Violent Crime, Suicide, and Non Combat Death at Fort Hood, Texas (US Army)

Posted on November 28, 2016 by Jennifer Norris

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Photo Credit: Stanton Reality Group

Fort Hood is a U.S. military post located in Killeen, Texas. The post is named after Confederate General John Bell Hood. It is located halfway between Austin and Waco, about 60 miles (100 km) from each, within the U.S. state of Texas. -Wikipedia

*Research not complete and includes combat deaths.

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2017:

David Ananou, US Army: Death by apparent drowning at Belton Lake
Christie Anderson, US Army: Found dead at off-post residence
Randal Anderson, US Army: Died of gunshot wound off-post
Jon Bullard, 40, US Army: Found dead at off post home in Temple
Sean Callahan, US Army: Passed away unexpectedly in Iowa
Jonathon Charlot, US Army: Victim of Hate Crime, Vandalizing
Jonathan Garcia, US Army: Fatal motorcycle accident
Michael Garcia, US Army: Died in Vehicle Training Incident
Travis Granger, US Army Veteran: Gunshot Wound, Death Ruled Homicide
Steven Hines, US Army: CID Agent found dead behind building
Justin Lewis, US Army: Shot to death in Killeen, ruled homicide
Anthony Lovell, 40, US Army: Death Ruled Fatal Motorcycle Accident
Deangelo Mathis, 22, US Army: Found Unresponsive in Georgia
Andre Nance US Army: Found dead on post at Fort Rucker, Alabama
Brian Odiorne, US Army: Non Combat Death Ruled Suicide by CID
Justen Ogden, 22, US Army: Found Unresponsive at On Post Home
Zackary Partin, US Army: Found dead at on-post residence
James Smith, 24, US Army: Fatal Motorcycle Accident Off Post
Devon Tucker, 21, US Army: Found dead at off post home in Copperas Cove
Barron Von Reichelt, US Army: Died from auto accident injuries
Alex Taylor, US Army: Found dead on post
Daniel Wildeman, US Army: Found dead on post in barracks
Kai Yancey, US Army: Died of complications from an illness

2016:

Bradley Acker, US Army: Death was self-inflicted at off-post residence
Calvin Aguilar, US Army: Found Dead off post in Copperas Cove
Anthony Antell Jr, USMC Vet: Victim of Homicide
Christine Armstrong, US Army: Died in Floodwaters Training Accident
Douglas Bailey, US Army: Found dead at off post residence
Brandon Banner, US Army: Died in Floodwaters Training Accident
Nathan Berg, US Army: Died of gunshot wound off post
Ricci Bradden, US Army: Homicide of USMC veteran
Paige Fontenot Briles, US Army: Found dead in vehicle at post housing
Allan Brown, US Army: Died in suicide bombing, Afghanistan
Wanya Bruns, US Army: Died of gunshot wound off post
Thomas Chestnut, US Army: 2014 sexual assault conviction overturned
Miguel Colonvazquez, US Army: Died in Floodwaters Training Accident
Timothy Corder, Civilian: Charged with Intoxication Manslaughter of Soldier
Isaac Deleon, US Army: Died in Floodwaters Training Accident
Zachery Fuller, US Army: Died in Floodwaters Training Accident
Eddy Gates, US Army: Died in Floodwaters Training Accident
Antino Glass, US Army: Died from motorcycle accident on post
Bernardino Guevara Jr., US Army: Died of gunshot wound on post
Stacy Hardy, US Army: Died from motorcycle crash while eluding police
Andrew Hunt, US Army: Found dead at on-post residence
Tyler Iubelt, US Army: Died in suicide bombing on secure base in Afghanistan
Korey James, US Army: Found Dead at Off Post Residence
Tysheena James, US Army: Died in Floodwaters Training Accident
Alexander Johnson, US Army: Found Dead at BLORA on Post
Steven Lewis, US Army: Died of self-inflicted wound off post
Dougal Mitchell, US Army: Fatal automobile accident off post
Daniel Monibe, US Army: Died of illness off post
Marcus Nelson, US Army: Died while in custody at local jail
Kevin Paulino, US Army: Self inflicted gunshot wound, Indiana
John Perry, US Army: Died in suicide bombing on secure base in Afghanistan
Andrew Poznick, US Army: Found dead in off-post residence in Pennsylvania
Logan Rainwater, US Army: Fatal motorcycle accident off post
Ellsworth Raup, US Army: Fatal motorcycle accident off post
Brian Reed, US Army: Found dead of gunshot wound at off-post residence
Douglas Riney, US Army: Killed by lone gunman in Afghanistan Army uniform
Devin Schuette, US Army: Found dead inside vehicle at BLORA on post
Dion Servant, US Army: Found dead in barracks on post
Duane Shaw, US Army: Found dead at off-post residence
John Stobbe, US Army: Found dead at off post residence
Dakota Stump, US Army: Died as a result of a vehicle accident on post
Yingming Sun, US Army: Died in Floodwaters Training Accident
Sean Van Der Wal, US Army: Intoxicated soldier killed him in vehicle crash
Troy Wayman, US Army: Officer found dead off post
Mitchell Winey, US Army: Died in Floodwaters Training Accident

