His rudeness annoyed her. His use of alcohol was of even greater concern. No one could tell me who the escapee was, or what they had escaped from, but Cumberland County dropped all charges against Lavigne. In light of this disturbing trend, the letter reads, we write seeking a full understanding of the pattern of overdoses., Sen. Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts who has sponsored a number of bills to combat the opioid epidemic, is spearheading the oversight effort. Nobody would listen., My son was the most honest, loyal, patriotic person, she continues. Billy joined Special Forces in 2006, became a Green Beret, and over the next decade averaged about one deployment a year. Get Cool Gear & Fund STN Lavigne, who was divorced and had a succession of girlfriends, loved being a dad, Nicole says. They are ghosts. Daddy started walking towards Uncle Billy, and Uncle Billy started shooting him. Tom Sizemore, Heat and Saving Private Ryan Actor, Dead at 61 The Army is failing to keep soldiers combat-ready, and this is evidenced by the militarys own medical surveillance system. That number is significantly more than at any other U.S. military base, despite Fort Hood and Fort Bliss having had freakishly violent years of their own. Weve been looking for him all day. Isaiah Danfort Nakita Burns Terrance Washington Dwight Hogans Sr . He sped off from the scene and was charged with a hit-and-run. In January 2022, attorneys Thomas Renz and Leigh Dundas retrieved the DMED data from military whistleblowers, Drs. William Edward Lemos June 2, 2022 (72 years old) He kind of represented himself as an SF operator, she says, though he was just a logistics guy. The Army still doesn't have answers in a 2020 Fort Bragg beheading case The island is small, with few trees and a thick crowd of people that weekend. His death was ruled a homicide. The U.S. Army and Fort Bragg refuse to investigate or report on the surge in deaths, disrespecting the soldiers and their families. Maybe. The discovery of Lavignes and Dumas bodies also raised hard questions for local law enforcement in Fayetteville, which may be home to Fort Bragg, the largest Army base in the U.S., but remains a relatively small Southern town, whose red-brick historical center, built around a white clock tower, quickly gives way to the strip-mall sprawl of discount supermarkets, hamburger drive-throughs, gun stores, and Baptist churches. What is known is that on December 22nd, Sarah dialed 911 and fled to a neighbors house. Nicole and her husband also had small children. Did he struggle with drugs, alcohol, cocaine, tramadol? Send us a tip using our anonymous form. The bases spokesman, Col. Joe Buccino, acknowledged that illegal drug use seems to have been a common factor in all of the homicides that involved Fort Bragg soldiers, but emphasized that all but one of the killings pertained to the special-forces units at Fort Bragg, which he could not speak for. But the Army isnt giving any, Illustration by Mike McQuade for Rolling Stone. He changed dramatically in a short period of time, says his father, who came from Michigan to stay with him after the shooting. The Commander-in-Chief, the Secretary of Defense, the Department of Defense(DoD) and the highest-ranking commanders are culpable for unlicensed medical malpractice and mass murder, and must be held responsible for their unethical actions of coercion and discrimination, which were used to force dangerous experiments on soldiers that injured, sickened, disabled and killed many. Only his severed head had been found. The authorities have kept completely mum. He was repeatedly arrested for possession of untaxed liquor, failure to return rented property, and permitting a minor to consume alcohol. Accidental? I dont know any soldier who has done the tours he had done that doesnt., That was certainly the case with Lavigne. Updated: Mar 26, 2022 / 11:17 PM EDT. Five days ago, an early morning shooting along Highway 20 resulted in the death of 52-year-old Fort Bragg man Daniel Martin Shealor. What followed has never been adequately explained. One of the military doctors testified:It is my professional opinion that the major increases incidences of the above discussed instances of miscarriages, cancers, and disease were due to COVID-19 vaccinations.. More Biden corruption. She shows me the brief clip on her phone. Fort Bragg stopped reporting the fatalities after June 2021, but the bodies continue to pile up. He was two years younger than Lavigne and had recently completed Special Forces selection, a rugged, punishing Fort Bragg program known as the Q-course. Mertle JR, William Schroeder "Bill" Fort Bragg, CA . We look to the Greatest Commandment as our Powering force. Night had fallen, and the suburban cul-de-sac was lit up by emergency lights. Could these deaths indicate a surge in suicides and overdoses? Estella thought he was joking. Cloaked in