Ex-Navy man fatally stabs girlfriend on Kaneohe street, then kills self

On September 18, 2010, Michael Thomas, Jr. 26, allegedly fatally stabbed his girlfriend Sydney Kline and assaulted her mother, then drove to the H-3 freeway where he jumped to his death.  The Honolulu Star Advertiser reported:

A 33-year-old woman was stabbed to death on a Kaneohe street early this afternoon, allegedly by her boyfriend who then drove up the H-3 freeway and jumped to his death, according to police.

Police said the couple argued last night and the woman left their residence on Kapunahala Road. The woman returned today with her mother to collect her belongings and an argument ensued.

KHON reported:

A 33 -year-old woman was stabbed multiple times outside her home following an argument with her boyfriend.

Police say the victim’s mom was also assaulted before the suspect drove off and killed himself a short distance away.  It happened around 12:30 on Kapunahala road.

Police say the victim and suspect got into a fight last night at their home and she left.  She then returned this afternoon with her mother to grab personal belongings and discovered items in the home had been damaged.

Apparently, Thomas had a criminal history, but what was not reported in the news was his military background.  The Honolulu Star Advertiser ran an obituary for Thomas on October 6, 2010:

Sept. 18, 2010
Michael Thomas Jr., 26, of Honolulu, a Commander Navy Region Hawaii engineer, died in Kaneohe. He was born in Honolulu. He is survived by sons Keaneu and Julian, parents Michael and Charisse, brother Jerome, hanai brother James Sanders and sisters Sabrina and Uilani Jones and Michelle Thomas. Services held.

This was the second murder-suicide in Hawaiʻi within a month. In both cases the alleged perpetrator were veterans.    The Honolulu Star Advertiser reported:

This is the second murder-suicide in a month on Oahu. On Aug. 20, Kristine Cass, 46, and her daughter Saundra, 13, were shot to death in their Makiki home by the mother’s former boyfriend, Clayborne Conley.

Conley, a former Hawaii National Guardsman with a history of violent behavior and mental instability, shot himself after killing the mother and daughter.

DoD Braces For Release of 400K Secret Reports

Military.com ran an article by Agence France-Presse about Wikileaks’ plans to release 400,000 additional classified military documents.   What’s most disturbing are the comments.

Air Force veteran Edward Leckey wrote “Put a hit on the Scumbag! He looks like the ideal Jail House Buddy (Smile)! I know that no one in the current Administration has the Huevous to do
anything about anything! Gotta be nicey, nice to everyone while they cut our throats!”

Another Air Force veteran Glenn Gardner wrote “What a pity if he had a fatal traffic accident.”
Timothy McDowell, active duty Air Force, wrote “i think a “black-op” mission is needed to take these wikilinks admins out of the game. how can they justify giving away all this info to anyone with internet access?”

This suggests that the  horrible atrocities committed by some U.S. troops are not simply “a few bad apples”.  We need to examine the rotten barrel; the military system reproduces a dehumanized/dehumanizing culture which fuels atrocities.

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http://www.military.com/news/article/dod-braces-for-release-of-400k-secret-reports.html?ESRC=eb.nl

DoD Braces For Release of 400K Secret Reports

October 18, 2010

Agence France-Presse

The Pentagon scoured through an Iraq war database Monday to prepare for potential fallout from an expected release by WikiLeaks of some 400,000 secret military reports.

The massive release, possibly early this week, is set to dwarf the whistleblower website’s publication of 77,000 classified U.S. military documents on the war in Afghanistan in July, including the names of Afghan informants and other details from raw intelligence reports. Another 15,000 are due out soon.

In order to prepare for the anticipated release of sensitive intelligence on the U.S.-led Iraq war, officials set up a 120-person task force several weeks ago to comb through the database and “determine what the possible impacts might be,” said Col. David Lapan, a Pentagon spokesman.

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Kaneohe Marine arrested in the stabbing of fellow Marine

Kaneohe Marine arrested in the stabbing of fellow Marine

By Star-Advertiser staff

POSTED: 09:38 p.m. HST, Oct 11, 2010

Police arrested a 21-year-old Kaneohe Marine on suspicion of attempted second-degree murder for allegedly stabbing a 27-year-old fellow Marine in Kailua early this morning.

Police said the younger man allegedly stabbed the older man with a knife at 2:56 a.m. following an argument at Aikahi Shopping Center.

Both Marines are lance corporals stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. The suspect serves in the infantry with Headquarters Company for the 3rd Marine Regiment.

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Army sergeant allegedly killed in fight near stip club

Police arrest Salt Lake man for alleged murder near strip club

Victim was a noncommissioned officer at Tripler

Detectives arrested a 23-year-old Salt Lake man this morning for investigation of second-degree murder in connection with an early morning fight Sunday that left a 35-year-old Army sergeant and father dead on Kapiolani Boulevard.

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Military man arrested for choking wife over crying baby

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/102354229.html

Fight over crying baby leads to alleged domestic violence

By Star-Advertiser Staff

POSTED: 06:40 a.m. HST, Sep 07, 2010

An argument over a crying baby escalated into violence and the arrest of a 28-year-old man in the Catlin Park military housing complex Sunday night, police said.

The fight started when a husband and wife argued over a four-month old baby left crying alone in a bed, police said. The argument led to a 26-year-old man allegedly choking his wife, police said. A nanny called 9-1-1 and officers arrested the man at about 12:35 a.m. Monday.

GIs Allegedly Plotted to Kill Civilians

http://www.military.com/news/article/gis-allegedly-plotted-to-kill-civilians.html?col=1186032320397

GIs Allegedly Plotted to Kill Civilians

Spc. Jeremy Morlock

August 25, 2010

Seattle Times

Last December, Army Staff Sgt. Calvin Gibbs began joking with other Soldiers about how easy it would be to “toss a grenade” at Afghan civilians and kill them, according to statements made by fellow platoon members to military investigators.

One Soldier said it was a stupid idea. Another believed that Gibbs was “feeling out the platoon.”

Others told investigators Gibbs eventually turned the talk into action, forming what one called a “kill team” to carry out random executions of Afghans.

In one of the most serious war-crimes cases to emerge from the Afghanistan war, five Soldiers from a Stryker infantry brigade based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord are now charged with murder for their alleged roles in killing three Afghan civilians.

In two of the incidents, grenades were thrown at the victims and they were shot, according to charging documents. The third victim also was shot.

The Soldiers allegedly killed the three Afghans while out on patrol, and anyone who dared to report the events was threatened with violence, according to statements made to investigators.

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Who pulled Conley’s trigger? – Violent Cases In Hawaii Involving PTSD Patients Likely To Increase

The recent apparent double-murder-suicide by former National Guardsman Clayborne Conley, who suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, underscores the human cost of the wars.

Conley may have pulled the trigger that killed Kristine Cass, Saundra Cass and himself, but who pulled Conley’s trigger?  And will they be held accountable?

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http://www.kitv.com/news/24715677/detail.html

Violent Cases In Hawaii Involving PTSD Patients Likely To Increase

From Those Who Deal With PTSD Soldiers: ‘We Could See More Incidents’

POSTED: 4:46 pm HST August 21, 2010

HONOLULU — According to those who work with the military, violent acts involving PTSD patients are a national trend and Hawaii is not immune.

Clayborne Conley,43, was a former Hawaii Army National Guardsman with the 29th Infantry Brigade.

“The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are very different than wars in the past because 30 percent of the troops are National Guard and reserve soldiers who are at higher risk for mental health conditions like PTSD or other types of injuries, like traumatic brain injury,” said Foster.

“We have to assume that war changes people. We need to assume that coming back with a traumatic brain injury or diagnosed with PTSD is very likely and look immediately for those tell tale signs and provide support services and counseling even if the symptoms are not full blown,” said Foster.

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Makiki double-murder-suicide: More details emerge about killer’s military background

The Honolulu Star Advertiser article today reveals more information about Clayborne Conley’s military background, his post-traumatic stress disorder, and his violent, troubled past. Here are some excerpts from the story:

Friends identified the shooter as Clayborne Conley, a former Hawaii National Guardsman with a history of violent behavior and mental instability.

Conley was deployed with his Hawaii unit to Iraq in 2004, and friends said he struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Conley and Cass met late last year, Tsai said, and the two dated off and on before Cass recently called it off.

Court records show Conley has had several run-ins with the law, including misdemeanor charges for assault, terroristic threatening and violating a TRO.

In 2009 Conley was acquitted by reason of insanity of first-degree burglary and second-degree charges relating to a January 2007 incident at a Ward Avenue apartment building.

He was committed to the Hawaii State Hospital in April 2009 and placed on conditional release seven months later.

IN THE PHONE conversation with Cass on the night before she died, Tsai applauded her friend’s decision to get a TRO against Conley. Tsai told Cass, “He’s going to wind up saying, ‘If I can’t have you, no one can.'”

Tsai said Conley suffered a traumatic brain injury in Iraq and was diagnosed later with PTSD.

She said he appeared to be struggling, after a period of improvement. Other friends agreed.

Bill Sage, who does voice-overs for radio and television, knew the couple and said Conley recently complained of feeling depressed.

Sage said the former soldier was in an outpatient program for PTSD at Tripler Army Medical Center but was not regularly attending his treatment sessions.

CONLEY WAS a member of the 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, said Lt. Col. Chuck Anthony, National Guard spokesman.

In a 2005 post on the Give2TheTroops website, Conley wrote an e-mail from Baghdad, thanking the group for a care package. “The tuna was great – 40 hungry Hawaiians gobbled it up in about five minutes,” he said.

Conley identified himself as a “weekend warrior” with the Hawaii Army National Guard and a former active-duty Ranger in Washington. He said he joined the guard after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

In the post, Conley also said he had two children and a wife, to whom he had been married for 17 years.

Conley’s unit returned from a yearlong deployment to Iraq in 2005, and he was discharged from the Guard more than three years ago. Anthony could not provide Conley’s exact discharge date or say whether he was honorably discharged.

Anthony also said he could not release details on whether Conley was undergoing treatment at Tripler.

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE

Iraq/Afghanistan vet apparently murdered a woman and her 13-year old daughter then killed himself

At around 1:00 am this morning in Makiki, neighbors were awoken by breaking glass, a barking dog, and gunshots.  A woman shouted “No, no, help, help, no!”, more gunshots.  A man’s voice.  A gunshot, then an eerie silence.

A woman, teenage girl and a man were found dead by gunshot wounds in an apparent double murder suicide.    The murder victims were Christine Cass and her 13-year old daughter Saundra Cass, an eighth grader at Sacred Hearts School.

According to KHON news, “Friends identified the shooter as 43-year old Clayborne Conley, who met Christine several months ago. Conley had served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.”

KHON reports that Conley was pursuing a relationship with Cass.  Apparently, he visited her workplace  unannounced several times in the last few weeks and had visited  her house earlier in the day.

This is one of the human costs of the wars.  But Christine, Saundra and Clayborne will not be counted among the casualties of those wars.

No charges in baby’s death a year later

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20100820_No_justice_for_Brayden.html

No justice for Brayden

After almost a year, an investigation of the boy’s death has not been concluded, frustrating his mother

By William Cole

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Aug 20, 2010

Nearly a year ago, 14-month-old Brayden Elizah McVeigh, son of a Navy diver stationed at Pearl Harbor, died from brain injury caused by “abusive head trauma,” according to the city Medical Examiner’s Office and family.

The manner in which the little boy with sandy blond hair and blue eyes died was listed as homicide.

It was a tragic end to a short life with other injuries — but as yet, there have been no charges in the case, the Navy said.

At 5 weeks old the boy suffered a broken arm, and Child Protective Services placed Brayden and his 2-year-old sister, Brodi, in foster care for five months, according to the autopsy report.

April McVeigh, the boy’s mother, said babysitters told Navy investigators that they saw bruises on Brayden. He once had a black eye, she said.

The boy’s mother and father, Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew McVeigh, who worked with a SEAL team, were with the boy on Sept. 18 at their Ford Island home when he was found unresponsive, reports and family members state.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service said this week that the boy’s death is being investigated as a homicide, but April McVeigh, 30, who is divorcing her 26-year-old husband, complains that charges should have been forthcoming earlier.

She said the Navy told her charges would be filed in February against her husband, but month after month, no arrest was made.

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