2015:

Victor Badilloalvarez, US Army: Died in physical altercation, Florida
Elvis Bingham, US Army: Gunshot wound at off-post residence
Casey Chapman, US Army: Found dead at a training area on post
Toby Childers, US Army: Died in Black Hawk Training Crash
Cecelia Cole, US Army: Gunshot wound at off-post residence
Stephen Cooley, US Army: Died in Black Hawk Training Crash
Robert Jones Jr., US Army: Died in Drowning Accident near Post
Kevin Lewis, US Army: Self-inflicted gunshot wound off post
Dillon Mitchell, US Army: Gunshot wound at on-post residence
Jason Smith, US Army: Died in Black Hawk Training Crash
Robert Snear, US Army: Found dead in barracks on post
Kendrick Sneed, US Army: Found dead in off-post residence
Michael Tharp, US Army: Died in Black Hawk Training Crash
Brian Wilkerson, US Army: Found dead in on-post residence
Gene Brandes, US Army: Found dead in barracks

2014:

Leila Ezzeddine, US Army Dependent: Homicide Victim
Rouhad Ezzeddine, US Army Spouse: Murder-Suicide on Post
Zeinab Ezzeddine, US Army Dependent: Homicide Victim
Danny Ferguson, US Army: Homicide Victim on Post
Donnell Hamilton, US Army: Died from Illness, Afghanistan
Triston Johnson, US Army: Gunshot wound off post
Carlos Lazaney-Rodriguez, US Army: Homicide Victim on Post
Ivan Lopez, US Army: Homicide, Attempted Homicide, Suicide
Wyatt Martin, US Army: Enemy Attacked Vehicle with IED, Afghanistan
Ramon Morris, US Army: Enemy Attacked Vehicle with IED, Afghanistan
Christopher Mulalley, US Army: Non Combat Related Incident, Afghanistan
Timothy Owens, US Army: Homicide Victim on Post
Gage Schellin, US Army: Gunshot wound at off post residence

2013:

Lisa Salzman, US Army: Found dead in barracks on post
Jose Suarez, US Army: Found dead in barracks on post
Jason Togi, US Army: Enemy attacked vehicle with IED, Afghanistan

2011:

Michael Bailey II, US Army: Death Ruled Suicide, Family Believes Murder
Michael Reese, US Army: Homicide, Sentenced to Life in Prison
Justin Richardson, US Army: Homicide Victim

2010:

Jesse Franklin, US Army Spouse: Homicide Victim
Michael Franklin, US Army: Murder-Suicide on Post
Kemper Jones, US Army: Found dead in off post residence
Alexis Maldonado, US Army: Insurgents attacked unit, Afghanistan

2009:

Michael Cahill, US Army: Nidal Hasan Homicide Victim
L. Eduardo Caraveo, US Army: Nidal Hasan Homicide Victim
Justin DeCrow, US Army: Nidal Hasan Homicide Victim
Joseph Fortin, US Army: Enemy forces attacked vehicle with IED, Iraq
John Gaffaney, US Army: Nidal Hasan Homicide Victim
Frederick Greene, US Army: Nidal Hasan Homicide Victim
Nidal Hasan, US Army: Homicide, Terrorism, Sentenced to Death
Matthew Hastings, US Army: Non-combat related incident, Iraq
Jason Hunt, US Army: Nidal Hasan Homicide Victim
Amy Krueger, US Army: Nidal Hasan Homicide Victim
Aaron Nemelka, US Army: Nidal Hasan Homicide Victim
Michael Pearson, US Army: Nidal Hasan Homicide Victim
Johnny Polk, US Army: Vehicle struck by an anti-tank grenade, Iraq
Jeffrey Reed, US Army: Vehicle struck by anti-tank grenade, Iraq
Russell Seager, US Army: Nidal Hasan Homicide Victim
Francheska Velez, US Army: Nidal Hasan Homicide Victim
Jaunita Warman, US Army: Nidal Hasan Homicide Victim
Kham Xiong, US Army: Nidal Hasan Homicide Victim

