Army Pfc. Melissa Hobart, 22, died after collapsing on guard duty in Baghdad, Iraq on June 6, 2004. Pfc. Hobart was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) on behalf of the Company E, 215th Forward Support Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division in Fort Hood, Texas. At the time of the Department of Defense press release, the incident was under investigation. Pfc. Hobart left behind a three-year-old daughter. According to Melissa’s memorial site, military officials believe Melissa suffered from a heart attack. Melissa’s mom Connie Hobart told the Hartford Courant that she was put on an anti-depressant shortly before deploying to Iraq and was still feeling depressed. Connie reported in 2006 that the official word from the military, two years later, was that she died of an undetermined cause.
Connie Hobart’s 22-year-old daughter, Army Pfc. Melissa Hobart, was put on an anti-depressant shortly before deploying and had told her mother that she remained depressed while in Baghdad. Three months into her tour, in June 2004, the East Haven native collapsed and died of a still-undetermined cause. Told of the policy changes Monday, Connie Hobart said, “I’m happy to hear about it. That’s good news.” Sobbing, she said her daughter might be alive today if the policy had been different at the time. –Hartford Courant
Joanna Rogers and Rosendo Rodriguez, US Marine Corps Reservist
On September 13, 2005, Summer Baldwin, 29, was found in a suitcase in a landfill in Lubbock, Texas. After an extensive investigation, authorities zeroed in on US Marine Corps Reservist Rosendo Rodriguez. In the course of the investigation, Rodriguez also admitted to murdering Joanna Rogers, 16, on May 4, 2004 in Lubbock Texas. But there was not enough forensic evidence to connect Rodriguez to Joanna’s murder. Joanna’s badly decomposed body was also found in a suitcase in the the landfill. Rodriguez was found guilty of two capital murders: Summer Baldwin and her unborn baby. Rosendo Rodriguez was sentenced to death in the State of Texas. Rodriguez appealed his death penalty conviction but a federal court denied the request in May 2017.
The body of a young mother was found in a suitcase in a Texas landfill. The suitcase leads investigators to Rosendo Rodriguez, who had an overwhelming amount of forensic evidence against him. But upon an extensive search of the same landfill, Rogers’ decomposing body was also found in a suitcase. -Forensic Files
Nineteen-year-old Ashley Wilson is ecstatic when she discovers she’s going to be a new mom. But days later, the Texas teen is found dead in her apartment with a hand-written suicide note by her side. -Stolen Voices, Buried Secrets
“He [Dan Leach] said his son was ‘disappointed’ when he returned from his stint with the Air Force where he was based in Florida and was eventually dishonorably discharged.” -Fort Bend Herald
When a young woman is found dead in her own apartment, all signs point to suicide. But when a man comes forward to say it was really a murder, investigators must sort truth from lies. -Evil Talks Chilling Confessions
Kathleen Lipscomb’s body was found on a deserted street outside of San Antonio. Months passed, then years, and the crime went cold. Then Kathleen’s family hired a private investigator who discovered a diary among her personal effects. Two of the diary entries helped police to piece together what had happened to Kathleen Lipscomb, and why. -True Lies, Forensic Files (S8,E27)
Editor’s Note: Full episodes of Forensic Files are available on a variety of media platforms. FilmRise Channel and Forensic Files Channel both feature full episodes of Forensic Files on YouTube. You can also find full episodes of Forensic Files on both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. On Netflix, the seasons are grouped as collection 1-9. On Amazon Prime Video, you can find Season 1-10 here; Season 11; Season 12; Season 13; Season 14; Season 15; Season 16; Season 17; Season 18; Season 19; Season 20; and Season 21. Start bingeing and see for yourself why Forensic Files is such a hit!
“On July 22, 2003, U.S. Army Private Jessica Lynch, a prisoner-of-war who was rescued from an Iraqi hospital, receives a hero’s welcome when she returns to her hometown of Palestine, West Virginia. The story of the 19-year-old supply clerk, who was captured by Iraqi forces in March 2003, gripped America; however, it was later revealed that some details of Lynch’s dramatic capture and rescue might have been exaggerated.”
