Air Force Veteran Colleen McKernan Shot Husband Robert 10 Times; Plead Guilty to Manslaughter to Avoid 3rd Trial, Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison (2014)

Robert McKernan, 29, was shot ten times in his home in Massillon, Ohio by his wife Colleen on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2014. Originally charged with murder, US Air Force veteran Colleen McKernan went to trial twice in 2016 and both times jurors were deadlocked. Colleen claimed she had been ‘hit by her husband’ of eight months for the last time and admitted shooting him ten times in self-defense. It was duly noted that Colleen was a Security Forces airman who not only had extensive fire arms training but that training included how to stay calm in stressful situations and environments. Colleen McKernan accepted a plea deal on the eve of her third trial and was given a 7-year sentence for manslaughter in 2017. Under the plea deal, Colleen could serve as little as 3 1/2 years in prison.

Related Links:
Northeast Ohio police investigate fatal shooting
Air Force Veteran Accused of Killing Husband on New Years Eve
Two Stark County murders keep police busy overnight
Two killed in Stark overnight: Wife charged with murder in Massillon; second man killed in Canton Township
Shooter tells 911 that ‘husband hit her for the last time’
Family of Massillon shooting victim given gift from good Samaritans
Parents of Massillon woman accused of killing husband ask for lower bond
Family of Massillon shooting victim given gift from good Samaritans
Strangers at restaurant give gift to Ohio family mourning shooting death of son
“They’re angels:” Mother, grieving her son’s murder, blown away by actions of complete strangers
Man’s Family Receives Gift From Strangers After His Death
McKernan murder trial: Couple argued night of fatal shooting
Coroner: Robert McKernan shot 10 times
Coroner: Robert McKernan shot 10 times (2)
Defense begins its case in Colleen McKernan murder trial
Aug. 15 is new trial date for Colleen McKernan
Dissecting second trial of Colleen McKernan as defense continues making its case
MISTRIAL: McKernan back in court Tuesday after jury fails to reach verdict in murder trial
Colleen McKernan to be tried again for murdering husband
Testimony Underway In 2nd McKernan Trial
Coroner: 10 bullets found in Robert McKernan’s body
Defense argues Robert McKernan was shot in face first
Prosecutor Grills Colleen McKernan After She Sobs Through Story of Shooting Husband
Attorney Ian Friedman Discusses Retrial of Colleen McKernan for Murder
Trial in fatal New Year’s Eve shooting ends in 2nd hung jury
Deadlocked again: Judge declares mistrial in McKernan case, third trial possible
Trial in fatal Canton, Ohio New Year’s Eve shooting ends in 2nd hung jury
Newlywed Colleen McKernan’s Murder Trial Ends With Second Hung Jury
Attorney Ian Friedman Discusses Similarities Between Both Colleen McKernan Murder Trials
Colleen McKernan Looks To Relocate
McKernan jurors: What if Colleen and Rob’s roles were reversed?
McKernan could serve 3 1/2 years under plea deal
Colleen McKernan reaches plea deal, avoids third murder trial
Colleen McKernan Reaches Plea Deal
Storify: Colleen McKernan agrees to plea deal
Colleen McKernan: Father Speaks Out–Part 1
Colleen McKernan: Father Speaks Out–Part 2
Mother of Rob McKernan’s son reacts to Colleen McKernan’s plea agreement
‘Til Death Do Them Part: A Husband Pushed Off a Cliff, a Wife Drowns and Other Newlywed Homicides
Colleen McKernan on Shooting Husband | 48 Hours
The Ultimate Pledge | Bride Killa (Investigation Discovery)
The Ultimate Pledge | Bride Killa (Investigation Discovery on YouTube)
48 Hours Premiered ‘The Evidence Room’ on CBS (2017)
Incident | Gun Violence Archive | Robert McKernan, Ohio


New Years Eve 2014 a holiday full of anger destroys a young Ohio couple when one is charged with the other’s murder. But this marriage is not a story of deceit and betrayal but rather a cautionary tale of how a volatile relationship can develop. -Bride Killa, Investigation Discovery

Military Spouse Catherine Walker Found Murdered by Husband in Hawaii Base Home; Army Sgt. Michael Walker Pleaded Guilty to Murder (November 14, 2014)

Catherine Walker Army Spouse
Catherine Walker [photo: Star-Advertiser]
In December 2015, Ailsa Jackson admitted in federal court to stabbing the wife of an Army medic she was having an affair with. Catherine Walker was murdered in her home on the Aliamanu Military Reservation in Hawaii on November 14, 2014. As part of a plea agreement, Jackson is expected to be sentenced to 30 to 33 years in prison in exchange for testifying against Sgt. Michael Walker. Walker is accused of plotting to murder his wife for the life insurance. Meanwhile, he was court martialed by the Army and is serving two years for possessing child pornography and soliciting payment for sex. Walker faced a January 2017 murder trial in civilian court but the trial was delayed because a police interrogation video was thrown out by the judge. In September 2019, Sgt. Michael Walker pleaded guilty to second degree murder. Walker is expected receive a sentence between 24-30 years in prison in February 2020.

