Marine Cpl. Erik T. Garoutte, 22, of Santee, Calif., collapsed and died Oct. 19 after working out in Baghdad, where he had been stationed for nearly three months. Autopsy results were pending. He was assigned to the 1st Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team Company, Marine Corps Security Force Battalion, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force in Norfolk, Va.

Marine Cpl. Erik T. Garoutte, 22, Santee; collapses, dies in Iraq

On October 28, 2007November 4, 2013 By AdministratorIn Cold Cases, Non Combat Death, USMCLeave a comment

Marine Cpl. Erik T. Garoutte, 22, of Santee, Calif., collapsed and died Oct. 19 after working out in Baghdad, where he had been stationed for nearly three months. Autopsy results were pending.

He was assigned to the 1st Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team Company, Marine Corps Security Force Battalion, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force in Norfolk, Va.

Cpl. Erik T. Garoutte, USMC (2007)

On October 19, 2007November 4, 2013 By AdministratorIn Cold Cases, In Their Name, Non Combat Death, USMCLeave a comment

Marine Cpl. Erik T. Garoutte

NORFOLK, Va. — The Pentagon announced Saturday that a Norfolk-based Marine died in Iraq. Capt. William Pelletier, a Marine Corps spokesman based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, said Cpl. Erik Garoutte of Santee, California, died Friday in Baghdad “as a result of unknown causes.”

Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Cpl. Reynold Armand Died of Unspecified Causes in Balad, Iraq; Official Cause of Death Unknown (August 7, 2007)

On August 7, 2007August 7, 2020 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, In Their Name, Military Policy, Non Combat Death, USMCLeave a comment

Screen Shot 2017-08-19 at 5.13.59 PM — Cpl. Reynold Armand, U.S. Marine Corps

Marine Cpl. Reynold Armand, 21, died of unspecified causes on August 7, 2007 in Balad, Iraq. Cpl. Armand was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom on behalf of the 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. At the time of the Department of Defense press release, the death was under investigation. The outcome of the investigation and official cause of death is unknown.

“Reynold Armand loved football, playing video games and spending time with family and friends. He was proud of his Haitian and Puerto Rican heritage and loved the New York Yankees…He was a 2004 high school graduate and was assigned to Camp Lejeune… Armand so wanted to join the Marines that he persuaded his aunt and adoptive mother Miriam Velez to allow him to enlist before he turned 18. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of the late Victor Velez, Miriam Velez’s husband and Armand’s uncle and adoptive father, a former Marine. ‘He looked up to him, he left to make him proud,’ said Velez.” –In Remembrance of Cpl. Reynold Armand

Forensic Files Premiered ‘Blanket of Evidence’: Michael Dean Overstreet Raped & Murdered Franklin College Student Kelly Eckart (April 4, 2007)

On April 4, 2007October 11, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Sexual Assault, True Crime, Veterans1 Comment

A young woman disappeared after working the late shift in a department store. Days later, her body was found in an isolated ravine. Tiny clues told police a great deal about the killer. He would own olive-colored carpeting, a white blanket, and distinctive bullets made from wax, not lead. -Blacket of Evidence, Forensic Files (S11,E38)

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!

Marine Veteran Joseph Kerekes & Navy Veteran Harlow Cuadra Murdered Bryan Kocis in Pennsylvania Home; Sentenced to Life in Prison (2007)

On January 24, 2007January 6, 2018 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Navy, Scandals, USMCLeave a comment

Screen Shot 2018-01-06 at 8.23.44 PM — Bryan Kocis, Pennsylvania

Marine veteran Joseph Kerekes and Navy veteran Harlow Cuadra murdered Porn Producer Bryan Kocis and set his home on fire in Pennsylvania on January 23, 2007. They drove from their Virginia Beach, Virginia home to Pennsylvania to commit the homicide of Kocis which automatically made the crime an across state line matter that involved law enforcement agencies from three states and the federal authorities. Eventually investigators gathered enough evidence to arrest Kerekes and Cuadra and charge them with first degree murder and other charges. Joseph Kerekes pleaded guilty to second degree murder and is serving a life sentence without parole; he cannot appeal his sentencing. Harlow Cuadra was convicted of first degree murder in 2008 and was sentenced to life in prison; he’s appealing his case. The case garnered some attention from Hollywood and was the inspiration for a film called King Cobra featuring Christian Slater.

