Yesterday a Ft. Campbell soldier was charged in the murder of his wife, Kathleen McGee age 30 from Hopkinsville, KY.
On December 2, 2011, Fort Campbell Staff Sgt.Michael Korolevich intentionally shot his wife in the head during an argument. When the 911 call was made the husband claimed his wife shot herself.
The work of the investigators and forensics team on this case should be an example for all law enforcement agencies across the county to follow when intimate partner homicide is suspected. Rarely does a woman take a loaded gun and kill herself. Nearly 80 percent of all firearm suicides are committed by white males. That was the first red flag. The second is that the husband placed the call making the false claim.
The Christian County Sheriff's office began interviewing friends and family, discovering Kathleen McGee was in fact in a violent relationship. She feared for her life. Investigators paid close attention to the Staff Sargent's account of what he claimed happened the night of December 2, 2011. Investigators continued to keep their prime suspect in their the radar.
On Wednesday, after intense questioning, the Sargent finally admitted he murdered his wife. He is now being held on $1 million dollars cash bond. This case was solved because investigators went beyond the crime scene for answers, crucial in cases of intimate partner homicide, but often neglected by investigating agencies. They looked and considered the pattern of conduct in this case (a factor in all I.P.V crimes) carefully reviewed the evidence and spoke with people whom directly knew Kathleen McGee.
Kathleen McGee's cause of death could have easily been ruled as so many I.P.V.H. cases do everyday, a suicide, undetermined death or gone completely cold.
Just think how many cases would be solved if all law enforcement agencies across the globe investigated intimate partner violence and homicide cases as a serious crime!
Susan Murphy Milano is a staff member of the Institute for Relational Harm Reduction and Public Pathology Education as a educator and specialist with intimate partner violence prevention strategies directing prevention for high risk situations and cases.
A national trainer to law enforcement, training officers, prosecutors, judges, legislators, social service providers, healthcare professionals, victim advocates and the faith based community and author.. In partnership with Management Resources Ltd. of New York addressing prevention and solutions within the community to the workplace. Host of The Susan Murphy Milano Show,"Time'sUp!" . She is a regular contributor to the nationally syndicated "The Roth Show" with Dr Laurie Roth and a co-host onCrime Wire. Online contributions: Forbes : Crime, She Writes providing commentary about the hottest topics on crime, justice, and law from a woman’s perspective, as well as Time's Up! a blog which searches for solutions (SOS) for victims of crime.
She's my niece and I would personally like to thank the police investigators for all they did in this case. At the Memorial, I hope he felt my glare of suspicion as I looked upon his evilness...and I hope he pays for this long term.
ReplyDeleteDidn't mean to remain anonymous, but wasn't sure how to post it otherwise. My name is Patty and Kathleen was my brother's only daughter and her brother's only full sibling. I just want to know why he did it?
DeleteSo good to see that there are police departments who "get it" and "get it right" every so often.... We need much more in the way of enlightenment and good policing.
ReplyDeleteThe military can be a breeding ground for misfits or... if they don't start out that way, the senseless wars and forcible returns to duty are "a time bomb waiting to explode and kill. other innocent people.
The LA Times described the most recent tragedy/multiple murder this way:
"The man suspected of shooting, stabbing and burning 16 sleeping villagers in a horrific attack that has sparked fury across Afghanistan was identified Friday as Staff Sgt. Robert Bales — a 38-year-old father of two whose life in the suburbs of Washington state was marked by Army potlucks, Sunday brunches with his in-laws and a Disney cruise with his wife and children."
Ladyjustice abhors what happens in all murders. However, the military must bear some of the responsibility. LJ isn't sure if there is just punishment for Sgt. Bales....
Let's train the military investigators to identify and IMMEDIATELY remove soldiers who already exhibit traumatic brain injury from fighting again and who most certainly have PTSD according to their records.
Better still... let's get out of fighting other county's wars forever!
May Kathleen rest in peace and her memory live on with her family and the honorable police who solved this case!
Respectfully,
Donna R. Gore, M.A.
"Ladyjustice"
www.donnagore.com
I served in the Army with Kate McGee. And she was a wonderful person and an awesome soldier. We arrived at our first duty station together in Germany at the same time and she was fun to hang out with and get to know. Our reunion is coming up this summer in Vegas and there will be a lot of heavy hearts there for all those who knew her so well. R.I.P. P.T. Queen McGee!
ReplyDeleteFreda Shelton
Call me the devil's advocate but the case isn't solved until he's convicted. Also, the reporter shouldn't call it a "false claim" until a jury rules it to be a false claim.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, I served with SSG. Korolevich and I hated him every second I was with him. He's still human though and deserves the same respect that anyone else gets. Unless you were there and have just decided to not give your testimony, quit jumping to conclusions!!
That's my older brother, Dustin. He has never been in trouble in his life. I understand that it easy just to put everything to rest with he killed her. But why doesn't anyon mention how crazy she was? The truth is just like with all of you and your significant others. You don't know what goes on behind closed doors. So before Kathleen's family goes all he killed her someone just rembwr you people obviously didn't know her much either. Maybe my bro developed a way to cry in cue. Or maybe his WIFE killed herself and he is still broken about it.
ReplyDeleteFirst and most important, Patty no matter what the circumstances were, no loss is acceptable and i am sorry for yours.
ReplyDeleteD. Gore,
You are correct that the army has misfits, some created by them and some not. Why do you assume that the military should hold some sense of responsibility for the death of K. McGee? Nobody knows the real reason why she was killed. Could it be that he may have had anger issues due to the military? Could it be because she had anger issues and was a trouble maker which drove him insane enough to make him want to do this?(thats even if he is found guilty in court)
S. Milano,
You state she was in a violent relationship and feared for her life. How do you know that she was the the violent one? It could be that she may have been the abuser.
F. Shelton,
You say she was an awesome Soldier. How do you determine who is awesome and who is not. Do you base this by their performance as a Soldier?
I do not know SSG Korolevich but I knew SGT McGee real well. I would have to agree with everette that she was crazy. She was a substance abuser, always starting trouble with males (and a few females) in her unit, and threatened numerous Soldiers. She could never take responsibility for her actions and always blamed someone else. She was a perfect example of a misfit Soldier. She was recommended for and punished numerous times for her actions/behaviour and eventually reduced in rank and separated from the Army. I know because I was one of the leaders that recommended the punishment and separation.
Anonymous November 20, 2012... as a leader you should know better than to disclose personal information about a soldier on the internet, no matter how true it may or may not be. Despite your personal opinion of her, being a "leader" does not make you better and give you the right to pass judgement on her actions or question someone's memory of her. Kate McGee from 2003 is not the same person you knew.
ReplyDeleteYou are literally defending a man who admitted to killing her and lying to authorities..... because she may have caused him to go crazy? Really, do you by that? That mentality is why we have the issues we in the Army today.
Yeah, she had some issues and we as individuals are responsible for our own actions but just know, big bad leader, you and/or the chain of command failed. There was obviously something going on and no one took the time to talk to her as a person and find out the root cause of her substance abuse or get them both the help they both needed.