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

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Samuel Wiggins, Jr., US Army Veteran

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

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

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

Source: Love Leaves Town, Deadly Women, Investigation Discovery

Oxygen:

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

Investigation Discovery:

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

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:
Man Found in Trash Can Likely Died of Multiple Stab Wounds
Authorities say woman stabbed Diamond Bar man to death before dismembering him
Nephew: Victim in dismemberment killing a `very loving man’
Human Remains Found In Trash Can Belong to Diamond Bar Man
Diamond Bar Home Suspected Scene of Trash Can Remains Murder
Kids of Woman Arrested with Body Parts Also Held
California trash can body suspect’s 2 kids arrested
Son and daughter of woman who wheeled around body parts in Ontario are arrested
Murder suspect is due in court
Woman in Trash-Can Murder Appears in Court
Murder victim’s remains found in trash can and flower pots
Carmen Montelongo, Grandmother Accused of Carting Body Parts in Trash Can, Allegedly Buried Other Remains in L.A. County
DA: Money possible motive in trash can body case
Woman: Dismemberment killing was revenge for rape
Hearing for grandmother accused of murder, dismemberment postponed
Carmen Montelongo to face jury in dismemberment in Ontario case
Ontario dismemberment suspect’s pretrial hearing pushed back
Judge grants mistrial in Ontario killing, dismembering case
Girlfriend sentenced for Calif. man’s ‘heinous’ stabbing death
Woman found with ex-boyfriend’s body parts convicted of murder
ONTARIO: Riverside woman sentenced in dismemberment murder
Carmen Montelongo, Woman Who Hid Boyfriend’s Body Parts In Flower Pots, Sentenced
Riverside Woman Who Stabbed Boyfriend 24 Times Then Dismembered Him Is Sentenced: DA
Woman sentenced to 26 years to life for stabbing boyfriend to death, dismembering his body and burying remains in potted plants
Prison for woman who dismembered boyfriend, hiding parts in potted plants
Carmen Montelongo, Samuel Wiggins: ‘Snapped’ Details Case of Boyfriend’s Dismembered Body Parts Found in Flower Pots, Trash
Police Confront Carmen Montenegro Toting Body in Trashcan
Carmen Montelongo | Snapped | Oxygen (S16,E4)
Carmen Montelongo | Snapped | Oxygen (Amazon)
Love Leaves Town | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (S10, E12)
Love Leaves Town | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (website)
Love Leaves Town | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Love Leaves Town | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (Hulu)
Snapped Premiered ‘Carmen Montelongo’ on Oxygen: Gold Digger Kills & Dismembers Samuel Wiggins Jr., Drains Bank Accounts (September 27, 2015)
Deadly Women Premiered ‘Love Leaves Town’ on Investigation Discovery: Carmen Montelongo Wanted Samuel Wiggins Money, Not Him (November 25, 2016)
Deadly Women: 30 Military and Veteran Homicide Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

Coast Guard Veteran Jeffrey Wheatley Found Dead in House Fire; Valerie Nessler, Robert Turner & Allen Periman Found Guilty of Murder (April 7, 2010)

Jeffrey Wheatley
Jeffrey Wheatley, U.S. Coast Guard Veteran

Coast Guard veteran Jeffrey Wheatley was discovered dead in what appeared to be a house fire in his Stockton, California home on April 7, 2010. After a closer examination, investigators learned that Jeffrey was shot, stabbed, and burned alive. The motive appeared to be revenge. Roommate Valerie Nessler claims Jeffrey admitted to killing someone in 1994 which was the same year her friend Robert Turner’s brother was murdered. Valerie Nessler was found guilty of arson and first degree murder for her role and sentenced to 26 years to life in prison. Robert Turner was found guilty of arson and first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. And Allen Periman was found guilty of second degree murder for his role in the homicide.