“Law enforcement officials from three states and at least three federal agencies aggressively investigated the crimes, and in May police arrested Harlow Cuadra, 26, a former Navy enlisted man, and Joseph Kerekes, 33, a one-time youth pastor who was briefly in the Marines. From their home in Virginia Beach, Va., the couple who, like Lockhart and Kocis, also met on the Internetran a gay escort service, which they say employed active-duty servicemen from military bases in the area, and they produced and starred in bareback porn on their military-themed Web site, Boybatter.com.” –Out Magazine

Harlow Cuadra & Joe Kerekes: A Virginia couple’s desperation leaves their gay porn empire in ashes. -Snapped: Killer Couples

Forensic Files Premiered ‘Capitol Crimes’: Marine Veteran Kenneth Cains Killed in Hit-and-Run Accident in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (October 4, 2006)

On October 4, 2006October 11, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, True Crime, USMC, VeteransLeave a comment

Full Episode: The driver said he couldn’t have hit and killed a pedestrian on a Harrisburg street. The Jeep Grand Cherokee he was leasing around that time had been sold months ago to a buyer in another state. Police were able to find the vehicle. They impounded it, took it apart, and discovered evidence, which would tell them what really happened that night. -Capitol Crimes, Forensic Files (S11,E12)

September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2006)

On September 30, 2006September 1, 2017 By AdministratorIn Accidents, Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, National Guard, Navy, Non Combat Death, Suicide, USAF, USMCLeave a comment

09/30/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Christopher Blaney, 19, NCD, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/29/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Edward Reynolds Jr, 27, and Henry Paul, 24, NCD, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/29/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: James Chamroeun, 20, Iraq, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii

09/28/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jose Lanzarin, 28, Iraq, Baumholder, Germany

09/28/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: James Lyons, 28, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/28/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Casey Mellen, 21, Iraq, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/27/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jared Raymond, 20, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/27/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Christopher Riviere, 21, Iraq, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii

09/26/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Velton Locklear III, 29, and Kenneth Kincaid IV, 25, Iraq, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

09/26/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Carlos Dominguez, 57, Iraq, Army Special Operations Command, New York

09/26/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Windell Simmons, 20, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/25/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualties: Howard March Jr, 20, and Rene Martinez, 20, Iraq, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/25/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Eric Kavanagh, 20, Iraq, Schweinfurt, Germany

09/25/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Charles Jones, 29, NCD, Iraq, Kentucky Army National Guard

09/25/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Bobby Callahan, 22, NCD, Iraq, Fort Drum, New York

09/25/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Ashley (Henderson) Huff, 23, Iraq, Fort Stewart, Georgia

09/25/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Allan Bevington, 22, Iraq, Baumholder, Germany

09/25/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Cesar Granados, 21, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/22/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Robb Needham, 51, Iraq, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/22/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Yull Estrada Rodriguez, 21, Iraq, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii

09/22/2006: First Identification of U.S. Soldier Missing in Action from World War I

09/22/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Aaron Smith, 31, Iraq, Baumholder, Germany

09/22/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Jennifer Hartman, 21, and Marcus Cain, 20, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/21/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Christopher Zimmerman, 28, Iraq, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/21/2006: Navy Aviator Missing In Action From Vietnam War is Identified

09/19/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Russell Makowski, 23, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/19/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: James Worster, 24, NCD, Iraq, Fort Carson, Colorado

09/19/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jeffrey Shaffer, 21, Iraq, Bamberg, Germany

09/19/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Adam Knox, 21, Iraq, Ohio Army Reserve

09/18/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: David Davis, 32, Iraq, Fort Wainwright, Alaska

09/18/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Clint Williams, 24, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/18/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Bernard Deghand, 42, Afghanistan, Kansas Army National Guard

09/18/2006: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: David Roddy, 32, Iraq, Norfolk, Virginia (Multi-National Corps – Iraq)

09/16/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Emily Perez, 23, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/16/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Ryan Miller, 19, Iraq, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii

09/15/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: David Ramsey, 27, NCD, Iraq, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/15/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Harley Andrews, 22, Iraq, Bamberg, Germany

09/15/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: David Weir, 23, Iraq, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

09/14/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Matthew Mattingly, 30, Iraq, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/14/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jeremy DePottey, 26, NCD, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

09/13/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Fuga, 47, Afghanistan, Missouri Army National Guard

09/12/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Alexander Jordan, 31, Iraq, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska

09/11/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Anthony Seig, 19, Iraq, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/11/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: John Carroll, 26, Iraq, Baumholder, Germany

09/11/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Merideth Howard, 52, and Robert Paul, 43, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/11/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Nathaniel Lindsey, 38, Afghanistan, Oregon Army National Guard

