The previously published NCIS response letter to Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Elizabeth Warren was a proverbial “double edged sword”. Prior to forwarding the letter to us, Senator Shaheen phoned us to express her sympathy and declare that she had “done all she could”. Once we received the letter,much to our surprise, we learned that NCIS had, in fact, looked into the civilian investigation of Morgan’s homicide in early 2022 and an “Official Report” had been filed at NCIS Headquarters in Quantico, VA. We immediately filed a Freedom Of Information Act Request (FOIA) with NCIS and also asked for expedient action, which, to our pleasant surprise, was granted. On March 23, 2023, we received a redacted copy of the (closed) Report of Investigation (ROI) dated May 22, 2022, which consists of “Results of contact with local law enforcement regarding Morgan Renee Patten”. For anyone who knows the details of Morgan’s homicide case even half as well as we do, the content of this report is appalling and infuriating!
With our knowledge of the key players in this case, we were able to fill in all of the redactions of the Report, except for the name of the NCIS Special Agent who made the contacts and filed the Report; the unredacted version will immediately follow this narrative. The first point of contention is also the least disturbing, though certainly worth mentioning. While reviewing the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) report regarding Morgan’s homicide, the Special Agent noted that Onslow County District Attorney Ernie Lee and our attorney, James Payne, agreed following a May 21, 2021 meeting that “there was no additional steps to follow up on”. We certainly do not recall such contentment at the end of that meeting and when we questioned James Payne about this statement, he replied,”out of courtesy and charity to whomever wrote that, suffice to say that my recollection differs from that one”. That sounds like lawyer speak for “bullshit”, to me! It is noted in the NCIS report that a statement from Applebees bartender, Joshua Thornton was reviewed, but no mention of Jessica Brown’s statement. She was serving and tending bar at Applebees on 11/08/19 as well, and her statement is very different from Josh Thornton’s. The most alarming reference to the OCSO report is this: “Laboratory analysis of PATTEN’S blood alcohol content revealed .20, and no other substances were found in her system.” THIS IS AN OUTRIGHT LIE, and it is now reported in, not only the OCSO Official Report, but the NCIS Official Report, as well. Here are the facts regarding Morgan’s BAC. - The toxicology report from the NC Chief Medical Examiner’s Office states that an aortic blood sample was taken during Morgan’s autopsy, which occurred 60 hours after her death. The blood alcohol concentration is reported to be 130 milligrams per deciliter, or .13. During the same autopsy, a sample of vitreous humor was extracted from Morgan’s eye, which revealed a blood alcohol concentration of 20 milligrams per deciliter, or .02. When we asked about the drastic difference, we were told by Assistant District Attorney Caroline Fountain that the results were “wonky” but one explanation could be a rapid consumption of alcohol just prior to death. Morgan’s stomach contents did not reveal any quantity of liquid though, so that never made sense. We consulted a private forensic pathologist to help solve the mystery, and here is his conclusion. The ratio of blood ethanol to vitreous ethanol is 6.5:1. This is unusually high and raises the question of the accuracy of the blood specimen. Based on the way ethanol is metabolized and distributed in the various tissues of the body, the true concentration of ethanol in Morgan’s blood at the time of her death was likely substantially lower than the reported value of 130 mg/dL (0.13 gm/dL). The reasons for this opinion are as follows. As I stated above the 6.5:1 ratio is quite high; 130 mg/dL in blood and 20 mg/dL in vitreous fluid. Blood and vitreous fluid ethanol concentrations roughly equilibrate by 30-60 minutes. This would suggest Morgan had upward to 8 drinks in the hour before the crash. This does not seem likely, suggesting there may be some other reason for this ratio. The best sample for postmortem toxicology of any kind is what is called peripheral blood. That is blood that is distant from the heart, usually drawn from the femoral veins in the legs. In multiple trauma cases with substantial blood loss, this can be a difficult to impossible task. In Morgan’s case the autopsy pathologist submitted blood from the aorta. This is considered central blood and can yield substantially and artifactually higher levels of ethanol. This is especially true with the degree of organ trauma seen in Morgan’s case that can further contaminate a central sample. Assuming Morgan had reached equilibrium between blood and vitreous ethanol, her BAC in the absence of any blood sample would have been estimated to be between 10 and 15 mg/dL (0.01-0.015 gm/dL) There is abundant evidence here to suggest Morgan’s actual BAC was lower than reported in the central blood sample taken at