Investigation Discovery:

When Jeffrey Wheatley moves to Stockton, California he sees it as a second chance. His friend Drew offers him a room in a house that he shares with Valerie Nessler. But soon, the house will be the setting of the most brutal murder the town has ever seen. -Roommate From Hell, A Stranger in My Home (S1,E10)

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:
Arrest in slaying, burning of corpse
Woman guilty of roommate murder
‘This is what I have left of my brother’
State of California v. Allen Periman (2014)
State of California v. Robert Turner (2015)
Roommate From Hell | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (S1,E10)
Roommate From Hell | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (website)
Roommate From Hell | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
A Stranger in My Home Premiered ‘Roommate From Hell’ on ID: Jeffrey Wheatley Found Murdered in House Fire Because False Accusations (December 15, 2013)

Air Force SSgt. Brian Spinks Stabbed 60+ Times by Jealous Girlfriend; Kimethia Coleman Sentenced to Life in Prison, No Parole (January 17, 2010)

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SSgt. Brian Spinks, US Air Force

In 2004, Minden, Louisiana high school student Kimethia Coleman was the all American girl and everyone loved her. According to those who knew her, Kim was smart, personable, popular and dedicated to her studies. When Kim graduated, she decided she wanted to share her good fortune and become a social worker. For the next four years, Kim studied hard at college and got a job giving back to her community for the betterment of other people’s lives. Friends confirmed this is the way Kim was raised. She was altruistic and appeared much more interested in helping other people than earning a big paycheck. Across town, twenty-eight year old Brian Spinks was giving back to his community and his country. Brian enlisted in the Air Force after high school and was stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. After two tours of duty overseas and almost a decade of service, Brian earned the love and respect of his fellow comrades.

In 2008, Brian Spinks’ life took a turn when he met Kim Coleman at one of many get togethers at his place in Shreveport, Louisiana. Kim was an unexpected guest and he was immediately attracted to this very pretty girl. Their relationship started out very strong and they appeared to be the perfect couple. Brian was really into her and even told one of his friends he wanted Kim to meet his family. Kim definitely thought she found Mr. Right and wanted to keep Brian as close as she could. As it turns out, Kim wanted to be with Brian 24/7 but quickly learned he didn’t feel the same way. Brian was your typical 20 something year old in the military who liked to go out with his friends and have fun. Kim was not used to being rejected. She was used to everybody always wanting her so suspicion quickly began to grow in Kim’s mind. Kim’s jealousy became a problem and it stalled the relationship just as it was getting off the ground.

Unprovoked, Kim went through Brian’s phone looking for evidence he was with other women. She was looking for trouble where there wasn’t any because she had a fatal attraction. Kim’s idea of loving Brian was completely possessing Brian. Kim had a lot going for her but she didn’t have control of her emotions. According to Profiler Candice DeLong, the story of Kim Coleman is a story of jealousy, a jealousy that destroyed everything in its path. Brian Spinks thought he was taking a break from Kim Coleman but the distance only created more problems. The more he pushed back, the more jealous she became. Kim was a very angry person when she realized Brian didn’t want to be with her anymore. On January 16, 2010, Kim tracked Brian down in a club and confronted him. Her jealousy bubbled over and she started a fight with another female she thought was interested in Brian. Kim was so out of control on this night, people had to hold her back.

Kim was always picking fights and arguments with other people and Brian was disappointed and sick of it. He asked his friends to take him home. It was the last straw for Brian and after a heavy night of drinking, he called Kim to end things permanently. She didn’t answer so Brian left a message on her voicemail telling her how embarrassed he was and that it was over. Kim didn’t get the message because she was on her way over to Brian’s place. When she arrived, Brian answered the door, told her the relationship was over, and asked her to leave. Kim had never felt that type of rejection before. She felt like she had been dumped and that never happened to Kim Coleman. Kim pushed her way in, retrieved a knife from Brian’s kitchen, and started stabbing him from behind. There was nothing Brian could do. Kim kept stabbing until she broke the knife she was using. She stopped and retrieved another knife from the kitchen. Kim Coleman stabbed Brian over sixty times.

Profiler DeLong cautioned that some would think Kim was completely out of control but she wanted to remind us that Kim was very much in control. She wanted to destroy Brian because he wanted to leave her. She was a women scorned in that moment and committed an unimaginable crime against someone who sacrificed and fought for our country. After Kim was done stabbing Brian, she needed to cover her tracks. She called the police and told them somebody stabbed her boyfriend. Kim probably thought Brian was dead when she called 911 but he wasn’t. The 911 dispatcher said Brian could be heard in the background asking for help and pleading for his life. Kim pretended to be concerned while he lay there helpless with the person who did this to him. The 911 operator then heard the most chilling sounds when Kim ended his life. The 911 dispatcher could hear a gurgle and then Brian went silent. Kim created a story about an intruder and stabbed herself a couple of times to make it look good.

