CONVICTION OVERTURNED WA - Leah King, 16, found dead in Fort Lewis barracks, 15 Feb 2009

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http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_021609_news_fort_lewis_girl_fatal.226a86f8.html

"A 16-year-old civilian girl found dead at the Fort Lewis Army base near Tacoma was a sophomore at Lakes High School in Lakewood, KING 5 has confirmed.
She was one of two 16-year-old girls found unresponsive after someone called 9-1-1 at about 3:30 a.m. Sunday morning.
The other girl, also from Lakewood, was taken to Madigan Army Hospital and is reported to be in stable condition.
Fort Lewis officials say there were no outward signs of physical trauma on either girl . . ."
 
http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_021609_news_fort_lewis_girl_fatal.226a86f8.html

"A 16-year-old civilian girl found dead at the Fort Lewis Army base near Tacoma was a sophomore at Lakes High School in Lakewood, KING 5 has confirmed.
She was one of two 16-year-old girls found unresponsive after someone called 9-1-1 at about 3:30 a.m. Sunday morning.
The other girl, also from Lakewood, was taken to Madigan Army Hospital and is reported to be in stable condition.
Fort Lewis officials say there were no outward signs of physical trauma on either girl . . ."


I read this story earlier today. How hinky is this? It's interesting that they have not released the name of the person the girls were with. No signs of trauma so I have to wonder what they ate, drank, or "whatever". I've got a lot questions, but they're not worth asking with so little to go on. Okay, maybe one. Why were these two 16 year old girls on a base and no one knew where they were? 3:30 a.m.? WTH???
 
Somebody or Somebodies are going to lose a career over this, as well they should.

Those barracks are supposed to be monitered. Welfare checks should be done all the time. Senior NCO's are supposed to check as well every weekend too. The staff duty should know who comes in and out of those barracks.

I bet that CID is all over those barracks and everyone that was housed there, including the Senior NCO's and CO's of those soldiers. The army will get down to the bottom of it, they dont' play especially when it comes to a minor and civilian.

I'm not sure we will get any details released about the investigation though because the Military doesn't usually do that. If I see anything published in the Army Times I'll bring it over here.
 
The surviving girl should be able to say what happened. Very little information is coming out.
 
The surviving girl should be able to say what happened. Very little information is coming out.

You can be the Army isn't going to release any more info than they absolutely have to.
 
Somebody or Somebodies are going to lose a career over this, as well they should.

Those barracks are supposed to be monitered. Welfare checks should be done all the time. Senior NCO's are supposed to check as well every weekend too. The staff duty should know who comes in and out of those barracks.

I bet that CID is all over those barracks and everyone that was housed there, including the Senior NCO's and CO's of those soldiers. The army will get down to the bottom of it, they dont' play especially when it comes to a minor and civilian.

I'm not sure we will get any details released about the investigation though because the Military doesn't usually do that. If I see anything published in the Army Times I'll bring it over here.

I had a friend in the military (this was a number of years ago) who talked about civilian girls in the barracks all the time! Of course, I'm pretty sure they were of age. I actually heard them in the background a few times. It seemed pretty common for the guys to "sneak" the girls in. Of course, had anything happened, there would have been some serious consequences.....
 
I had a friend in the military (this was a number of years ago) who talked about civilian girls in the barracks all the time! Of course, I'm pretty sure they were of age. I actually heard them in the background a few times. It seemed pretty common for the guys to "sneak" the girls in. Of course, had anything happened, there would have been some serious consequences.....

I remember those days too Lyn1001. I never snuck in a barracks room because my Husband and I met when I was in my early 30's and he was in his late 20's. No need to sneak :D I had my own home.

Anyway, I'm not saying that there probably isn't some of that still happening but the climate of military posts have changed since 9-11.

Now I haven't been to that post but from what I understand we are all closed posts. What that means is you have to produce ID when you come through the gate. Those gate guards can be stringent when allowing people in on post. I'm not saying that it doesn't happen, it's just that I'm wondering if these young ladies aren't children of soldiers themselves. They would have a military ID, and it would it easier to sneak them on post or sneak them into the barracks from family housing. Either way, I pray for the family that lost a child and the full recovery for the other child.
 
I remember those days too Lyn1001. I never snuck in a barracks room because my Husband and I met when I was in my early 30's and he was in his late 20's. No need to sneak :D I had my own home.

Anyway, I'm not saying that there probably isn't some of that still happening but the climate of military posts have changed since 9-11.

Now I haven't been to that post but from what I understand we are all closed posts. What that means is you have to produce ID when you come through the gate. Those gate guards can be stringent when allowing people in on post. I'm not saying that it doesn't happen, it's just that I'm wondering if these young ladies aren't children of soldiers themselves. They would have a military ID, and it would it easier to sneak them on post or sneak them into the barracks from family housing. Either way, I pray for the family that lost a child and the full recovery for the other child.

For a few years after 9/11, everyone in a car had to show I.D., but for the past year or two, usually just the driver needs to as long as the car has a base sticker. On the other hand, if the soldier/soldiers drove in at night with girls in the car, you can bet their I.D.'s would have been checked. But if they drove in during the day, and it just looked to the guard as if a soldier and his family were driving in to go to the clinic or the PX or something, they wouldn't check the girls' I.D.s. There is also military family housing on the base at Ft. Lewis, so they may be dependents who live behind the gates.
All soldiers are subject to frequent random (or sometimes targeted) drug testing. Very rarely does a soldier pop positive, so I would guess these girls may have been slipped something.
 
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/39883847.html

Wow I would have thought they had security measures as we do here. I guess not. Here, even if you have a post sticker you have to stop and show an ID or use a card that is issued by the DOD that has a magnetic strip with all of your information (I had to give a thumb print in order to get it along with papers proving who I was, military ID too).
When my parents have come to visit if I bring them in the gate I have to provide a state ID from each to the gaurd or they don't get on post. If they chose to drive their own car they must pass through the main gate and sign in for a pass and show several documents.

The guards here will stop me and request ID for my 13 yr old, 15 yr old and until last month my 17 yr old.(He's 18 now, he has to show his ID everytime now) They are allowed to do that if they can't determine the age of the child immediately. We have some very strict protection force here and I guess it surprises me that it's not everywhere, but then again we are FORSCOM I guess that might make a difference.

Another article said they have a soldier they are watching ( I read that as supervised 24/7). The girl that survived was released from the hospital and is at home. I hope she continues to recover and can help ID the soldier responsible for her friends death. Prayers to the families of these girls.
 
"Fort Lewis says several soldiers have been questioned. At least one soldier, who lived in the barracks where the teens were found, is being closely supervised but is not under arrest.
“The soldiers are being closely monitored at the headquarters where they are continuing on with their normal duties,” said Col. John Robinson."

http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_021909WAB-fort-lewis-investigation-thurs-TP.31a2746a.html


"You'd like to think in a place like a military post, stuff's not going to happen like that,” said an active soldier who wants to remain anonymous. He’s afraid the Army will punish him for telling, what he says is, the truth.He says he worked as a security guard at the barracks where the two 16-year-olds were found unconscious Sunday morning. He claims soldiers routinely sneak underage girls into the barracks through unguarded stairways and up to rooms with alcohol or drugs inside.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29269210/
 
For a few years after 9/11, everyone in a car had to show I.D., but for the past year or two, usually just the driver needs to as long as the car has a base sticker. On the other hand, if the soldier/soldiers drove in at night with girls in the car, you can bet their I.D.'s would have been checked. But if they drove in during the day, and it just looked to the guard as if a soldier and his family were driving in to go to the clinic or the PX or something, they wouldn't check the girls' I.D.s. There is also military family housing on the base at Ft. Lewis, so they may be dependents who live behind the gates.
All soldiers are subject to frequent random (or sometimes targeted) drug testing. Very rarely does a soldier pop positive, so I would guess these girls may have been slipped something.

Steaadfast, Are they more slack than the airlines?:..
 
Steaadfast, Are they more slack than the airlines?:..


So, the Navy removes an admiral when a ship goes aground, but the Army doesn't remove a base commander when an underage girl, smuggled on base, is found dead of a drug overdose?
 
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_051909WAB-fort-lewis-teen-death-hearing-TP.1cec3f5a.html

06:05 PM PDT on Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Ft. Lewis soldier goes to court in girlfriend's death

Army prosecutors say a Fort Lewis soldier not only gave his 16-year-old girlfriend the drugs that killed her, but did little to save the teen’s life...

...Bennitt, 19, faced an Article 32 hearing Tuesday to determine if he should be court martialed. If convicted, he could spend 82 years in prison...


... King and another 16-year-old girl snuck into Bennitt’s barracks for a party. Both girls apparently became unconscious after inhaling a mixture of prescription drugs...

I don't see why he wouldn't get a courtmartial. The crime was commited by a soldier on a military instillation. That's usually pretty clear cut for the Military to take over prosecution even though the victim was a civilian.

I'm sure he is hoping for a civilian trial though. I see Leavenworth in his future, probably for the rest of his life.
 
From August 2014:

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/crime/article24772408.html

A former Tacoma, Wash.-area soldier serving time for his role in the 2009 drug-related death of his 16-year-old girlfriend will get another chance at a lighter sentence.

The nation’s highest military appeals court has already overturned the involuntary manslaughter conviction of Army Pvt. Timothy E. Bennitt. Now, in an unusual encore performance, Bennitt’s case will return to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces for a second look at his sentencing.

The result could be earlier freedom for Bennitt, who in January 2010 was effectively sentenced to 58 months in prison. It could also mean a rebuke for lower-level judges on the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals, and an object lesson in the limits of legal responsibility.
 

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