autopsy, and her vitreous concentration suggests she was likely well below the legal threshold of intoxication (80 mg/dL or 0.08 gm/dL) I know that there are a lot of numbers in here, but how did Morgan’s BAC get misreported in (at least) TWO official Government documents? And why does it matter? It only matters because Staff Sergeant John Edwards, North Carolina Highway Patrol, told us on November 10, 2019, “If Morgan’s BAC comes back above.08 I am going to assume that got into that truck willingly”. It appears that SSgt John Edwards not only adhered to his ridiculous statement, but likely inflated the numbers as he passed along the “facts” of the case. It is stated in the NCIS Report that NC State Highway Patrol interviewed Charles Cornwall, which NEVER HAPPENED! In fact, on Dec. 18, 2019, SSgt John Edwards and OCSO Detective Johnathan Marshburn told us that Cornwall was still in intensive care at Vidant Medical Center and that his doctors would not allow him to be interviewed, though we learned later that Cornwall had driven home to Montana more than two weeks earlier. The NCIS Special Agent spoke with Detective Matt Hipple, OCSO, who forwarded text messages between Morgan and Philip Brandon from the evening of 11/08/19. His report states that Morgan was texting with Phil until 10:45pm and that the 911 call reporting the fatal crash came in at 10:49pm. This would lead one to believe that it is impossible for Morgan to be taken against her will and driven 13 miles away in a four minute span of time, and I would likely agree; the problem is, it is more bullshit! The very last text message sent from Morgan's phone was at 10:40pm, to which Phil responded at 10:45. The 911 call was made by Anne Freeman within seconds of the crash occurring across the street from her home at 10:51pm. This leaves a minimum of eleven minutes of no communication from Morgan. The first time we drove from Applebees to the crash site, following directions from Google Maps and traveling the speed limit, we arrived in fifteen minutes seventeen seconds. Hunter Wells would have needed to average 68mph in order to arrive there within eleven minutes, and we know that the truck left the roadway traveling over 93mph. Though she had told us she had done everything she could, we reached out to Senator Shaheen’s Office one more time, and, reluctantly, they helped us schedule a meeting with Special Agent Kelly Parrish, Deputy Assistant Director, NCIS, though Senator Shaheen’s Office was not willing to have representation at this meeting. We met with Special Agent Parrish in Jacksonville, NC on April 30, 2023. Also present was Major Mark Scott, OCSO, ADA Caroline Fountain and Senior ADA Mike Maultsby, OCDA, and Special Agent In Charge Stephanie Rushton, NCIS Carolina Field Office. Special Agent Parrish began the meeting by asking us to provide “reasonable suspicion” of a felony level crime in order to get NCIS to reopen the case. We were very optimistic that by pointing out the inaccurate (to use a friendly term) information in the official NCIS Report and replacing it with documented facts, he would agree that reasonable suspicion exists, even conservatively speaking. After more than two hours of presentation, and after repeatedly interrupting us, Special Agent Parrish stated that the inaccurate information in the Report doesn’t matter. In fact, he said that the Report itself doesn’t matter. All that matters, according to the Deputy Assistant Director of NCIS, is what the Special Agent tasked with the investigation knows to be the facts of the case. Go ahead and try to make sense of that statement. He then closed the meeting by saying that we had “not provided proof of a kidnapping” so NCIS would not reopen the investigation. There were many other unpleasantries handed to us by Special Agent Parrish within that room, but I am trying my best to be brief. In being brief, I’ll end this roller coaster narrative by saying that we have begged for a Federal investigation for more than three years, and still believe that Morgan’s homicide should have been handled by Federal authorities from the beginning, but we were stymied by a bureaucrat in a tailored suit with the audacity to complain to us about having to drive down to Camp Lejeune from Quantico, VA. We believe it would not have mattered if we entered that room with a recorded confession from Hunter Wells or Charles Cornwall; Special Agent Kelly Parrish was sent to Jacksonville to shut us down. U.S. NAVAL CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE SERVICE REPORT OF INVESTIGATION {CLOSED ONLY} 27MAY22 SPECIAL INQUIRY (II) CONTROL: 27MAY22-CALE-00352-7XMA/UI/JACKSONVILLE, NC/RESULTS OF CONTACT WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REGARDING MORGAN RENEE PATTEN, CIV COMMAND/DOD INTEREST/00000 MADE AT/CALE/RESIDENT AGENCY CAMP LEJEUNE/ SPECIAL AGENT (b)(6),(b)(7)(C) NARRATIVE 1. This ROI (CLOSED ONLY) was initiated to document contact with several local law enforcement agencies, namely Onslow County Sheriffs Office (OCSO), the North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NC SHP), and the Onslow County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA), regarding an allegation of kidnapping of Morgan Renee PATTEN, CIV, by Hunter Wells, CIV, former USMC, and Charles Cornwall, CIV, former USMC. PATTEN was killed in a motor vehicle accident, in a vehicle driven by Wells in Mayesville, NC on 08Nov19. Cornwall was a passenger, however was not killed in the accident. 