-Year-Old Girl in El Paso, Texas; Sentenced to Life Plus 20 Years in Prison, Sentences Served Concurrently (August 22, 2014)

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Carlos Holcombe, US Army Veteran

Army veteran Carlos Antonio Holcombe was accused of kidnapping a twelve year old child from a high school parking lot and raping her on August 22, 2014 in El Paso, Texas. He lured the little girl by asking her if she would help him move some boxes. He then pointed a gun at her back and forced her into his truck. He took her to his home, put duck tape over her eyes, bound her, and raped her. School cameras caught him in the act of the abduction and he was arrested by police the next day. He was indicted on one count of aggravated kidnapping and three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child. According to reports, Holcombe served ten years in the US Army in support of Operation Desert Shield and was honorably discharged. He now claims he has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) yet has not received any treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs. He used the PTSD defense claiming that he suffers from a disassociative disorder he developed after he was sexually abused as a child. He also used the temporary insanity defense, claiming he was drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana right before the incident. A psychologist testified that he examined Holcombe by giving him several psychological exams and the results of the exams showed that Holcombe was exaggerating or lying about his symptoms. Holcombe was found guilty by a jury of three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, and one count each of aggravated kidnapping and indecency with a child involving sexual contact. He was sentenced to life in prison on one count of aggravated kidnapping and 20 years in prison on a charge of indecency with a child involving sexual contact. The sentences will be served concurrently.

“You don’t get to claim you have PTSD and commit a rape.” -Prosecutor Alyssa Nava

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