09/11/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Johnathan Benson, 21, Iraq, Camp Pendleton, California

09/11/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Luis Montes, 22, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/09/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: David Gordon, 23, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/08/2006: Airman Missing in Action From the Vietnam War is Identified

09/08/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Jason Merrill, 22, and Edwin Andino II, 23, Iraq, Wurzburg, Germany

09/08/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Vincent Frassetto, 21, Iraq, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/07/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jeremy Shank, 18, Iraq, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

09/07/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Marshall Gutierrez, 41, NCD, Camp Virginia, Area Support Group, Arijan, Kuwait

09/07/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Germaine Debro, 33, Iraq, Nebraska Army National Guard

09/06/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Richard Henkes II, 32, Iraq, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/06/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Angel Mercado-Velazquez, 24, Iraq, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/06/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Ralph Porras, 36, and Justin Dreese, 21, Iraq, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/06/2006: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: Christopher Walsh, 30, Iraq, Missouri Navy Reserve (Multi National Corps – Iraq)

09/06/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Hannah Gunterman, 20, NCD, Iraq, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/05/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Shannon Squires, 25, Iraq, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/05/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Matthew Vosbein, 30, Iraq, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

09/05/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Ryan Miller, 21, Iraq, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/05/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualties: Jared Shoemaker, 29, Iraq, Marine Forces Reserve, Oklahoma

09/05/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Eric Valdepenas, 21, Iraq, Marine Forces Reserve, Massachusetts

09/05/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Shane Harris, 23, Iraq, Twentynine Palms, California

09/05/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualties: Cliff Golla, 21, and Philip Johnson, 19, Iraq, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/05/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Eugene Alex, 32, Iraq, Fort Wainwright, Alaska

09/05/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Deason, 28, Iraq, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

09/05/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Nicholas Madaras, 19, Iraq, Fort Carson, Colorado

09/01/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Joshua Hanson, 27, Iraq, Minnesota Army National Guard

09/01/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Colin Wolfe, 19, Iraq, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/01/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Moises Jazmin, 25, Qixing Lee, 20, Shaun Novak, 21, and Tristan Smith, 23, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

August: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2006)

On August 31, 2006August 17, 2017 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, USAF, USMCLeave a comment

08/30/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Christopher Warndorf, 21, Iraq, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/30/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Matthew Schneider, 23, NCD, Iraq, Wiesbaden, Germany

08/29/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Kenneth Cross, 21, and Daniel Dolan, 19, Iraq, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

08/29/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Joshua Jones, 24, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

08/29/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Darry Benson, 46, NCD, Kuwait, North Carolina Army National Guard

08/29/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: David Almazan, 27, Iraq, Friedberg, Germany

08/29/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Donald Champlin, 28, Iraq, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/29/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Seth Hildreth, 26, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

08/29/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jeffrey Hansen, 31, NCD, Iraq, Nebraska Army National Guard

08/28/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Edgardo Zayas, 29, Iraq, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

08/28/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: David Weimortz, 28, Iraq, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/26/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Jordan Pierson, 21, Iraq, Marine Forces Reserve, Connecticut

08/25/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: William Thorne, 26, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

08/25/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Marquees Quick, 28, Iraq, Friedberg, Germany

08/25/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Gordon Solomon, 35, Iraq, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/25/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jeremy King, 23, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

08/25/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Dwayne Williams, 28, Iraq, Okinawa, Japan

08/24/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Thomas Barbieri, 24, Iraq, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

08/24/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: James Hirlston, 21, Iraq, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/24/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jeremiah Cole, 26, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

08/24/2006: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: Paul Darga, 34, Iraq, Naval Expeditionary Combat Command

08/24/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Ruben Villa Jr, 36, NCD, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait

08/23/2006: Missing World War II Airmen Identified: David Nelson, Henry Kortebein, and Blake Treece Jr, US Air Force

08/23/2006: DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty: Brad Clemmons, 37, Iraq, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska

08/22/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Wakkuna Jackson, 21, Robert Drawl Jr, 21, and Christopher Sitton, 21, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

08/22/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Gabriel DeRoo, 25, Iraq, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

08/22/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualties: Adam Galvez, 21, and Randy Newman, 21, Iraq, Twentynine Palms, California

08/22/2006: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: Chadwick Kenyon, 20, Iraq, Twentynine Palms, California

08/22/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jeffrey Loa, 32, Iraq, Baumholder, Germany

08/21/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Joseph Blake, 34, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

08/21/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: James Arellano, 19, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

08/20/2006: DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty: Adam Servais, 23, Afghanistan, Hurlburt Field, Florida

08/18/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Michael Glover, 28, Iraq, Marine Forces Reserve, Albany, New York

08/18/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: John McKenna IV, Iraq, Marine Forces Reserve, Albany, New York

08/18/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: John Phillips, 29, Iraq, Okinawa, Japan

08/15/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Michael Lloyd, 24, and Kevin Zeigler, 31, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

08/15/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Kenneth Jenkins, 25, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

08/14/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Aaron Jagger, 43, Ignacio Ramirez, 22, and Shane Woods, 23, Iraq, Friedberg, Germany

08/14/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Rogelio Garza, Jr, 26, Andrew Small, 19, and James White, 19, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

08/11/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Jeremy Long, 18, Iraq, Twentynine Palms, California

08/11/2006: DoD Announces Army Casualties: Steven Mennemeyer, 26, and Jeffery Brown, 25, NCD, Iraq, Fort Riley, Kansas

08/11/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Tracy Melvin, 31, Iraq, Baumholder, Germany

08/10/2006: Soldier Missing in Action From the Korean War is Identified: Edward F. Blazejewski, US Army

08/08/2006: Missing WWII Marine is Identified: John H. Branic, US Marine Corps

08/08/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Stephen Seale, 25, Carlton Clark, 22, and Jose Zamora, 24, Iraq, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

08/07/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Brian Kubik, 20, Iraq, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

08/07/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Leroy Segura Jr, 23, NCD, Iraq, Fort Benning, Georgia

08/06/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Clint Storey, 30, and Bradley Beste, 22, Iraq, Friedberg, Germany

08/05/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Daniel Suplee, 39, NCD, Iraq, Florida Army National Guard

08/04/2006: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: Marc Lee, 28, Iraq, Naval Special Warfare Command

08/04/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Kurt Dechen, 24, Iraq, Camp Pendleton, California

08/04/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: George Ulloa Jr, 23, Iraq, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/04/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Joshua Ford, 20, Iraq, Nebraska Army National Guard

08/03/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Hai Ming Hsia, 37, Iraq, Baumholder, Germany

08/03/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Joseph Tomci, 21, Iraq, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

08/03/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Dustin Laird, 23, Iraq, Tennessee Army National Guard

08/03/2006: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Ryan Jopek, 20, Iraq, Wisconsin Army National Guard

08/02/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Jason Hanson, 21, Iraq, Twentynine Palms, California

08/01/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Phillip Baucus, 28, Iraq, Twentynine Palms, California

08/01/2006: DoD Identifies Marine Casualties: Anthony Butterfield, 19, and Christian Williams, 27, Iraq, Twentynine Palms, California

Marine Veteran Robert McClancy Poisoned with PTSD Medications; Martha McClancy & Charles Kaczmarczyk Convicted of Fraud & Murder (May 15, 2006)

On May 15, 2006August 24, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Cold Cases, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Scandals, USMCLeave a comment

screen-shot-2016-12-04-at-12-57-32-pm — Robert ‘Bob’ McClancy, US Marine Corps Veteran

“Monroe County judge calls crime the most evil he’s seen.” -WATE.com

Robert ‘Bob’ McClancy, 47, and Martha Ann McClancy worked in the Manatee County Sheriff’s Department in Florida. Martha was a secretary and Bob was a detective. They fell in love later in life and Bob decided to take an early retirement from his job. The two decided to move away from the fast paced life in Florida and settled in Tellico Plains, Tennessee which is nestled in the Smoky Mountains. Bob suffered with severe stress after years of working as a detective and his time in the Marines. Bob was a highly decorated Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient who was also diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Bob went through some very traumatic combat experiences and was on strong medications. Bob would often take the wrong dose so Martha Ann decided it was time for her to take control.

In the meantime, Bob was grateful for his friend and fellow veteran Charles Kaczmarczyk because he understood what Bob was going through. Chuck said he had seen combat as well and was also awarded the Purple Heart. The pair had a lot in common. Over the course of time, Martha Ann quickly warmed up to Chuck, the “military hero.” Their relationship blossomed beyond a friendship over time and Bob was never aware of their ongoing affair. Martha Ann and Chuck frequently got together in Bob’s home. They fell in love and soon Bob was looking increasingly like a troubled third wheel. Martha often told Chuck things would be better if Bob went away. One night, Martha claimed to find Bob barely conscious after he had taken an accidental overdose of his medications for PTSD. When she got to the hospital, she claimed Bob was always messing up his medications.