In the News:

Michael Walker, 36, was also indicted for a second charge of conspiring to kill his wife. -KHON2 News (November 4, 2015)

Walker was charged with first-degree murder, which carries a punishment of life in prison without the possibility of being released. But in the agreement, Walker will be pleading guilty to aiding and abetting to second-degree murder, meaning he could someday be set free. -KHON2 News (September 23, 2019)

Catherine and Michael Walker
Military Spouse Catherine Walker and Sg. Michael Walker, U.S. Army

Related Links:
Catherine Walker: Army Wife Stabbed to Death in Hawaii Home, Found by Soldier Husband Michael Walker
Hawaii Soldier Accused Of Conspiring With Lover To Kill Wife
Army Medic Arrested in Hawaii Love Triangle Murder
Woman arrested in Indiana for Hawaii murder of soldier’s wife
Honolulu murder suspect arrested in Fort Wayne
‘Other woman’ accused of murder will return to HI to face charges
Army Soldier’s Lover Allegedly Stabbed His Wife To Death: FBI
Army soldier and his girlfriend charged in murder of his wife
Man indicted in wife’s murder on Aliamanu Military Reservation
Soldier accused of conspiring to kill wife pleads not guilty
Soldier’s lover admits to murdering wife
Woman pleads guilty in killing of Army medic’s wife
Mistress of Army Medic Pleads Guilty to Stabbing His Wife to Death with Kitchen Knife
Plea deal in military love triangle death hits snag
Man indicted in wife’s murder on Aliamanu Military Reservation
Prostitution and Porn charges tied to Army medic accused of conspiring with mistress to kill his wife
Army medic accused of having lover kill his wife may be court marshaled after murder investigation ‘revealed child porn and evidence he was a male prostitute’
Army medic accused of killing his wife now court-martialed on prostitution and child pornography charges
Soldier Charged in Wife’s Death Sentenced for Child Porn
Army medic accused of killing his wife sentenced for child porn
Civilian Ailsa Jackson Plead Guilty to Stabbing the Wife of an Army Medic She was Having Affair With in Hawaii, Expected to Testify Against Sgt Michael Walker
Alleged wife murderer found guilty by military of sexual abuse of child
Soldier facing murder trial guilty of sex abuse
Interrogation video shows suspect in hours after alleged murder
Interrogation of Army medic accused in love triangle murder is thrown out
Ruling in love triangle murder delays trial
Ruling in Hawaii love triangle murder delays trial
Ruling in Hawaii love triangle murder delays trial 2
Guilty Plea Expected in Love Triangle Murder
Former Tripler hospital medic admits to arranging wife’s murder at Aliamanu home
Army medic pleads guilty to arranging the murder of his wife
Soldier accused of conspiring to kill wife pleads not guilty
Ex-Army medic pleads guilty in wife’s love triangle murder
‘Sex addict’ Army medic pleads guilty to lesser charge in wife’s murder
Former Army medic expected to plead guilty in love triangle murder
Former Army medic pleads guilty in love triangle murder
‘I wanted her dead’ — Ex-Army medic pleads guilty to love triangle murder of his wife
Army medic pleads guilty to lesser charge in wife’s murder

Homicide Hunter Premiered ‘#1 Suspect’ on ID: Lt. Joe Kenda Investigates Murder of Military Retiree Frank Kovaleski in Colorado (October 21, 2014)

When a mother is killed, Lt Joe Kenda wonders if it’s a robbery gone wrong, until a slew of hateful messages surface. Then, patrols discover a body on a roadway after an evident hit-and-run, but the victim’s true cause of death turns the case on its head. -#1 Suspect, Homicide Hunter (S4,E9)

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.

Related Links:
#1 Suspect | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (S4,E9)
#1 Suspect | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (website)
#1 Suspect | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
#1 Suspect | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (Hulu)
Military Retiree Frank Kovaleski Found Dead in Middle of Street; Mike Murphy Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Murder (September 3, 1985)
Homicide Hunter: 20 Active Duty Military and Veteran Murder Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

Deadly Women Premiered ‘For the Money Honey’ on ID: Kelly Gissendaner & Lover Murdered Army Veteran Doug Gissendaner (September 26, 2014)

ID Go: For these women, one good man wasn’t enough. A middle-aged woman used looks to prey on elderly gentleman; an army wife didn’t want a soldier but a squad; and a serial wife cooks up meals to die for. These Deadly Women married for the money, honey. -Deadly Women (S8, E11)

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.