In April 2007, Lynch testified before Congress that she had falsely been portrayed as a “little girl Rambo” and the U.S. military had hyped her story for propaganda reasons…“I am still confused as to why they chose to lie and tried to make me a legend when the real heroics of my fellow soldiers that day were, in fact, legendary. The truth of war is not always easy to hear but is always more heroic than the hype.”
US Air Force Colonel Philip Shue died of what appeared to be the result of a violent car crash until one took a closer look at the scene of the car crash and observed the injuries inflicted on Col. Shue’s body unrelated to the crash. After erratic driving, Col. Shue’s car veered off a highway driving away from San Antonio, Texas in the opposite direction of Lackland Air Force Base where he worked. The car crashed into a tree making impact on the driver’s side and Col. Shue was found dead at the scene with duct tape on his wrists and ankles, a six inch knife wound in his chest, and his nipples were removed. Local investigators and the U.S. Air Force all concluded that this was a deeply troubled man experiencing a psychological breakdown that led to suicide. But Col. Shue’s wife Tracy believes otherwise and shares that her husband was happy and lived life to the fullest until he started getting anonymous, threatening notes. Tracy wants justice for Col. Shue because the incidents leading up to the day in question definitely raise red flags and lead one to believe that this death was in fact more likely a homicide.
Tracy Shue believes that indeed there is a person of interest in the case and that all avenues of justice should be pursued in the death of her husband. Tracy revealed that Philip had been married before and as a stipulation of a divorce agreement, his ex-wife Nancy Shue was granted ownership of a one million dollar life insurance policy in Col. Shue’s name. Prior to Col. Shue’s death, he started receiving alarming letters including one that indicated the writer of the note overheard plans to commit his murder for the life insurance money; this person led the reader to believe they wanted to warn him that he was in danger. This did cause concern for Col. Shue because he knew that his ex-wife had a significant life insurance policy in his name. He attempted to cancel the life insurance policy but was unable to because he didn’t have the authority to do so. It wasn’t until around this time that he started to become stressed because he felt like he had lost control of his very own life. Tracy shared that Col. Shue was not the person that investigators and the Air Force tried to portray. Col. Shue was planning to retire and had paid a down payment on a new home in another state.
Was US Air Force Colonel Philip Michael Shue’s death a suicide or murder? Learn more from LordanArts’ BrainScratchers in depth analysis of this cold case. John Lordan is thorough in his examination and makes some interesting observations. Watch the 48 Hours Mystery ‘The Curious Case of Col. Shue’ on YouTube here. Please follow the case of Colonel Philip Shue with author Cilla McCain here.
On February 28, 2003, SSgt Shelby Dawn Orelup, US Air Force, 22, was found dead in a drainage ditch on the Access Road at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas. She was beaten, sodomized and raped before she was strangled according to an autopsy report. Investigators believe that she was murdered at a different location and her body was dumped near the base. Orelup was a mother to a two year old and a fuels instructor with the 366th Training Squadron at the base. She wanted to go to law school and become an attorney. Orelup formed a relationship with SSgt Phillip Arindain at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England in 2002. Although they were at different bases stateside stationed six hours apart, they maintained a long distance relationship. Arindain was stationed at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico. He was married with one child. Shelby’s family felt like he was nice at first but he started to become possessive and controlling of Shelby. She broke things off with him a few months later.
The FBI, Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), and the Wichita Police Department worked on the investigation. Investigators learned that two weeks before Arindain murdered Shelby she asked him to watch her daughter and he brought her daughter back on February 27th. They also learned the motive was Arindain suspected she was seeing someone. In August 2003, SSgt Arindain was arrested and charged with Shelby’s murder. He was held at the Wichita County Jail because Sheppard AFB does not have a detention facility. He was charged under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and the Air Force stated they were not going to seek the death penalty. In 2004, Arindain was convicted of unpremeditated murder in a general courts martial at Sheppard AFB. He was found innocent on the charges of felony murder, rape and forcible sodomy. He received a life sentence with the possibility of parole and was dishonorably discharged from the Air Force. Judge, Colonel Mary Boone said that it is unclear when Arindain will eligible for parole.
