DEVELOPING. The Navy announces a sailor has been charged in connection with the brutal shooting murder of Seaman August Provost, the black gay sailor killed while on duty at Camp Pendleton near San Diego on June 30th. The military claims this was part of a "crime spree" but no motive has been provided.
Texas Cable News reports: "Johnathon C. Campos is charged with 16 crimes, including murder. The Navy says he also tried to solicit the murder of another sailor. The sailor was arrested on July 1, but charges weren't filed until Thursday. The Navy said Campos went on a crime spree in late May that included burglary and arson."
The 29-year-old Provost's body was discovered in a guard shack on the morning of June 30, shot three times, reportedly gagged and bound, and his body burned. Authorities said someone "tried to light a fire" at the guard shack but have not confirmed whether Provost was burned. The family confirms and adds the military originally did not tell them this was a homicide and neglected to reveal the manner of death.
Seaman Provost told his family he was harassed and ostracized at Pendleton for at least a year because he was gay and black. The family maintains the killing was a hate crime. The Navy says it is not.
Several motives have been speculated. Rep. Bob Filner (D) of suburban San Diego, who chairs the House Veterans Affairs Committee, has previously said the Navy told him that Provost was killed when someone tried to "rush" the guard shack. This dovetails into unconfirmed reports Provost was killed by a fellow servicemember who wanted to vandalize a hovercraft. Last weekend, an aunt had another theory, telling the Dallas Voice an "emotionally disturbed" and deeply closeted gay sailor who feared outing was behind the brutal killing.
The North County Times has the bio and the laundry list of charges against the 32-year-old suspect, described as a gas system technician and facing "murder, arson, unlawful entry, unlawful possession of a firearm and a host of other charges."
Thanks CHRISTOPHER GEIDNER/LAW DORK and LT. RICE
AMEN!
AMEN!
AMEN!
AMEN!
AMEN!!!!!!!
Posted by: TheRevKev | 23 July 2009 at 19:37
This is great news, I am so relieved they are moving.
Now we just need to know "why" he was killed, god rest his soul.
Posted by: Dallas Cowboy | 23 July 2009 at 20:02
What I find "interesting" is how this happened at a military guard shack and no video camera existed.
You hear that Osama? The store is not being guarded properly in the new millenium.
My heart goes out to the family.
Posted by: Gurlene | 23 July 2009 at 20:23
"What I find "interesting" is how this happened at a military guard shack and no video camera existed."
good point Gurlene. if one man can over run a guard shack at a MARINE base, good grief.
Posted by: Anderson | 23 July 2009 at 20:56
Well let's hope the outcome of the trial will be something to cheer.
Posted by: Ravenback | 24 July 2009 at 00:30
There's something not quite right about this explanation. There's more to it that is not being said. It's a little too convienant. To include everything within a laundry list of things that can explain away everything into one neat little package.
I said from the beginning it was a military person because of access to the guard shack, which is military property. The fact that no one and no cameras saw anything what so ever is just a little too neat.
There is more to come. the military needed a scapegoat to blame everything on and make the person look non-homophobic and more "just crazy", so that certain things would not be questioned, like DADT, and the gays that have been in the military for years. But they now will have to answer how such heinous crimes can be committed on miliraty property without any eye witnesses nor cameras. There is more that going to come out. Give it a couple of weeks.
The aunt was on to something. She didn'tjust saythat out of mid-air. The military just doesn't want to go down that road.
Posted by: Diva1961 | 24 July 2009 at 11:42