Related Links:
First We’ll Kill My Husband by Lyn Riddle (Amazon)
For the Money Honey | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (S8, E11)
For the Money Honey | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (website)
For the Money Honey | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
For the Money Honey | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (Hulu)
Army Veteran Doug Gissendaner Murdered for Marital Home & Life Insurance; Wife Kelly Sentenced to Death, Executed in Georgia (February 7, 1997)
Deadly Women: 30 Military and Veteran Homicide Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

Homicide Hunter Premiered ‘Poker Face’ on ID: Military Retiree Jamie Foster Shot Dead in Colorado Springs Home (September 16, 2014)

The corpse of Jamie Foster is found hidden under a blanket. But when Lt. Joe Kenda digs deeper, he discovers that Foster’s business put him in close quarters with a host of unsavory characters. -Poker Face, Homicide Hunter (S4,E5)

Military retiree Jamie Foster, 68, was found fatally shot in his Colorado Springs home in 1988. He was shot twice, once in the head, and investigators discovered his safe was missing from the home. Friends shared Jamie was dating a young woman named Leone “Oni” Jones who also happened to be addicted to drugs, crack specifically. Kenda couldn’t find Oni but he started canvassing pawn shops and learned Michael Parsons suddenly had cash he usually didn’t have. When Kenda interviewed Parsons, he learned Parsons helped Leone remove a safe from Jamie’s house. They opened the safe and found $900; Leone gave Parson’s $300. The safe was still at Parson’s home.

Parson’s was arrested and charged with accessory to first degree murder and third degree burglary. They put out a warrant for Leone Jones. A couple days later, she called the police department and surrendered. After the murder, she fled to Kansas, claiming she was fearful the men who killed Jamie would kill her too. Kenda didn’t believe her. He suspected she wanted money for drugs, went to Jamie’s home for cash, killed Jamie and took his safe. Although Leone refused to confess to the crime during the interrogations, she finally offered up the confession Kenda wanted during her trial. She pleaded guilty to second degree murder and was sentenced to 24 years in prison.

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.

Related Links:
From The Archive: Foster Case | Investigation Discovery (Facebook)
Poker Face | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (S4,E5)
Poker Face | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (website)
Poker Face | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Poker Face | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (Hulu)
Murder Case Dismissed After Witness Says She Erred in Identifying Suspect
Homicide Hunter: 10 Active Duty Military and Veteran Murder Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

Homicide Hunter Premiered ‘Death Grip’ on ID: Peterson Air Force Base Military Officer Fatally Shoots Michael Faast Because Jealousy (September 9, 2014)

Officers find the lifeless body of furniture salesman behind the wheel. But Faast didn’t die in the wreck – he was shot point-blank in the temple. Lt. Joe Kenda must track a killer whose promising career took a dark and deadly turn. -Death Grip, Homicide Hunter (S4,E4)

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.

Related Links:
The Fastest Discharge in Military History
Death Grip | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (S4,E4)
Death Grip | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (website)
Death Grip | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Death Grip | Homicide Hunter | Investigation Discovery (Hulu)
Air Force Capt. Ronald Ball Fatally Shot Michael Faast; Exercised Right to Remain Silent, Plead Temporary Insanity, Found Guilty But Insane (February 2, 1979)
Homicide Hunter: 10 Active Duty Military and Veteran Murder Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

Deadly Women Premiered ‘Lover’s Revenge’ on ID: When Gregg Whitmore Divorced His Wife, She Demanded Payback (September 5, 2014)

When these women were betrayed, they demanded payback. A crazed mother took a custody battle too far, a scorned lover wiped out her competition, and a sex addict stepped on everyone in her way. They settled their scores by wreaking “Lover’s Revenge”. -Deadly Women (S8,E8)

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.

Related Links:
Lover’s Revenge | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (S8,E8)
Lover’s Revenge | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (website)
Lover’s Revenge | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Lover’s Revenge | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (Hulu)
Army Veteran Gregg Whitmore & Girlfriend Karen Cummings Stabbed to Death; Ex-Wife Shana Parkinson Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison (February 1, 2004)
Deadly Women: 30 Military and Veteran Homicide Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

Military Sexual Assault: Photojournalist Mary Calvert Documented Some of Their Stories | Cosmopolitan (August 26, 2014)

Mary Calvert
Mary Calvert

In Photos: The Epidemic of Military Sexual Assault

Some 26,000 women [and men] are sexually assaulted in the military every year. Photojournalist Mary Calvert documented some of their stories.

