Retired Army National Guard Pilot & Serial Killer Robert Lee Yates, Jr. Convicted of 2 More Murders in Washington; Sentenced to Death (September 19, 2002)

On September 19, 2002November 17, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Cold Cases, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, National Guard, Scandals, VeteransLeave a comment

Robert Lee Yates Ranker — Robert Lee Yates, Jr., Army National Guard Retired (photo: Ranker)

The Victims:
July 13, 1975: Patrick Oliver
July 13, 1975: Susan Savage
December 28, 1988: Stacy E. Hawn
August 25, 1996: Patricia Barnes
June 14, 1996: Shannon Zielinski
August 26, 1997: Heather Hernandez
August 26, 1997: Jennifer Joseph
November 5, 1997: Darla Scott
December 7, 1997: Melinda Mercer
December 18, 1997: Shawn Johnson
December 26, 1997: Laurie Wason
February 8, 1998: Sunny Oster
April 1, 1998: Linda Maybin
May 12, 1998: Melody Murfin
July 7, 1998: Michelyn Derning
October 13, 1998: Connie LaFontaine Ellis

Source: Robert Lee Yates | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers

Click here for another list of Victims of Robert Lee Yates from Serial Killers Podcast.

“According to the Spokane Spokesman-Review, the German federal police are looking into the deaths of 26 prostitutes with assistance from U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Command.Yates, a former Navy helicopter pilot, was stationed in Goeppingen, Germany, from 1988 to 1991. The FBI has found the black van he allegedly owned in Germany and has searched it for evidence.” –Whidbey News-Times (October 18, 2000)

UPDATE: Washington State Supreme Court Outlawed Death Penalty; Serial Killer Robert Yates’ Death Sentence Converted To Life in Prison (October 11, 2018)

ROBERT LEE YATES

Number of confirmed victims: At least 15
Years and location: 1970s-1990s, Washington state
Characteristics: A married father of five who flew helicopters in the Army and the National Guard, Yates predominantly preyed on prostitutes. One of the victims was buried in Yates’ yard.
Arrest, conviction and sentence: Arrested on April 18, 2000. Yates was arrested after police matched fibers found on the body of a dead prostitute to Yates’ car, which also had blood on the seatbelt and seat. DNA testing and other evidence linked Yates to at least 12 murders. He later pleaded guilty to 13 killings in exchange for a life sentence (408 years) in lieu of the death penalty. In 2002, he was convicted of two additional murders in a different county and sentenced to death. Yates’ attorneys have repeatedly appealed the ruling but he remains on death row awaiting execution at the Washington State Penitentiary.

Source: Serial Killers Fast Facts (CNN)

In the News:

Melissa speaks with the daughters of Robert Lee Yates Jr, who murdered at least 13 people in Washington State. (2015)

Robert Lee Yates Jr’s family members share their memories of the serial killer. (2015)

Spokane Serial Killer Robert Yates will be learning Thursday whether or not his death penalty conviction for the murders of two women near Tacoma will be overturned by the Washington State Supreme Court. KXLY4’s Jeff Humphrey reports. (2007)

In a majority opinion the Washington State Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from Spokane Serial Killer Robert Yates and upheld his death sentence for the murders of two women in Pierce County in the late 1990s. (2007)

Attorneys for convicted Spokane Serial Killer Robert Yates have filed their application for a stay of his execution which is scheduled for later this month. (2008)

Spokane Serial Killer Robert Yates has been transferred from death row in Walla Walla to Pierce County where he will be in court Friday as Judge John McCarthy signs his death warrant. KXLY4’s Jeff Humphrey reports. (2008)

Kathy Lloyd feared that Robert Yates would live longer than her. He killed her sister, Shawn McLenahan. Now a Tacoma judge will sign Yates’ death warrant, and Lloyd is hoping Yates will die soon. KXLY4’s Sally Showman reports. (2008)

Back in the mid 1990’s when Robert Yates was stalking Spokane prostitutes another serial killer was making regular visits to the city. A new book reveals the “Happy Face Killer” often traveled to Spokane where the long haul trucker would spend time with his children. KXLY4’s Jeff Humphrey reports. (2010)

Spokane Serial Killer Robert Yates is claiming he had ineffective legal counsel in his latest appeal of his death sentence for the killings of two women in Pierce County in the late 1990s. KXLY4’s Melissa Luck reports. (2013)

On August 26, 1997, the half-naked body of prostitute Heather Hernandez, 20 was found in an empty lot in Spokane Washington. The same day, the decomposed corpse of prostitute Jennifer Joseph, 16, was discovered in an alfalfa field. Both women had been shot in the head. The day after Christmas, four more women were found with plastic bags tied over their heads, the gruesome signature of a killer who had sexually violated each one of them, after they had died. When the killer is finally arrested he turns out to be a devoted husband, a father of five, a National Guard helicopter pilot and a Desert Storm veteran. Robert Lee Yates Jr. is charged for 13 murders. (2013)

Investigation Discovery:

A serial killer plagues Spokane, Washington, claiming the lives of more than a dozen victims. The reexamination of an old clue finally helps investigators zero in on the murderer. -Monster in Spokane, Unusual Suspects (S1,E6)

ID Go: The Yates family moves to Spokane, WA only to find it besieged by a serial killer who’s targeting young women and confounding the police. Now, the family’s never-before-aired home videos provide a chilling look of one of America’s most notorious killers. -Family Snapshot, American Monster (S2, E2)

ID Go: Tony Harris pieces together the 1990 case of three prostitutes killed in Spokane, Washington, and discovers a pattern of murders connected by twenty-two caliber bullets, a killing spree that shocked a city and a suspect with a stunning new identity. -Down by the River, Scene of the Crime with Tony Harris (S2, E1)

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.