2008:

David Badie, US Army: Vehicle encountered IED, Afghanistan
Seteria Brown, US Army: Non-Combat Related Incident, Afghanistan
David Cooper, US Army: Dismounted patrol came under fire, Iraq
Jair De Jesus Garcia, US Army: Vehicle encountered IED, Afghanistan
Michael Girdano, US Army: Vehicle encountered IED, Afghanistan
Charles Leonard, Jr., US Army: vehicle struck by rocket propelled grenade, Iraq
Bryan Lounsbury, US Army: Fatal automobile accident off post
John Mattox, US Army: Non-Combat Related Incident, Afghanistan
Andre Mitchell, US Army: Fatal Vehicle Accident, Iraq
Keisha Morgan, US Army: Non Combat Related Causes, Iraq
William Mulvihill, US Army: Vehicle encountered IED, Afghanistan
David Paquet, US Army: Undetermined Causes on Patrol, Afghanistan
Kristopher Rodgers, US Army: IED detonated near vehicle, Afghanistan

2007:

Kamisha Block, US Army: Homicide Victim, Iraq
Edward Cardenas, US Army: Died of wounds from IED, Iraq
Donald Gower, US Army: Homicide, Sentenced to Life
Christine Ndururi, US Army: Non Combat Related Illness, Kuwait
Paul Norris, US Army: Homicide, Suicide, Iraq
Princess Samuels, US Army: Indirect fire from enemy, Iraq
Lawrence Sprader, US Army: Negligent Training Death
Omar Torres, US Army: Died of wounds from IED, Iraq
Zandra Walker, US Army: Indirect fire from enemy, Iraq
Donald Young, US Army: Died of wounds from IED, Iraq

2006:

Jeannette Dunn, US Army: Non Combat Related Injury, Iraq
Tina Priest, US Army: Non Combat Related Incident, Iraq

2004:

Erin Edwards, US Army: Homicide Victim
William Edwards, US Army: Homicide, Suicide

2003:

David Williams, US Army: Downed Apache Aircraft, POW, Rescued by USMC
Ronald Young, Jr., US Army: Downed Apache Aircraft, POW, Rescued by USMC

1998:

Gary Prokop, US Army: Homicide Victim

1988:

Christopher Fay, US Army: Robbery & Homicide Victim
Howard Harrison, Civilian: Attempted Robbery
Dwight Loving, US Army: Robbery & Homicide, Death Sentence Commuted
Bobby Sharbino, US Army Retired: Robbery & Homicide Victim

Army Sgt. Okan Cetinbag Found Dead at Home With Gunshot Wound to Face on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska; Mother Wants Answers (2014)

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Jennifer Norris

Okan Murat Cetinbag, US Army

Sgt. Okan Cetinbag, 24, of Morton Grove, Illinois died on February 11, 2014 from gunshot injuries sustained on February 7th at his home on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska. Sgt. Cetinbag was an infantryman with Company B, 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment. He joined the Army in January 2013, attended basic and airborne training at Fort Benning, Georgia and arrived in Alaska in June 2013. He served with the U.S. Marine Corps, including a combat tour in Afghanistan in 2010, before joining the Army. The Army reported they were investigating the case but did not appear to be cooperating with the mother of Sgt. Cetinbag who has been questioning what happened to her son. Media reports indicate that Sgt. Cetinbag was one of four servicemen from JBER found dead this month: SrA Katrina Jackson on February 15; and SSgt. Darian Miller on February 18; and SSgt. Samuel Davis on February 23.

