NY NY - Patrick Rust, 24, Watertown, 16 March 2007

Kat...totally :eek:fftopic:, but I gotta say this, at once upon a long time ago, I was an Ombudsman (ex-hubby was Navy), you are the bomb on this stuff!

I hope you DH appreciates how much you know about the inner workings of the Military!
 
Kat...totally :eek:fftopic:, but I gotta say this, at once upon a long time ago, I was an Ombudsman (ex-hubby was Navy), you are the bomb on this stuff!

I hope you DH appreciates how much you know about the inner workings of the Military!

Off Topic: Thank you Lisa. My Husband has been active duty for almost 27 yrs. I have been his wife for almost 2 decades.

It is my honor and it is a blessing that I have been afforded the opportunity to help other military families not only find the resources they need to survive our current combat environment ( within the military) but to thrive.

I can't solve their problems. However, I can by keeping myself informed, refer them to the proper resources.

I am now an Army Mom too. It is an even greater honor to work with the Mom's and Dad's that don't understand the in's and out's of the great machine of the Army.

I would consider it a great honor to help Patrick's Mother access any resources she needs during her time of grief. God bless her. :)
 
Wanttohelp: That's a great site. I've only scanned a couple of pages, but I can see that it addresses questions pertinent to Patrick's case. Should make good reading.

Denny: Did civilian LE have a look-see of the apartment? Did they go through Patrick's belongings?
 
Our POI is a former soldier of Fort Drum:

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20100331/NEWS03/303319964

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 2010

snipped but a lot more at link:

...The department had "a person of interest" at that time, and still does, he said. The person is a former Fort Drum soldier.

When the disappearance occurred, the soldier made an oral statement to military officials, the sheriff said. After the body was discovered, the soldier was questioned, but he refused to give a written, sworn statement, Sheriff Burns said.

"He seemed to know quite a bit about what happened," the sheriff said.

The soldier subsequently was deployed to the Middle East, so a detective was left waiting for him to return for renewed questioning. After coming home in June 2008, the soldier hired a lawyer and invoked his right to remain silent.

"We know he is in the Syracuse area," the sheriff said. "But he won't talk to us. We talked to his wife, but she won't comment."
 
i appreciate your help kat, but i knew people were not reading my post. the articles you just posted, i posted these and snipped the same sections in my post earlier. the one article also states money and atm were found with him. so if this is true to me it complicates money being motive theory. like i asked in my post and i will again, why so many obvious contradicting statements as the case went on, meaning not just immediately after he was missing? the one article states they were at the mall 5 hours.

imo both these parents seem to have loved their son, and if your going to get anywhere you need to get them working together and on the same team. i dont believe the dad had plans to go out of town with his son, and just didnt talk to him then the whole weekend. i think not hearing from his son, who had no way of transportation (liscense), just not worry something was wrong. just not call anyone, go there, etc.
the father imo knows facts and probally talked to people before the mom, so comments etc. he heard would be important.
he says things that imo are said because he believes they are important.
-ex.he had the games/cds with him, he had no jacket and it was below 0
this is ridiculous these two cant come together in finding out what happened to their kid. you said he wouldnt contact you back directly, what does that mean?

each post you add more info you have
ex.the guys he was with at bar were gay, the "$27,000" comment, docs you have like the inventory ones, or statements

clearly all of us only have media articles to go on, which contradict each other, so laying out what the cold facts are in a post (with reference; who said something, or a doc, discovery etc.) would be helpful and save others here time, if your not ready to show your cards.

btw he went to a relatively small high school, actually i guess there it jshs.
only about 160 and class photo in online. his name has ** that means special program or something. is the like an rotc, or special ed?

btw, sorry for incorrect capping, my right shift key is broken.

thanks.
 
I agree with you on what you pointed out wanttohelp.

...the father imo knows facts and probally talked to people before the mom, so comments etc. he heard would be important...

And I agree exactly for the reasons you outlined in your post above.

That's why I asked about the DD93. It's important because whoever Patrick designated on that form is who the military has to contact with anything. 1. If he is injured, missing, KIA....etc. 2. If he is hospitalized and can't communicate, etc. 3. Release any of his info to before and after death 4. Release his personal belongings to after his death..etc.

A Question to Denny,

Was Patrick's Mother on the DD93 as next of kin?

Again from wanttohelp:
...this is ridiculous these two cant come together in finding out what happened to their kid. you said he wouldnt contact you back directly, what does that mean?...

We have to have an answer to that question wanttohelp posed please?

Very good website you pulled up earlier wanttohelp, I'm sorry I missed reading it at the time, I was very lost in my own thoughts about how to find my own focus on this case. (meaning I didn't see the military investigation and etc as a focus).

I apologize for missing it! :blushing: and for duplicating your article links!
 
Okay I went back and read every single post (not just the OP as I did last time, deeply sorry about that!).
 
I'll ask Judy about the NOK issue when I speak with her on Thursday. We will introduce this case on our Crime Wire show next Tuesday, July 6. We're on from 9 to 10 pm Eastern. The Rust case will be a 20 minute segment, but I won't know the order of the show until Monday. Patrick's mother will be one of the guests. The link to listen in to the show is http://www.blogtalkradio.com/crimewire

You can call in with questions or ask them through the chat room. Due to a limited number of phone lines the chat room is probably a better bet.

Bessie - No, the SSgt and roomie inventoried and removed Patrick's personal effects from the apartment prior to notifying the civilian police of his absence. If there was anything of value to the investigation located there, it was removed/contaminated prior to civilian LE getting involved.

A Point to Ponder

In their sworn statements both the SSgt and roomie told military investigators that Patrick's absence was out of character because he had no history of being tardy or missing formations. That information was reflected in the police officer's narrative when the pair visited the police department after they completed the inventory. Based on their own statements, it could be argued that they considered Patrick's disappearance to be suspicious. If so, why not touch base with civilian LE prior to doing the inventory and get an opinion on whether to immediately do the inventory or let the cops take a look first?
 
I regret that I've been remiss in responding to the questions/issues raised here over the past couple of days.

Regarding money being a possible motive for Patrick's death. That theory isn't based on robbery. It came about as the result of speculation that there may have been a profitable illegal drug business involved that Patrick knew about and may have been a threat to. The money thing referred to protecting the profits from drug sales and not to the money Patrick had on his person.

Judy Rust finally received a copy of Patrick's death certificate last week.

She told me yesterday that when she met with the CID investigator handling Patrick's case at Fort Drum in the summer of 2007, he was shocked to learn that the property inventoried and collected by the SSgt came from the apartment. Based on the paperwork he'd seen, it was his impression that the inventoried items had been located in the barracks.

Speaking of paperwork, the inventory sheet prepared by the SSgt was on form DD 1750. This is actually a Packing Slip and doesn't appear to be specific to PE inventory. You can see a sample of the form at http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/infomgt/forms/eforms/dd1750.pdf and make your own decision.

The copy of the DD 1750 the Army provided to Judy is signed only by the SSgt, and doesn't give the time or location of the inventory or the name(s) of any other soldier(s) that assisted in or witnessed the inventory. Kat - your thoughts on this?

Kat is right regarding the attitude of civilian law enforcement concerning this case. The Army can probably provide some information. But if this puzzle is to be solved the civilain agencies are going to have to take an active and sincere interest in getting to the bottom of things. Their lack of enthusiasm is very troubling.
 
I asked my Husband to review the use of the DD 1750 Denny. He said that form is acceptable for what it was used for.

Was some of Patrick's effects missing? Or that she thinks should be there and was not?

My Husband said that he has had single soldiers (who are required to maintain a barracks room by regulation) because they do not receive BAH (civilian words: Basic Housing Allowance). It is his experience that the personal effects and the military issue are usually in the apartment where they dwell rather than the barracks room.

He reviewed the form and also listened to me explain Judy's concerns. He says from what he can tell it was done properly.

He said that given this was 2007 it might not be possible to go back to the unit supply representative and ask for documentation on who signed off on the inventory when it was brought into the supply room for storage.

He wants to know exactly what is the problem with the inventory? Family members usually get one of the copys of the form used to fill out the inventory and he wants to know the exact problem(s) with that inventory so that he might be able to advise Judy further.

My personal advice to Judy, when she goes into this meeting with CID she needs to have a list of questions that she would like to ask them.

They need to be specific and concise questions. She needs to know exactly what she's looking for from that meeting. What info does she want to come away with?

If possible, she needs to find out who the ranking officer is going to be at that meeting. (She can't ask that outright LOL). But she can ask who will be there. Then she should respectfully request an officer that outranks or if not outranks then has more senority in that rank that the highest to be at that meeting from Patrick's old unit. She can do that, but she needs to do that well in advance. This means nothing except that officer is there with her and also representing Patrick's interests too. She doesn't have to let the people expecting her at that meeting know that an officer is coming with her. (or she can ask that her casualty assist. officer go with her)

If at anytime she doesn't understand what they are talking about she can ask them to explain it to her in civilian terms. Military talk is almost a language in of itself, when you get a room of soldiers it's hard to follow the convo if you don't know the lingo.

If at anytime they refer to AR. She can ask them for a hardcopy (nicely :)) of that AR and the chapter in that AR they are referring to and they should get her a copy. JMHO.

Good luck to Judy.
 
Based on my 26yrs military experiance and Being here at Drum when this took place, I doubt they will allow you to accompany her at the meeting with CID. Your not an attorney, or any kind of counselor.

What you are is Press in the eyes of the military and you have to be cleared by PAO before you enter the base and start asking questions or you may find your self being escorted off base, happens all the time.

One thing no one has asked or answered is why was the civilian Courts looking for him?
 
I have read all of these postings, and as someone who worked with Patrick for his last two years in the military, both at Fort Drum and in Afghanistan..I would like to believe that whoever was responsible will be brought to justice. I also would like to comment on some of the "conspriacy theorists" in this thread. First, Rust's roommate WAS given a lie detector test, which he passed. I know this because he was beside himself after being questioned as though he did anything more than befriend a peer that didnt want to live in the barracks any longer. FOIA request through CID would confirm that he was given a test and was EXCLUDED as a suspect. Also, the SSG (Army acronym for Staff Sergeant) was the most impacted by this event, so to even elude that he was anything outside of "extended family" to Patrick is completely insane. He followed the directive given by the CDR, 1SG, CSM, LTC...I think thats enough command directive to satisfy the biggest sceptic. He also was the one who entertained all calls, in the middle of the night as well as gave his heart and personal time to searching for Rust's remains and once found, escorting him to Dover...where he stayed for the duration, so that Patrick was not alone. There is no "cover up" on the military side. There was nothing done that was not within protocol. What there was/still is...is a small group of leaders and Soldiers who despirately wish for an answer and to know that their friend did not die in vain.
My final point, the one that angers me most...is...under SGT Rust's SGLI (life insurance)...he stated that he did not want his mother notified of his death and he named his father as his next of kin. Why is it that ANYONE should have the right to negate his wishes?
Please do not take me as a crass person, I also am a mother and come hell or high water, I would want answers...but to attack, accuse and make reference to the GOOD people, who were there on the banks of the Black River, at the Dexter Dam, calling ANYONE we could find, searching fields off the word of psychics and crying deep tears of remorse at the sad news; why attack them? We lived through this and still to this day all remain extremely close after losing a member of our "military family".
I pray that whoever was responsible come forward or get caught in some way or another, but please...keep to the facts. If there is a question of the facts, well, Rodney and Judy were given our numbers and contact information. We would all give ANYTHING to help them, just ask...dont accuse!!
 
I have read all of these postings, and as someone who worked with Patrick for his last two years in the military, both at Fort Drum and in Afghanistan..I would like to believe that whoever was responsible will be brought to justice. I also would like to comment on some of the "conspriacy theorists" in this thread. First, Rust's roommate WAS given a lie detector test, which he passed. I know this because he was beside himself after being questioned as though he did anything more than befriend a peer that didnt want to live in the barracks any longer. FOIA request through CID would confirm that he was given a test and was EXCLUDED as a suspect. Also, the SSG (Army acronym for Staff Sergeant) was the most impacted by this event, so to even elude that he was anything outside of "extended family" to Patrick is completely insane. He followed the directive given by the CDR, 1SG, CSM, LTC...I think thats enough command directive to satisfy the biggest sceptic. He also was the one who entertained all calls, in the middle of the night as well as gave his heart and personal time to searching for Rust's remains and once found, escorting him to Dover...where he stayed for the duration, so that Patrick was not alone. There is no "cover up" on the military side. There was nothing done that was not within protocol. What there was/still is...is a small group of leaders and Soldiers who despirately wish for an answer and to know that their friend did not die in vain.
My final point, the one that angers me most...is...under SGT Rust's SGLI (life insurance)...he stated that he did not want his mother notified of his death and he named his father as his next of kin. Why is it that ANYONE should have the right to negate his wishes?
Please do not take me as a crass person, I also am a mother and come hell or high water, I would want answers...but to attack, accuse and make reference to the GOOD people, who were there on the banks of the Black River, at the Dexter Dam, calling ANYONE we could find, searching fields off the word of psychics and crying deep tears of remorse at the sad news; why attack them? We lived through this and still to this day all remain extremely close after losing a member of our "military family".
I pray that whoever was responsible come forward or get caught in some way or another, but please...keep to the facts. If there is a question of the facts, well, Rodney and Judy were given our numbers and contact information. We would all give ANYTHING to help them, just ask...dont accuse!!

Welcome to Websleuths rusttruth. Thanks for coming to share your insight.

To be quite honest with you, the portion that I bolded in your post, illustrates exactly what I thought happened and also gives a lot of insight into which battle this Mom has chosen to fight.

Thank you very much. From one military family to another---God speed my friend.
 
http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/section/NEWS

2007 INCIDENT: Investigators ponder how Russell native, 24, ended up in hayfield; some suspect murder
By DAVID C. SHAMPINE

For six months in 2007, Army investigators and police officers wondered whether Sgt. Patrick S. Rust had gone AWOL, but feared -- as his mother did -- that he was dead.
 
The following from post#1
While at the bar Patrick met a classmate from his school days. This man was in the company of his roommate, another Fort Drum soldier

This other fort drum soldier, what was his polygraph results?
He did take one yes?
 
Has it been determined why he moved from the barracks to off site accomodation?
Why would he move off site into a one bedroom apartment and sare with another soldier?

**Not implying anything - just wondering if it was a planned move?
 
Im pretty sure you could find some sort of tire tracks on the ground adjacent to the area of incident but then again, seeing that all that remains was the skeleton of this guy then most likely its too late to see this tracks which is very unfortunate
 

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