“Shelby lived her life at 110 percent. She gave 110 percent to the military, she gave 110 percent to her family and friends and to her daughter, Orelup said. I feel that just punishment for him would have been life without parole because he needed to give 110 percent for killing her.” -Shirley Orelup (Shelby’s Mom)
On May 24, 2001, enlisted Army soldier Roger Reister, 27, found his pregnant wife Captain Lynn (Armstrong) Reister, 31, murdered in their off post home in El Paso, Texas. Roger claimed on a panicked 911 call that she was dead and it looked like her throat had been ripped out. Both were stationed at nearby Fort Bliss. Captain Reister was a Commander and was scheduled to transfer in just a few days to a new position as an ROTC instructor in Missouri. Captain Reister was a distinguished Norwich Academy graduate, a Commander, and an Air Defense Artillery Tactical Control Officer for patriot missiles in Saudi Arabia. Lynn was a mother to a five year old son Triston and was pregnant with another son. Lynn’s co-workers scheduled a going away party for her the day she died. She never showed up.
Lynn and Roger met at a club in Oxbar, Germany where both of them were stationed. Lynn thought Roger was charming and nice. They met when she was only twenty-two years old. She was a Lieutenant; he was Private First Class. In the Army it is against regulation to get involved with anyone below your rank unless you are married. Roger continued to salute Lynn while they simultaneously hid their relationship. Lynn was a higher ranking military officer and in violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. If they were found out, Lynn could have lost her career. Despite the risks, they both pursued a passionate relationship. Roger was approached by military leadership about the affair but denied it. They decided to get married in Denmark so they could openly be together and then Lynn got pregnant. Once they were married, the military couldn’t do anything. Roger was deployed and missed the birth of their son.
After Roger got home from deployment, Lynn was deployed to Hungary for six months. Now both of them experienced being away from their newborn and got a shot at being a single parent. The couple decided to ask for a transfer back to the states so they could raise their son. In the fall of 1996 they were transferred to Fort Bliss. Lynn had a Command and was shortly promoted to Captain. She was described as a great Commander who took care of her soldiers and their spouses. In the summer of 2000, Lynn deployed to Saudi Arabia as a Patriot Missile Commander. She had a highly stressful job because she made the decision when to launch the defensive missiles. Meanwhile Roger suspected her of cheating on him so when she returned home from Saudi Arabia, tensions were high. Lynn denied cheating on Roger but he moved to the barracks on post. Lynn did not want to give up on Roger because she didn’t believe in divorce so they went to marriage counseling. Eventually they reconciled and Roger moved back home, then Lynn found out she was pregnant with their second son.
On the day of the crime. Roger Reister took their son Triston to work with him for the day. Lynn stayed home because she had a doctor’s appointment and was going to pick up Triston after she was done. Early that same day, Roger claimed that his vehicle wouldn’t start and he called his brother Rodney to help him get it started. According to Roger, they both left afterwards. Roger tried calling Lynn throughout the day but she wasn’t answering the phone. He was beginning to get worried. When he got home from work he found Lynn dead on the bedroom floor. According to investigators her throat had been slit from ear to ear all the way to her spine. She had been nearly decapitated. Police always look at the spouse first but Roger had a solid alibi that day. He last saw Lynn alive at 4:30 a.m. before he left for work with his son. In the meantime, Roger’s brother Rodney showed up to the crime scene to support him. He claimed he had not seen Lynn for over a week and the only person he could think of that could do this may be a girl named April who had a crush on Roger.