Sgt. Okan Cetinbag was shot in the face at his home on an Alaska Army base. There were six colleagues in the house that day, plus Okan’s wife and young daughter. His mother believes they know what happened and are not telling authorities. -WGN News

Evidence Reveals Army Reserve Recruiter Adam Arndt Murdered High School Student Michelle Miller & Then Killed Self, Army Investigators Claim Double Suicide (2013)

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Jennifer Norris

Michelle Miller, US Army

The story of 17 year old Michelle Miller was featured on Forbidden: Dying for Love on Investigation Discovery. U.S. Army Reserve recruiter Adam Arndt, 31, enlisted the Rockville, Maryland high school senior in the Army Reserve Future Soldier’s Program. Michelle enlisted in part to help pay her tuition for Arizona State University. Unfortunately, in what appeared to be a downward spiral triggered by an ongoing military investigation, he took her with him. Because both Adam and Michelle were in the military, Army investigators concluded the investigation. In the end, they would add insult to injury and imply this was a ‘couple’ that wanted to die together in a double suicide despite background, testimony, and physical evidence to the contrary. Michelle’s father believes the Army changed the facts to fit their agenda.

According to her father Kevin Miller, Michelle left her Rockville, Maryland home at around 9:15 p.m. on April 8, 2013 after receiving a text message from someone in her reservist platoon about Staff Sgt. Adam Arndt. Michelle rushed out of her house believing that Arndt was suicidal and told her family she had to help a friend. Her father asked her to send the exact address, but he only received one vague message from her. He called the police and they arrived shortly before 9 a.m. the next day. When they were unable to make contact with anyone inside the house, they forced their way in and found Michelle Miller and Adam Arndt dead in the bathroom tub from what appeared initially to be a murder-suicide. Kevin Miller knows his daughter did not want to commit suicide because she simply had too much going for her.

When high school senior Michelle Miller joins the Future Soldiers program, she sees it as the first step to realizing her dream of enlisting in the Army. But a forbidden affair with her recruiter risks her career in the Army, and her future itself. -Investigation Discovery

Army Spouse Katherine Morris Found Dead in Car Near Mall; Cause of Death Initially Ruled Suicide But Further Investigation Suggests Homicide Motivated by Insurance Fraud (2012)

Posted on May 6, 2012 by Jennifer Norris

Katherine Morris

Katherine Morris, 22, was found dead in her car near the Arundel Mills Mall in Maryland on May 6, 2012. Katherine was a University of Maryland student and married to Army spouse, Isaac Goodwin, who was stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. According to a website dedicated to Katherine Morris, she died from carbon monoxide poisoning from charcoal grills lit in her car. Katherine’s family questioned the ruling of suicide by the Army and the Anne Arundel County police department immediately and were eventually successful at getting some retired civilian detectives to look into their suspicions of homicide motivated by life insurance fraud. Interestingly, Anne Arundel County police department also had jurisdiction of the homicide investigation of Army soldier Karlyn Ramirez, who was murdered in 2015. Karlyn’s husband Maliek Kearney and his new girlfriend Doris Delgado face federal murder charges. Karlyn’s homicide is similar in motive to the theories Katherine’s family has about her suspicious death. Karlyn and Katherine both appear to have been targeted and became the victims of domestic violence and/or life insurance fraud. The true motivation behind the Karlyn Ramirez and Katherine Morris deaths is unknown at this time but given how many homicides occur in the military with the common motive of domestic violence and/or life insurance, the Katherine Morris case deserves a second look.

Three families have asked for similar law changes for victims of domestic violence in the military since 2011. Representative Bruce Braley introduced the Holley Lynn James Act on behalf of Fort Bragg Lt. Holley Wimunc who was murdered by her Marine husband John Wimunc in 2008. The bill was advocating for the removal of the Commander and the Chain of Command from the investigation and adjudication of felony crimes like domestic violence because of their inexperience with the modus operandi of offenders. Unfortunately the bill was never even considered and this bill may have had the power to prevent what happened to Katherine Morris, Michelle Miller, and Karlyn Ramirez. Michelle Miller’s family believes she was targeted by an Army recruiter at her Rockville, Maryland high school and became the victim of domestic violence and homicide, despite the Army’s ruling of a double suicide. As a result, Michelle’s family is advocating for Michelle’s Law, which is an effort to encourage Congress to pass a law that would try military abuse and murder cases in civilian court. Katherine’s family is currently advocating for the Katherine Morris Military Spouse Protection Act. All of these law proposals ask that the Chain of Command be removed from the investigation and adjudication of felony crimes because of their inexperience at handling these complex cases. Similar bills have also been introduced to Congress to include the Sexual Assault Training, Oversight, and Prevention Act and the Military Justice Improvement Act. The military needs experienced investigators to get to the bottom of the truth in an effort to prevent crime and save lives.

