Conduct Unbecoming: A Military True Crime Podcast

Some events are designed with a singular focus in mind—for example, weddings. Weddings are designed around the legal or spiritual union of two adults. It would be shocking to show up for a wedding and find yourself discussing the best man or the officiant instead of the happy couple. Courts-martial are also designed with a singular focus in mind - the administration of justice. If a court-martial...

The Kingdom of Bahrain, named for the "two seas" surrounding the archipelago, hosts the Naval Support Activity Bahrain - a US Naval base. Bahrain itself is a fascinating mix of Bahraini nationals, American and British military, and immigrants. Immigrants make up approximately 45% of the population - some came to Bahrain to work in the oil and gas industry… and some came to support a burgeoning and...

Accessing reliable childcare in the United States is already challenging, and the under and unemployment of military spouses create a system where it's kind of assumed the non-military spouse will stay home with any children. A divorce throws that arrangement out of equilibrium, and the lack of family support, wherever someone is stationed, can lead to some… creative solutions. Petty Office Nichol...

In my first year of law school, I sat with my classmates in the school's common area. We were full of nerves, still trying to figure out who was a friend and who was going to hide the books in the library to try and get a competitive edge. A weary third-year law student spotted us and approached with sage advice. She looked me dead in the eyes and told me to take the money and run - to Paris, to P...

On a sunny Southern California afternoon in March 1996, the Marines working the night shift in Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 39 prepared for their uniform inspection. As colleagues made sure they had the right covers, that their shoes were clean and that everything was lined up the way it should be, Sergeant Jessie Quintanilla prepared a little differently. He donned his coveralls for work, d...

After the booms and bangs of a Fourth of July fireworks show faded and residents of Robins Air Force base in Georgia tucked themselves into bed, one airman stalked his prey through the base, crawling behind bushes and trees, trying to get close without being seen. His camouflaged uniform kept him concealed until the last moment when he drew his knife and let himself into his friend's home. I used...

Love may lift us up where we belong, where eagles fly, but wedding planning can drag us right back down to earth. In 2012, Air Force Captain Tyler Eppes planned his dream nuptials with his bride-to-be. The destination wedding was pricey, and he tried to find ways his dearly beloved could save a few dollars. A room block wouldn't cut it, and Eppes pulled some strings to waive taxes in the room and...

In the lead up to Thanksgiving 2013, the Edwards Air Force base community prepared for the four day weekend by throwing a wild party. The mission was clear: wear anything but clothes, play drinking games, rage. But some party attendees took that final piece a little… too literally. Neighbors called security forces to report a loud crashing sound and screaming that woke them around 6 AM. Security f...

In the wake of online posts containing national secrets, the Department of Defense scrambled to identify and contain a leak. They knew it was likely one of their own, and they began to look for potential insider threats. What they found would be a shocking abuse of the trust placed in a young man they thought they knew. And if you're thinking this is about the arrest of an Air National Guardsman o...

Vultures get a bad rap. They're regarded as bad omens, as harbingers of death or destruction. In reality, they're critical to our ecosystem. Vultures dispose of the gnarliest of pathogens and toxins, including anthrax, and recycle nutrients for plants to use. They do the dirty work of cleaning up death; in the case of Lieutenant Curtis Krueger, they did the dirty work of uncovering a murder. I rel...

You might imagine that the sound of freefall is relatively quiet. Being 2 miles above the birds, traffic noises, and other day-to-day auditory interruptions, all you hear is the sound of the wind rushing past you as you reapproach the earth. It's in that moment when you open your parachute and you experience lift that the world finally goes quiet. Sergeant Herrmann was tasked with inspecting parac...

It may sound like the Marine Corps has a lot of people in it - at just over 170,000 active duty Marines. But the reality is that if you stay in long enough, you really do run into the same people over and over again. And with the constant moves and the challenges that come with temporary living, you often rely on the kindness of strangers… and friends. But when is someone a little too close to you...

A young man struggled to put together a plausible defense to allegations against him in the death of his young love. He told investigators repeatedly that he didn't know what happened… that when he'd gone to bed, she was alive but… when he awoke, he found her dead - unresponsive and cold. This is a summary of The Invisible Guest, a movie Timothy Irvin recommended on social media in January of this...

Despite all the uncertainties that come with being in a military family there are some things that stay refreshingly the same. A permanent change of duty station will always be challenging, another spouse will always be trying to sell you a product, and you generally trust the other military families who live around you. Timothy Hennis abused that trust and leveraged it to commit murder… murder th...

We've all heard the stories of sailors using the stars to navigate their ships to distant shores - establishing trade routes, discovering new lands, and returning safely home, hopefully without scurvy. Continuing that proud tradition, Brandon Darnall, a Navy Sailor, set up a trade network of "spice" from a foreign land under the brilliant night sky of the California high desert. But this spice was...

As 2014 wound down, the Turner family spent their holidays like millions of other folks in the United States - they spent time with loved ones and celebrated the festivities. They took the time to make the long drive from Colorado Springs down to Georgia and then up to Tennessee, to visit with those who had profound impacts upon their lives. But, on New Years Day, while the rest of the world made...

In 2019, the command at Barksdale Air Force Base was in crisis. Over the course of the prior 12 months, they dealt with five homicides connected to the base. This doesn't even include the case we covered in our first episode, United States v. Edwards, who was also convicted of murder at Barksdale Air Force Base. The pace of killing seemed to be picking up and the base commander expressed that he w...

  United States v. Edwards In the dark early morning hours of March 27th, 2018, Airman First Class Isaiah Edwards rose from his bed, flicked on the lights, and brutally murdered his roommate. I relied heavily on the court opinions for my research: AFCCA AFCCA Resentencing CAAF I also referenced articles from: Shreveport Times ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) Courier Journal Stripes If you enjoyed this episode, ple...

Coming soon - Conduct Unbecoming: a military true crime podcast! This podcast will analyze the crimes committed by US military personnel. Join me every other week to hear about a case and the legal process it followed.