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HONOR ROLL SITUATIONS
+ 1. HM3 SCOTT MICHAEL BEIMDIEK
, USN
Born: Sept. 20, 1971 - 21 (short) years
- Died: Jan. 25, 1993...Accident???
+ 2. SSGT. BRETT E. PRESNELL
USAF
Born: Sept. 22, 1962 - 30 (to few) years
- Died: Dec. 28(29), 1992...Suicide???
+ 3. AIRMAN MARC ZAHARKO , USAF
Born: July 10, 1979 - 19 (short) years
- Died: Sept. 28, 1998...Accident????
4. SPC DARLENE KRASHOC
, USA
Born: August 22, 1966 - 20 (short) years
- Died: March 17, 1987...Homicide! -???
HM3 SCOTT MICHAEL
BEIMDIEK, USN (Sept. 20, 1971 - Jan. 25, 1993)
On Jan. 2, 1993, Scott Beimdiek, a Navy
Hospital Corpsman, attached to the Marines and stationed
in Okinawa, Japan, wrote a letter to his family. The
letter was an accounting of his Dec. 29, 1992 duty station.
On that day, he was assigned to the second ambulance being
dispatched to the death scene of a airman, who was found hanging in
Kinville. The letter told of how the death was being listed
as a 'suicide' and then stated, 'a number of suspicious things
stand out in this amateur investigator's mind that lead
me to believe it was not a suicide.'
After listing the reasons for his doubts,
Scott noted that this was the third American to have
died since his arrival in Okinawa three and a half months
earlier....three and a half weeks later...Scott was dead!
Does anyone else have a problem with the idea that in the
three months of Nov., Dec, and Jan. of '92-'93, three American servicemen,
each from a different service branch, died due to 'Strangulation'
and the military attributes each death to the 'victim'? We
now know that in the seven years between 1992 and 1999, seventy
seven (77) American families, with loved ones serving in
Okinawa, have had the military come to their door with the
traditional greeting: 'We regret to inform you....'. Against
all odds in the world of statistics, even the military's version,
NOT ONE of these deaths is listed as a 'MURDER'!
Though the shipping order for his body reads
'Suicide', following a flurry of activity after the
military was told about his letter, the manner of death
was ruled 'Accident'. Well, accidents do happen....and
their timing is never good....and the military wouldn't lie to a family....would
they???
Initially the Beimdiek family believed and
accepted the 'official' ruling. However, grave concerns
arose when events led to the disclosure that Scott Beimdiek
had hung for four (4) days and had missed two (2) duty
stations prior to the discovery of his body. Does this mean
that any service member, who has a serious accident is at risk
of having to wait up to four days before getting help? Doesn't
this constitute 'Reckless Endangerment'?
When FOIA requested reports finally came....the
discrepancies were so numerous that serious doubt
took root, that Scott's death was actually a MURDER.
Over the years, these doubts have intensified. The military
holds to the claim that no new evidence could be found in a case
this old....amazingly the family has been able to find additional
discrepancies every time they review the military's own
reports!
The family wants an honest (coroner inquest
style) independant investigation of Scott Beimdiek's
death initiated. Yes, you read it correctly....initiated!
Years of assurances of very thorough investigation(s)...by one
count, three of them (isn't one THOROUGH one enough?),
abruptly ended when five (5) DoD representatives were sent
to 'brief' a US Senator's office on the 'CLOSED' status
of this case. Reportedly, the office manager was told that
there never was an investigation of Scott's death. DoD claims
this doesn't matter as they believe the results would have
been the same anyway. Can you say, 'ludicrous'?
For an in depth review of this situation,
you are invited to visit the 'Little Red Hen' section
of this site. You are also invited to visit Scott's memorial
page at: http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/casualtiesofpeace/scottmichaelbeimdiek.html
. Also, PACC (see the MAMMA
Supports page) has included Scott on their web site at:
http://www.thepacc.org
where a picture of his beautiful quilt square, made by Judy Day, can
be viewed.
***UPDATE***
On Feb. 5, 2002, Scott's dad underwent quadruple
bypass surgery. This notation is not being made to seek
sympathy (or worse...pity) for Scott's family, who feels
very Lucky that his 'attack' wasn't fatal! Some of the
other families haven't been so lucky...their 'wounded'
hearts have totally given out! A primary reason for why so many of
these situations are languishing for lack of attention! This
family's 'apple cart' has been totally overturned and upended.
Nearly 9 years! after their son's death, efforts by Sandi
Silarski, a student of the Forensic Sciences at the University
of Arkansas at Little Rock, uncovered 'physical evidence'
that makes Scottâs death a matter of Îmurderâ!
Ms. Silarskiâs report is posted, in itâs entirety at:
http://communities.msn.com/IssuesinTodaysLawEnforcementandForensicScience/unsolv
ed.msnw .
