It has been over a year since we lost Daniel. On February 28, 2020, we were devastated when the Suffolk County Grand Jury issued a No Bill and did …
“Truth will come to light…At length the truth will out.” William Shakespeare
Tag Archives: Violent Crime
Report of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee (November 6, 2020)
Fort Hood Independent Review:
“Former Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy and the five civilian members of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee unveiled the results of a three-month examination of the command climate and culture at Fort Hood and the surrounding military community on Dec. 8, 2020.”
“The independent review, which was directed by former Secretary McCarthy, arose from the questions and concerns voiced by family members, Congress, and various Hispanic advocacy groups during the investigation into the disappearance and murder of Spc. Vanessa Guillén.”
“The committee examined the command climate and culture at Fort Hood and the surrounding military community to determine whether they reflect the Army’s commitment to safety, respect, inclusiveness, diversity, and freedom from sexual harassment.”
“Committee members Chris Swecker, Jonathan Harmon, Carrie Ricci, Queta Rodriguez and Jack White conducted a two-week fact-finding mission to the Texas base, meeting with unit leaders, Soldiers, members of the Guillén family, local officials, law enforcement and community groups.”
“The 136-page Report of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee offers findings and recommendations intended to benefit Fort Hood and the entire Army. In response, the former Secretary McCarthy has taken significant measures to hold leaders accountable at Fort Hood, instituted a new policy on missing Soldiers and formed the People First Task Force to map out a plan to tackle issues identified in the report.”
Read more here.
Related Links:
Important @Military_Crime Links (Linktree)
Trends in Active-Duty Military Deaths Since 2006
Fort Hood Independent Review (Official Army website)
Research Reveals Pattern of Suspicious Deaths & Cover-up at Fort Hood (Sep. 11, 2020)
Report of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee (November 6, 2020)
Report of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee (November 6, 2020)
15 Things Every American Should Know About the Fort Hood Report
MLP Hearing: “Military Criminal Investigative Organization Reform Recommendations
Fort Hood’s toxic culture? Red flags raised over mysterious disappearances, sexual assaults
Army Soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas Are Dying at Alarming Rates Stateside (Jan. 1, 2016 to Present)
Washington D.C. Veteran’s Presentation on the Current Status of the Armed Forces at Fort Hood in Texas (December 12, 2017)
1st AD, Fort Bliss change command: Maj. Gen. Pat White takes ‘Old Ironsides’ helm
Never Forgotten: The Fort Hood Fallen (2016)
Military.com: Army Street Gang Activity Is Increasing, Internal Report Shows (August 17, 2020)

“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.”
Related Links:
FY2018 Army Crime Report
Gangs in the Military: Armed and Dangerous Forces (December 23, 2010)
‘Gangs and the Military: Gangsters, Bikers, and Terrorists with Military Training’ by Carter F. Smith Released (September 15, 2017)
Military Murder Podcast Featured the Suspicious Death of Fort Campbell Army Pfc. Lavena Johnson in Balad, Iraq (July 27, 2020)
“Lavena Johnson was a smart, witty woman, born and raised in Missouri. Her senior year of high school she decided she would join the Army in an effort to not burden her parents with out of state tuition for college. Although Dr. Johnson (Lavena’s dad), begged her not to join the Army – she did so anyway. She thought the Army was a good deal – you serve your country a few years and then you get 4 years of college paid! Recruiters promised her she would likely not deploy, even though in 2004 there was an uptick in deployed troops.”
Listen to Ep 40: Did Lavena Johnson commit suicide? on the Military Murder Podcast here.