On May 15, 2006, Chuck said he discovered Bob dead after another accidental overdose on his medications. Chuck found his friend dead in his chair with an empty pill bottle in one hand and a 38 revolver in the other hand. Chuck appeared distraught after finding his friend as did the sobbing Martha Ann after she found out. Everything pointed to a tragic suicide and Martha Ann leaned harder on her friend Chuck. Five months later, Martha and Chuck got married and embarked on a new life with a whole new look. They didn’t even look like the same people when they started their new careers as fraudsters. Martha Ann took on the role of a veteran pretending to be a Purple Heart recipient and claimed she earned it after the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon. And Chuck doesn’t have PTSD, he was faking it for the veteran benefits. Chuck had been in the military but he never saw a day of combat.

Martha Ann and Chuck both faked permanent injuries and had this whole scam going at the Department of Veterans Affairs. They used a wheelchair or a cane to make it appear they had physical injuries as well. Over six years, the two defrauded the federal government of nearly $800,000 dollars until Chuck told one war story too many. Other veterans came forward and said he was lying because what he was describing was not what happened as they were there. Martha Ann and Charles both ended up behind bars and their criminal history was over. And then one day, Martha Ann’s son made a surprise discovery on her computer. Martha Ann’s son found pictures of his step-father, Bob, dead in a chair. In each picture, Bob was in a different position. There were pictures of Bob with the gun in his hand, then there were pictures of Bob without the gun in his hand.

Martha Ann’s son knew the photos would implicate his mother in the murder of his step-father Bob but he loved Bob and didn’t hesitate to contact authorities. Martha Ann’s son cooperated with the police fully in a sting operation to nail his mother. Martha Ann asked him to get rid of all the photos. The police knew where to find the person who took the pictures because Chuck was spending 30 months in jail for his part in the disability fraud. Chuck immediately wanted to know what was in it for him so the police agreed to tell the district attorney that Chuck cooperated with them in the investigation. Chuck confessed that Martha Ann had crushed up Bob’s pills and put them in his drink and then confessed to the entire twisted tail. Martha called the crushed pills her “magic dust.”

The police would learn that Martha Ann crushed up the medication and put it in Bob’s drinks in an effort to slowly kill him. And on May 15, 2006, Martha gave Bob a lethal dose of “magic dust” and then went to work to create her alibi. Chuck was supposed to check in on Bob later that afternoon and it was his job to pretend to find him dead. Martha Ann was sure Bob would be dead by then. But when Chuck arrived to check in on Bob, he was laying on the floor and wasn’t dead yet. So Chuck lifted him up, placed him in the chair, and fed him more of the crushed pills. Then Chuck sat there and waited until he died. Martha Ann told Chuck to keep it simple and make it look like a suicide. But Chuck went overboard, placed a gun in his hand, and took pictures of Bob in various positions. Martha wanted to see the pictures.

Despite Chuck’s confession, Martha Ann claimed Bob took the wrong medication and she had nothing to do with it. She never admitted to any involvement whatsoever. The detectives said she was one of the coldest people they had ever interviewed. In 2013, Charles Kaczmarczyk pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first degree murder and was sentenced to twenty-five (25) years in federal prison. Nine years after her husband’s death, Martha Ann McClancy was convicted of attempted first degree murder and conspiracy to commit first degree murder. She was sentenced to the maximum of fifty years in prison and is eligible for parole in 2028. Those involved with the investigation claimed Martha Ann never showed an ounce of regret or remorse or guilt for what she did to her husband.

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. -Secrets in the Smoky Mountains, Dateline NBC (October 24, 2016)

Oxygen:

Preview: 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)

Investigation Discovery:

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.

MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL

Tag: USMC

Marine Cpl. Erik T. Garoutte, 22, Santee; collapses, dies in Iraq

Marine Cpl. Erik T. Garoutte, 22, Santee; collapses, dies in Iraq

Cpl. Erik T. Garoutte, USMC (2007)

Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Cpl. Reynold Armand Died of Unspecified Causes in Balad, Iraq; Official Cause of Death Unknown (August 7, 2007)

Forensic Files Premiered ‘Blanket of Evidence’: Michael Dean Overstreet Raped & Murdered Franklin College Student Kelly Eckart (April 4, 2007)

Marine Veteran Joseph Kerekes & Navy Veteran Harlow Cuadra Murdered Bryan Kocis in Pennsylvania Home; Sentenced to Life in Prison (2007)

September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2006)

August: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2006)

Marine Veteran Robert McClancy Poisoned with PTSD Medications; Martha McClancy & Charles Kaczmarczyk Convicted of Fraud & Murder (May 15, 2006)

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