Down by the River | Scene of the Crime with Tony Harris | ID
Family Snapshot | American Monster | Investigation Discovery
Monster in Spokane | Unusual Suspects | Investigation Discovery
Spokane Serial Killer: Robert Lee Yates | Monster in My Family | AETV
These Home Videos Of The Yates Family Are A Prelude To Terrifying Trauma That Would Come
12 Terrifying Facts about Robert Lee Yates – The Most Deranged Killer
Monster in My Family: Robert Lee Yates Jr’s Daughters Speak Out
Monster in My Family: Yates Family Home Movies
Supreme Court to rule on Serial Killer’s appeal (2007)
Supreme Court upholds Yates death sentence (2007)
Spokane Serial Killer files for stay of execution (2008)
Judge to sign serial killer’s death warrant (2008)
Yates’ death still won’t bring closure to sister of victim (2008)
Daughter’s book sheds new insight into “Happy Face Killer” (2010)
Serial killer Robert Yates claims ineffective counsel in latest death penalty appeal (2013)
Most Shocking Murders : The Spokane Serial Killer (2013)
Watch Spokane Serial Killer: Robert Lee Yates – Monster in My Family | LMN

DoD Authorizes Stop Loss (September 24, 2001)

On September 24, 2001March 3, 2024 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Military Policy, National Guard, USAF2 Comments

LA Times Published ‘Pvt. John Bennett is the Only U.S. Soldier Executed for Rape in Peacetime’ by Richard A. Serrano (September 10, 2000)

On September 10, 2000September 26, 2020 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Child Abuse, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Scandals, Sexual Assault, Stateside DeathLeave a comment

Pvt. John Bennett is the Only U.S. Soldier Executed for Rape in Peacetime. He Was Mentally Troubled and Black. Six White Murderers Were Also on Military Death Row. They Were Spared.

Richard A. Serrano is a Staff Writer in The Times’ Washington, bureau. He last wrote for the magazine about the bombing of the Oklahoma, City federal building, which was also the subject of his book, “One of, Ours,” published in 1998 by W.W. Norton

“Rain always frightened him, and on the night he was hanged in a military prison in Kansas, a rolling prairie thunderstorm was kicking up outside. That was four decades ago. Pvt. John Bennett had just turned 26. He went to his death perhaps more terrified of the thunder and lightning than of the gaunt hangman waiting upon the gallows.

News of the hanging scarcely made the papers. Executions then, like today, were commonplace, so much so that his story has never been told. But he is the last member of the U.S. Armed Forces to be executed. And he is the only serviceman hanged for rape during peacetime.

America is once again examining the death penalty, spurred by the most damning evidence in history that innocents have been sentenced to die. Advances in DNA testing and other revelations have overturned scores of death sentences in recent years, raising fresh doubts about American criminal justice, especially for minorities, who make up the majority of death row prisoners.

As a result, the death penalty issue looms larger in presidential politics than it has for a generation. Both major party candidates favor death sentencing, and Republican nominee George W. Bush has given it special emphasis. He expresses confidence in his state’s handling of capital cases and says that not one innocent man has been executed on his watch as governor of Texas.

The issue also has landed in the Oval Office, where President Clinton delayed by four months the federal government’s first scheduled execution since 1963. Juan Raul Garza will now have until Dec. 12–a date notably after the presidential election–to seek clemency. Garza’s attorneys say they will argue that the criminal justice system discriminates against minorities.

Amid the chatter, national opinion polls have found that while most Americans still favor death sentencing, the support is diminishing. Even its proponents question the role that race, mental illness, poverty, politics and the quality of legal representation play in death penalty cases. All those factors were present on that stormy night in April 1961 inside the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Ft. Leavenworth. Was the system broken back then? Has it been fixed since?“

Read more from Richard A. Serrano (LA Times) here or here and check out Serrano’s book ‘Summoned at Midnight: A Story of Race and the Last Military Executions at Fort Leavenworth’ here.

‘Black Widow’ Judy Buenoano Executed by the State of Florida for Three Homicides; First Woman to Die by Death Penalty in Florida Since 1848 (March 30, 1998)

On March 30, 1998November 15, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Cold Cases, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Non Combat Death, Scandals, USAFLeave a comment

Air Force Sergeant James Goodyear, 37, died on September 16, 1971 in Orlando, Florida. Sergeant Goodyear died just three months after completing a year long tour of duty in Vietnam. He left behind his wife Judy Buenoano Goodyear and her son Michael Buenoano. Judy received $28,000 in military life insurance benefits and military death benefits to help support the family. When her son Michael turned eighteen, he joined the US Army. On his way to his post in Georgia, he stopped in to visit his mother Judy, she fed him, and afterwards he became ill. The illness led to a crippling condition that left him paralyzed in his lower extremities and he was subsequently discharged from the Army as a Private. Michael was disabled and Judy was taking care of him. On May 13, 1980 Judy took Michael for a canoe ride. Judy reported to local authorities that her canoe capsized and her son Michael had drowned. She collected $125,000 in military life insurance benefits for her son’s death.