According to Roger and Rodney, April hit on Roger while Lynn was deployed to Saudi Arabia and her Army husband was deployed to Korea. At one point Lynn’s tires had been slashed and they wondered if it was April. In addition Triston told investigators that “April wanted to marry daddy.” Investigators learned that Roger met April at a local dance club and she offered to help him with Triston while Lynn was deployed. Detectives questioned April next. She admitted to having an affair with Roger for a few months in 2000 but denied killing Lynn. April felt betrayed that Roger pointed the finger at her. She told investigators that Roger said “maybe when she gets back, I’ll take care of her for good.” But Roger told detectives that he was an every day man who cheats on his spouse and ended things with April when Lynn got home. Investigators learned that Roger continued to meet up with April 2-3 times a week at the dance club and Lynn caught him. After Lynn confronted Roger about the affair, he moved back to the barracks. Then Lynn found out April was pregnant with Roger’s child. When police interviewed April she was pregnant and admitted that she was pregnant with Roger’s child. April suggested detectives speak with Army soldier Patrick Meuller.
Patrick Mueller immediately asked for immunity from both the military and civilian authorities when questioned. Mueller was given immunity and shared with investigators that Roger asked him to kill Lynn. Roger asked him to stab her in the throat so she couldn’t scream. Roger convinced him to do it, built him up, offered $10,000 cash, and reminded him of the $250,000 life insurance pay-out. Mueller agreed to do it. The plan was for Roger to take Triston to work and leave the door unlocked but Mueller admitted to never going into the house because he got spooked when he thought a neighbor saw him. Mueller had an alibi. Mueller was friends with Roger’s brother Rodney and shared that Rodney might have beef with Lynn because she kicked him out of the marital home. Apparently Rodney had been in a lot of trouble including setting fires and stealing. Rodney moved in with them after getting out of jail in Florida. Roger and Lynn let him move in temporarily in an attempt to help him out. After six weeks of the living arrangement, Rodney put a strain on the marriage because he didn’t contribute to the household, laid around all day, and made no attempt to get a job. Rodney was also disrespectful to Lynn. Maybe Rodney had motive to kill Lynn because he had no job, little money, and nowhere to live. Rodney Reister was a person of interest.
Investigators questioned Rodney Reister who was now living with his girlfriend Amber. Rodney Reister told detectives that Roger asked him to kill Lynn because she was cheating on him. Rodney said Roger wanted her dead because Lynn would get custody of their son Triston in a divorce due to the fact that she is a military officer. Roger in essence pressured Rodney to kill Lynn for him. But Rodney said Lynn was awake when he entered the house so he took off. Rodney was one of six people Roger had manipulated and asked to kill his wife. Meanwhile, El Paso crime scene investigators discovered a bloody palm print on Captain Reister’s arm. The palm print did not match Roger Reister or his mistress April, but it did match Roger’s brother Rodney Reister. Police questioned Rodney again and this time he confessed to the crime. Rodney admitted to a second attempt the morning Lynn died. He also implicated Roger in the murder-for-hire plot. Roger set the plan in motion and used the problems with his vehicle as a signal for Rodney to kill Lynn. Roger took Rodney into the house, showed him where the knife was, and then went to work with his son. Roger told Rodney to cut her throat to keep her from screaming.
Rodney admitted to losing his nerve initially but Lynn saw him. In the struggle Lynn said to Rodney “you don’t have to do this” and “don’t believe Roger.” A pregnant Lynn fought for her life but was no match for the knife wielding Rodney. Rodney Reister nearly decapitated Lynn when he cut her throat and Roger left him a fresh set of clothes so he could leave the home without raising any suspicion. The motive was the $250,000 Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance (SGLI) pay-out. Roger offered Rodney $1000 to kill Lynn and then more after he got the insurance money. Rodney was arrested for capital murder and faced the death penalty. The big question in Rodney’s case was did he do it for love or did he do it for money. The jury decided Rodney committed first degree murder for the love of his brother and he was sentenced to life in prison. Roger Reister was arrested but claimed that his brother Rodney acted alone despite four people willing to testify that he asked them to kill his wife. A civilian jury found Roger guilty of four counts of solicitation of murder and he was sentenced to four concurrent life terms in prison. The conclusion: Roger wanted girls, money, the house, and custody of his kid; Roger didn’t want to move to Missouri and be married anymore.
A soldier comes home with his five year old son and finds his wife, an Army Officer stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, brutally stabbed to death. -The Affairs of Soldiers, Shadow of Doubt (S1,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.
MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL 