A Month in Review: In the News on Military Justice for All (December 2017)

“48 Hours” goes behind the scenes with a defense team and cutting edge forensic animators as they strategize to defend a woman accused of murder. CBS News correspondent Tracy Smith investigates in a special two-hour edition of “48 Hours” airing Saturday, Dec. 23 starting at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.

Honoring the victim: Robert McKernan.

Unusual Suspects, Deadly Intent Premiered ‘Final Curtain’ on ID: Sam Herr & Julie Kibuishi Murdered in Costa Mesa, California (November 1, 2017)

On November 1, 2017January 26, 2020 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, True Crime, VeteransLeave a comment

Costa Mesa, California is beautiful place to live, but it comes at a cost. The murder of a young girl and the disappearance of a former Army soldier leads investigators down a dark path into the mind of an unassuming killer. -Final Curtain, Unusual Suspects: Deadly Intent (S9,E5)

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.

Deadly Women Premiered ‘Hit and Run’ on ID: Martha McClancy & Charles Kaczmarczyk Killed Marine Vet Bob McClancy for Assets (October 6, 2017)

On October 6, 2017August 24, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Cold Cases, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, True Crime, USMCLeave a comment

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)

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)

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)

‘Gangs and the Military: Gangsters, Bikers, and Terrorists with Military Training’ by Carter F. Smith Released (September 15, 2017)

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Gangs and the Military: Gangsters, Bikers, and Terrorists with Military Training by Carter F. Smith

From the Author: The book documents the long history of gang members (street gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs, and domestic terrorist – extremists) with military training in parallel with the history of the United States. Gang members have served in the military in each of the wartime eras and they continue to serve today. Some are trying to use the military to get out of the gang life – many are not. The criminals not only tarnish the reputation of the military, they increase the dangerousness of our communities.

Description: Over the past several decades, there has been a continuous and growing focus on street gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs, and domestic terrorist and extremist groups. Many of these groups have members with military training, and some actively recruit from current and former military veterans and retirees. That military experience adds to the dangerousness of veteran gang members, as well as those groups they associate with.

In the News:

Gangs in the Military (Fort Hood). -Carter F. Smith (April 18, 2011)

“An internal report, obtained by Military.com through a Freedom of Information Act request, shows that gang members were tied to dozens of Army felony law enforcement reports and more than 100 criminal investigations in fiscal 2018, the latest year for which data is available. While these reports and investigations make up less than 1% of all Army law enforcement incidents, the new report shows that the little-discussed problem of military gang activity continues to be a headache for base commanders and other service leaders.” –Army Street Gang Activity is Increasing, Internal Report Report Shows, Military.com (August 17, 2020)

Army Veteran Shawn Bryce McVea Died by Suicide; Death Prompts Mom to Educate Others of Warning Signs After Deployment (September 4, 2017)

On September 4, 2017September 4, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Suicide, VeteransLeave a comment

Shawn Bryce McVea KING 5 — Shawn Bryce McVea, U.S. Army Veteran (Photo: Screenshot KING 5)

Suicide prompts mother to warn others. -KING 5 (November 29, 2018)

A military mom is trying to make a difference after her son killed himself after returning from deployment in Iraq. -KING 5 (November 29, 2018)

Swamp Murders Premiered ‘Secret Rendezvous’ on ID: Navy Veteran Raul Mendoza Found Dead in Houston, Texas Bayou (August 25, 2017)

On August 25, 2017December 7, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Navy, True Crime, VeteransLeave a comment

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)

Snapped Premiered ‘Martha Ann McClancy’ on Oxygen: Wife and Lover Staged Marine Vet Bob McClancy’s Death as Suicide (August 13, 2017)

On August 13, 2017August 24, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, True Crime, USMC, VeteransLeave a comment

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:

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)

James Fields Jr. Drove Into a Group of Protestors in Charlottesville, Virginia Killing Heather Heyer and Injuring Several Others; Sentenced to Life in Prison (August 12, 2017)

On August 12, 2017July 31, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Homicide, Military Policy, ScandalsLeave a comment

Heather Heyer (photo WBUR)

James Fields Jr.

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 Murdered Outside New Jersey Home by Ex-Boyfriend & Co-Worker Hassan Shahid in a Murder-Suicide (August 5, 2017)

On August 5, 2017August 5, 2020 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, USMC, VeteransLeave a comment

AAEAAQAAAAAAAAkJAAAAJDVkMGM5NTE3LTc0YmUtNDczOS04ZGExLTc4M2EyMDkzMGE0Nw — Laurel Chasmar, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran

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.

Read more MorristownGreen.com here.

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..

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