Spc. Michael Bailey II, US Army, Allegedly Committed Suicide, Family Petitions Military and Killeen Police Department to Investigate Ex-Wife for Murder (2011)

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Jennifer Norris

Spc. Michael Henry Bailey II, US Army, died on December 29, 2011 from injuries sustained from a gunshot wound on December 23, 2011. He was assigned to 4th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, in Fort Hood, Texas. Spc. Bailey deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from May 2011 to November 2011. At the time of the Army press release, the incident was under investigation. According to a family petition, they believe that their was more evidence supporting murder then suicide. They asked the Army and the Killeen Police Department to investigate the circumstances further as they believe that Spc. Bailey’s ex-wife had motive (life insurance) and allege she was at his home on the day of the shooting.

“Everyone who believes in justice. Our son was killed in Killeen Tx December 22, 2010, they did not do any interrogation of the that night to be x wife, who had plenty of motive and who should have been tested for GPR and arrested not only walked but is on the army payroll the rest of her life and collected all of his insurance money for 3 years of cheating on her husband our son and who was on her last day under his roof. Now they call it suicide? They have less evidence of that than there is of murder. This is a tragedy that needs justice!” –Petition for Michael Bailey

Pvt Danny Chen, US Army, Died of a Non Combat-Related Incident in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan (2011)

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Jennifer Norris

Pvt Danny Chen, US Army

Pvt. Danny Chen, 19, US Army, died of a non combat-related incident in Kandahar province, Afghanistan on October 3, 2011. Pvt Chen was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom on behalf of the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division in Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

A1C Kelsey Anderson, US Air Force, Found Dead of Apparent Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound in Hangar at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam (2011)

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Jennifer Norris

A1C Kelsey Anderson, US Air Force

Airman First Class Kelsey Anderson was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam on June 9, 2011. According to media reports, she was found in a locked stall in a second-floor women’s bathroom inside an aircraft maintenance hangar at the base. The military investigation indicated that a few months after Kelsey arrived at Guam, she was stripped of her service revolver over mental health concerns. Although Kelsey’s weapons privileges had been restored about a month prior to her death. The reports stated that Kelsey may have been unhappy after trying and failing to be transferred from Guam or released from military service. Kelsey’s parents had to file a lawsuit in U.S. District Court to get the Air Force to turn over its investigation records. They simply wanted answers for their daughter’s tragic and unexpected, untimely death yet the Air Force concealed the details. Chris and Adelia Sue Anderson received the mostly redacted investigation reports almost two years after their daughter’s death. The final court settlement with the Air Force in September 2013 was for the cost of the attorney they had to hire in their quest to get the information they were entitled to have. It’s unfortunate that this family had to wait two years for answers and even more unfortunate that they were forced to go to court during one of the most difficult times of their life.

What could have been done to prevent this? What kind of mental health services were offered to Kelsey? Why did Kelsey want to leave Guam and/or get out of the military? Why was she upset after finding out that she was not able to transfer or get out of the military? What were the extenuating circumstances that made Kelsey feel like she had no options other then suicide? Is this a suicide? After so many families have come forward with concerns that their loved one was murdered despite a ruling of suicide, do we know for sure that this was a suicide? It happened in Guam. There is absolutely no one to hold the Air Force accountable in that setting. There is no way to ensure that the Air Force investigated the scene as both a potential homicide or suicide. It’s as simple as what the Air Force says happens is what happened. Every government entity should have a mechanism by which they are held accountable. Where does a grieving parent turn to when they do not agree with the military investigator’s or medical examiner’s findings? Who holds the individual branches or Department of Defense accountable? The only body of people that can hold the military industrial complex accountable is the US Congress and even they struggle. Time and time again we hear accounts from service members and families that contacting their congressional Representative or Senator did not help. Some help, some don’t, and some never call you back. Every level of government should have accountability of some kind because this country was founded on the principles of checks and balances in our system.

“Enlisting U.S. Sen. Jim Risch‘s office for help still didn’t yield results.” -Chris & Adelia Sue Anderson

In an interview the Andersons’ lawyer emphasized that the prolonged wait and anxiety of suing the federal government in a last-ditch effort for information intensified the couple’s pain after the loss of their daughter. He empathized as a father of three and shared that he could not imagine losing a child thousands of miles away and not knowing what happened to her. No parent should have to wait nearly two years before the government decides to produce the information they deserve to have.

