MAMMA - M+others Aligned for Military & Murder Accountability

If you have any questions or comments on this case, please contact MAMMA and we will make every effort to put you in contact with Billy's family.

CHIEF THOMAS RICHARD TRAYLOR, USN (October 14, 1961 - December 6, 1998)

By December of 1998, Chief Thomas R. Traylor, was an E-7 with a 15 year Navy career of handling ordinance and loading many of the bombs on the F-18s. For 13 months, as a member of the teams called 'The Dust Devils' with the Weapons Testing Squadron, he'd worked with top secret and classified testing and bombing of new warfare missiles at the Naval Air Warfare Center at China Lake, CA, one of the largest Bombing Ranges in California.

China Lake Base is located in an isolated and remote area of the Mojave Desert, 150 miles northeast of Los Angeles, CA. The base covers 1,700 square miles of land used for bombing and testing ranges underlying more that 20,000 square miles of restricted air space. The base at China Lake is a twin to New Mexico's Los Alamos Base in handling highly confidential material for national defense. At China Lake they developed and tested missiles, rockets and other sophisticated ordinance weapons. From the Tomahawk Cruise Missile, weapons used in the Persian Gulf War to the Bat, the world's first operational homing missile used in the final months of World War II. It was just off the base, a short distance from the home he shared with his wife, that the body of Chief Traylor was found, on Dec. 6, 1998, sitting inside his vehicle with a gun wound to the upper chest...he had been missing for two (2) days.

Due to the fragile nature of 'crime scene' evidence, any unattended death, especially one where the cause of death was violent, is to be considered and treated as a homicide. Yet, the death of Chief Thomas Traylor was ruled by the Kern County California Sheriff's Department, at the scene, 'Suicide'. His hands were not bagged or tested for resin, no fingerprints or blood samples were taken and an internal autopsy was not done. Essentially there was NO investigation.

As the Navy's JAG investigation only consisted of 1-1/2 pages of references to other reports claiming suicide and was full of erroneous details, the FBI was contacted. The FBI claimed to have no authority to conduct an investigation in the absence of an indication that a violation of federal law within their jurisdiction had occurred. Jurisdiction? Hadn't this man been 'federal property' 24 hours a day for 15 years?

A simple...'Suicide'? What a strange ruling for a man, who all his life had been very vocal about his contempt toward suicide. His widow quotes him as saying, 'Suicide is a cowardly act and a long term solution to a short term problem'. The questions that surround this death are numerous and include:
- Dr. R. Rohrlick, a counselor Chief Traylor had sessions with weekly for alcohol and credit card problems, has continually reaffirmed that Tom's mental state of mind was normal on Dec. 3rd - the last day Chief Traylor was seen alive. He further states that Chief Traylor was never a candidate for suicide but his statement was never taken by the authorities. Why?
- Thomas' shotgun was found on the passenger side of the vehicle and it was assumed that he held the gun out to his right side about the level of the dashboard and pulled the trigger. Yet, photos taken at the scene, but not developed until 7 months later, reveal that Thomas was holding his glasses with his right hand at the time of death.
- The Sheriff's photographs from the scene show bruising to the face and possibly as many as three (3) wounds to the right chest and hip area.

Chief Thomas R. Traylor's widow has this to say, 'My husband had no enemies and was the most kind-hearted and helpful man - this fact was known througghout his naval career. My husband served to keep our nation safe, safe from what? Instead he was beaten, murdered and it was called a 'suicide,.' One of the cruelest things the military can do to a family. It's obvious why the Navy and the Kern County 'Good Old Boys Club' don't want me to learn the truth.'

Tom's body was exhumed. The ensuing autopsy showed that the shot that killed Tom entered from the upper right side of his chest with the pellets ending up down at the waist on his left side. The ceiling room in the vehicle would not have allowed Tom to hold the gun high enough to shoot himself in that manner.

If you have any questions or comments on this case, or would like to send a note to Tom's widow, you can e-mail her at: horselady@iglide.net

MSSR STEPHEN J. KILLIAN, Jr. USN (July 14, 1980 - May 30, 1999)

Stephen joined the Navy in November 1998 and his family went to see him graduate from boot camp in Jan. 1999. He subsequently attended A-school in San Antonio, TX for Mess Specialist and as graduated at the top of his class, he was able to pick where he wanted to be stationed. He chose Oceana, VA. because it was close to home and would make it easier to travel back and forth when he was on leave.

In April of '99, he went home for 2 weeks and he shared all his stories about boot camp with friends and family. He told his friends that all though he missed them, he thought this was the best thing he'd ever done! A couple of his friends even joined the Navy after this and another friend joined the Air Force. Though Stephen had matured so much in such a short time and looked a little older in his uniform, his mother still found herself thinking, 'My 18yr. old baby my little sailor'. His father and mother drove him to the Airport on April 17, 1999, and this was to be the last time they saw their son alive! His body was found in Las Vegas May 30, 1999 and the circumstances under which he died were, to say the least, questionable.

Prior to his death, he spoke with his family several times. Though he admitted that he missed everyone he was busy making friends and trying to get use to the long work hours in the galley. During his last call home, he noted that he'd just bought a TV, had gotten his cable hooked up, had his own phone so family wouldn't have to pay long distance phone bills, a new Sony Playstation with a few video games and a clock radio. Two days later, he mysteriously vanished off base and no one saw him again until his body was found hanging in a hotel room in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 30, 1999!

The LVMPD did not conduct any type of an investigation. No fingerprints where taken, no one was questioned, no videos of ATM machines were viewed, and there was no explanation of where over $1200.00 of withdrawn money had gone as only $19.80 was in his possession when his body was found. The Navy refused to investigate the death, claiming that he had been off duty, that his death had nothing to do with the Navy and that it was out of their jurisdiction!