In June 1983, Judy was suspected in the car bombing of her fiancé John Gentry of Pensacola, Florida. She stood to gain $500,000 in life insurance money for this death. Judy Buenoano was first convicted of the attempted murder of John Gentry. As a result of her involvement in the attempted murder of John, investigators looked into the ‘accidental deaths’ of her husband James Goodyear and her son Michael. They exhumed John’s body a decade later and an autopsy revealed he had been poisoned with arsenic. Testimony revealed long-term arsenic poisoning had actually caused her son Michael’s disability. And when Judy drowned him, he was wearing an extra 15 pounds of weighted braces. Judy reportedly admitted to being involved in the 1978 death of her boyfriend Bobby Joe Morris as well. She received $50,000 in life insurance benefits for his death. Judy Buenoano was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to death. She was executed by the electric chair in Florida on March 30, 1998. Judy Buenoano was motivated by money, profit, and greed.

Source: ‘Dark Secrets’ Deadly Women, Investigation Discovery

Kelly Eckart Found Murdered in Indiana; Michael Overstreet Sentenced to Death But Court Ruled Not Competent for Execution (September 27, 1997)

On September 27, 1997October 6, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Sexual Assault, VeteransLeave a comment

Kelly Eckart, Indiana

Michael Dean Overstreet

Offender: Michael Dean Overstreet
Occupation: US Navy veteran (discharged for psychological problems after one month), construction, frequently unemployed
Pathology: Stranger abduction, rape, and murder by strangulation, shot victim in forehead
Dates: September 27, 1997
Location: Franklin, Indiana, moved body to Atterbury Wildlife Preserve (Brown County)
Motive: Hunted prey, lured victim, stranger abduction, rape & murder
Victim: Kelly Eckart (18), Franklin College student
M.O.: Stalked at work, followed home after work shift, bumped her car while both driving on road, abducted after she pulled over
Conviction: Sentenced to death (July 31, 2000), Indiana court ruled not competent to be executed in 2014, still on death row
Status: Incarcerated, death row
Appearance: Blanket of Evidence (Forensic Files); All-American Sweethearts (Murder Comes to Town); Death Row (Real Stories); First Love, Forever Evil (Evil Lives Here)
Red Flags: Deprived and abusive childhood, Schizotypal Personality Disorder, mother failed to seek mental health for him, got in fights, bully in high school, went to jail for having a gun at school, isolated & controlled significant other, stalking, threatening, long history of domestic abuse, obsession with weaponry especially knives, always carried a knife, owned firearms, threatened wife with knife, grabbed wife by throat & pointed gun at her head (shot it next to her head), threatened wife with rifle, unexplained absences, secret life/two lives, hallucinations, volatile temper, unpredictable, paranoid, admitted to wife he killed people (delusional thoughts), psychological deterioration, liked killing animals, spent a lot of time alone in the woods, obsessed with media after crimes committed, wife afraid to call the police with suspicions, one misdemeanor in criminal history, loves his family & two children, model prisoner

In the News:

A northern Indiana judge is nearing a decision on whether a man convicted of abducting and killing a Franklin College student in 1997 should be put to death. -RTV6 The Indy Channel (November 13, 2014)

Overstreet ruled not competent to face death penalty. -WTHR (November 20, 2014)

Full Episode: Housing 1900 inmates, 12 of whom are on death row, Trevor spends two weeks in the dark and forbidding world of Indiana State Maximum Security Prison. He hears from men who know what it is like to live under the shadow of the death penalty and even the date and time they will die. -Indiana Death Row, Part 1, Real Stories (August 28, 2017)

Full Episode: Indiana Death Row | Part 2 | Real Stories (August 30, 2017)

Forensic Files:

Full Episode: 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. -Blanket of Evidence, Forensic Files (S11, E38)

Investigation Discovery:

Eighteen-year-old Kelly Eckart disappears one night after finishing up her shift at a local hardware store. Hours later her car is discovered abandoned by the side of the road, still running, but Kelly is nowhere to be found. -All-American Sweethearts, Murder Comes to Town (S1, E3)

Melissa Holland was certain that her high school boyfriend, Michael Overstreet, was the man she’d always dreamed of. But only after they were married did she begin to realize that her determination to live happily ever after had put her in mortal danger. -First Love, Forever Evil, Evil Lives Here (S3, E6)

Missy Berry Found Murdered in Stopped Vehicle at Intersection; Army Veteran Clifford McDaniel Sentenced to Life in Prison, No Parole (September 17, 1994)

On September 17, 1994September 14, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, VeteransLeave a comment

Hard-working fast food manager Missy Berry is found dead in an idling car at a deserted intersection. Kenda discovers suspects from Missy’s past who may have wanted her dead. But a surprise twist in the investigation leads him into uncharted territory. -Drive Thru Murder, Homicide Hunter (S2,E6)

Missy Berry was found shot execution style in a stopped vehicle at a Colorado Springs intersection on September 17, 1994. As Lt. Joe Kenda investigated the homicide, he learned Missy Berry dropped off the deposits every night after she left work. Lt. Kenda found out the money was never deposited and was not in her vehicle; he suspected robbery was the motive. Lt. Kenda learned from a fellow officer that a man who looked like he worked at the restaurant was hanging out in the parking lot around the time Missy left work. It was believed this man most likely asked Missy for a ride but at the time the police officer thought nothing of the interaction. Kenda wondered who at work might have asked Missy for a ride. Kenda spoke with the restaurant manager to find out who might have a motive to kill Missy. The store manager thought maybe it was a guy named Darren who she suspected was into drugs. Kenda tracked down Darren Haney and found him in the hospital waiting for his child to be born. He was cleared.