The grieving parents of a 19-year-old Idaho woman who died serving her country thousands of miles from home say the U.S. Air Force won’t give them information about the circumstances of her death.

Army Staff Sgt Amy Tirador Died of a Non Combat Related Incident in Iraq, Army Ruled Suicide But Family Believes Execution Style Murder & Cover-Up (2009)

Posted on November 4, 2009 by Jennifer Norris

Honoring SSG Amy Seyboth-Tirador, US Army (2009)

Staff Sgt. Amy Tirador, US Army

Staff Sgt. Amy (Seyboth) Tirador, US Army, died of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident in Kirkush, Iraq on November 4, 2009. Staff Sgt. Tirador was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom on behalf of the 209th Military Intelligence Company, 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division in Fort Lewis, Washington. This was Amy’s third tour of duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Department of Defense announced the circumstances surrounding the incident were under investigation at the time of the press release. Media reports declared that Amy was found by a maintenance worker in the base’s small generator room with a single gunshot wound to the back of the head. The Army pathologist ruled the cause of death as a ‘self inflicted gunshot wound’ but Amy’s mother Colleen Murphy disagreed and vowed to launch a private investigation. The family expressed concerns publicly that this was an execution style murder on a secure base and that she was killed in the generator room to muffle the sounds of the gunshot. Amy’s DNA evidence was found on the 9mm and that of another person. The family shared that the investigation report attempted to lead one to believe that Amy was considered high risk for suicide because of pressures at work as an Arabic translator and a strained marriage. Amy’s husband Michael Tirador was living at the same deployed location in Iraq as Amy at the time of her death. Amy’s mother denied any history of depression or substance abuse and does not believe her daughter committed suicide.

A year after Amy’s death the Army Criminal Investigation Division indicated in media reports that the investigation was not completed and no final rulings had been made. Yet Colleen Murphy shared that she was told the case was officially closed and expressed frustration with the miscommunication she typically experienced with Army bureaucracy. Amy’s mother also indicated that a lot of women in the military who have died have had their deaths falsely ruled as suicides. Colleen learned from other families who have lost their loved ones that they have even exhumed their daughters’ bodies and found that, without a shadow of a doubt, they did not kill themselves. Colleen indicated that she was going to get a second autopsy in light of the Army pathologist’s determination of cause of death. Michael Tirador expressed in interviews that he did not believe that his wife committed suicide and ordered that her body be exhumed for a second autopsy. Michael was of course a person of interest but his DNA did not match the second DNA profile on the gun. Colleen Murphy indicated that despite Michael’s claims that they had a good marriage, Amy wanted to divorce him. Amy’s father Greg Seyboth expressed concern that her work as a interrogator made her a high-profile target. Retired Army Colonel Ann Wright validated Amy’s family when she published an article stating that several female soldier’s deaths have been grossly mislabled by the military yet when faced with further evidence, they refused to change their findings. Colleen Murphy stated that she will never accept that her daughter committed suicide and that the Army is covering up the real reason that she was killed.

Tirador’s “greatness” has been shrouded in military “secrecy”. Her military legacy clouded by the military’s label of a “non-combat” death. An execution-style death in a “secure area” on an American military base in a war zone. –Family of Amy Tirador

Learn more: Who Murdered Staff Sgt. Amy C. Tirador While On An American Base In A Secure Location?

Air Force Commander Thomas Tinsley of Elmendorf Air Force Base Allegedly Died of Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound to Chest (2008)

Posted on July 27, 2008 by Jennifer Norris

BG Thomas Tinsley, US Air Force

Air Force Commander Brigadier General Thomas Tinsley died in his home at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska of an apparent self-inficted gunshot wound to the chest on July 27, 2008. He was a fighter pilot and flew the F-15, F/A-18 and F-22A. The cause of death was ruled suicide by Air Force officials. The circumstances surrounding his death are being questioned by others including his family.

