The Fayetteville Observer is reporting that state prosecutors will seek the death penalty for Camp Lejeune Marine John Wimunc who is accused of killing his estranged Army wife, Holley Wimunc, in her Fayetteville apartment last summer and trying to burn her body in Sneads Ferry. Read their story here. I’ve have more on it later in the [...]

Indictments have been handed down in two cases that got a lot of media attention last year for paralleling the Laurean/Lauterbach case. I will let the Associated Press tell it: FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) – A North Carolina grand jury has indicted three Fort Bragg soldiers who police had previously charged with killing two female soldiers [...]

Army 2nd Lt. Holley Wimunc was shot in the head, according to autopsy reselts released today. Read the article and view the autopsy here. Comments to this blog are unmoderated. Any questionable comments should be reported to localdesk@freedomenc.com or the newsroom at 910-219-8451. Those comments deemed irrelevant or inappropriate may be deleted.

Daily News Content Editor Jennifer Hlad has an article Online about improvements in PTSD treatment. Read it here. The article mentions the Maria Lauterbach and Holley Wimunc cases and how they have pushed domestic violence in the military into the spotlight. The article says those instances are rare, not the rule. 

Two Fort Bragg soldiers facing murder charges after police say one hired the other to kill his wife made their first appearance in court today. Fayetteville police charged Army Sgt. Richard Smith, 26, and Pfc. Matthew Kvapil, 18, with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the death of Sgt. Christina Smith, 29. Investigators believe Smith hired Kvapil to [...]

In a comment to a previous post, Uncle Bill said I refer to a source close to the investigation “in virtually every story you write.” Huh? I have been writing for The Daily News since April 2007. In that time (not counting a repeat of something already published) I have quoted an unnamed source a [...]

The management of a Fayetteville apartment complex will not allow the family of a slain Army nurse to recover her belongings because the apartment is in her husband’s name. Her husband – the man charged with killing her - has given his written permission, but the management says that’s not enough. WRAL has the whole story. And thanks to regular OTC reader Jim for [...]

The Maria Lauterbach Case: The scuttlebutt among local attorneys is that Cesar Laurean is trying to fight extradition back to the United States. I spoke to his appointed capital defender, Dick McNeil, today and he said is trying to find out for himself. I spoke again this week to a federal source and to reiterate [...]

A federal source close to the Wimunc investigation confirmed to me today that NCIS just recently recovered a shovel they believe was used in burying Holley Wimunc’s body in Sneads Ferry last month. The source wouldn’t say where the shovel was found. But I believe it was aboard Camp Lejeune or close to it. I left a message [...]

A Fort Bragg soldier authorities say was killed by her estranged Camp Lejeune Marine husband will be buried Tuesday in her home state of Iowa. Army 2nd Lt. Holley Wimunc, 24, was killed July 10 in her Fayetteville apartment and her body was disposed of in Onslow County. Fayetteville police charged Marine Cpl. John Wimunc [...]

A memorial for Holley Wimunc was held in Sneads Ferry on Monday night. Not a lot of people there, but about what I expected since Holley didn’t live or work in the area. The article is here. The guest sign-in table: The small but meaningful crowd: The gathering storm outside: Photographer extraordinaire John Althouse took [...]

I wrote an article earlier in the week about how criminals – or I should say alleged criminals – set fires to destroy evidence, but it usually backfires on them. Read it here. Today, I was skimming through some old crime scene photos of mine and I came across this August 2007 picture: This car was torched to [...]

Please comment on the Wimunc case here until I post an update. I have received comments that the older threads are too long. Fort Bragg soldier 2nd Lt. Holley Wimunc disappeared in mid-July and was reported missing when her Fayetteville apartment was torched. Just days later a burned and dismembered body later identified as Wimunc [...]

The Daily News has an article Online about Kyle Alden’s arrest for allegedly assaulting his wife in April. Mike and I returned to where the body of Holley Wimunc was disposed. Mike writes about it: “The walk into the woods from Old Folkstone Road to the area in which Holley Wimunc’s charred remains were found [...]

BluelineRadio has some interesting information about the woman who went missing in Cary. They also talk about a couple of missing person cases in Wilmington. I would like to say something about the deputy saying “cool” on the 911 recordings in response to the dispatcher telling him a body has been discovered in Sneads Ferry. [...]

I have been a little busy today and have not had a chance to update. Sorry. I’m sure y’all know a lot about the Wimunc case so far. A lot of information is out there. You can listen to the 911 calls about the discovery of the body here. The forestry official mentions a knives [...]

I have been out at the crime scene all evening (well, as close as authorities would let me get). The story is here. NCIS was on the scene and I am told a seabag was found with the body. Here are some photos: Body is about a mile down this dirt road: NCIS arrive: Sheriff [...]

As all of you know by now, the missing Fort Bragg soldier is married to a Camp Lejeune Marine. I wrote an article about it for tomorrow’s print edition. It is here. We will have to see how this story develops. The reporters at The Fayetteville Observer are getting taste for what The Daily News [...]