“Timothy Hennis was sentenced to death for the murders of Katie Eastburn and her two daughters, Erin and Kara Eastburn. Katie was a military wife who lived on the Fort Bragg base with her husband and three daughters. This case takes a look at how important it is to follow investigatory protocol and how double jeopardy is actually interpreted in the legal system in a case that spans over two decades. Tune in to find out how this case unfolds, and where it stands today.” –The Case of Timothy Hennis, Death’s Door Podcast (September 14, 2017)
When a night out ends in bloodshed for 23-year-old Navy veteran Raul Mendoza, Houston police have a lot of questions on their hands. But a tip from Raul’s sister soon reveals that someone police have met before may hold the answers. -Secret Rendezvous, Swamp Murders (S5,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.
Army Pvt. John Martinez, 19, was found unconscious in his barracks room and later pronounced dead at the Fort Riley hospital on August 19, 2017. Pvt. Martinez was a cavalry scout with A Troop, 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team at Fort Riley, Kansas. Pvt. Martinez was the fourth stateside soldier death at Fort Riley in less then a month. Staff Sgt. Alejandro Franquiz, 30, was found dead in his parked vehicle off I-70 on July 31; Spc. Peter Robbins, 23, was killed by police officers in a confrontation in Junction City, Kansas on August 8; and Spc. Richard Cox, 22, died of a gunshot wound on post on August 16. Pvt. Martinez joined the Army in July 2016 and arrived at Fort Riley in November 2016.
Army Spc. Richard “Brennan” Cox, 22, died August 16, 2017 after suffering a gunshot wound on Fort Riley in Kansas. Spc. Cox was found wounded August 13, 2017 and was rushed to the nearest hospital for treatment but succumbed to his wounds. Spc. Cox served as an indirect infantryman with Troop A, 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas. Spc. Cox joined the Army in July 2013 and while stationed at Fort Riley, he was deployed to Kuwait in June 2013 and South Korea in October 2016.
Robert McClancy was found dead in his home, but was it suicide triggered from his PTSD, did his best friend who found him turn out to be the one who killed him, or was it his seemingly loving wife behind it all? -Martha Ann McClancy, Snapped (S21, E2)
Charles ‘Chuck’ Kaczmarczyk called the police after finding his friend, Robert McClancy, dead in his home from what appears to be suicide, but something didn’t seem right. -Martha Ann McClancy, Snapped (S21, E2)
Actual footage from the sentencing of Martha McClancy. -Martha Ann McClancy, Snapped (S21, E2)
Catch up with the key players after the verdict. -Martha Ann McClancy, Snapped (S21, E2)
A churchgoing southern woman loses her husband to tragedy, but a cloud of suspicion haunts her new marriage and leads investigators to a new conclusion. -Martha Ann McClancy, Snapped (S21, E2)
Dateline:
Preview: The death of a beloved Tennessee man is believed to be a suicide. But when a son questions his mother, he uncovers a dark family conspiracy. Keith Morrison reports. -Secrets in the Smoky Mountains, Dateline NBC (October 24, 2016)
Investigation Discovery:
ID Go: Two can keep a secret, if one of them is dead. These Deadly Women think they’ve committed the perfect murders when they “Hit and Run.” -Hit and Run, Deadly Women (S11, E6)
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.
James Fields Jr., 20, from Ohio, was charged with second-degree murder after killing Heather Heyer, 32, and critically injuring several others when he drove his vehicle into a crowd of protestors in Charlottesville, Virginia. The protestors that he harmed were counter protesting a “white nationalist” protest. According to police records, Fields was previously accused of beating his mother and threatening her with a knife. James Fields Jr. served in the active duty Army for about four months from August to December 2015. He was discharged after failing out of basic training at Fort Benning in Georgia. Fields was denied bail. On June 28, 2019, a federal judge sentenced James Fields Jr. to life in prison for 29 hate crimes. On July 15, 2019, Fields Jr. was sentenced to life in prison plus 419 years and $480,000 in fines by the State of Virginia for the Charlottesville car attack.
“He was, however, released from active duty due to a failure to meet training standards in December of 2015,” Army Lt. Col. LTC Paul Haverstick, a Pentagon spokesman, said. “As a result he was never awarded a military occupational skill nor was he assigned to a unit outside of basic training.” –Fox News
In the News:
James Alex Fields Jr. is behind bars after he allegedly plowed his car into a crowd of people protesting against a white nationalist rally in Virginia. -ABC News (August 13, 2017)
James Fields, the white nationalist who killed Heather Heyer by ramming his car into a crowd of protesters at the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia has been sentenced to life in prison. -NowThis News (June 28, 2019)
An avowed white supremacist who plowed his car into a crowd of counterprotesters, killing a young woman, apologized to his victims Friday before being sentenced to life in prison on hate crime charges. -Bloomberg TicToc (June 28, 2019)
The man who deliberately drove through a crowd of people in Charlottesville, Virginia, has received another life sentence. Dozens were wounded and one person was killed. -CBS News (July 15, 2019)
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..
The 1st Marine Division announced in a news release Marine Lance Cpl. Cody Haley, 20, was doing routine physical training when he was struck and killed on August 4, 2017 by a falling tree at Camp Pendleton in San Diego, California. According to Cody Haley’s obituary, he attended school in Manly, Iowa until the 7th grade then moved to Eldora, Iowa where he finished his schooling. Cody graduated from South Hardin High School in May of 2015. The family said Cody decided that he wanted to follow in his grandpa’s footsteps and join the United States Marines Corps. Cody left for San Diego in August of 2015 to start his journey as a Marine at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base. Cody began his career stationed at Camp Horno, a camp located within the confines of Camp Pendleton. Cody was then deployed with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit in October of 2016 aboard the navy ship, the U.S.S. Comstock, for a 7 month deployment. The Comstock is assigned to COMSURFPAC, Amphibious Group Three and is homeported in San Diego. He returned back to Camp Horno in May of 2017. Cody’s body was flown back to Iowa where he was laid to rest with full military honors.
And thanks to the love and generosity of many families, Cody’s entire Marine platoon was flown out to Iowa to attend his funeral. At the South Hardin H.S. football opener in 2017, Cody was honored and remembered in a loving community tribute to him and his family. One of his friends was quoted saying, “Haley was proud to be a mortar man and it’s a tight bond that we take very personally.” LCpl. Haley was one of two Marines to die in the month of August 2017 at Camp Pendleton. Cpl. Andrew West, 22, of Van Horne, Iowa was training at the San Diego base when he died in an off-site motorcycle crash on August 20th. Less than a month later on September 13th, a Camp Pendleton training accident sent fifteen (15) Marines to multiple area hospitals after their amphibious assault vehicle caught on fire. According to U.S. Marine Corps officials, eight of the Marines were taken to a burn unit at the University of California San Diego hospital. Of those eight Marines, three were in critical condition and five were in serious condition. Click here to read the 1st Marine Division press release update regarding the amphibious assault vehicle incident at Camp Pendleton.
Cody was born on October 21, 1996 in Mason City, Iowa, to his parents Jeff & Kim (Crowe) Haley. Four years later, he got the baby brother he had prayed for, his brother Colton. Cody was a mischievous little boy full of spit and vinegar, who grew up to be one of America’s finest. He loved hunting with his grandpa and with his dog Rowdy. Cody also enjoyed fishing, motorcycles and of course, his guns. He had many friends that he enjoyed hanging out with. He had a tough outer layer but was a softie on the inside. He was loved by many and will be dearly missed by all those he leaves behind. Click here for Cody Haley’s obituary.
LCpl Cody Haley (YouTube):
Marines fly out to Iowa for Cody Haley’s funeral: Sunday, August 20, 2017 (August 23, 2020)
Processional for Lance Cpl Cody Haley (August 12, 2017)
LCPL Cody Haley….A heroes journey home (August 20, 2019)