Sailor Accused of Murdering August Provost Commits Suicide

[ccharles000]

The U.S. Navy says a sailor charged with the murder of a seaman has committed suicide in the brig at Camp Pendleton.

A Navy news release says Petty Officer Jonathan Campos, of Lancaster, was found unresponsive in his cell Friday afternoon. He was rushed to the base hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Officials say the apparent cause of death was asphyxiation.

The release says Campos had last been checked early Friday afternoon.


the official statement from the Navy:

Navy's written statement on Campos' death
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 31, 2009

NAVY: JONATHAN CAMPOS FOUND DEAD

Petty Officer Jonathan Campos was found unresponsive on his cot at the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton brig by staff personnel at approximately 12:21 p.m. PDT, Friday. Campos had previously been checked at 11:45 a.m. in satisfactory condition. Brig staff immediately started CPR, and Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton emergency crews transported Campos to the base hospital. He was pronounced dead at 1:15 p.m. The apparent cause was self-inflicted asphyxiation. Campos was incarcerated at the brig on suspicion of the murder of Seaman August Provost on June 30 at Camp Pendleton. Both Campos and Provost were assigned to Assault Craft Unit 5. Campos had been charged with murder and a series of other crimes, including illicit drug use, larceny, burglary, and theft, arson, and unlawful handling of a deceased individual.

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/12313/sailor-accused-of-murdering-august-provost-commits-suicide

[vadawg]

1. i wonder what the back story here is

seems campos was a bit of a career criminal, would be real interesting to read the case notes about the murder, i think theres gonna be some twists to this case as something dosent seem right..

[MADem]

3. Apparently he started off well and went off the rails

http://laist.com/2009/08/01/navy_officer_accused_of_murdering_g.php

Petty Officer Jonathan Campos of Lancaster was found dead in his military jail cell at Camp Pendleton yesterday, according to KTLA. Campos stood accused of murdering Seaman August Provost, a 29-year-old Houston native who "was shot multiple times as he stood guard at Camp Pendleton on June 30."

Including Provost's murder, Campos faced 16 total charges stemming from the incident, "including murder, arson, unlawful entry, theft of military property and wrongful possession of a firearm." The pair had both served in a 500-member assault-craft unit; Provost was described as being openly gay, but quiet about his private life.

Campos spent much of his spring battling drug and other legal demons; he had been accused by Navy officials of "using hallucinogenic mushrooms several times between May 1 and June 2," as well as committed robbery at the San Diego home of another serviceman on the 13th. He was arrested for a DUI on the 20th, but was on guard duty the night of the 30th when he shot and killed Provost.

Once described as a "rising star" in the Navy, Campos' "cause of death was determined to be self-inflicted asphyxiation."

[MADem]

2. He apparently asphyxiated himself with toilet tissue.

http://www.navycompass.com/index.php/top-stories/1721-cnrsw-public-affairs

. . . Campos was charged July 23 with the June 30 murder of Provost at Camp Pendleton. Both men were sailors assigned to Assault Craft Unit 5, a Navy unit based at Camp Pendleton. Provost was standing sentry duty at the ACU-5 compound at the time of his murder. . . .There are no indications that anyone else was involved in Campos’ death, but an investigation is in progress to consider all aspects of the case.
An autopsy will be performed to certify the cause of Campos’ death.