Darren offered Kenda a valuable piece of information. He suggested that his co-worker George Clifford McDaniel may have a motive to kill Missy Berry because he hated her. He said he wanted that bitch dead a couple weeks earlier. Apparently, Missy gave Cliff a hard time about his work and the fact that he was a mommy’s boy. Kenda learned Cliff lived one block away from the scene of the crime. At this point, Cliff was Kenda’s primary suspect after learning he fit the description offered by the police officer who observed him hanging around the parking lot. Kenda learned Cliff was the son of a former military police officer. He was born in England and his mother married a serviceman. Cliff too served in the U.S. Army for a couple years. He appeared helpful, cooperative, and didn’t raise any red flags with Kenda. His family was having a hard time financially and Cliff was working at the restaurant to help the family. He said he was with his friend Ronnie Houston watching a movie until 1:20 a.m.

Before the interview wrapped up, Cliff McDaniel suggested it was someone who asked Missy for a ride. Kenda checked out McDaniel’s alibi. Ronnie Houston admitted Cliff was there but Ronnie’s rendition of events did not match those shared by Cliff. Cliff said he left Ronnie’s at around 1:30 a.m. but Ronnie said Cliff left at 11:30 p.m. Cliff could not account for this two hour gap. Ronnie shared another important piece of information. He said Cliff had a gun and said he was planning to rob the restaurant. Kenda now believed Cliff asked for a ride from Missy, shot her at the intersection, and stole the night deposit. When Kenda went to arrest Cliff for suspicion of murder, he learned Cliff was no longer in town. They searched his home but didn’t find any physical evidence in the house tying him to the crime. After Kenda reminded the family they could be charged with accessory to murder, Cliff’s mother told Kenda he was in London, England. The police needed to find Cliff McDaniel because they were afraid he would do this again.

Kenda interviewed the travel agent who arranged the one-way ticket for Cliff. Kenda believed Cliff’s escape to London was a sure sign of guilt and he was going to bring this international fugitive to justice. They contacted New Scotland Yard to ask for assistance with the search of Cliff McDaniel. He was staying with family, the same aunt he told the travel agent had died. New Scotland Yard arrested Cliff McDaniel however getting him back to the states was a whole new battle. England would not honor the extradition unless the State of Colorado agreed not to execute him. With the help of the U.S. State Department, Kenda was able to extradite Cliff McDaniel back to the United States. The Crown Judge agreed to sign an international extradition warrant. Cliff thought he would get away with this murder and move on in England. The stolen money and murder weapon were never recovered but nonetheless McDaniel was convicted. George Clifford McDaniel was found guilty of one count of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Source: Drive Thru Murder, Homicide Hunter, Investigation Discovery

Fort Carson Army Spc. Layne Schmidtke Died From Blunt Force Trauma in Unprovoked Street Fight; Six Teenagers Convicted for Roles in Murder (September 22, 1991)

On September 22, 1991September 14, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Stateside DeathLeave a comment

Soldier and young father Layne Schmidtke is brutally beaten to death by a mob of teenagers. Kenda must reconstruct the chaotic scene through forensic evidence and witness testimonies, which reveals an unlikely suspect as the murderous ringleader. -Slaughterhouse Six, Homicide Hunter (S2, E5)

On September 21, 1991, Layne Schmidtke was found near death on the streets of Colorado Springs, Colorado just before midnight. Layne was transported to the hospital where he later died of blunt force trauma. The death was a result of what was believed to be a street fight gone bad. Lt. Joe Kenda needed to find out why this happened. What were the dynamics that lead to the fight? Investigators wanted to speak with witnesses and found Joseph Reeves at the scene of the crime who admitted he was with Layne when the fight began. Joseph and Layne were great friends and he described Layne as a nice guy and married father of twin daughters. There appeared to be no reason for the brutal attack. Kenda and fellow officers found some individuals with blood on their clothing but until they had more information, it wasn’t enough to arrest them.

Joseph Reeves helped Lt. Joe Kenda understand what happened on the night they were randomly attacked. He said they went out and grabbed some dinner and were on their way home when they were confronted by a group of teens. The trash talk lead to a fight and Layne was punched in the face which resulted in him falling to the ground. Joseph Reeves was able to extricate himself from the fight but in the chaos realized Layne was still under attack. The group of teens were beating and kicking him while he was on the ground. An ambulance arrived on the scene and this ended the fight and the participants scattered. Kenda said it appeared Layne was attacked without any provocation whatsoever. Kenda wanted to know why these kids were motivated to harm Layne? Reeves didn’t know who attacked them during the fight. It all happened so fast.

Kenda learned that Layne Schmidtke and Joseph Reeves were in the Army and served together with the 4th Infantry Division out of Fort Carson, Colorado. Kenda wondered if Layne was attacked because he was a soldier. Kenda found another eye witness at the scene of the crime: Dan Davis. Davis told him that the group of teens who attacked Layne were from the local high school. Kenda learned these were good kids who came from good homes so it was surprising to learn of their involvement in this crime. Davis admitted yelling “COPS!” hoping to break up the fight and the group of teens did indeed scatter. Davis said he didn’t know the names of the individuals in the fight. The police collected evidence from the scene and Kenda went back to the station to speak with the individuals found with blood on their clothing.