Kim said someone followed her home and attacked both of them in the apartment, however the pattern of injuries didn’t fit the story. According to a medical examiner, if she had been trying to fend off an attacker, she would have cuts on the outside of her arms or on her hands as she was trying to push the knife away. And when the police discovered Brian’s voicemail, it was clear there had been a fight. Police knew they were looking at their killer and Kim finally admitted she killed Brian but claimed it was in self-defense. But Kim’s claims of self-defense didn’t add up either. Kim was charged with second degree murder. In court, Kim feigned mental illness but the jury saw right through it and knew Kim killed Brian in cold blood. In 2012, Kim Coleman was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Profiler DeLong ended the program reminding us that unlike most killers, there was nothing in Kim’s background that foreshadowed the brutal murder of her boyfriend or the complete demise of her own life.

Source: ‘Suspicious Minds’ Deadly Women, Investigation Discovery

Investigation Discovery:

Preview: Kim Coleman had a lot going for her – except control of her own emotions. Her idea of loving Brian was completely possessing him. Love would never survive her suspicious mind. -Suspicious Minds, Deadly Women (S10, E8)

A social worker can’t keep the lid on her possessive nature, a friendship is destroyed by jealous delusions, and young love leads to a violent end.These Deadly Women just can’t walk out… and their love won’t survive their“ Suspicious Minds. -Suspicious Minds, Deadly Women (S10, E8)

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:
Sgt Brian Dennis Spinks (1980-2010) | Find A Grave
Continuing coverage: Kimethia Coleman murder trial
One dead, one arrested in early morning stabbing
Coleman found unfit to stand trial in stabbing murder
Treatment ordered for suspect in Barksdale airman’s death
Trial set for woman accused of fatally stabbing Airman
Four jurors selected in Coleman murder trial
Day One: Kimethia Coleman Murder Trial
Day One: Kimethia Coleman Murder Trial (2)
Day 1: Opening statements wrap in Coleman murder trial
Day 3: Prosecution rests in Kimethia Coleman trial
Kimethia Coleman Murder Trial Moves to Defense Side Today
Coleman trial: Day 4: Coleman takes the stand
Coleman trial day 5: Back on the stand
Kimethia Coleman takes stand again in murder trial of Airman Brian Spinks
Coleman trial day 5: Back on the stand
Murder trial update: Coleman breaks down in court
Coleman trial day 6: Jury begins deliberations
Woman Convicted of Killing Airman
Coleman found guilty of 2nd degree murder
Coleman found guilty of 2nd degree murder (2)
Kimethia Coleman sentenced in murder case
Woman sentenced to life in death of Barksdale airman
Kimethia Coleman sentenced to life in airman’s murder
Kimethia Coleman sentenced to life at hard labor
911 tapes from Kimethia Coleman murder trial released
State of Louisiana v. Kimethia Coleman (2013)
Court denies appeal in airman stabbing murder conviction
Former Prom Queen Wont Take No For An Answer (Preview)
Former Prom Queen Can’t Take No For An Answer: The Story Of Kim Coleman
Suspicious Minds | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (S10, E8)
Suspicious Minds | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (website)
Suspicious Minds | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Suspicious Minds | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (Hulu)
Deadly Women Premiered ‘Suspicious Minds’ on ID: Jealous Girlfriend Kimethia Coleman Fatally Stabbed Brian Spinks (October 22, 2016)
Deadly Women: 30 Military and Veteran Homicide Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

Cold Case: Army SSG Anton Phillips Found Stabbed to Death at FOB Mehtar Lam, Afghanistan; CID Offering $25,000 Reward for Information (December 31, 2009)

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SSG Anton Phillips, US Army

SSG Anton Phillips, 31, US Army, died of a non combat related incident on December 31, 2009 at Forward Operating Base Mehtar Lam, Afghanistan. SSG Phillips was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom on behalf of the G Forward Support Company, 77th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Task Force Wildhorse at Forward Operating Base Mehtar Lam, Afghanistan. According to the Department of Defense, the circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.

“Phillips was found stabbed to death on Dec. 31, 2009 at a base in Mehtar Lam, Afghanistan, a farming area east of Kabul.” -The Gazette

Case Facts:
•How does the military determine who is going to investigate a case? Sometimes it’s CID and other times it’s FBI when the crime occurs overseas.
•The Army CID are in charge of Anton’s unsolved murder case but we haven’t heard a peep out of them since 2013.
•When they say they are investigating a case… what do they mean by that?
•Why don’t they have a website dedicated to unsolved & missing cases?
•Why haven’t they said anything about Anton’s unsolved murder since 2013?
•Why don’t they post regularly about the unsolved murder to generate leads?
•Why don’t they utilize the media to help them solve cases?
•The theme we have discovered is that the soldier on soldier crime and details on federal bases is hidden.
•Most likely, Anton was murdered by another soldier given his locale on a Forward Operating Base in Afghanistan.
•In 2013, Army CID believed someone in the Colorado Springs area had information about Anton’s death.
•Where’s the sense of urgency when the known killer is most likely military and may also be living in our communities pretending to be a good guy?
•The DoD deleted the press release (and the entire site) announcing his murder in 2009 after Vanessa Guillen was murdered.
 
We should all know about this case and all the unsolved military cases. We found out about it by accident while combing through DoD press releases for casualties overseas.
 
PLEASE SHARE TO RAISE AWARENESS, GET JUSTICE FOR ANTON, AND STOP A KILLER FROM ROAMING FREE.
 
SOMEONE KNOWS SOMETHING.

Related Links:
DOD Identifies Army Casualty
Army Staff Sgt. Anton R. Phillips
Anton R. Phillips, 31 | California’s War Dead
Staff Sgt. Anton R. Phillips, The Soldier
Mourning Staff Sgt. Anton R. Phillips
Army sees Colorado Springs ties to Afghanistan murder
Army focuses on Colorado Springs in murder investigation
Clues to soldier’s slaying may be linked to Richmond resident
Army investigators turn to Richmond Area for help solving soldier’s murder case
CID Offers $25,000 Reward in Afghanistan Murder

screen-shot-2016-11-13-at-7-25-14-pm

Solved Premiered ‘Last Man Standing’ on Investigation Discovery: Navy Sailors Elise Makdessi & Quincy Brown Found Murdered in Makdessi’s Virginia Home (October 26, 2009)

Paramedics respond to a horrific crime scene – a woman is found tied to a bed with slashes across her body. Next to her on the floor, a man with three gunshot wounds. Detectives spend the next several years unraveling this bizarre mystery. -Last Man Standing, Solved (S2,E10)

Navy Petty Officer Elise Makdessi worked as an Air Traffic Controller at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia. Elise was married to Eddie Makdessi for five years and they lived off base in Virginia Beach. Elise unknowingly helped plan, organize, and carry out her own murder and it is unclear if she was a willing participant in the original plot with Eddie to scam the government out of money or if she was controlled by Eddie. Eddie Makdessi murdered Elise Makdessi and Navy Petty Officer Quincy Brown on May 14, 1996 as part of an elaborate scam. The whole thing was a set up. Elise thought she was part of an arrangement where she would invite Quincy Brown to the house, have sex with him, then accuse him of rape. She also manufactured evidence to make it look like she was documenting sexual abuse in an effort to sue the Navy and make millions. She had journals and created what looked like a rehearsed video outlining what four Navy men, including Quincy Brown, did to her on the job.

Read more from MJFA here.

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:
Last Man Standing | Solved | Investigation Discovery (S2,E10)
Last Man Standing | Solved | Investigation Discovery (website)
Last Man Standing | Solved | Investigation Discovery (Prime Video)
Navy PO Elise Makdessi Double Crossed & Murdered by Husband; Eddie Makdessi Found Guilty of Murder for Life Insurance, Sentenced to Life in Prison (May 14, 1996)
Navy Petty Officer Quincy Brown Murdered by Military Spouse Motivated to Kill by Wife’s $700,000 Life Insurance Policy (May 14, 1996)
Unusual Suspects Premiered ‘Deadly Accusations’ on ID: Navy Sailors Elise Makdessi & Quincy Brown Found Murdered in Makdessi’s Virginia Home (January 25, 2015)