Related Links:
Ep40: Did Lavena Johnson commit suicide? | Military Murder Podcast
Non Combat Deaths of Female Service Members in the U.S. Military (Iraq)
Army Pfc. LaVena Johnson Died of Non Combat Related Injuries in Iraq; Death Ruled Suicide But Independent Investigation Revealed Rape & Murder (July 19, 2005)
‘The Silent Truth’ Documentary: The Rape, Murder & Military Cover-Up of Army Pfc. LaVena Johnson in Iraq (July 1, 2014)
The Generation Why Podcast Featured the Suspicious Death of Army Pfc. LaVena Johnson in Balad, Iraq: Was It Suicide or Murder? (November 19, 2017)
The Strange & Unexplained: ‘The Biggest Suspicious Unsolved Military Mysteries’ (August 15, 2018)
Crime Junkie Podcast Featured the Suspicious Deaths of LaVena Johnson & Tina Priest in ‘Conspiracy: Women in the US Military’ (October 22, 2018)
Seven Intriguing True Crime Podcasts Spotlighting Active Duty Military Suicide, Missing, and Murder Cases
15 Active Duty Cases That Beg for Prevention Efforts, Military Justice Reform, and the End of the Feres Doctrine
15 Movies & Documentaries That Expose the Broken Military Justice System
Open Letter to House of Representatives in Support of an Independent Investigation of the Murder of Vanessa Guillen at Fort Hood (July 7, 2020)
Army Soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas Are Dying at Alarming Rates Stateside (January 1, 2016 to Present): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5oF
Dear Rep. Jared Golden,
I write to you as a victim of crime in the military and as a military crime historian. I have researched the US military’s crime problems for the last 10 years and have documented as much as humanly possible on my Military Justice for All website. I have over 1000 cases of suspicious deaths, homicide and missing cases. Fort Hood has been problematic for years. I visited both Senator Collins and Senator King in DC to warn them about the problems at Fort Hood in December 2017 and to ask them for their help. It fell on deaf ears. Much like Vanessa Guillen, I too was afraid to report sexual harassment and sexual assault for fear of retaliation. I didn’t report until my supervisor in the Chain of Command attempted to force himself on me. Prior to this incident, I experienced daily sexual harassment and he would give me assignments that isolated me so he could do it with no witnesses.
Rep. Sylvia Garcia is asking that the DoD IG do an investigation of the circumstances that led up to the murder of Vanessa Guillen at Fort Hood. I am asking you to support her and all of our service members by adding your name to the list of representatives who support these efforts. Fort Hood leadership has failed time and time again and it’s due time that someone take a look at this problematic base. It’s a sad day when we lose 133 servicemembers stateside to violent crime, suicide, and training accidents compared to 2 combat deaths and 4 insider attacks overseas since 2016.
I also ask that you support legislation such as the Military Justice Improvement Act to give our service members a chance to report unsafe situations to an independent authority outside the Chain of Command. As long as service members are fearful of retaliation (which is very real and the reason I have compounded PTSD), we will continue to see high rates of PTSD, murder and suicide on military bases. According to authorities, Vanessa Guillen was murdered because she was planning on reporting someone she worked with for adultery, and this same individual may also have been sexually harassing her. It is unclear at this time who sexually harassed her but she told her family she was scared and feared reporting the sexual harassment to the Chain of Command because it wasn’t taken seriously and she feared retaliation.
Over the years, I have realized that most don’t realize what it’s like to be enlisted and this still rings true. Imagine how powerless we feel as lower enlisted when someone higher ranking than us can literally get away with crime because they are part of the reporting mechanism or they simply don’t care. While Congress sits on their hands, veterans are flocking to the VA to file PTSD claims and military families are grieving the loss of their loved ones whether it be by murder or suicide. I understand why someone might take their own life when they feel trapped and have no way out.
Please do the right thing and support Rep. Garcia, Rep. Speier and Senator Gillibrand.
Sincerely,
Air Force Veteran

Find your Representative here.
Senators Cruz, Gillibrand, Grassley Offer Bipartisan Military Justice Improvement Act as Amendment to Defense Bill (July 2, 2020)
Find contact information and how your Senators voted here.
Contact the SASC & HASC Members here.
“U.S. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and I recently announced that we will offer the bipartisan Military Justice Improvement Act as an amendment to this year’s National Defense Authorization Act. The Military Justice Improvement Act would professionalize how the military prosecutes serious crimes by moving the decision over whether to prosecute them to independent, trained, professional military prosecutors.
Despite years of Congressional reforms, thousands of service members are raped and sexually assaulted every year. In many of those cases, the assailant is someone in the survivor’s own chain of command. Only a small fraction of the perpetrators are ever held accountable for their violent crimes. Last year, the Department of Defense announced a record number of sexual assaults reported by or against service members, and yet, less than 10 percent of cases considered for command action ever proceeded to trial. Worse yet, despite repeated efforts to stamp out the scourge of retaliation against military sexual assault survivors, the most recent Pentagon survey found that 64 percent of survivors say they have experienced some form of retaliation for reporting the crime. That figure is statistically unchanged from 2016.”
Read more here.
SASC: Senate Armed Services Committee
HASC: House Armed Services Committee
Related Links:
Chair Jackie Speier NDAA Provisions Address Military Sexual Assault, Intimate Partner Violence, Racial Justice, Ethics, Military Families, and DoD Oversight and Modernization (July 2, 2020)
Sens. Cruz, Gillibrand, Grassley Offer Bipartisan Military Justice Improvement Act as Amendment to Defense Bill (July 2, 2020)
S. 1789: Military Justice Improvement Act of 2019 Reintroduced by Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York (June 13, 2019)
Senate Armed Services Committee Members & House Armed Services Committee Members (June 21, 2019)
Military Policy and Legislation Considerations for the Investigations of Non Combat Death, Homicide, and Suicide of US Service Members
15 Active Duty Cases That Beg for Prevention Efforts, Military Justice Reform, and the End of the Feres Doctrine
Washington D.C. Veteran’s Presentation on the Current Status of the Armed Forces at Fort Hood in Texas (December 12, 2017)
Army Soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas Are Dying at Alarming Rates Stateside (January 1, 2016 to Present)
August: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report from September 11, 2001 to Present (August 31, 2017)
September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report from September 11, 2001 to Present (September 30, 2017)
Non Combat Deaths of Female Service Members in the U.S. Military (Iraq)
Non Combat Deaths of Female Soldiers in the US Military (Afghanistan)
Non Combat Deaths of Female Soldiers in the US Military (Other Areas)
Federal Criminal Complaint for Cecily Ann Aguilar, U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas (July 2, 2020)
Fort Hood Army Pfc. Brandon Rosecrans Found Fatally Shot Four Miles From Burning Jeep in Harker Heights, Texas; Two Arrested & Charged (May 18, 2020)

Pfc. Brandon Rosecrans, U.S. Army
Fort Hood Army Pfc. Brandon Scott Rosecrans, 27, of Kimberling City, Missouri, was found dead on the southern edge of Harker Heights, Texas on May 18, 2020. Brandon Rosecrans’ was a shooting victim and his body was found along Fuller Lane just north of the western end of Stillhouse Hollow Lake. His orange-colored 2016 Jeep Renegade was discovered on fire about four miles from his body. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Harker Heights Fire Marshal. Pfc. Rosecrans served as a quartermaster and chemical equipment repairer with the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division since November 2018. Pfc. Rosecrans enlisted in the Army in May 2018.
Harker Heights, Texas, Police Chief Phillip Gadd reported that following a preliminary investigation, they’ve determined that Brandon Rosecrans died from a gunshot wound and that his death was being investigated as a murder. The murder and arson investigations are being run concurrently by the Harker Height’s police and fire departments and the U.S. Army CID. According to the Army CID, the Harker Heights Police Department is the lead investigative agency for Brandon Rosecrans’ death. Anyone with information, “no matter how insignificant it may seem,” is asked to come forward and contact Army CID, the military police or their local law enforcement agency.
“The Harker Heights Police Criminal Investigation Division is asking anyone with information about this murder to contact them at 254-953-5400. Individuals may also provide information to Crime Stoppers at 254-526-TIPS (8477) or go online at www.bellcountycrimestoppers.com. All information is confidential and anonymous and if your tip leads to the arrest of the person(s) responsible, you could be eligible to receive a reward up to $1,000 in cash.” -Harker Heights PD Press Release (May 19, 2020)
Brandon Olivares Estrellia “Star” Falcon
On August 5th, 2020, Brandon Olivares was charged with the murder of Brandon Rosecrans. Estrellia “Star” Falcon was charged with using Rosecran’s Jeep & hindering prosecution. See media updates and affidavit below.
In the News:
Man found dead in Harker Heights identified as Fort Hood soldier Pfc. Brandon Rosecrans -KWKT FOX44 (May 20, 2020)
Digital First Video: Parents of Brandon Rosecrans -KOLR10 News (May 28, 2020)
Army Pfc. Brandon Rosecrans’ Funeral in Kimberling City
Pfc. Brandon Rosecrans Funeral -KOLR10 News (June 2, 2020)
His vehicle was found on fire 15 mins after he was found about 4 miles away. Let help get brandon justice. His reward is only 1000 it needs upped. Also his service if you want to pay your respect and watch. -A thin line between Love and homicide (June 29, 2020)
Pfc. Brandon Rosecrans was found dead near his burning Jeep a short drive from the base, killed by a gunshot wound. Police and Army investigators are now investigating the death as a possible murder. -Military Times (July 1, 2020)
Brandon Michael Olivares was charged with the murder of Brandon Rosecrans and had a bond set at $1 million. -KCEN News (August 6, 2020)
A Killeen couple is in jail after Pfc. Brandon Rosecrans, a 27-year-old Fort Hood soldier, was murdered in May. KTBC FOX 7 Austin (August 19, 2020)
Press Releases:

Fort Hood Press Center Press Release for Pfc. Brandon Rosecrans (Editor’s Note: Fort Hood will delete this press release, hence the reason it’s been preserved)

Harker Heights Police Department Press Release for Brandon Rosecrans
Affidavit for Brandon Olivares (August 5, 2020)
Related Links:
Death of a Fort Hood Soldier (Fort Hood Press Center)
Harker Heights Police Department – Posts | Facebook
Police identify shooting victim found dead along local road
Man found dead in Harker Heights identified as Fort Hood soldier
Fort Hood soldier found shot dead near burning Jeep
Fort Hood soldier found shot in the head inside burning car, police say
Man found dead in Harker Heights identified as Fort Hood soldier
Man found dead in Harker Heights identified as Fort Hood soldier
Man killed in Harker Heights Monday identified as Fort Hood soldier
Fort Hood soldier found shot dead miles from his vehicle burning near Texas base
Fort Hood soldier found shot to death two minutes after car found engulfed in flames
Fort Hood soldier found shot to death and vehicle burned identified by US Army
Soldier from Kimberling City killed in Texas shooting
Video: Fort Hood soldier’s death investigated as a homicide
Fort Hood soldier found shot to death and vehicle burned identified by US Army
Harker Heights police investigating shooting death of Fort Hood soldier as murder
Texas authorities investigating death of soldier from Kimberling City, Mo.
Parents of Kimberling City soldier open up about their son’s murder, legacy
Ep31. MISSING x2: Missing in Fort Hood (Vanessa Guillen & Gregory Morales) | Military Murder Podcast
Army Soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas Are Dying at Alarming Rates Stateside (January 1, 2016 to Present)
The Murder of Vanessa Guillen and the Unsolved Homicides of Fort Hood
What Is Happening At Fort Hood? – Missing People In America
Man found dead in Harker Heights identified as Fort Hood soldier
Soldiers Funeral in Kimberling City
Fort Hood Soldier’s death investigated as a homicide
Digital First Video: Parents of Brandon Rosecrans
Pfc. Brandon Rosecrans Funeral | KOLR10 News
PFC Brandon Scott Rosecrans found shot on the side of the road shot
Man arrested for murder of Fort Hood soldier who was found dead on the side of the road
Cell phone pings, neighborhood videos, burned Jeep key used to catch Fort Hood soldier’s killer, affidavit says
Texas man shot Fort Hood soldier over gun sale dispute and local woman helped afterward, affidavits say
Slain soldier was shot 4 times at close range, affidavit says
Slain soldier was shot 4 times at close range, perhaps while asleep, affidavit says
Killeen couple had roles in killing, dumping body of Fort Hood soldier, affidavits say
Murder suspect tried to blame others for death of Ft. Hood soldier, police say
Police: Murder suspect tried to blame others for death of Ft. Hood soldier
Military Justice for All (@Military_Crime) Links on Instagram
MJFA on Social:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/militaryjusticeforall
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/military_crime
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/@military_crime
Email: militaryjusticeforall@gmail.com
WGLRO Radio welcomes Jen Norris the Donny Walker morning show 8-25 2020 Tuesday
Non Combat Deaths of Female Service Members in the U.S. Military (Other Areas)
Non Combat Deaths of Female Soldiers in the US Military (Afghanistan)
Update on the Military Justice Improvement Act (September 20, 2013)
A List of Soldiers Targeted & Murdered for Military Survivor and Life Insurance Benefits (SGLI)
30 Domestic Abuse Cases in the Military That Ended in the Murder of Female Partners
Under the Sabers: The Unwritten Code of Army Wives by Tanya Biank (February 7, 2006)
Army Street Gang Activity Is Increasing, Internal Report Shows (Military.com, August 17, 2020)
Gangs in the Military: Armed and Dangerous Forces (December 23, 2010)
Violent Crime, Suicide & Non Combat Death at Fort Campbell, Kentucky (US Army)
Non Combat Deaths of Female Service Members in the U.S. Military (Iraq)
15 Movies & Documentaries That Expose the Broken Military Justice System
Stars and Stripes: Why is Fort Hood the Army’s Most Crime-Ridden Post? (August 21, 2020)
Army 2nd Lt. Andrew Hunt Found Unresponsive at Fort Hood, Texas Residence (September 13, 2016)
WGLRO Radio welcomes Jen Norris the Donny Walker morning show 8-25 2020 Tuesday
Slain Marine: The Murder of Maria Lauterbach | Mountain Murders Podcast
History: Oscar-Winning Actor Robin Williams Dies at 63 (August 11, 2014)
They did not survive… (photo album on Military Justice for All Facebook page)
Fort Hood soldier dies in boating accident, marking 5th soldier death within months
Interstate Stalking | U.S. Department of Justice
Seven Unsolved Homicide Cases Affiliated with Fort Hood (January 1, 2016 to Present)
Ep. 69: What’s Happening at Fort Hood? (Stitcher) | Creep It Real Podcast
The U.S. Military Recruited Violent Felons to Support the War Efforts
FBI: Seeking Information on Army Pfc. Amanda Gonzales Homicide in Hanau, Germany
Nearly 20 years later, family still seeking answers to local soldier’s murder (KBTX, July 13, 2020)
Who Murdered Pregnant Pfc. Amanda Gonzales? (Philosophy of Crime, December 13, 2018)
Army offers reward to solve case (Temple Daily Telegram, December 14, 2008)
Vanguard Analysis: Suspicious Deaths of Women in the U.S. Military
Deadly Women: 30 Military and Veteran Homicide Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery
History: Cannibal and Serial Killer Jeffrey Dahmer is Caught (July 22, 1991)
History: Jessica Lynch Gets Hero’s Welcome (July 22, 2003)
Dear Vanessa Guillen… (June 30, 2020)
The Other Side: A Review of Ethical Misconduct in the Military Legal System (SOFREP, July 19, 2020)
The war in Congress over rape in the military, explained (Vox, June 8, 2016)
Rube Goldberg and Military Justice (Eugene Fidell, Just Security, April 6, 2020)
Unsolved Homicide: Fort Hood Army Spc. Shelby Jones Died of Gunshot Wound at Mickey’s Convenience Store in Killeen, Texas; Shot at Nearby Night Club (March 1, 2020)

Spc. Shelby Jones, U.S. Army
Fort Hood Army Spc. Shelby Tyler Jones, 20, was shot at a night club near the post and discovered dead about a half a mile away at Mickey’s Convenience Store in Killeen, Texas in the early morning hours of March 1, 2020. According to a press release issued by the Killeen Police Department, officers immediately began performing life-saving measures while they waited for emergency medical services to arrive. Shelby Jones succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by Justice of the Peace Daryl Peters. Peters ordered an autopsy to be performed at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas, Texas. During the Killeen PD investigation, they determined the shooting happened about 40 minutes earlier at Club Dreams. Police are still searching for the shooter, but they said they are investigating Jones’ death as a homicide.
Shelby Jones served in the U.S. Army for almost three years. He and his wife resided in Temple, Texas, while he served at nearby Ft. Hood. He is survived by his wife, parents, and two siblings. According to a Fort Hood press release, Spc. Jones is from Jena, Louisiana and entered the Army after high school in May 2017 as a cavalry scout. He joined Fort Hood’s 3rd Cavalry Regiment in August 2018 and deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve from May 2018 to January 2019. Homicide detectives determined that Jones was shot at Club Dreams on S. Fort Hood Street and are asking anyone who was at the club that night and may have seen anything or have information to contact Detective Uvalle at 254-501-8854 or the Bell County Crime Stoppers at 254-526-TIPS (8477).
“We are asking anyone who may have seen anything or has information about this murder, to contact Crime Stoppers at 254-526-TIPS (8477) or go online at http://www.bellcountycrimestoppers.com. You can also download the P3Tips App for IOS or Android and give an anonymous tip. All information is confidential and anonymous and if your tip leads to the arrest of the person(s) responsible, you could be eligible to receive a reward up to $1,000 in cash.” –Killeen PD Press Release
Press Releases:

Killeen Police Department Press Release for Shelby Jones (March 1, 2020)

Fort Hood Press Release for Death of Shelby Tyler Jones (screenshot of press release because Fort Hood will delete this)
Related Links:
Obituary: Shelby Jones
Killeen Police Investigate a Murder
Death of a Fort Hood Soldier – Fort Hood Press Center
KPD investigating early morning homicide
20-Year-Old Dead in Killeen Shooting
20-Year-Old Dead in Killeen Shooting
Killeen homicide stemmed from shooting at nightclub
Killeen Man Gunned Down at Convenience Store on S. Ft. Hood Road
Fort Hood soldier killed at a Texas strip club
Fort Hood soldier shot at Killeen strip club, later died
Brave Rifles soldier was shot at strip club before his death
Recent homicide victim was Army soldier, Fort Hood officials say
Recent homicide victim was Army soldier, Fort Hood officials say
Killeen: Man found dead at convenience store was shot at strip club
Recent homicide victim was Army soldier, Fort Hood officials say
Recent homicide victim was Army soldier, Fort Hood officials say
Man shot to death at night club in Killeen found at convenience store, police looking for suspect
Fort Hood soldier one of three victims found shot dead at Texas apartment
Killeen police investigating shooting death in southwest Killeen
Killeen Police seek information following deadly shooting
KPD Homicide Unit Seeks Your Help with Murder Investigation
Fort Hood Soldier’s murder brings unsolved cases to light
Fort Hood soldier’s murder brings unsolved cases to forefront
The Murder of Vanessa Guillen and the Unsolved Homicides of Fort Hood
What Is Happening At Fort Hood? – Missing People In America
Army Soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas Are Dying at Alarming Rates Stateside (January 1, 2016 to Present)