One of Stephen's friends from the base attended the funeral and told the family that he did not believe their son was traveling by himself or taking money out of ATMs by himself. Stephen's mother fought for a whole year to have this boy questioned and then the only question they asked him (by email yet) was...how well did you know Stephen Killian? Officials totally disregarded concerns that this boy knew something about possible illegal activity at their base. Though they started a 'little investigation', within his unit, 2 months after his death, his mother waited until 2001 to get a letter that stated how sorry they were and that this was uncalled for. They told her that now they investigate such things within 72 hrs. and have a report sent to the family within 30 days! Stephen's mother has said, 'Gee, am I suppose to thank them! I think not! There are just to many holes in this case, too many things that were overlooked and not done! My only son took an oath to serve his country but yet in his death the Navy did NOTHING to serve him or his family!'

A memorial for Stephen can be viewed at: http://oocities.com/winkkks/ptmbeloved.html and if you have any questions or comments on this case, or would like to send a note to Stephen's mother, you can e-mail her at: plaza1713@hotmail.com .

2nd Lt KIRK C. VANDERBUR, USMCR (Dec. 28, 1967 - Feb. 16, 1992)

Kirk was found Feb. 17, 1992 at a private rifle range near Camp Lejeune, NC. He had been shot in the abdomen with #6 birdshot by a Spas 12 and between the eyes with a Ruger Mini 14 (.223). There was no homicide investigation. The JAG investigation was questionable because there was missing property and fingerprint and powder residue tests weren't done. Strangely, the guns were about 10 feet apart and there were two (2) spent shells from the rifle...does the military believe that Kirk missed the first time?

Kirk's mother has belonged to "Until We Have Answers" since January 1993. After reading the article about the death of Scott Jakovic in the U.S. News & World Report by Peter Cary in November 1992, several families contacted Peter Cary, who put them in touch with each other. Three of their stories aired on 20/20 in June 1993 under the "Until We Have Answers" title. In May 1993 the families met in Washington DC with the congressional oversight committee. Several of the contested "suicides" rulings were written about and the committee agreed that these investigations should be looked into again.

After Kirk's funeral his body was taken to St. Luke's hospital in Sioux City, Iowa, where Dr. Tom Bennett, IA State Medical Examiner, had agreed to do a second autopsy. His body was released for cremation without examination. His family doesn't know why. Dr. Bennett was a part of the 20/20 program. In January 1994 Dr. Bennett and IA Department of Criminal Investigation agent, Dan Moser, went to North Carolina without a representative of the family or their investigator, Fredrick McDaniels, from Kansas City, MO, which was contrary to a previous agreement. Instead, Dr. Bennett called Kirk's family from North Carolina to let them know that their investigation was finished.

Dr. Bennett, Agent Moser and Darwin Chapman, head of IA DCI, met with Kirk's family in February, but provided no new information. Dr. Bennett later wrote and sent poor copies of crime scene photos. Unknown to Kirk's parents, a letter to Sheriff Ed Brown, Onslow County, NC, went out over Dr. Bennett's signature after the meeting. That letter is cover for the sheriff but no more correct than the "suicide" ruling and the spelling of Kirk's name [Kurt]. Kirk's mother feels that Dr. Bennett was forced to participate in this injustice. His correspondence with her and Kirk's father always had Kirk's name spelled correctly. Kirk's parents were unaware of the letter until after the 1996 Senate hearings when they received the letter through FOIA. When they contacted the IA Department of Safety they were told that nothing could be done as Dr. Bennett was no longer an employee. Kirk's father wrote a rebuttal letter which can be found at the PACC website. [Parents Against Corruption and Cover-up]

Kirk's parents met with the DOD IG's agents and a reinvestigation was turned down. They question if that was because of the 'Dr. Bennett letter' they hadn't seen. Will they ever know?

60 Minutes interviewed Kirk's mother for a segment they did on Capt. Gordon Hess. Although her part wasn't aired, the local CBS affiliate did a joint interview of Kirk's mother and father. After the piece aired Thanksgiving weekend in 1999, Kirk's parents received a phone call from a former Marine, who told them that Marines had killed their son and even knew what order the injuries were inflicted. The NCIS will not look into the matter without his name. However, after the deaths of others involved in cases like Sabow and Louthain Kirk's family refuses to put the man's life in danger.

Kirk's father is a Marine and is very hurt by the lack of espre de corps...as he believed in Semper Fi. Kirk's mother has tried to uncover the truth and prevent the continuing cover-ups, which result in damage to the family and friends of the bogus "suicides". Kirk was "gung ho" about life, family and the Marines. He wasn't able to be an organ donor which was important to him. His life was taken and his ability to help others was taken.

Kirk's mother says, 'Corrupt people are everywhere, civilian and military. Looking the other way solves nothing. Too many times it is the best and the brightest that are lost.'

UPDATE

Efforts by Sandi Silarski, a student of the Forensic Sciences at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, have uncovered 'physical evidence' that makes Kirkâs death a matter of Îmurderâ! Ms. Silarskiâs report is posted, in itâs entirety at: http://communities.msn.com/IssuesinTodaysLawEnforcementandForensicScience/unsolv edkirkvanderbur.msnw .

If you have any questions or comments on this case, or would like to send a note to Kirk's mother, you can e-mail her at: vanderbur@fbx.com

A THOUGHT TO PONDER:

"I LOVE MY COUNTRY BUT I DON'T HAVE TO LOVE MY GOVERNMENT"
...Mark Twain