The first teen they spoke to didn’t fit the modus operandi of someone who would beat a soldier to death. This teen’s dad was an Army soldier himself and this kid was more likely to join the Army, then beat someone serving in the Army. This teen was not able to identify suspects involved in the fight. But nonetheless, Joe Kenda wanted to test the blood on his clothing to determine who it belonged to. Next Kenda spoke with Anthony Phenix and Kevin Moore. When Kenda questioned Anthony, Anthony admitted the blood on his clothing came from the chaos of the fight. He said he was accidentally dragged into the fight and was hit and hit others but he didn’t know who he was fighting. Kenda needed more information and interviewed Anthony Moore next.

Kevin Moore said he was drunk and passed out in the backseat of a car when someone awoke him to inform him of the fight. Kevin went to the scene and admitted dragging Anthony Phenix from the brawl. So far all the individuals involved in the fight made it appear they were accidentally involved in the fight. Kenda collected the bloody clothing from all three suspects and sent it to the lab to be analyzed. Then Kenda got a call from a witness who claimed she was being threatened if she said anything to the cops. Kenda questioned this high school student to learn more. She said she didn’t see anything but she heard a friend admit that they ‘killed the dude’ while they were on their way home after the fight. She gave Kenda the individual’s name. His name was Dominic Peres.

Kenda had probable cause now because Dominic threatened a witness, a felony crime. They went to Dominic’s home to confront him about the incident. Dominic denied any involvement in the fight. He claimed he was down town but he never saw an assault. Kenda wanted to collect his clothing as evidence but Dominic’s mother admitted she washed the bloody clothing the day before. Before leaving their home, Kenda observed the shoes Dominic was wearing had blood on them. As a result, Dominic was arrested and taken to the County lock-up. Kenda now had to determine who did what that fatal night and had to sift through all the lies. Kenda wasn’t about to let anyone get away with this level of extreme violence. There were now four suspects in custody while they waited for the results from the lab.

Meanwhile, Kenda went to the high school and the principal provided Kenda with a group of female students who witnessed the fight. They were able to provide Kenda with the circumstances that lead to the deadly fight. Apparently these same teens fought with two other Army soldiers in a car, not Layne and Joseph. The GIs were hitting on the girls and the teens were trying to run them off. They drove away. When the teens noticed two other individuals who looked like GIs, they decided to take out their anger on these two unsuspecting individuals. The teens told them to get off their turf and then struck Layne first. They wanted revenge on a pair of soldiers and any two soldiers would do. Kenda finally understood what happened that night; these teens were looking for trouble. But Kenda still needed to find out who was responsible for the attack.

The teen high school students were able to tell Kenda exactly who was involved. A new name was dropped that he hadn’t heard yet. Kenda asked who threw the first punch and it wasn’t Dominic as suspected; it was Anthony Phenix, a star quarterback high school football player. Kevin Moore, Dominic Peres and Shawn Stancil all jumped in the fight and started punching and kicking Layne while he was on the ground. They also identified two more teens involved: Robert Dean and Daniel Davis. Kenda remembered Davis was the helpful teen at the crime scene and at the time they had no idea he was involved in the fight too. Kenda went to Davis’ home and confronted him with the new information. Davis continued to lie to them but cracked and finally offered a confession, claiming he only kicked him once in the feet area. Davis was arrested and in placed in custody.

Kenda searched for the sixth suspect: Robert Dean. Kenda confronted Dean and he denied everything but Kenda observed blood on his shoes as well. Dean was arrested and placed in custody too. The blood analysis from the lab came back and the results were mixed. Nonetheless, all six suspects were charged with murder because of the eye witness testimony. Three were juveniles and three were adults but they were all charged as adults. Daniel Davis and Robert Dean were each sentenced to several years of probation; Robert Dean had violated the terms of his probation and was sentenced to three years. Kevin Moore was sentenced to 12 years of hard time in prison. Shawn Stancil and Dominic Peres receive sixteen years in prison. And Anthony Phenix, the guy who started the fight, was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 24 years in prison. The police believe no one intended to kill anyone that night but their collective actions resulted in the untimely death of Army Pfc. Layne Schmidtke.

Source: Slaughterhouse Six, Homicide Hunter, Investigation Discovery

Army Spouse Jennifer Reali Shot and Killed Lover’s Wife; Sentenced to Life in Prison, Paroled in 2017 and Died of Cancer Three Months Later (September 12, 1990)

On September 12, 1990September 12, 2020 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, Military PolicyLeave a comment

Screen Shot 2018-08-30 at 1.57.07 PM — Jennifer Reali (photo: Gazette.com)

Lt. Joe Kenda, a homicide detective with the Colorado Springs Police Department, was angry when he found out about this murder. Whoever did it gunned down a housewife and mother and he vowed to catch them. On September 12, 1990, a Lupus support meeting was held in a recreational area in Colorado Springs, Colorado. One of the participants was Dianne Hood, who just 18 months earlier after her third child was born, was diagnosed with Lupus. But Dianne was a fighter and was in remission. After the meeting let up, she walked outside with a fellow Lupus support group member, Karen Johnson, and was robbed and shot twice. Karen went flying back into the building and informed the others that Dianne had been shot. Another support group member Sarah was a registered nurse so she ran outside to help. Sarah found Dianne laying in a pool of blood and observed her gasping for breath as she began compressions. EMTs arrived on the scene and took over for Sarah. Dianne had two bullet wounds, one in the shoulder and the other in her chest area. She was pronounced dead at the hospital. This crime sent a shockwave through the community.

