“U.S. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and I recently announced that we will offer the bipartisan Military Justice Improvement Act as an amendment to this year’s National Defense Authorization Act. The Military Justice Improvement Act would professionalize how the military prosecutes serious crimes by moving the decision over whether to prosecute them to independent, trained, professional military prosecutors.
Despite years of Congressional reforms, thousands of service members are raped and sexually assaulted every year. In many of those cases, the assailant is someone in the survivor’s own chain of command. Only a small fraction of the perpetrators are ever held accountable for their violent crimes. Last year, the Department of Defense announced a record number of sexual assaults reported by or against service members, and yet, less than 10 percent of cases considered for command action ever proceeded to trial. Worse yet, despite repeated efforts to stamp out the scourge of retaliation against military sexual assault survivors, the most recent Pentagon survey found that 64 percent of survivors say they have experienced some form of retaliation for reporting the crime. That figure is statistically unchanged from 2016.”
Marine Corps veteran Laurel Chasmar, 28, was gunned down outside her Morris Plains, New Jersey apartment building in the early morning hours on August 5, 2017. Hassan Shahid, 32, of Jersey City, New Jersey is accused of her murder; he was found dead with a self inflicted gunshot wound in Morris township after fleeing the scene of the crime on foot when the police arrived. According to media reports, Laurel and Hassan were co-workers at one of the Novartis facilities where Laurel worked as a senior production support technician for the past couple of years. It appears Laurel dated Shadid for a brief period of time but she ended things and had recently complained several times to the police that Shadid was harassing her.
“A Morris Plains woman and former Marine Corps veteran who was slain over the weekend had complained to police about the former boyfriend who killed her. Kevin Coughlin of Morristown Green says Laurel Chasmar made several complaints to the police that her former boyfriend was harassing her.” –Gloucester City News (August 11, 2017)
The Morris Plains Mayor confirmed that Chasmar did at one point date co-worker Hassan Shahid at the pharmaceutical company, but Laurel had ended the relationship and made several recent harassment complaints against Hassan. The Mayor said Laurel stopped short of filing for a domestic violence restraining order, which the police advised her to do. Police believe Shadid ambushed Laurel when she arrived home. Shahid borrowed a car so Chasmar would not recognize him and while lying in wait, he sprayed more than a dozen shots from a .45 caliber handgun in the parking garage of her apartment building, hitting both parked vehicles and grazing Chasmar. Chasmar ran to the common entrance of her apartment building, but could not unlock the door in time and was fatally shot. Police heard the gunfire and when they arrived, Shahid ran accross the street and shot himself. This gun violence incident has been ruled a murder-suicide.
Online, Chasmar’s grieving friends expressed shock and dismay at the tragedy.
“Laurel Chasmar you where the most amazing soul I came across… your kindness your smiles your warm heart always touch everyone. In the short time I’ve known you, you have been an amazing friend to me and everyone I know. You will always be in our hearts.”
“Chasmar, you were a smart, funny, sweet woman. All of the Marines who served with you are gonna miss you. RIP and Semper Fi.”
“Over the past few months she was in a bad relationship with a very controlling and jealous man. She left but not soon enough.”
Another solemnly played the Marines Hymn on his bagpipes in her honor.
In a touching tribute from her alma mater, a memorial service for Laurel Rae Chasmar was held at Lenfell Hall on the Florham Park campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) in Teaneck, New Jersey. MorristownGreen.com reports Laurel served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2007 to 2011 as an administration chief and sergeant, and as a recruiter based at Camp Pendleton in California. After leaving the Marine Corps, Laurel earned an associate’s degree from the County College of Morris, where she was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honors society. NJ.com reports Laurel earned a bachelor of arts degree in psychology at FDU and was scheduled to complete her master’s degree in business administration from the university in 2018. Laurel Chasmar was honored on the university’s FDU Veterans Facebook page on August 9, 2017..
