Sailor charged with murder commits suicide

SAN DIEGO — A sailor charged with murder who committed suicide in the brig at Camp Pendleton asphyxiated himself by stuffing toilet paper in his mouth, according to a U.S. Navy spokesman.

Petty Officer Jonathan Campos was found unresponsive in his cell about 12:20 p.m. Friday, said Navy spokesman Doug Sayers. He was rushed to the base hospital where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.

"He was intent on committing suicide and stuffed toilet paper into his mouth until he asphyxiated," Sayers said.

Campos, 32, of Lancaster, Calif., was charged July 23 in connection to the fatal shooting of Seaman August Provost of Houston. On June 30, Provost, 29, was shot several times while on duty in a sentry station at Camp Pendleton.

Provost's remains were set on fire in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence, Navy officials said.

Campos was charged July 23 with 16 criminal offenses, including murder, unlawful handling of a dead body, stealing military property and soliciting a civilian to kill a fellow sailor. He had been in Navy custody since July 1 and faced an investigative hearing in military court, similar to a grand jury, in the coming weeks.

Provost's family believed his shooting may have been a hate crime. The family said Provost, who was gay, complained of being harassed about his sexuality in the days before his death.

Navy officials rejected those claims and said there is no record of Provost filing a harassment report.

Officials said Campos, a gas system technician, had been cooperating with investigators.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service continued to investigate the shooting death, according to Sayers.

An autopsy has been ordered for Campos.

Campos and Provost were both assigned to Assault Craft Unit 5, but officials said there was no indication they had a close association.

Ten days before the Provost shooting, Campos was arrested in Imperial Beach and charged with driving under the influence. Campos also faced charges for illicit drug use as well as breaking into another service member's home where $5,400 worth of electronics, jewelry and a .45 caliber pistol was stolen, military officials said.

Campos enlisted in the Navy in December 2001. Provost entered the Navy in March 2008 and reported to Camp Pendleton last September.

Comments

[txfriend]

GOOD

[Palemoon]

LoveGuv I'm a Fan of LoveGuv I'm a fan of this user permalink
photo

"Wrong. DADT was enacted by Congress and it has to be changed by Congress. A president can not change legislation by executive order."

Ok, I'll concede to you on that for the moment, now reference this quote from the so-called "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" provision in US Code 10...

"(13) The prohibition against homosexual conduct is a longstanding element of military law that continues to be necessary in the unique circumstances of military service."

What's that mean? That means it was illegal for gays to serve long before DADT was ever written, and still is illegal for gays to serve. However, and there is always one of those... the wording of the US Code... the use of the word "POLICY". While US Code 10 may be a law, as is the law barring gays from serving in the military.... DADT is a POLICY on how the military is to behave in regards to members being gay. You actually have 5 methods to stop being kicked out, which I won't go into here, but consider this fact... the President can still ask the Pentagon to change the policy on gays in the military. That's not changing any law, it's merely changing the guidelines. Which, the current guidelines were written by Colin Powell. And last time I checked, Colin Powell never served in Congress.

[superstition]

Obama has had two methods to stop DADT from his first day in office.

http://www.americablog.com/2009/06/cap-report-tells-obama-how-to-keep-his.html

http://www.americablog.com/2009/06/obama-admin-rejects-caps-practical-plan.html

http://www.palmcenter.org/press/dadt/releases/New+Study+Says+Obama+Can+Halt+Gay+Discharges+With+Executive+Order

[blueskybigstar]

But that does not mean that things will stay that way after he is gone. He made a promise and I believe he will keep it. There is a pattern to the ones he will keep and the ones he will not. The financial is clearly suspect.

[octopi]

DADT strengthens the military my ass!

[KMcGee]

DADT protects gays from persecution and seclusion, from idiots.

[levibatgirl]

This is so very sad.

[hallowellboy]

The reason Gay service people are killed while on duty is that in this case, the Navy claims it wasn't a "hate crime'". They claim it wasn't a "hate crime" because the Gay serviceman didn't file a report of sexual harrassment before the murder. Had the mudered Gay serviceman filed such a report he would have been identified, charged and booted out of the Navy. Gay servicepeople are cleraly screwed.

[madcat007]

Excellent post. This is another example of why DADT has to be repealed immediately.

[paisleyface]

For a nation full of christians, why does this come as a surpise to anyone? Christ himself said "live by the sword, die by the sword". I suppose in Christ's eyes, if you join the military, you might as well impale yourself.

[kwinter]

Oh, but you're forgetting the first rule of Xianity:

Thou shalt cherry-pick whatever doth suit thee.
..........­..........­..........­..........­..........­.... 1 Bulshitamus 4:3

[Yeah-Me]

O,o?

LMAO!!!

[paisleyface]

For a nation full of christians, why does this come as a surpise to anyone? Christ himself said "live by the sword, die by the sword". I suppose in Christ's eyes, if you join the military, you might as well impale yourself.

[phlashba]

As it becomes more widely known that homophobia is almost always associated with people who are ashamed of their own homosexuality, I believe it will finally become rare. Congratulations Campos, now the whole world knows your" terrible secret".

[Bystander]

"As it becomes more widely known..." According to whom?

[madcat007]

http://www.psychologytoday.com/files/u47/Henry_et_al.pdf

[amirtalai]

hehe, "seaman"

[tjr101]

The biggest obstacle for the Administration and Congress to repeal DADT is the military itself. They are a lot more conservative and more bigotry compared to the general population which favors a repeal.

[blueskybigstar]

I believe I read that a majority want a repeal. The problem is that we have recruited a great number of gang members and white supremacists.

[KMcGee]

That's not true, and you should stop telling that lie!

[tjr101]

Right, the recruiters fear law abiding gays more than gang members and white supremacists. That's just messed up!

[ProgressforAmerica]

Exaclty. As I said in an earlier comment, the military needs stop tolerating bigotry.

[KMcGee]

I agree with you!

[ProgressforAmerica]

This better not get scrubbed.

As I was saying. Gay military men shower with other military men on a daily basis. Nothing happens from it, whether you like it or not. Your complaints are invalid.

Why would a comment like this get scrubbed?

[KMcGee]

That is because thay don't know that the person is gay!

[ProgressforAmerica]

How would knowing change the situation? Your biggoted feelings my get in the way of your shower?

[ProgressforAmerica]

Quit scrubbing my comments, I made a very valid point.

[KMcGee]

lol!

[ProgressforAmerica]

All the while mister biggot here gets to go uncesored. Good job HP moderator.....

[KMcGee]

Stop calling me names, I think nothing is wrong with g/l in the military, I just thing that DADT is a good policy!

[ObamacratInCA]

KMcGee

"Not having DADT is dangerous, there were a lot more crimes against g/l when it was not in place."
__________­__________­__________­__________­__________­__________­__________­______

Considering how many Arab translators have had to leave the service because of DADT, it seems that it is more dangerous to have DADT then it is to get rid of it.

The role of the military is to protect the freedom of all Americans. As it is under the jurisdiction of the United States, it does not have the right to decide some Americans cannot serve as Americans because they are gay.

[KMcGee]

I do not think that gay ppl should be kick out of the service for being gay!

[tjr101]

KMcGee I'm guessing for you ignorance is bliss. It's better that you don't know the person you're showering with is gay or straight... you just assume that they are all straight. When in fact you may well have already showered with over a 100 G/L persons in you're career. What's going to be the difference when DADT is repealed?

[3dtrix]

It has been clinically PROVEN, over and over again - in multiple double-blind studies, that the stronger one's anti-gay bias is, the deeper and more powerful one's repressed gay attraction is. It's indisputable - all protests to the contrary are just whistling in the wind. The sad truth is that murders like this are relatively common, and the very simple reason is that as a consequence of systemic demonization and repression of gay sexuality, many people who have strong gay attraction yet have also internalized the prohibition just short-circuit, and in rageful self-loathing project the "sin" onto those to whom they are attracted - and attack them (and thereby the attraction). Cue the sirens.

Tragic, but not rocket science - not a single equation required...

[KMcGee]

LOL, WOW!!

[3dtrix]

Looks like someone's a little too close to home, eh?

[brewsterb]

Has this been proven? I've always felt it was generally true, but I'd love to read up on any studies that were done.

[3dtrix]

Yes, as I said. I'm not a links maven (I spend too much time on the web as it is), but I think a good place to start is checking out Dr. Dean Edell (the radio doctor) either directly or through radio KGO his home station (he's nationally syndicated). I greatly admire the good Dr. - he's been at the forefront of rationality - and strongly pushed back against the dark side - for many years, on many topics. Both he and the radio station provide many links and archived material. Good luck...

[frankg3400]

Here is a video regarding a test from University of Georgia on the subject

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdDCz1uyBpo

You can also read an article from Psychology Today

www.psychologytoday.com/files/u47/Henry_et_al.pdf

Is Homophobia Associated With Homosexual Arousal?
Henry E. Adams, Lester W. Wright, Jr., and Bethany A. Lohr
University of Georgia
The authors investigated the role of homosexual arousal in exclusively heterosexual men who admitted
negative affect toward homosexual individuals. Participants consisted of a group of homophobic
men (n = 35) and a group of nonhomophobic men (n = 29); they were assigned to groups
on the basis of their scores on the Index of Homophobia (W. W. Hudson & W. A. Ricketts, 1980).
The men were exposed to sexually explicit erotic stimuli consisting of heterosexual, male homosexual,
and lesbian videotapes, and changes in penile circumference were monitored. They also completed
an Aggression Questionnaire (A. H. Buss & M. Perry, 1992 ). Both groups exhibited increases
in penile circumference to the heterosexual and female homosexual videos. Only the homophobic
men showed an increase in penile erection to male homosexual stimuli. The groups did not differ in
aggression. Homophobia is apparently associated with homosexual arousal that the homophobic
individual is either unaware of or denies.

[klandish]

Let's face it - the sexual continuum is as Kinsey reported back in the 50's and conveniently forgotten or deleted from public awareness for years, generations. The report stated: most people do fall into the bi-sexual category rather than at either end of the Homosexual or Heterosexual end of the spectrum. That's it - deal with it people. Most people do however have a leaning towards one orientation or the other ultimately. That doesn't mean all the feelings and attractions are gone when one moves in strongest most satisfying position sexually. But in a Society that condemns Homosexuality individuals identifying those traits in themselves may become angry and externalize those feelings towards others. Plain and simple. Not that complicated, but nonetheless a huge Social problem.

[captainindustry]

I googled the names of Seaman August Provost and also Petty Officer Jonathan Campos. Seems the sames pictures came up for both names. I'd look into it, but they both looked like nice, intelligent young black males who ought to be washing their cars and planning on going to the park to shoot some hoops with their friends. what an incredible tragedy.

I'm going to perform 10 random acts of serious kindness in their honor.

I'm not trying to deminish this. I'm just at a loss. (They look like some guys I know.)

[KMcGee]

Thank You!