After Lt. Kenda arrived on the scene, he found blood on the ground and a couple shocked witnesses. It was assumed initially that this was a robbery gone bad. Kenda interviewed Karen Johnson first because she was the best witness he had. Karen reported that she and Dianne were walking to their cars when they heard footsteps from behind. The person was wearing dark clothes and a ski mask. Dianne gave up her purse to the robber and began to run. The shooter first fired at her shoulder and that put her down and then this person fired a fatal shot at her chest. Everything did in fact look like a robbery gone bad. Unfortunately, Karen didn’t know much about the shooter aside from they were shorter they she was. Kenda and fellow police officers began canvassing the area to see if they could find any additional evidence. Criminals usually have a planned exit so Kenda used a K9 unit to comb the area looking for the scent of the shooter. About about a mile, the dog locked onto a scent. The dog led officers to a garbage can and then sat down. This is dog’s alert system. Inside the garbage can the police found an olive drab field jacket, a pair of gloves, a black ski mask, and some camouflage pants.

The items in the garbage can matched the witnesses description of the shooter at the scene. They also found brown hair in the ski mask and evidence of gun residue on the gloves upon testing at the forensic’s lab. The K-9 dog eventually lost the scent of the shooter because this person most likely got in a car and drove away. The only promising lead just hit a dead end. Kenda didn’t have a suspect, he had a masked maniac so he decided to look into Dianne Elaine Hood’s life; he wanted to know everything about her to find out who in her life wanted her dead. With no other substantial leads, police started canvassing the neighborhood, knocking on every door, to see if anyone saw anything. They encountered a woman who indicated David Burns could have had something to do with it. Kenda learned the locals gave Burns the nickname Homicidal Dave. Kenda wanted to know who this guy was because he wore camouflage similar to that of the shooter. Kenda learned Burns was a veteran of the first Gulf War, spoke loudly and obnoxiously to others, and the community felt he was dangerous. Upon further investigation, David Burns was cleared because he alibi checked out on the night of the murder. With no suspect or person of interest to investigate further, Kenda needed to expand the investigation.

Expanding the investigation meant combing through all the evidence to find new clues. After reading through Karen Johnson’s testimony again, Kenda deduced that someone wanted to make this look like a robbery. Kenda believed Dianne Hood was targeted and that this was an assassination. During the autopsy, two bullets were recovered from Dianne Hood’s body so they were sent to ballistics. Kenda received a call the next day informing him he was looking for very rare and valuable gun, a Colt Peacemaker patent 1872 single action Army revolver, a cowboy gun. This was a huge limiting factor because this rare gun was worth thousands, maybe this person was a gun collector. During a homicide investigation, the police look at everything. Dianne’s life didn’t raise any red flags; she was a devoted mother of three and housewife. Kenda turned to Dianne’s husband Brian Hood and after bringing him to the station, Brian’s life appeared to be just as idyllic as Dianne’s was. Brian Hood was extremely well liked by his neighbors and co-workers. He used to play football and Dianne was a cheerleader; that’s how they met. Brian’s physical stature eliminated him as the shooter.

During the interview, Brian admitted that he was addicted to working out and went to the gym almost every day to keep up his physique. So Kenda went to the gym, spoke with a couple employees, and learned that Brian spends a lot of time with a girl named Jennifer, who worked at a flower shop. Joe went to the flower shop and learned her full name was Jennifer Reali. She was married to Benjamin Reali who was a Captain in the Army and an intelligence officer. The shop owner shared that he liked Ben because they both collected antique guns. This was a solid lead for Kenda. Does Ben own the same antique gun used in the shooting? Did Ben shoot Dianne Hood because of the relationship Brian had with Jennifer at the gym? Did Jennifer shoot Dianne? Ben worked at Fort Carson as a criminal investigator for the US Army so he knew as a soldier, he is an expert in killing and as an investigator, he knew how to get away with it. The clothing recovered in the garbage can was military clothing. Was this his clothing? Ben’s stature did match that described by the shooter. Kenda surprised Ben at work and he immediately went on the defensive. Ben admitted to owning several antique guns and one of them was a Colt 45 Peacemaker (patent 1872).

Kenda wanted the antique gun so it could be analyzed. Ben appeared to be confused and concerned but he handed over the gun. The police couldn’t recover any fingerprints on it. Kenda then invited Ben to go to the police station so they could interview him. The police put Ben on their turf so he wouldn’t be in his normal comfortable setting. Ben was seated and Kenda laid out the clothing they found in the garbage can. Without even looking, Ben said he didn’t recognize the clothing. Kenda said, Ben you need to look at these clothes and examine them. Kenda then threatened to call his military Commander and ruin his career overnight or at a maximum arrest him for murder. Ben admitted the clothing were his and the ballistics office confirmed his gun matched the one they were looking for. Ben claimed he last saw the clothing in his closet at his house but he hadn’t been living there for about 3 weeks; he was staying on post. Ben then told Kenda his wife asked him to hold the gun that morning and a couple weeks ago, she wanted to shoot it so he took her to the gun range to practice. Ben went from a person of interest to a witness. Kenda remembered the witness telling him the shooter put the purse over their shoulder like a woman would do.