There’s a gun lying next to the victim. Is it suicide or murder? -Vegas Bray, Snapped, Oxygen (May 9, 2017)
An attractive woman witnesses her ex-boyfriend’s shooting, but can’t remember what happened, raising questions about suicide, stalking and split personalities. -Vegas Bray, Snapped, Oxygen (May 9, 2017)
Vegas Bray is convicted of murder and sentenced 25 years to life in prison. A friend of Vegas’s, Kevin Oseguera says “the monster inside of her” shot Victor, not his friend. -Vegas Bray, Snapped, Oxygen (May 14, 2017)
Vegas Bray says it’s hard to talk about what happened to her. She shows no remorse. -Vegas Bray, Snapped, Oxygen (May 15, 2017)
An attractive woman witnesses her ex-boyfriend’s shooting, but can’t remember what happened, raising questions about suicide, stalking and split personalities. -Vegas Bray, Snapped, Oxygen (S20,E2)
Investigation Discovery:
A young Navy recruit falls for a fellow officer, but becomes overwhelmed by jealousy when she learns he is friendly with the mother of his child. -Deadly Women, Investigation Discovery
These Deadly Women won’t let their men go… they “Cling Til Death.” -Cling ‘Til Death, Deadly Women (S10,E4)
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.
Preview: A young Navy recruit falls for a fellow officer, but becomes overwhelmed by jealousy when she learns he is friendly with the mother of his child. -Cling ‘Til Death, Deadly Women (S10,E4)
These Deadly Women won’t let their men go… they “Cling Til Death.” -Cling ‘Til Death, Deadly Women (S10,E4)
Oxygen:
There’s a gun lying next to the victim. Is it suicide or murder? -Vegas Bray, Snapped, Oxygen (May 9, 2017)
An attractive woman witnesses her ex-boyfriend’s shooting, but can’t remember what happened, raising questions about suicide, stalking and split personalities. -Vegas Bray, Snapped, Oxygen (May 9, 2017)
Vegas Bray is convicted of murder and sentenced 25 years to life in prison. A friend of Vegas’s, Kevin Oseguera says “the monster inside of her” shot Victor, not his friend. -Vegas Bray, Snapped, Oxygen (May 14, 2017)
Vegas Bray says it’s hard to talk about what happened to her. She shows no remorse. -Vegas Bray, Snapped, Oxygen (May 15, 2017)
An attractive woman witnesses her ex-boyfriend’s shooting, but can’t remember what happened, raising questions about suicide, stalking and split personalities. -Vegas Bray, Snapped, Oxygen (S20,E2)
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.
Crime Watch Daily spoke with the parents of missing Army soldier Shadow McClaine. Shadow disappeared from Fort Campbell, Kentucky on September 2, 2016. Shadow’s parents were concerned her life may be in danger prior to her disappearance. They shared that someone cut her vehicle break lines on base and Shadow posted a picture of it on social media. They also said she reported the incident to her Chain of Command but felt dismissed. The Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) conducted an investigation and reported two soldiers were being held as person of interests and the case was under investigation.
On November 29, 2016, Sgt. Jamal Williams-McCray and Spc. Charles Robinson were charged with conspiracy, premeditated murder, and kidnapping under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). On January 23, 2017, the remains of Pfc. Shadow McClaine were discovered off the I-24 highway near Exit 19 in Kentucky. It was confirmed that Shadow was in fact a victim of kidnapping and homicide. A year after Shadow went missing in September 2017, Spc. Charles Robinson pleaded guilty to murder. He claimed he helped Shadow’s estranged husband Williams-McCray kidnap and murder her. On March 1, 2019, Sgt. Jamal Williams-McCray was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to premeditated murder.
Private First Class Soldier Shadow McClaine has mysteriously gone missing and theories are swirling on what happened to her and why. Now, new details could help them. -True Crime Daily (October 24, 2016)
Shadow McClaine, a young soldier, mysteriously disappears — some say she left, while others say someone was out to get her. -True Crime Daily (October 24, 2016)
Two soldiers were taken into custody in connection to the case of missing female soldier, Shadow Branice McClaine. -News Channel 5 (October 25, 2015)
Shadow McClaine, 25, has been missing for nearly two months after disappearing from Fort Campbell. -CBS Sacramento (October 26, 2016)
Some thought Shadow McClaine was running away from her problems. But it now appears she was the victim of something sinister. -True Crime Daily (December 6, 2016)
Missing Yuba City soldier’s body found in Tennessee. -KCRA News (January 25, 2017)
First Class Private Shadow McClaine’s body was discovered earlier this week and investigators arrested two fellow soldiers. -CBS Sacramento (January 28, 2017)
The body of Shadow McClaine, a soldier who was murdered near Fort Campbell in Tennessee, was returned to her family in Yuba City Friday evening. -KCRA News (February 3, 2017)
Shadow McClaine’s remains touched down at the Sacramento International Airport Friday night greeted by dozens of local service men and women along with her grieving family. -CBS Sacramento (February 3, 2017)
A look at the scene as Shadow McClaine came home on Friday. -CBS Sacramento (February 4, 2017)