[Short Form]
As you'll recall, on Jan. 25, 1993, HM3
Scott Michael Beimdiek, USN, was found hanging in Okinawa,
Japan. His 'manner' of death was subsequently ruled (and
ardently and continually reaffirmed) as an 'accident'.
Dr. (?) Edward M. Kilbane (whose very credentials are now in question)
performed an 'autopsy' (in the family's eyes...he, knowing
what his ruling would be, needlessly 'dissected' their son!).
ÎKilbaneâ then filed an 'accident report' that
stated that the hyoid bone was 'intact' and noted this as
an impossibility for a 'victim' who's forcibly strangled
by another. It was this 'bottom line' that NOBODY would pass! (Until
now!)
For over five(5!!!) years,
it was like 'everyone' was playing a 'little game' with
Scott's family setting up 'little' ducks, (based on mounds
of 'extenuating circumstances' and information garnered from
the 'original' reports)...and DoD shot them down (one at
a time, refusing to put ALL the 'ducks' in a row!). The
family was 'surprised' (actually amazed) by the 'volumes'
of 'overlooked' materials that they 'dutifully' continued
submitting to Senate and Congressional offices for consideration
(in a possibly 'mislabeled' manner of death ruling????),
only to be 'frustrated' by DoD steadfastly claiming and
assuring (everyone) that thorough investigations
meant this case is closed...period! Can you try to
imagine the total shock and disbelief that engulfed
them when the 'little game' was ended by 5 DoD representatives,
who 'briefed' their (then) Senator Grams' office manager and
admitted that there never had been an investigation,
but they (DoD) had determined that the results would have
been the same...so that didn't matter and they wanted it understood
that it was the 'distraught' family's inability to 'accept
the truth' about their son's 'unfortunate accident'...that
must be dealt with (AKA totally ignored!)??? That is totally unacceptable
and absurd!
So.......what could possibly 'TOP' that?
Well...in the waning months of 2002, nearly 9
years! after the death of Scott Beimdiek, Sandi
Silarski, a 'student', took materials, readily available to all
the 'experts' and stepped past the 'bottom line' of the 'Autopsy Report'.
Her startling discoveries have shattered 'facts' that
even the family had considered as 'constants'. Short and
sweet................Scott died, lying on his left side...not
in a hanging position! That 'intact ' hyoid bone,
indicative of an accident, is broken into 2 or 3 pieces
and imbedded in the back of his throat! That's ludicrous!
Are any of you, like us, asking HOW
(in a country founded on 'truth' and 'justice')! any
of this can be happening...ever more frequently, and people
'seem' so powerless to stop it? The Beimdiek Family suspects
that the 'Feres Doctrine', the 'stem' of the 'Oedipus Rex Complex'
that affects many bureaucrats, may be a 'taproot' of the
problem. They've asked us to urge all of you to visit the
VERPA site to learn more about the Feres Doctrine and
'sign' the petition for it's repeal!
If you have any questions or comments on
this case, or would like to send a note to Scott's mother,
you can e-mail her at: jbeimdiek@juno.com
SSGT. BRETT E.
PRESNELL USAF (Sept. 22, 1962 - Dec. 28(29), 1992)
Brett Presnell, twice divorced father of
two boys, Dustin and Scott, was engaged to a Philippine
national, who was under contract to a local bar, reputedly
operated by the Yakusa. Brett had been in the Air Force
for 12 years and his tour of duty was drawing to a close.
The couple had decided that Brett would stay in Okinawa after leaving
the Air Force. Their plan was to be married when her contract
was finished and then move to America.
Shortly before Christmas (1992) Brett and
his fiancee sent a card to his mother, noting that
there had been a change of plans. According to the note,
because of information he'd come across over the last year,
for his safety he would be coming back to the states when his
tour was up and return for his fiancee when her contract was finished.
In the early morning hours (Okinawa time)
of Dec. 29, 1992, Brett called his mother. He told her
he'd just walked in on his fiancee and another man.
From notes found at his residence, he had been questioning
the relationship for awhile so this encounter resulted in the
standard ultimatum, "Him or ME!". Brett told his mother
that she'd decided to go with the other man and that he
was greatly relieved to have found out what she was like
BEFORE they got married. With only two days left before
discharge, Brett was free to come and go on his own timetable,
so he outlined a few things he had to take care of and told
his mother he was homeward bound! Two hours later, Brett was
dead and the military ruled: "Suicide"!
According to the 'Autopsy' report, prepared
by E. M. Kilbane, CDR, MC, USNR, it was determined that
on the day of his death, Brett had asked a girl to
marry him and when she said, 'No', he committed suicide.*
The family's efforts to correct the 'timeline' of events that
proceeded Brett's death have been ignored. Additionally,
when the family raised the issue of Brett's safety concern
and asked that they consider the possibility that he
had acquired information on drug trafficking, the military
refused any action, based on their determination that the
Orient is 'drug free'!
*Please note: When there is an unattended
death in the military, 'Policy & Procedures' mandate
an autopsy, to determine 'cause' and a thorough investigation
of circumstances surrounding the death. [It is necessary
to rule out the possibility of the death being a homicide as such
a death scene is fragile, in terms of clues to the murderer.]
In other words, in the military, any death scene is first
treated as a murder scene (or so they claim!). Then, following
an autopsy and an investigation they rule 'manner' (accident,
self inflicted, natural or homicide) of death.
The Beimdiek family and the Presnell family
believe that Scott Beimdiek would have testified that
military regulations had been blatantly disregarded
in determining Brett Presnell's 'manner' of death. Both
families requested a 'joint' investigation of the two deaths. These
requests were refused. The military claims that as the
boys didn't know one another and served in different branches
of the military there isn't any possibility of a connection
between their deaths. Wouldn't a 'serial killer' just love
that type of logic?
If you have any questions or comments on
this case, or would like to send a note to Brett's
mother, you can e-mail her at: FEONIA44@aol.com
AIRMAN MARC ZAHARKO,
USAF
(July 10, 1979 - Sept. 28, 1998)
Marc Zaharko was trained by the Air Force
as a Seismic Data Analyst and assigned to AFTAC at
Patrick Air Force Base in Florida. Less than a month after
his arrival, the DoD sent him on an assignment to the White
Sands Missile Range (an Army installation) in New Mexico.
On Sept. 28, 1998, Marc's duty station
at White Sands was an old bombing practice site. Warning
signs in the area were so badly damaged they could not
be read. On his first day there, while taking a 'break'
from his duties, he walked a short distance from the work site and
picked up an object that promptly blew up in his hands. Marc
bled to death.
Marc's family believes this was a totally
avoidable death. Their efforts to get answers to even
the basic questions of HOW? such an accident could have
happened and WHAT is being done to prevent any future such
accidents, have been frustrating and disturbing.
Marc's family is frustrated because letters,
written to both the Army and the Air Force, seem to
have generated a vicious circle. The letters they write
and send to the addresses provided to them, are frequently
sent to another address and some of those have even been returned
with the note that it was the wrong address. They question
how that can be, when the address was supplied by their
own people? They note that all of their letters have taken
between 2 - 6 months to generate a reply and none of the
responses have been complete. Of course the family is always
given the option of contesting or disputing such incompleteness
and they have done so repeatedly. However, these disputes
always go to another address and then it takes another 2 - 6 months
wait for a reply that is again only a partial response. The
family only wants straight and complete answers to their
questions and one point of contact to get these answers.
Marc's family is greatly disturbed and
distressed by the military's lack of response to questions
pertaining to prevention of future such 'accidents'.
While the military readily admits that Marc never had
a 'Safety Briefing', inquiry into what the military is doing
to prevent this from happening again....are ignored.
At this time, the family's greatest fear and concern is
that NOTHING is being done.
According to an article written by David
Hackworth for the 14 June 2000 'Defending America
Newsletter' from the Soldiers For The Truth Foundation
(SFTT...see section 2 of the MAMMA Supports page), those
concerns are well founded. The article, 'King of Trash' reads,
in part: '...had the guts to tell the top guys....that
they weren't following safe practices. For example, live
dud artillery shells that could've cooked off any second
were left above ground just 50 meters from a well-used
firing range. And if this and other violations of established
safety procedures and environmental rules weren't corrected,
he warned, American soldiers would die. It turns out his
commanding general doesn't particularly like truth-tellers.
Neil was told to sit down and shut up while scores of dud
rounds ticked away just waiting for a temperature change,
a lightning strike or a curious soldier.' (end quote) How
does that saying go...'an accident waiting to happen!'?
If you have any questions or comments on
this case, or would like to send a note to Marc's
mother, you can e-mail her at: the1bitch@earthlink.net
SPC DARLENE
KRASHOC, USA
(- March 17, 1987)
Darlene was found brutally murdered on March
17, 1987. Though the Army ruled the manner of death
as a homicide, they terminated the investigation on grounds
that the offense was probably committed by a person who
is no longer subject to the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military
Justice). This, in spite of the fact that at one point the Army actually
had a confession from Darlene's murderer.
Records indicate that the murderer was actively
serving in the US Military at the time of the murder
but was subsequently discharged. 'The US Army is claiming
that the attorney/client privilege was breached by the
US Army and therefore ended it's own participation in holding
the perpetrator(s) accountable for this ghastly deed. To read
more about Darlene you can go to the site that the family
has set up at:
http://www.murderedsoldier.homestead.com
If you have any questions or comments on
this case, or would like to send a note to Darlene's
mother, you can e-mail her at: PMK0313@aol.com
'I AM ONLY ONE, BUT STILL I AM ONE. I CANNOT DO EVERYTHING,
BUT STILL I CAN DO SOMETHING; AND BECAUSE I CANNOT
DO EVERYTHING, I WILL NOT REFUSE TO DO SOMETHING I
CAN DO.'
..........Unknown