Ben Reali was eliminated as a suspect because Kenda knew they were looking for a woman. Forty-eight hours after Dianne was murdered, Kenda was on the hunt for twenty-eight year old Jennifer Reali. He needed to find out more about his prime suspect. He learned she was a college graduate and a mother of two daughters. From outward appearances, she didn’t fit the modus operandi of a killer. Kenda brought Jennifer to the station in the hopes that she would break after he pressed her. While at the station Kenda realized Ben was not a co-conspirator but was struggling with the fact that his wife might be a murderer. The clothing was Ben Reali’s and the bullet casings matched the same gun owned by Ben Reali; as a result Jennifer was arrested for first degree murder and Ben had a hard time with it. After the arrest, Kenda turned all his attention to Jennifer Reali. She denied any knowledge of anything so Kenda presented the evidence to her and backed her into a corner. He could tell she was used to being in control and didn’t like being cornered. Jennifer tried to say the gun must have been stolen but that was ludicrous, as if someone would return the gun after stealing it. Jennifer finally broke and admitted that she did it; Kenda got his confession.

Jennifer Reali admitted to killing Dianne Wood and that she did try to make it look like a robbery. She also shared that someone else was involved in the plot to kill Dianne; she claimed it wasn’t her idea. Jennifer disclosed that she killed Dianne for Brian Hood. She admitted to having an affair with him for the past eight months. She met him at the gym and they became close; this is how the personal and romantic relationship started. Their innocent flirtation eventually turned into a full-blown affair, she says they were in love. She brought Brian to her house when Ben was out of town. Jennifer was very specific about all the details with her affair with Brian. Brian told Jennifer that killing Dianne would help end her suffering with Lupus, a disease he said was going to kill her. He also had an insurance policy on her for $100,000 and if she was murdered, it would double the pay out to $200,000. For a period of months, Brian brainstormed various ways to kill his wife as if he was her mercenary. In the end, Brian decided a staged robbery in a parking lot would do.

Brian told Jennifer they already committed the sin of adultery and the sin of murder was no worse. He claimed that Jennifer was his whole life and he used passages from the Bible to let her know it was okay to kill Dianne as long as she repented. Brian also believed the police were stupid and would assume this was an armed robbery. This was his final plan to convince her they would get away with it. Brian pressured Jennifer for three months to kill his wife and then on September 12th, she went through with it. Jennifer was held in the El Paso County jail for first degree murder but the architect of the plot was still at large. The police hunted down and arrested Brian for conspiracy to commit first degree murder, solicitation to commit first degree murder, and first degree murder. In the meantime, one of Brian’s friends came forward with damning information after reading about his arrest in the paper. He told the witness that he wanted his wife dead. Police learned Brian’s friends were afraid of him because they wondered if he was capable of killing them too. Brian Hood pressured his friends until he found one that would do his bidding; he used his wife’s disease as an excuse to justify murder.

Brian maintained his innoncene throughout the investigation and trial. But the family doctor testified at trial that he told Dianne and Brian that she had the mildest form of Lupus and it could be easily managed; she was not going to die. Brian told his friends he wanted Dianne dead because she was going to die anyways; he knew that wasn’t true. A year after Dianne Hood was shot and killed on December 23, 1991, Brian Hood was found guilty of two counts of criminal solicitation, one count of conspiracy to murder his wife, however on the charge of first degree murder, he was found not guilty. Instead of life in prison, he was sentenced to 37 years. The police felt like he got away with murder. Jennifer Reali plead insanity claiming she had been brainwashed by Brian Hood. The jury didn’t buy it and she was found guilty of first degree murder and conspiracy to commit first degree murder. Jennifer Reali was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole at the Colorado State Penitentiary. The police got justice for Dianne when she couldn’t do it for herself but this murder was devastating to the Hood and Reali families. They couldn’t help but ask: Why would Brian do this? Why not get a divorce? Why kill her? Kenda explained that this was human nature at its worse.

What does a murderer look like? As it turns out they look like the cute mom next door. -Lt Joe Kenda, Retired Homicide Detective

Source: I Now Pronounce You Dead, Homicide Hunter, Investigation Discovery

In the News:

The Colorado Springs woman, who’s been called the “fatal attraction killer,” Jennifer Reali, has a new address. -KRDO Colorado (August 5, 2014)

Gazette city editor Cary Vogrin talks with Eric Singer on Between the Lines about Jennifer Reali’s release to a halfway house from prison after years of serving time for a “fatal attraction” killing. -Colorado Springs Gazette (August 5, 2014)

A rare interview from three years ago sheds new light about the “fatal attraction killer.” -KRDO Colorado (August 6, 2014)

The Department of Corrections says Jennifer Reali has been transferred to a halfway house, despite having her parole denied three years ago. -KRDO Colorado (August 6, 2014)

Audio from the recent parole hearing for Jennifer Reali. The Colorado Springs woman explains why she killed Dianne Hood and why she’s sorry. -Colorado Springs Gazette (November 7, 2014)