Missing soldier Shadow McClaine’s body has been found. Crime Watch Daily talks to McClaine’s mother London Wegrzyn, who says that her daughter had a fraught relationship with ex-husband Sgt. Jamal Williams-McCray. Specialist Charles Robinson and Williams-McCray were charged with her murder. Crime Watch Daily also speaks to McClaine’s friend Trystan Harding about what happened to McClaine. -True Crime Daily (March 9, 2017)
Family and friends came together for a vigil to honor a murdered Fort Campbell soldier. -News Channel 5 (April 11, 2017)
Private First Class Shadow McClaine was found dead 2,000 miles away from her home, allegedly at the hands of two men who will face premeditated murder, kidnapping and conspiracy charges. -CBS Sacramento (April 11, 2017)
Army specialist Charles Robinson says he slashed Shadow McClain’s throat, then broke her neck to make sure she was dead. He says McClaine’s ex-husband, Jamal Williams-McCray hired him to murder her. -True Crime Daily (October 3, 2017)
Two years ago this week, the body of Shadow McClaine was discovered in Robertson County along Interstate 24. -News Channel 5 (January 23, 2019)
Army Reserve veteran Micah Johnson was accused of gunning down and murdering five Dallas police officers during a Black Lives Matter Event on July 7, 2016. This is considered one of the deadliest attacks on police officers since September 11, 2001. He was eventually killed in a stand off with police. In recent media reports we learned that Micah Johnson deployed to Afghanistan from November 2013 to July 2014. He was accused of sexual harassment while deployed to Afghanistan in May 2014. He was accused of stalking and stealing women’s underwear as well. The victim sought a protection order and told superiors he needed mental health treatment. The protection order was granted and the Commanding officer recommended an Other Than Honorable discharge and sent him home early from his deployment to Afghanistan. Johnson’s military attorney stated that this kind of punishment is unusual for an isolated incident of sexual harassment. As part of a tentative agreement, it was recommended that Johnson receive a general discharge which saves the Army time and resources needed to discharge soldiers under Other Than Honorable conditions. Instead he was eventually released from the Army with a honorable discharge in April 2015.
As a result of his actions while serving, he was not investigated and prosecuted but instead sent back home from overseas and discharged from the US Army Reserves honorably. Although we have limited information in which to base conclusions, at first glance this looks like a case of escalation of predatory behavior that starts with sexual harassment, progresses to stalking, then the individual gets brazen and starts breaking and entering to steal his victims belongings. It would only be a matter of time before the individual escalated to sexual assault, rape and then murder. It’s too early to make a definitive conclusion as we are still waiting for information to come in because this story is developing. But one thing we do know is that the US Army Reserves took the easy way out, booted Micah Johnson from the military to protect it’s service members, and unleashed him on society with no warning or records. This case is another reason why we need the military to investigate and process each and every case through the legal system so we at least have a fighting chance at prevention and escalation of crimes. If the military can’t handle or afford to investigate and prosecute each case to determine the soldier’s danger to society, then maybe they should hand over the investigation and prosecution of crimes to the civilians. This isn’t the first case they let slip through the cracks and it certainly won’t be the last.
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Why wasn’t the deaths of five Dallas Police Officers enough to warrant an investigation of the way the Army handles crime? Instead the conversation was stifled in the media. The following is a list of questions sent to the Army Times and other media outlets to help them help us find answers.
• What were his behaviors prior to being reported?
• What evidence did the Commander have to grant a protection order?
• Why was the protection order for her home as well?
• Why was he sent back home from Afghanistan?
• Why did the deployed Commander recommend sexual harassment with other than honorable discharge?
• Does the Commander understand the difference between sexual harassment and escalation of a violent criminal? (sex harassment, stalking, stealing victims belongings, sexual assault, rape, murder)
• Did the deployed Commander do any follow up with Army or Army Reserves?
• Where was he sent after leaving Afghanistan?
• Did he process through Fort Hood and was anyone informed of his status?
• Why and when was he assigned an attorney? (usually not necessary for sex harassment)
• Why no follow up on what happened in Afghanistan?
• Why no punishment whatsoever for sex harassment charge, protection order?
• Why no investigation of circumstances to determine if this individual was a danger to fellow soldiers in the US?
• Why no investigation of circumstances to determine if this individual was a danger to society?
• Why only a recommendation for other than honorable discharge?
• Why no concern that this individual may harm others in the community?
• Why no concern for records and informing local community of potential danger?
• Why did Micah Johnson end up getting discharged with a honorable discharge?
• Why is media reporting that the attorney and victim cannot speak to the media?
• Do you have the money to process soldiers through the legal system?
• If you don’t have the money, why not refer the case to the civilian authorities to help you determine if this person is a danger to society?
• Why no follow up with local police after victim got a military protection order?
• Where did the victim live? On base? Off base? Was protection order coordinated between deployed commander and commander in the states?
• Where did Micah Johnson live? On base? Were others informed of the protection order and reasons why?
• Why did it take so long to discharge Micah Johnson from the military after he was sent home from Afghanistan?
• Did he continue to go to work until he was discharged?
• Did he have any other victims or accusations while serving?
• Do you keep records of reports of sex crimes if the allegation cannot be substantiated because it’s a “he said, she said” crime?
• What triggers an investigation by CID? Where are they located?
• Do you investigate if the crime is considered sex harassment?
• Why sex harassment when stalking, stealing panties, protection order, and early return home from Afghanistan?
In the News:
Micah Johnson, the suspect who shot and killed five Dallas police officers, was killed by a police robot with a bomb attached. CBS News transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave joins CBSN to discuss a new use for the technology. -CBS News (July 8, 2016)
Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, has been identified as one of the suspected gunmen in an ambush Thursday that left five Dallas law enforcement officers dead and seven more officers injured, according to multiple law enforcement sources. -ABC News (July 8, 2016)
Dallas Sniper Micah Xavier Johnson Was Ex-Army Reservist. -ABC News (July 8, 2016)
The gunman who killed five police officers and wounded seven others Thursday night before being killed in a standoff with cops in Dallas has been identified as Micah Xavier Johnson, according to reports. Johnson, 25, was killed in a parking garage at El Centro College after opening fire as demonstrators with the Black Lives Matter movement protested police’s treatment of blacks in America, according to reports. Johnson claimed to be an army vet. -Inside Edition (July 8, 2016)
Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, was killed by robot-detonated bomb after lengthy negotiations. -CBC News (July 8, 2016)
The first family member of the gunman who killed five police officers in Dallas is speaking out. Nicole Johnson, sister of Micah Xavier Johnson, took her shock to Facebook writing, ‘I keep saying it’s not true.’ She has deleted the post and but added another saying the media will show one image of her sibling, while those who knew him will keep another. Her 25-year-old brother shot the officers during a peaceful protest in response to the recent killings of two black men by police. -Inside Edition (July 8, 2016)
Micah Johnson ambushed police during a protest in downtown Dallas Thursday, killing five officers and wounding nine others. We are finding out more about the gunman’s planning and what police found in his home. -CBS This Morning (July 9, 2016)
Five officers were killed and nine others wounded during a protest Thursday, when a gunman targeted them following the deadly shootings of two black men at the hands of police officers this week. Investigators say Micah Johnson, an Afghan war veteran, was amassing an arsenal at his home outside Dallas. His tour of duty ended in 2014 when he was sent back to the U.S. after a female soldier accused him of sexual harassment. Manuel Bojorquez reports. -CBS This Morning (July 9, 2016)
ABC News’ Matt Gutman and Pierre Thomas report the latest news in the deadly sniper attack in Texas. -ABC News (July 9, 2016)
Police said a robot was used to kill Micah Xavier Johnson, the ex-Army reservist suspected of opening fire during a police shooting rally. -ABC News (July 9, 2016)
The parents of Dallas gunman Micah Johnson have spoken out for the first time since their son’s attack on police Thursday night. Speaking to The Blaze, Johnson’s father, James Johnson and his ex-wife, Delphine broke down in tears as they discussed their veteran son’s devastating actions during a protest march. “I love my son with all my heart. I hate what he did,” James said. The astonished father added: “I don’t know what to say to anybody to make anything better. I didn’t see it coming.” -Inside Edition (July 11, 2016)
Jake Hunt said he couldn’t go a day without Micah Johnson “making you laugh at least twice a day.” -ABC News (July 11, 2016)
As the investigations continue into the three police-involved shootings within three days, CNN speaks to a man who claims to have sold a military-style rifle to Micah Johnson, the Dallas sniper attack suspect. -CNN (July 12, 2016)
CBS News’ Manuel Bojorquez discusses the interview with Dallas shooter Micah Johnson’s parents. Bojorquez is in Dallas, where President Obama and George W. Bush will speak at a memorial today. -CBS News (July 12, 2016)
Thousands of people have attended a candlelight vigil outside the Dallas Police Department to honour the five officers shot dead during a protest over the killings of two black men. Micah Johnson killed Lorne Aherns, 48; Michael Krol, 40; Brent Thompson, 43; Mike Smith, 55; and Hispanic officer Patrick Zamarripa, 32. -Euronews (July 12, 2016)
As the funerals for the slain Dallas police officers continue, the investigation into the background and motive of Dallas shooter, Micah Johnson, continues. The US Army has opened an investigation into Johnson’s military service. Johnson reportedly spent six years in the Army Reserves and was accused of sexual harassment while serving. RT America’s Manuel Rapalo reports from Dallas, where police are also investigating claims that Johnson purchased an AK-47 off of Facebook for $600 before the shooting. -RT America (July 14, 2016)
On July 7, 2016, Micah Johnson killed five police officers and injured nine others. This 3d animation shows what we know about the path of his deadly ambush through downtown Dallas at the end of a peaceful march to protest police shootings of black men around the country. -The Dallas Morning News (July 31, 2016)
Air traffic controller Gene Thurnau moves to St-Petersburg, Florida to start over. He meets Jaye-Jaye, and soon they marry and begin building their dream home. But ghosts from Gene’s past bring unwanted tension and horror into their perfect home. -Star-Crossed Murder, A Stranger In My Home (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.
ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 19 (UPI) — The acceptance of bullying in U.S. culture contributes to sexual assault in the armed forces, experts say.
Mary Ellen O’Toole, editor-in-chief of Violence and Gender and retired FBI profiler and criminal investigator analyst led a roundtable discussion with Christopher Kilmartin of the U.S. Air Force Academy and Col. Jeffery Peterson of Center for Naval Analyses in Alexandria, Va., discussed specific factors that likely contribute to the sexual assault problem.
“The evidence is that the population of people who come into the U.S. military have more experience with sexual assault than the general population, both as offenders and as survivors. Survivors are at statistically increased risk of being revictimized, and offenders are at an increased risk for reoffending,” Kilmartin said at the roundtable.
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)
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.
Quit Stalking Me: Website Dedicated to Stopping Cyberstalking
There are millions of websites out there, and everyday more and more people are utilizing the internet for their benefit. When I became the victim of an internet crime by an anonymous cyberstalker, I was horrified. How could a technology so great (like the internet) backfire and hurt me? All my life I saw it as a positive thing: expanding my career, my expertise, knowledge, connecting people together, bringing things to my finger tips. For weeks I did not know what to do, or where to look for help. I became a paranoid, sick person who wanted the entire vast and wide internet to disappear as quickly as the click of a button.
It was difficult enough that the person did not have to be physically in my house, yet their anonymous presence was overbearing and overpowering my every single thought. But because I was knowledgeable enough in the Internet and how it worked, I was able to take my life back, slowly but surely, I told myself, I would not rest until I find this cyberstalker and confront them. Afterall, I am sure they had been dying to see me in real life.
As it turns out, the cyberstalker was someone who was actually a person who I had a casual working relationship with in the past. I actually thought this person was harmless, nice, intelligent, and did not think twice that it could be the person cyberlessly stalking me! What goes on in peoples minds, is scarey and mysterious. How could I ever trust again? But I realize that, all the signs had been there all along, perhaps it took a lot more for me to see it, and realize that. Soon all the things started coming together the more I thought about it, the person’s words, subtle actions –my subtleness in telling people where I was at, what I was doing, who I was hanging out with last weekend, who I was talking to, even what I was eating, what restaurant. It was as subtle as changing my status on Facebook, or Myspace. Although I made sure only my ‘friends’ were able to see my information and profile and private photographs, I was naive to think that anyone who requested to be my friend would actually want to ‘be my friend’ and post me nice comments on my profile page!
In an effort to help others who encounter the similar experiences with cyberstalking, or perhaps to prevent cyberstalking in the future, this website was created as an aid to guide others on dealing with cyberstalking, tracking a cyberstalker’s activity, preventing a cyberstalker from doing more harm, whether emotionally, mentally or physically; and to empower people to use technology to their advantage for the betterment of humankind.
If you need help with your a cyber stalking problem, click here to learn more. We will get you the help that you need.
Quit Stalking Me: Website Dedicated to Stopping Cyberstalking
MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL 