Ens. Andrew Lee Muns, USN - Missing 17 Jan 1968
Andrew Lee Muns
Missing since January 17, 1968 from Subic Bay Naval Station, Philippines.
Classification: Endangered Missing Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: October 12, 1943
Age at Time of Disappearance: 24 years old
The Doe Network: Case File 513DMVA
Distinguishing Characteristics:
White male. Muns wears eyeglasses. His nickname is "Andy."
Circumstances of Disappearance
Muns was an Ensign in the United States Navy in 1968. He is originally from Mt. lebanon, PA, a suburb of Pittsburgh. Muns and his family moved from Mt. Lebanon to Upper Montclair, NJ at the end of his Sophmore year at Mt. Lebanon Senior High School. After moving to New Jersey, he joined the armed forces after graduating from Gettysburg College. Muns was the new payroll officer aboard the USS Cacapon, a refueling ship based at Subic Bay in the Philippines. The naval station was a forward staging area for United States forces during the Vietnam War.
Muns was last seen aboard the Cacapon on January 17, 1968. He has never been heard from again. Investigators learned that $8600 was missing from the ship's safe shortly after Muns disappeared. Authorities believed that he stole the money, as Muns was allowed access to the funds in his capacity as paymaster. The Navy labeled Muns a deserter and closed his case in 1968.
Muns' family never believed the authorities' determination in his disappearance. His loved ones stated that it would have been completely uncharacteristic of Muns to steal and vanish from sight. He was described as adventurous and friendly in 1968. Muns' relatives had him declared legally deceased in New Jersey in 1976, eight years after he vanished. The Navy refused to allow an American flag to be draped over an empty casket at Muns' priate memorial service at that time, stating that he had been classified as a deserter and the privledge was reserved for officers who had been honorably discharged.
Muns' sister eventually turned to the Internet for assistance in her brother's disappearance in the mid-1990s. She posted a message on a Vietnam veterans' bulletin board on-line, asking crew members of the Cacapon in 1968 to contact her. One of the former officers responded to her plea and agreed that it was unlikely Muns stole the money and disappeared of his own accord. Muns' sister researched his case again shortly thereafter and pointed out that $51,000 remained inside the Cacapon's safe after Muns disappeared. It made little sense for Muns to have taken only $8600 of the full amount and vanish.
The case was reopened by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) cold case unit in 1998, thirty years after Muns disappeared. Authorities interviewed many of the Cacapon's former crew members and learned that many of them never believed Muns left the ship of his own will. Investigators began leaning towards the possiblity that foul play was involved in Muns' case.
Michael Edwards LeBrun served as a petty officer alongside Muns on the Cacapon in 1968. LeBrun was also one of the first individuals to suggest that Muns had stolen the money at the time of the initial investigation. LeBrun worked in the dispersing office with Muns in January 1968 and also had access to the ship's safe.
LeBrun was a real estate salesman in Greenwood, Missouri when authorities located him in the late 1990s. He confessed to Muns' murder during a videotaped interview session with investigators. LeBrun said that Muns caught him stealing the $8600 from the safe and he strangled Muns to death in the dispersing office to cover up his crime. LeBrun claimed that he disposed of Muns' remains in one of the Cacapon's oil tanks, explaining why Muns' body had never been located.
A grand jury indicted LeBrun for Muns' murder in March 2001. A judge later determined that LeBrun's constitutional rights had been violated during the videotaped confession and ruled that the evidence was not admissable in court. LeBrun claimed that authorities harassed him into his confession. The government appealed the court's decision, as there is no physical evidence of the alleged crime and LeBrun's confession was the basis for the charges. Authorities advised LeBrun of his Miranda rights during their initial interview, but investigators never stated his rights immediately prior to the videotaped confession.
Muns was given full military honors at a memorial service in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia in June 2001. A ceremonial casket was draped with an American flag and Muns was no longer classified as a deserter. A headstone was placed at the burial grounds in Muns' memory.
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact: Naval Criminal Investigative Service Headquarters (toll-free) 800-479-9685
Source Information:
ABC News
Arlington National Cemetery
The Daily Texan
The Washington Post
Link:
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/513dmva.html
Andrew Lee Muns
Missing since January 17, 1968 from Subic Bay Naval Station, Philippines.
Classification: Endangered Missing Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: October 12, 1943
Age at Time of Disappearance: 24 years old
The Doe Network: Case File 513DMVA
Distinguishing Characteristics:
White male. Muns wears eyeglasses. His nickname is "Andy."
Circumstances of Disappearance
Muns was an Ensign in the United States Navy in 1968. He is originally from Mt. lebanon, PA, a suburb of Pittsburgh. Muns and his family moved from Mt. Lebanon to Upper Montclair, NJ at the end of his Sophmore year at Mt. Lebanon Senior High School. After moving to New Jersey, he joined the armed forces after graduating from Gettysburg College. Muns was the new payroll officer aboard the USS Cacapon, a refueling ship based at Subic Bay in the Philippines. The naval station was a forward staging area for United States forces during the Vietnam War.
Muns was last seen aboard the Cacapon on January 17, 1968. He has never been heard from again. Investigators learned that $8600 was missing from the ship's safe shortly after Muns disappeared. Authorities believed that he stole the money, as Muns was allowed access to the funds in his capacity as paymaster. The Navy labeled Muns a deserter and closed his case in 1968.
Muns' family never believed the authorities' determination in his disappearance. His loved ones stated that it would have been completely uncharacteristic of Muns to steal and vanish from sight. He was described as adventurous and friendly in 1968. Muns' relatives had him declared legally deceased in New Jersey in 1976, eight years after he vanished. The Navy refused to allow an American flag to be draped over an empty casket at Muns' priate memorial service at that time, stating that he had been classified as a deserter and the privledge was reserved for officers who had been honorably discharged.
Muns' sister eventually turned to the Internet for assistance in her brother's disappearance in the mid-1990s. She posted a message on a Vietnam veterans' bulletin board on-line, asking crew members of the Cacapon in 1968 to contact her. One of the former officers responded to her plea and agreed that it was unlikely Muns stole the money and disappeared of his own accord. Muns' sister researched his case again shortly thereafter and pointed out that $51,000 remained inside the Cacapon's safe after Muns disappeared. It made little sense for Muns to have taken only $8600 of the full amount and vanish.
The case was reopened by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) cold case unit in 1998, thirty years after Muns disappeared. Authorities interviewed many of the Cacapon's former crew members and learned that many of them never believed Muns left the ship of his own will. Investigators began leaning towards the possiblity that foul play was involved in Muns' case.
Michael Edwards LeBrun served as a petty officer alongside Muns on the Cacapon in 1968. LeBrun was also one of the first individuals to suggest that Muns had stolen the money at the time of the initial investigation. LeBrun worked in the dispersing office with Muns in January 1968 and also had access to the ship's safe.
LeBrun was a real estate salesman in Greenwood, Missouri when authorities located him in the late 1990s. He confessed to Muns' murder during a videotaped interview session with investigators. LeBrun said that Muns caught him stealing the $8600 from the safe and he strangled Muns to death in the dispersing office to cover up his crime. LeBrun claimed that he disposed of Muns' remains in one of the Cacapon's oil tanks, explaining why Muns' body had never been located.
A grand jury indicted LeBrun for Muns' murder in March 2001. A judge later determined that LeBrun's constitutional rights had been violated during the videotaped confession and ruled that the evidence was not admissable in court. LeBrun claimed that authorities harassed him into his confession. The government appealed the court's decision, as there is no physical evidence of the alleged crime and LeBrun's confession was the basis for the charges. Authorities advised LeBrun of his Miranda rights during their initial interview, but investigators never stated his rights immediately prior to the videotaped confession.
Muns was given full military honors at a memorial service in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia in June 2001. A ceremonial casket was draped with an American flag and Muns was no longer classified as a deserter. A headstone was placed at the burial grounds in Muns' memory.
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact: Naval Criminal Investigative Service Headquarters (toll-free) 800-479-9685
Source Information:
ABC News
Arlington National Cemetery
The Daily Texan
The Washington Post
Link:
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/513dmva.html