Col. Richard Walberg, who assumed command at Elmendorf after Tinsley’s death, said Tinsley was not under investigation or undue stress. “Gen. Tinsley was under no investigation,” he said. “As far as stress, sir, this job, by nature of being an Air Force officer in a nation at war, is stressful. Undue stress, no.” –The Mercury News

SrA Blanca Luna, USAF Reserve, Was Discovered Stabbed to Death in Base Lodging at Sheppard AFB in Texas, Incident is Under Investigation (2008)

Posted on March 7, 2008 by Jennifer Norris

SrA Blanca Luna, US Air Force Reserve

On March 7, 2008, SrA Blanca A. Luna, 27, US Air Force Reserve, was found unresponsive and with injuries consistent with a stab wound in her billeting room at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas three days prior to graduating and heading back home. She was discovered with a knife in the back of her neck according to the death certificate and no pants or underwear and dried fluid near her groin according to the autopsy. She was taken to a local hospital in Wichita Falls where she died shortly thereafter. She was an Air Force Reservist on temporary duty at Sheppard AFB attending a technical training course for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC). She was a Marine from 1997 to 2002 and then became a Reservist in 2007 at the 434rd Civil Engineer Squadron, Grissom Air Reserve Base in Indiana. She loved the military. She was living in the Chicago, Illinois area and studying Graphic Design.

Because this death occurred on a federal installation, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) was the lead on the investigation. They initially labeled the death a “suspicious incident”. According to AFOSI, the FBI assisted with the investigation. The FBI processed the crime scene and collaborated with the ensuing Air Force investigation. The AFOSI referred to the death as a homicide in the media in the early stages of the investigation. Six months later they would be accused of leading the family to believe it was a suicide despite evidence suggesting otherwise. Six months after her death, no official determination was made as to the manner of death: homicide, suicide, or accident. Eventually, the family learned from the autopsy report that the official manner of death was considered “undetermined”. No suspects were ever identified.

“AFOSI has been the lead investigative agency since Airman Luna’s death. At AFOSI’s request, the FBI sent an evidence response team to process the scene immediately after Airman Luna was found, and the two agencies have continued to cooperate in the investigation. Agents have been assigned to the case on a full-time basis, and more than 350 interviews have been conducted at locations across the country. Findings have been reviewed by a diverse team of experts, including specialists in forensics, polygraph, computer investigation, behavioral psychology and forensic pathology…More than 200 DNA tests have been done.”

Two of Blanca’s friends who had visited her at the base noted that she had talked about problems with some airman in her classes. She felt that they resented her because of her rank and the fact that she was a woman in a leadership position. When Blanca’s body arrived in Chicago, the family observed bruises on Blanca’s face as if she had been punched or had fallen and scratches between her fingers that appeared to be defensive wounds. Luna’s family insists that she would never commit suicide and that the evidence does not support that suggestion. In October 2008, Gloria Barrios traveled to Texas from Chicago to get some answers, including the autopsy report, from the Air Force but she didn’t get anything except a tour of the base. Gloria had questions about the bruises, defensive wounds, and the fluid found near Blanca’s groin but never received any answers. Blanca’s mom feels that this is a cover-up.

The family believes that AFOSI did not investigate the crime with due diligence and was trying to lead them to believe Blanca committed suicide. They initially determined that it was a homicide and investigated it as a crime. This is problematic because instead of listing the death as an unsolved murder or cold case, it can be written off as a suicide and never investigated again. After Gloria’s visit to Sheppard AFB, the Air Force released a statement that said “deaths are investigated as homicides initially, but that nothing suggests that anyone on base is in danger.” This statement is troublesome because the murder occurred within the confines of a secure military base. One cannot get onto the base without military identification. It had to be someone affiliated with the base that either lives and/or works there. The Air Force cannot guarantee the base’s safety when they do not even know who committed the crime. Blanca’s mom wants answers from military officials, and she wants them to classify Luna’s death as a homicide and find the culprit. Was the DNA collected at the scene compared to the national DNA database (CODIS)? Five years later, still with no answers, Gloria Barrios was battling depression and hospitalized. Eight years later, the case is still considered “under investigation” and highlights the need for cold case squads in the military.

“My gut feeling is they are looking for a culprit outside of the base, but the murderer is on the base. They’re looking in the wrong place…I can’t express what I feel about these people. They’re [Air Force] treating me like dirt. They are driving me crazy. It’s like they’re playing with my mind, giving me bad information.” -Gloria Barrios (Blanca’s mom)

The incident is under investigation by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Sheppard AFB security forces squadron. Anyone with information regarding the case should call Sheppard Air Force Base security forces at (940) 676-2981 [or Sheppard AFOSI at (940) 676-1852].

MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL

No affiliation with the Department of Defense or any of the Armed Forces.

Tag Archives: Suicide or Murder?