secrecy and sloshing with money, JSOC has operational control over the most elite commando units of each of the major service branches, including the Navys SEAL Team 6 and the Armys Delta Force, which it uses to carry out the nations most politically risky, no-fail missions, like the killing of Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, the emir of the Islamic State, in 2019. FORT BRAGG, N.C. (WNCN) - A U.S. Army Special Operations Command soldier was found unresponsive inside a parked vehicle on Friday in Fayetteville, Fort Bragg officials announced Saturday. Lavigne was entitled to a variety of due process protections. Samuel Sigoloff, Peter Chambers and Theresa Long. Its the last thing we spoke about.. The report, released in early 2020, was mostly a whitewash, full of vague language about improving leadership and accountability. Could these deaths indicate a surge in suicides and overdoses? On a half dozen occasions since 2014, a Navy SEAL or a Green Beret has pleaded guilty to heavy-duty narcotics charges. CID rejects any notion that anything but a complete and unbiased investigation was conducted, Grey says. He was still a very active, decorated soldier.. . Trial dates for the soldiers vary, beginning on May 31 for Becerra and ending with Cochell's trial, which is scheduled for Sept. 26 to 29. Appropriate adverse action, which was previously initiated in response to substantiated misconduct, was being finalized at the time of Master Sgt. Well, I got 120.. Fort Bragg Obituaries | Local Obits for Fort Bragg, CA - Legacy I thought it was guns because he would talk about all the parts he had access to, and all the guns he could get., At the time, Ballard had recently left the Navy and had yet to join the police or become a detective. He was the rock in my life. He doesnt believe the story told by the other six campers that Roman-Martinez simply wandered off at night, leaving his phone, wallet, and glasses behind in the tent. The expos highlights the story of Matthew Disney, who was a 20-year-old soldier stationed at Fort Bragg. Its real strange, says Bill Lavigne Sr., father of the slain Delta Force soldier, that something like this can go on at Fort Bragg, and nobody seems to know nothing. Return Policy Want to share news with us? In January 2022, attorneys Thomas Renz and Leigh Dundas retrieved the DMED data from military whistleblowers, Drs. Figure 2. Last year, at least 39 Fort Hood soldiers died or went missing. He told the county investigator that Leshikar had come at him with a screwdriver, leaving him no choice but to shoot in self-defense, supposedly for the protection of the children. He expressed political disagreements with Leshikar, who was of the opinion that the United States ought to nuke the Middle East and be done with it. We would appreciate anyone, says Shelley Lynch, an FBI spokeswoman, who may have information about where the men were in the hours before their bodies were found to contact us. The FBI released a photo of Dumas truck, a dark-blue 2015 Dodge Ram, which was found abandoned in another location. They also released a better photo of him. This is a previous edition of the Homicide Tracker. He had served 19 years in the Army, including time in the 7th Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, but as a property book officer, a glorified supply sergeant. And there have been several murders in the last few years around Fort Bragg with apparent links to drug-trafficking by elite soldiers, or distribution networks run by ordinary enlisted men in the 82nd. Some of the tough questions he and the other four senators posed to Secretary Austin included: Fort Bragg is the Armys largest and most important facility, the home of the 82nd Airborne Division, the Special Forces, and the Joint Special Operations Command, including the covert Delta Force. Drugs were in involved in the deaths of Joshua Diamon and Matthew Disney. All of that has a cumulative effect., A damaged soul plagued by mental torment, and also more thoughtful, more introverted than his Delta Force teammates, is how Nicole describes Lavigne. Related The data was provided to Senator Ron Johnson at a historic round table meeting with doctors and lawyers. Were still looking into it.. I think Billy was dealing with his own demons, she says. She met him in 2013, when she and her husband moved to North Carolina and answered a rental ad he had posted for a small brick house on Barrett Street, an uncurbed strip of asphalt just off the town square. It did cite, however, what it described as an unhealthy sense of entitlement among special operators. JANET BARON OBITUARY. Fish ate them, says his sister (above at her brothers funeral and on the beach where his remains were found). A small boy about waist high is dancing next to a laundry hamper to music from the television. The data was provided to Senator Ron Johnson at a historic round table meeting with doctors and lawyers. A total of 21 deaths in the two years ending December 2021 can likely to attributed to drug overdoses, according to Rolling Stone. Green Beret Mark Leshikar (left, and at right, with tattoos) was shot and killed by his best friend and fellow special-forces soldier Billy Lavigne (far right), in an inexplicable, drug-fueled altercation witnessed by the two mens young daughters. Appropriate adverse action, which was previously initiated in response to substantiated misconduct, was being finalized at the time of Master Sgt. Fort Bragg cannot explain why dozens of soldiers are dying in their own bunks. These are highlights of a significantly lengthier list. She also claims to have given Lavigne a tattoo on his chest, and her description matches what CID agents described to Mabey: The tattoo includes the initials M.L., for Mark Leshikar, the date he died, and an inscription, Till Valhalla.. The autopsy showed that he had been shot from multiple angles, including from behind. You would not believe how many people I have reached out to. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Latner, David Arno Fort Bragg, CA . Why is Fort Bragg less safe than it was before the mask, testing and vaccine mandates? Yet it looked as if he had been killed in his sleep. Thomas Renz reveals the DoD whistleblowers during a Senate hearing. According to officials, 33 of the fatalities are of undetermined causes. Watch the video below as Atty. We are far from the flagpole and are expected to be incorruptible.. He saw people die. The three-year-old was either let go by Keith or slipped free, and went running into the arms of one of the officers who responded to the scene. During the eight-hour drive back to North Carolina, Laura split off to take her sister to the airport in Raleigh. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. Her brother enlisted for a steady paycheck and for the GI Bill. He was the oddity amongst the special-forces guys I was introduced to., In the one picture of Lavigne that exists in the public domain, his official Army portrait, his head looks like a white egg, and his face has the pale and drawn appearance of a man who has just shorn off a beard and shaved his scalp to the skin. He didnt spend a single night in jail. Click a Banner Below to Get Started, ~Everything on this site should be considered as entertainment ONLY, nothing else!~. Multiple people who knew Lavigne tell me that he regularly snorted cocaine, took MDMA, popped pills, and drank heavily. You can read our entire affiliate disclaimer here. Smith, Mary Jane ~ 01 March, 2023. According to military records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, a hard-to-believe 105 soldiers assigned to the base died stateside in 2020 and 2021. When Marky would spiral was when he drank too much. He would turn to his wife and say things like, You know Im a bad person, right? Fort Bragg: Unexplained Deaths, Child Rape, Murder and Porn Charges A spokesman, Chris Grey, writes in an email that Cumberland County had investigative jurisdiction over the case but that CID thoroughly reviewed all the evidence and interviewed witnesses. This data emerged amid increasing awareness of rising rates of drug use notably of cocaine and steroids in the Special Operations Forces. This time he was charged with three felonies: breaking and entering, communicating threats, and impersonating a law-enforcement officer, but all of the charges were dismissed. Words his sister uses to describe him include gentle, spiritual, and feminist. He was a hippie, a believer in crystals, she says. I would rather see peace than war. On February 9, 2022, Seth reported the death of 83 soldiers at Fort Bragg in the 18 months ending in June 2021. In this one, he is sitting in what looks to be a restaurant booth, dressed in a gray vest and a purple dress shirt. Over the course of several months of correspondence, the public-affairs office eventually disclosed the number of homicides and suicides, but not deaths from accidents and illnesses, which would include drug overdoses. Its a horrible photo, Nicole says, like hes already dead. In real life, she says, he was more handsome: tall and bald, with a neatly trimmed beard. Fort Bragg Obituaries - Latest Obituaries in Fort Bragg, CA - Echovita She hung up on him, but later had second thoughts. They were joined by Lavigne, the girls godfather, whom she called Uncle Billy, and his daughter, who was like a younger cousin to her. The entire building and surrounding area was demolished and built up new. At her house, a tidy single-story place with Christmas wreaths in the windows and a yard full of pine needles, she refuses to come to the door. Click here to see the current year. Fort Bragg cannot explain why dozens of soldiers are dying in their own bunks. Any income made by this site is reinvested back into STN. Recent surgeries to his legs had left