Christopher Tur.
A new petition has been launched by the family of 42-year-old Christopher Tur, a Hatfield Township resident and Marine Corps veteran who died under suspicious circumstances at Naval Base Guantanamo Bay in 2015, seeking further charges and punishment for former Navy Captain John Nettleton.
Nettleton was found guilty by a federal jury in January on charges of obstruction of justice, falsifying records, making false statements and concealing material facts, in connection with Tur’s death and the investigation that followed.
“We have been waiting over five years for answers on what happened to Christopher, but unfortunately this trial has brought us more questions,” said Aline Tur-Bynes, Christopher’s sister, after the verdict was announced. “While this trial has come to an end, this is far from over. We will not stop until we have answers to the hard questions, until we know what happened to Christopher.”
According to Tur-Byrnes, the questions that continue to plague the family include:
Tur-Byrnes said that the family’s efforts to secure answers to those questions have mostly fallen on deaf ears, so they have launched a Change.org petition in the hopes of pressuring naval officials into finally providing answers—if not further action.
“We are calling on navy officials, Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modley, to do the correct thing and set an example to all navy captains, that this outrageous and deadly behavior will not be tolerated,” said Tur-Byrnes, via the petition.
The petition has just under 500 signatures as of those posting, though Tur-Byrnes said her initial goal is to secure 1,000 signatures. From there, the family hopes the petition grows to the point that officials will be forced to respond.
“This trial has made it clear that officials failed to keep good order and discipline that could have saved Christopher’s life,” said Tur-Byrnes. “Justice comes in many forms, one is the light of day.”
Details About Tur’s Death from the Indictment
On Jan. 9, 2015, Tur went missing following a party at the GITMO Officers' Club. Following a two-day search, his body was discovered in the bay on Jan. 11, 2015.
Tur’s cause of death was ruled as drowning, though an autopsy revealed he had suffered broken ribs with associated soft tissue damage, as well as multiple lacerations to his head and face prior to his death.
Less than two weeks later, Nettleton—who took command of GITMO in June 2012—was relieved of his command due to suspicions about him having an affair with Tur’s wife.
According to the indictment, Nettleton, Tur and Tur’s wife, Lara, were drinking at a party at the GITMO Officers' Club—also referred to as the Bayview—on the evening of Jan. 9, 2015. At around 10 p.m., Tur publicly confronted Nettleton and Lara outside of the Bayview, accusing them of having an affair, the report states. Nettleton then walked away in the direction of his home, which was located on the same street, according to the indictment.
Between 10:30 p.m. and 10:45 p.m., the indictment continues, a civilian resident of GITMO received a call from Tur stating he was "at the Skipper’s house” and he had "just knocked the Skipper out.” The report states that Nettleton’s voice was heard during the call stating that Tur had knocked him out, and the indictment later states Tur also sustained injuries as a result of the altercation. (North Penn Now has independently identified the civilian resident—referred to only as K.W. in the indictment—as Kelly Warfel, a civilian public relations officer assigned to GITMO.)
During the early morning hours of Jan. 10, Warfel, along with a member of the Navy identified as R.B., began searching for Tur, who had not returned home. They went to Nettleton’s residence and spoke with him about the phone call Tur had placed the night before, but Nettleton said they'd just had a conversation before he instructed Tur to go home, according to the indictment. Nettleton neither acknowledged a physical altercation nor that Tur had been injured, the report states.
When asked by R.B. for permission to search Nettleton’s back yard, Nettleton refused and the two left to continue their search for Tur, according to the indictment.
The indictment states that Nettleton then began to knowingly mislead officials and investigators in their search for Tur, by repeatedly obfuscating the alleged physical altercation at his house, as well as telling investigators Tur was last seen at the Bayview, not Nettleton’s home. It also alleges Nettleton knowingly pointed search parties in the wrong direction, and called off a Coast Guard search during the evening hours of Jan. 10 due to safety reasons.
Nettleton faces a maximum of 100 years in prison as a result of the January 2020 verdict, though federal sentencing guidelines are far lower, according to reports.
See also:
Jury Finds Navy Captain Guilty Of Lying About Death Of Local Marine At Guantanamo Bay
Family Seeks Justice In Death Of Local Marine At Guantanamo Bay
Woman’s Body Discovered Off Of Sumneytown Pike, Police Investigating
Philadelphia Homicide Suspect Apprehended In Upper Gwynedd
Montco Chiropractor Accused Of Credit Card Fraud In Towamencin