“Why is this happening? To answer that question, Mary Calvert met with survivors and went to congressional hearings on military sexual assault. The women she met connected her with more women, and she photographed them in their homes and communities. Through her work, she learned that just 1 in 7 victims of sexual assault in the military reported the attack; of those assaults that were reported, just 1 in 10 ever saw a trial.”

Read more from  Cosmopolitan here.

“I get emails, and comments from people saying, ‘I was sexually assaulted in the military and I’ve never told anybody and when I saw these pictures and read these stories I felt more courage to go out and get some help.'” -World Press Photo Foundation (May 18, 2017)

Related Links:
Mary F. Calvert Official Website
The Battle Within: Sexual Assault in America’s Military Part 1: The Hearings
The Battle Within: Sexual Assault in America’s Military Part 1: The Survivors
Missing in Action: Homeless Women Veterans
The Battle Within: Sexual Assault in America’s Military
Mary F. Calvert | John Simon Guggenheim Foundation
Surviving Rape in the Military – The New York Times
The New York Times Discusses Mary F. Calvert’s Photography on Sexual Assault in the Military
Thousands Are Sexually Assaulted In The U.S. Military Every Year. These Are Some Of Their Stories.
Photos: Women Who Risked Everything to Expose Sexual Assault in the Military
Haunting Photo Essay Illustrates the Real-Life Toll of Military Sexual Assault in America
Sexual Assault in America’s Military | Photographer: Mary F. Calvert
World Press Photo Winners: Mary F. Calvert and Military Sexual Assault
“It’s sad to think that this could become my life’s work”
Mary F. Calvert on Photographing Military Sexual Assault Without Adding to Her Subjects’ Suffering
The Battle Within: Sexual violence in America’s military laid bare as record numbers of women are raped
‘I just pulled up my pants and went back to work’: Women veterans reveal the shocking sexual and physical abuse they suffered in the US armed forces
The Battle Within: Sexual Assault in America’s Military | Visa pour l’image
Mary F. Calvert on ‘Sexual Assault in America’s Military’

A Very Realistic Military Game | Inside Amy Schumer (August 26, 2014)

Amy discovers that her boyfriend’s war game unfolds very differently when the player chooses a female character. -Inside Amy Schumer, Comedy Central (August 26, 2014)

The sketch says it all… there’s a reason the majority of service members don’t report crime. Character assassination and retaliation is real for both male and female victims of crime in the military. Their lives, reputations, careers, and futures are dependent on the actions of the convening authority who has the power to do nothing. In the civilian world, after reporting a crime to the local police department and evidence is gathered, a prosecutor determines whether or not a case moves forward in the judicial system. The Military Justice Improvement Act (MJIA) attempts to mirror this process and was reintroduced in June 2019, yet again was not allowed on the Senate floor for a vote. The last cloture vote on the way the military should handle felony crimes was on March 6, 2014. Invoking cloture means 60 Senators or two-thirds is required for passage of a bill as opposed to the majority of Senators. The biggest opponents of the MJIA were former Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and former Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), both since voted out of the Senate and replaced by Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ). This pair of military officers are proponents of keeping the Chain of Command involved in the decision making process of adjudicating felony crime despite what the majority of military sexual assault survivors have asked for because the fear and retaliation continues. Meanwhile, the fight for military justice reform rages on. #PassMJIA

Related Links:
Inside Amy Schumer – A Very Realistic Military Game (YouTube)
Inside Amy Schumer – A Very Realistic Military Game (website)
Inside Amy Schumer: Military Video Game and Victim Blaming
Best of 2014: Inside Amy Schumer’s military rape sketch
The 11 Best Sketches from ‘Inside Amy Schumer’ Season 2
Amy Schumer Plays a Very Realistic Military Game (Trigger Warning)
Here’s Why You Don’t Want To Play A Female Character In A ‘Realistic’ Military Game
Amy Schumer Realizes Military Games Are Not Fun for Female Characters
15 feminist Amy Schumer sketches that will make you stand up and cheer
Amy Schumer’s Top 5 Feminist Comedy Sketches
The top 10 funniest sketches from ‘Inside Amy Schumer’
Amy Schumer: ‘I don’t try to be feminist. I just am. It’s innately inside me’
Amy Schumer Is A Feminist Icon & Here’s 5 Undeniable Reasons Why
5 jokes that explain how Amy Schumer became the new queen of comedy
Breathless: Why Amy Schumer Is an Amazing Feminist
Amy Schumer’s Call of Duty: The Comedic Art of Straddling the Line Between Humor and Hurt