Audio from Jennifer Reali’s recent parole board hearing telling officials why she can do more good being free to help others not follow the same path she did. She was convicted of killing her boyfriend’s wife. -Colorado Springs Gazette (November 7, 2014)

No parole for convicted killer, Jennifer Reali (2015) -KRDO Colorado (October 14, 2015)

Reali shot and killed her lover’s wife in 1990. -CBS Denver (April 6, 2018)</p

Investigation Discovery:

Preview: She was broken down by every man who crossed her path, so when Jennifer’s lover told her that his wife had to die – Jennifer made sure she did. -Under His Control, Deadly Women (S4, E10)

Jennifer Reali was having a wild affair with Brian Hood, he made her shoot his wife to death in a parking lot. She did, and now she is serving life in prison. Former FBI profiler Candice DeLong talks face to face with Jennifer to find out the truth -Love Before Life, Facing Evil (S1, E3)

ID Go: Mother of three Dianne Hood is shot to death by a masked gunman on her way home from a Lupus support meeting. Police initially assume it’s a robbery, but Lt. Joe Kenda uncovers a sordid web of lust and greed, revealing a killer no one ever expected. -I Now Pronounce You Dead, Homicide Hunter (S2, E1)

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.

Military Retiree Frank Kovaleski Found Dead in Middle of Street; Mike Murphy Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Murder (September 3, 1985)

On September 3, 1985October 1, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, VeteransLeave a comment

When a mother is killed, Lt Joe Kenda wonders if it’s a robbery gone wrong, until a slew of hateful messages surface. Then, patrols discover a body on a roadway after an evident hit-and-run, but the victim’s true cause of death turns the case on its head. -#1 Suspect, Homicide Hunter (S4,E9)

Lt. Joe Kenda was asked to investigate a dead body in the street in the early morning hours of September 3, 1985 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. While on patrol, a police officer discovered the body in the middle of the street. The individual had been dragged by a vehicle for 20 to 30 feet. The coroner indicated that the wallet contained an ID. The dead man was 42-year-old Frances ‘Frank’ Kovaleski. He was a retired member of U.S. military. He lived in the general neighborhood. Police began canvassing the neighborhood but because this incident occurred in the middle of the night, no one saw or heard anything. Frank died of blunt force trauma and was stabbed twice; this was a homicide. No money was taken from Frank’s wallet so Kenda deduced Frank most likely was killed by someone he knew. Kenda went to Frank Kovaleski’s home and learned he had a roommate.

The roommate said Frank lived day to day, picked up odd jobs where he could, and fished a lot. He had a daughter in New York. The roommate said he hung out a lot with a guy named Mike Murphy. Mike was about 20 years younger than him. Officers were dispatched to Mike Murphy’s home and when they arrived, they found a car on the street with blood all over the side of it. Mike Murphy admitted it was his car and he was arrested. Kenda got a search warrant for Murphy’s home and interviewed his family. During an interrogation, Mike admitted knowing Frank but denied knowing anything about his death. But, Mike’s wife Sandra told investigators Mike was with Frank the night before he died. Mike’s mother Joyce said Mike got arrested for a DUI and was angry because Frank wouldn’t post a $40 bond to get him out of jail.

Investigators relayed this information to Lt. Kenda. Mike then confessed that he was with Frank but according to him, he was fine the last time he saw him. Based on the evidence, Kenda theorized the two probably went to a bar, got in a verbal altercation, and Mike stopped the car. Then Mike and Frank got out of the car and fought in the middle of the street. Mike probably wasn’t doing well during the fight so he stabbed Frank twice and left him still alive in the middle of the street. Mike got back into his car and and purposefully ran Frank over him, dragging him 20 to 30 feet and made sure he was dead. Mike Murphy was charged with first degree murder. Kenda noted that Mike Murphy never displayed remorse. Murphy was found guilty and sentenced to 40 years in prison for the murder of Frances Kovaleski.

Source: #1 Suspect, Homicide Hunter, Investigation Discovery

MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL

Tag: September

Retired Army National Guard Pilot & Serial Killer Robert Lee Yates, Jr. Convicted of 2 More Murders in Washington; Sentenced to Death (September 19, 2002)

DoD Authorizes Stop Loss (September 24, 2001)

LA Times Published ‘Pvt. John Bennett is the Only U.S. Soldier Executed for Rape in Peacetime’ by Richard A. Serrano (September 10, 2000)

‘Black Widow’ Judy Buenoano Executed by the State of Florida for Three Homicides; First Woman to Die by Death Penalty in Florida Since 1848 (March 30, 1998)

Kelly Eckart Found Murdered in Indiana; Michael Overstreet Sentenced to Death But Court Ruled Not Competent for Execution (September 27, 1997)

Missy Berry Found Murdered in Stopped Vehicle at Intersection; Army Veteran Clifford McDaniel Sentenced to Life in Prison, No Parole (September 17, 1994)

Fort Carson Army Spc. Layne Schmidtke Died From Blunt Force Trauma in Unprovoked Street Fight; Six Teenagers Convicted for Roles in Murder (September 22, 1991)

Army Spouse Jennifer Reali Shot and Killed Lover’s Wife; Sentenced to Life in Prison, Paroled in 2017 and Died of Cancer Three Months Later (September 12, 1990)

Military Retiree Frank Kovaleski Found Dead in Middle of Street; Mike Murphy Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Murder (September 3, 1985)

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