him unable to run well. In 2018, Lavigne shot and killed his best friend, a Green Beret named Mark Leshikar, in an inexplicable, drug-fueled altercation that no one witnessed but two little girls. Lloyd Austin, citing, Senators Press Pentagon for Answers on Rash of Overdose Deaths, Pentagon Finally Stops Hiding Military Overdose Epidemic, These Kids Are Dying Inside the Overdose Crisis Sweeping Fort Bragg, DeSantis Disney Appointee Said Tap Water Might Be Turning People Gay, He Believes Hitler Went to Heaven and Wants to Take Over the Lutheran Church, Trump, Jan. 6 Prisoners Collaborate on Cringe, Alex Murdaugh Juror Says Cellphone Video, 'Big Liar' Testimony Led to Guilty Verdict, The National Stay Up Late to Perform 'Tropic Morning News' on Fallon, David Lindley, Multi-Instrumentalist Who Shaped the Sound of Soft Rock, Dead at 78, How Deem Spencer Learned to be Vulnerable on His New Album adultSW!M. According to Seth, nine more young and fit soldiers were found unresponsive in their bunks. Through the intercom she says that she is just as clueless as anyone else and that she and Dumas led separate lives.. Now no one can look away.. According to Sarahs mother, Rhonda Phillips, on at least two occasions in 2020, the last being December 11th, Sarah reported Lewis to his unit, and informed them that she feared for her safety. Hed read an article about hallucinogenic mushrooms, she says. HomicideTracker (2022) At least 360 people were killed in 2022. in the St. Louis area through Dec. 29. Harpwrote: Fort Bragg soldiers have been turning up unresponsive in their barracks on a disturbingly regular basis since the beginning of 2020, including Caleb Smither, Terrance Salazar, Jamie Boger, Joshua Diamond, Matthew Disney, Mikel Rubino, Michael Hamilton, and numerous others who have not been named.. As Sarah pounded on the neighbors door, he opened fire on her. More like brothers, says Leshikars 31-year-old sister, Nicole, who spent three weeks hanging out with them in February 2018. by: Ashley Anderson. Let's Break the Censorship Together, Opt in and Spread the Word! The onslaught totaled the neighbors car, which Sarah tried to hide behind. Enrique Roman-Martinez of Fort Braggs 82nd Airborne Division was beheaded during a camping trip with six other soldiers. Feb 9, 2022 . Fort Bragg Advocate-News Obituaries - Fort Bragg, CA | Fort - Legacy NOTICE: This site is purely a religious organization, anything that seems like political or health based discussion is simply our religious doctrine and beliefs. Leshikar opened the hood of the car, a Honda Accord, and with the engine still hot, began to disassemble it. Elizabeth Warren, Lisa Murkowski, John Cornyn, and Martin Heinrich were also signatories to the letter, which posed six questions to the Pentagon, starting with, How many active military service members overdosed from January 1, 2017 to present?, The letter referenced Rolling Stones most recent report, published in the September issue, on rising overdose deaths at Fort Bragg, and in the U.S. Army more generally. Absolutely. From March 2021 to March 2022 deaths from drug overdoses fell nearly 4% from the previous year, the CDC says. What substances were involved in both fatal and non-fatal overdoses? *Weve adopted it as such, its not ours. This led to a physical fight, a wrestling match on the driveway. Most immediately, though, the discovery of Lavignes body represented a problem for the leadership at Fort Bragg. He once saw him using LSD at a barracks party, he says. The only known common denominator between them was Fort Bragg. By the end of the year, there had been 21 suicides at Fort Bragg, more than at any other U.S. military post. But my brother was murdered back in May. The modus operandi that investigators have shown in these cases is to shut out the public, decline to answer questions, apprehend no perpetrators. They say get a lawyer., I just dont know whats going on with our military right now, says Mabey. As the madness of 2020 settled over the country, bringing with it a nationwide wave of drug abuse and violent crime, Lavigne was also spinning out of control. Lavigne, too, managed to escape prosecution on multiple occasions, though he had been suspected of felonies that included harboring an escapee, maintaining a vehicle or dwelling to manufacture a controlled substance, and even murder. Fort Bragg soldier pronounced dead after being found in car identified Thank you for your service. He wore camouflage but sat in a cubicle. According to the medical examiner, Roman-Martinez had been decapitated. It would be an exaggeration to say that Fayetteville must be a more dangerous duty station than Raqqa or Kandahar, and yet piecing together data provided by Col. Buccino, and previous Army disclosures to the McClatchy news agency, as well as reports in the local media, I count no fewer than 44 active-duty deaths at Fort Bragg during 2020. Why is Fort Bragg less safe than it was before the mask, testing and vaccine mandates? She wipes away tears. A spokesman for the Army Criminal. On February 9, 2022, Seth reported the death of 83 soldiers at Fort Bragg in the 18 months ending in June 2021. Taking part in and witnessing violence, being away from home for long periods of time, and disillusionment with the mission can put special operators at heightened risk, Donati says, of divorce, alcoholism, substance abuse, and anger issues. Browse Fort Bragg local obituaries on Legacy.com. St. Louis Homicide Tracker (2022) - STLtoday Theyve done coke in front of me, she says. He was from a suburb of Los Angeles called Chino. In West Virginia, Drug Overdose Deaths Fell. Elsewhere, The Crisis The . Lavigne was transported downtown, but did not remain long in the police station. Who Receive obituaries John Michael December 9, 2022 (31 years old) View obituary James Talbot CSM Jr. November 14, 2022 (79 years old) View obituary Malinda Banks Enjoy. She has photos of a tub of used syringes found in Lewis closet, including vials of drostanalone propionate and trenbolone acetate, both of which are illicit anabolic steroids that can cause severe mood disturbances. Sparks, Ruth Fort Bragg, CA . It was a story he would later repeat to Leshikars mother, sister, and wife. The two were found dead on the same day in June 2021, just two weeks after airborne master sergeant Martin Acevedo III was caught trafficking cocaine. December 31, 2022 (85 years old) View obituary Wayne Richard Swanson December 25, 2022 (78 years old) View obituary William Schroeder Mertle December 23, 2022 (80 years old) View obituary Patricia Ann Menzies October 26, 2022 (82 years old) View obituary Peter Charles Paskos November 20, 2022 (87 years old) View obituary Norma Edith Wright Greene He was arrested for a final time on September 17th, in Fayetteville, this time on a prostitution charge. Owings, Elizabeth Ann Mendocino, CA . The DMED is the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branchs web-based tool to remotely query de-identified active component personnel and medical event data contained within the Defense Medical Surveillance System (DMSS).. The colonel used to be involved in selection, he said, and in addition to superlative marksmanship, he would look for introversion and artistic ability in potential recruits. He was convinced that people were following them. He never responded again., UPDATE: After this story went to press, a U.S. Army Special Operations Command spokesperson gave this statement to Rolling Stone regarding how the command handled Billy Lavignes legal trouble: Due to his length of service, Master Sgt. Daddy was mad at Uncle Billy for locking the door, Leshikars daughter told her mother and grandmother. The DMED is the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branchs web-based tool to remotely query de-identified active component personnel and medical event data contained within the Defense Medical Surveillance System (DMSS).. On February 9, 2022, Seth reported the death of 83 soldiers at Fort Bragg in the 18 months ending in June 2021. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time The news outlet in early September reported that a total of 109 soldiers assigned to Fort Bragg in North Carolina, active and reserve, died in 2020 and 2021 from drug overdoses. T Aside from suicide, overdose and complications from drug abuse including steroids was the leading cause of death. Fort Bragg deaths of Special Forces soldier, veteran remain unsolved From outward appearances, the two men simply lost their minds. Exclusive: Army Files Charges in Mysterious Fort Bragg Beheading Case, Bereaved family members welcomed the senators efforts towards reform. Fort Bragg Deaths STATESIDE Spike (1 Every 3 days) So They Stopped For the latest update on stopping the mandates in the military, read Liberty Councils updates on the Navy SEAL 1 v. Austin case. One evening in October 2013, Dumas came over to fix an electrical outlet, and Ballard had the distinct impression that he was hitting on her: He was trying to pry about where my husband was. She told him they were separated at the moment. When I ask if his best friend ever took LSD, Romero says, Yeah. It went from being very rarely used to becoming, in the post-9/11 era, an organization that was running a dozen missions a night around the world., Those missions often take place in failed states or amid frozen conflicts where the United States has no acknowledged presence, and American soldiers operate in a grey zone where morality and ethics are in the eye of the beholder, and everything goes so long as the mission is accomplished and your tactics arent known to the public or explicitly to the higher-ups, as one former Green Beret writes me from federal prison, where he is doing time for smuggling 50 kilos of cocaine into Florida on a military aircraft.