Michaela Widmer Found Murdered in Minnesota Cemetery; Suspect Ricardo Taber Guilty of Stolen Valor, Died by Suicide (July 25, 2009)

Mickey Widmer and her boyfriend Darnell Mears move into a Minnesota trailer park looking for a fresh start, but after meeting Rick Taber, a reclusive neighbor, he grows too close for comfort. Good neighbors go bad; and bad neighbors spill blood. -Trailer Park Terror, A Stranger in My Home (S1,E2) 

Date: July 25, 2009
Victim: Michaela ‘Micky’ Widmer
Offender: Ricardo ‘Rick’ Taber (said he was Army veteran, served in Vietnam)
Location: St. Peter, Minnesota
Circumstances: Neighbors, Rick had inappropriate boundaries, Rick gave Micky’s daughter expensive gifts and it caused problems in her relationship with fiancé Darnell Mears, Micky and her daughter went missing, neighbors found Rick dead in his home, teenagers found what they believed was a little girl, Micky’s daughter Cindy was found alive, investigators located a knife and Micky’s belongings in a dumpster including an $18,000 check written to Micky from Rick, Micky’s body was located in the same cemetery Rick’s aunt was buried in, her hands were bound behind her back, her bra was removed and she was stabbed to death, it is believed Rick may have wanted sex and got angry when he was rejected, autopsy revealed Micky was not sexually assaulted, the residents tore down Rick’s home, aunt and uncle have custody of Cindy,
Disposition: Rick never served in the military (stolen valor) & died by poisoning, suicide

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:
Michaela M. “Micky” Widmer (1987-2009) – Find A Grave
Ricardo Duane “Rick” Taber (1956-2009) – Find A Grave
Officials probe ‘suspicious’ deaths
Police suspect murder-suicide in St. Peter deaths
Investigators: Deaths were murder-suicide
2 Minnesota Neighbors Found Dead in Murder-Suicide
Fiance of victim in suspected murder-suicide says suspect promised her lottery winnings
Mears pursuing custody
Top 10: Murder-suicide in St. Peter (6)
Trailer Park Terror | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (S1,E2)
Trailer Park Terror | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (website)
Trailer Park Terror | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
A Stranger in My Home Premiered ‘Trailer Park Terror’ on ID: Rick Taber Killed Next Door Neighbor Micky Widmer in Minnesota (October 20, 2013)

Army Sgt. Christina Smith Murdered by Richard Smith & Matthew Kvapil; Both Fort Bragg Soldiers Sentenced to Life in Prison (September 30, 2008)

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Sgt. Christina Loehrke Smith, U.S. Army

Army Sgt. Christina Smith was stabbed to death on September 30, 2008 in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Sgt. Smith was stationed at Fort Bragg with her husband Richard Smith, also a soldier. After an investigation, Fayetteville authorities learned that Richard Smith hired Army soldier Matthew Kvapil to kill Christina. Richard Smith set up the murder by asking Christina to take a walk with him. Matthew Kvapil was hiding in the bushes waiting for the pre-planned moment to attack her. Both soldiers were arrested and charged with the first degree murder. Civilian prosecutors sought the death penalty for both soldiers in this case. In 2012, Richard Smith and Matthew Kvapil plead guilty to Christina’s murder and were sentenced to life in prison instead. Christina Smith’s death was the fourth murder involving military personnel in North Carolina in 2008. Pregnant Marine Maria Lauterbach disappeared from Camp Lejeune in 2007 and her remains were found in early 2008. She was murdered by fellow Camp Lejeune Marine Cesar Laurean. Fort Bragg Army Lt. Holley Wimunc was murdered by her Marine husband John Wimunc on July 19th. And pregnant Army soldier Megan Touma was murdered by her lover Edgar Patino, a married Fort Bragg soldier, on June 21st.

“In a way, it’s surprising that there aren’t more bodies piling up at military bases all over this nation” –The Fayetteville Observer (October 16, 2008)

In the News:

Steve Loehrke received Ohio’s first Military Sacrifice License Plate at the special license plate’s unveiling ceremony, June 9, 2015, at Ohio Department of Public Safety Headquarters, Columbus, OH. Steve is the proud father of fallen soldier Sgt. Christina E. Loehrke Smith and U.S. Boarder Patrol Agent Steven Loehrke. (June 21, 2015)

Related Links:
Army releases name of Fayetteville stabbing victim
Christina E. Loehrke Smith, Sergeant, US Army
Autopsy: Soldier fought attacker
Vigil highlights military women’s deaths
Fayetteville vigil to remember recent military murders
Soldier: Sgt. wanted wife slain
Suspect: Husband requested wife’s death several times
Husband of Slain Soldier Arrested in her Death
Husband arrested in soldier’s death; police find knife
Husband Held In Female Soldier’s Stabbing
Husband, 2nd man held in female soldier’s stabbing
Third female soldier killed; husband charged
Soldier’s Husband Charged with her Murder
Husband charged in N.C. soldier’s slaying
Fort Bragg soldiers appear in court on murder charges
‘My Daughter’s Dream Became a Nightmare’: The Murder of Military Women Continues
Murder of Military Women
The Fort Bragg Murders
Death on the Home Front
Prosecutors seek death for soldier accused in wife’s stabbing death
DA seeks death penalty in slaying of Fort Bragg soldier
2 Plead Guilty in Soldier’s Contract Murder
Two Sentenced for Fayetteville Murder for Hire Death
Former Army Soldiers Plead Guilty To 2008 Murder
Former Bragg soldiers get life in contract killing
Sentencing brings closure to friends, Family
Hundreds participate in Hero’s Ride to support military
Bill changes eligibility for Military Sacrifice license plate
New Ohio license plates honor service members who die outside of combat
New plate honors military who have died outside combat zone
Steve Loehrke receives first Ohio Military Sacrifice License Plate
Violent Crime, Non Combat Death & Suicide at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
What the DoD Doesn’t Want You to Know: 50 Shocking Military Homicides in the Last 30 Years
30 Domestic Abuse Cases in the Military That Ended in the Murder of Female Partners
House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel: Hearings on Domestic Violence in the Military (September 18, 2019)

Warner Bros. Premiered ‘In the Valley of Elah’: Based on the True Story of the Murder of Fort Benning Army Spc. Richard T. Davis (September 14, 2007)

“In the Valley of Elah” tells the story of a war veteran (Tommy Lee Jones), his wife (Susan Sarandon) and the search for their son, a soldier who recently returned from Iraq but has mysteriously gone missing, and the police detective (Charlize Theron) who helps in the investigation. -Warner Bros. (September 14, 2007)

“Your son is missing.” It’s the phone call every soldier’s father dreads. Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones) had never thought that this call would come whilst his son was in the U.S., home from serving in Baghdad. Facing military indifference to the disappearance, Hank takes matters into his own hands. -YouTube (March 20, 2014)

“In the Valley of Elah” tells the story of a war veteran (Tommy Lee Jones), his wife (Susan Sarandon) and the search for their son, a soldier who recently returned from Iraq but has mysteriously gone missing, and the police detective (Charlize Theron) who helps in the investigation. -YouTube Movies (April 12, 2011)

“Desperate to solve the mystery behind their son’s disappearance, his father, also a war Veteran, and mother seek the help of seasoned police detective to uncover his true fate.” –In the Valley of Elah, Warner Bros.

Related Links:
In the Valley of Elah – Warner Bros.
In the Valley of Elah | Wikipedia
In the Valley of Elah – Original Theatrical Trailer
In The Valley of Elah – YouTube Trailer
In the Valley of Elah | YouTube Movies
In the Valley of Elah | Amazon Prime Video
In the Valley of Elah | EW.com
In the Valley of Elah – Rolling Stone
Soldiers “In the Valley of Elah” | The New Yorker
The Movie Review: ‘In the Valley of Elah’ – The Atlantic
In the Valley of Ellah | Film | The Guardian
In the Valley of Elah | Psychiatric Times
A Military Murder | In These Times
War hits home in ‘Valley of Elah’ – CSMonitor.com
The Story Behind New Film ‘In the Valley of Elah’
Collateral damage: The murder of Richard Davis
Iraq War Serves as Backdrop for Murder-Mystery ‘In The Valley of Elah’
Murder in Baker Company: How Four American Soldiers Killed One of Their Own