2. Between 13Apr22 and 22Apr22, NCIS reviewed the OCSO Case File (Incident 2019016282); reviewed the NC State Highway Patrol Collision Investigation; reviewed text messages between PATTEN and Philip Brandon, USMCR; spoke with Matthew Hipple, CIV OCSO; John Edwards, CIV, NC SHP; and Assistant District Attorney (ADA) Caroline Fountain, CIV, OCDA. 3. During the review of the OCSO report, it was noted on 21May21, James Payne, Steven Patten, Renee Patten, Fountain, Elizabeth Bailey, Seldon NASON, District Attorney (DA) Ernie Lee met to discuss the investigation. DA Lee and ADA Fountainwere on video teleconference for this meeting. It was noted in the report, the DA and Attorney Payne agreed at the time there was no additional steps to follow up on. multiple people were interviewed including first responders, witnesses at the scene, and the bartender at Applebees Restaurant, Jacksonville, NC, who served PATTEN, Wells and Cornwall prior to the motor vehicle accident. Both Wells and Cornwall were active duty USMC members at the time. During interviews by law enforcement , Wells requested an attorney; and Cornwall could not remember the day of the crash, nor the first week after the crash. An interview of the bartender at Applebees Restaurant, Joshua Thornton CIV, revealed he did not recognize Wells, V/PATTEN, nor Cornwallas being previous customers. Laboratory analysis of PATTEN’s Blood Alcohol Content revealed a .20, and no other substances were in her system. The report indicates no evidence of kidnapping was uncovered during the investigation and OCSO closed their investigation. 4. During the review of the NC SHP report, Which was obtained from OCSO, it was noted NC SHP interviewed Thornton and Thornton advised Patten, Wells and Cornwall drink alcohol at the restaurant, however, Thornton did not observe anything out of the ordinary. NC SHP also interviewed Cornwall who advised he could not remember the accident. Wells was interviewed on 09Nov19, by OCSO as indicated above, and invoked right to counsel. 5. contact with Hipple advised he could not find any indication or evidence of a kidnapping charge. He further advised he took over the investigation from a previous detective. Hipple advised OCSO conducted a complete and thorough investigation. Hipple further forwarded text messages to NCIS which indicated there was no indication PATTEN was in any type of duress. PATTEN was sending text messages back and forth to Brandon from 2202 until 2245 on 08Nov19. Hipple advised the 911 call for the motor vehicle accident came in at 2249 on 08Nov19. In one of the texts, V/PATTEN advises Brandon “people bring in cocaine onto base through pizza just btw”. 6. contact with John Edwards, NCSHP, indicated the night after the motor vehicle accident, he met with Steven Patten, Renee Patten, and Philip Brandon. Edwards stated he believed the family brought up a text about drugs being smuggled onto base. Edwards stated he interviewed bartenders at Applebee’s restaurant and advised there was no indication of any duress on the part of PATTEN and the interaction between her and Wells and Cornwall was very cordial. Edwards further stated there was no indication of kidnapping at the scene of a motor vehicle accident. 7. contact with ADA Fountain indicated the investigative team looked at PATTEN’s text messages, and did not find anything indicating any duress on the part of PATTEN. Fountain stated interviews from Applebee’s employees indicated that PATTEN, Wells and Cornwall were not out of the ordinary and there was nothing indicating kidnapping. Fountain further advised she sent PATTEN’s blood again to be tested for additional substances to the laboratory after the original toxicology test, and still the only thing in PATTEN’s system was alcohol. Fountain indicated there was no evidence to support a kidnapping charge. Wells is currently facing multiple charges in Onslow County, including involuntary manslaughter, driving under the influence, felony serious injury by motor vehicle, and felony death by motor vehicle. 8. this investigation is closed.
8 Comments
Our Response:
First, we would like to state that we have great appreciation for Senator Shaheen and Senator Warren’s efforts in requesting of NCIS, a thorough review of the events surrounding the Death of Morgan Patten on November 8, 2019, in Onslow County, North Carolina. In rebuttal to the response from Naval Criminal Investigative Service dated February 8, 2023, and signed by Assistant Director, Office of Strategic Communications, Ivan Acosta, please review the following comments. We take great offense, first and foremost, to these statements by Mr. Acosta, “They have therefore speculated that Ms. Patten must have been kidnapped” and “Unfortunately, there is no information that supports their beliefs and all indications are that Ms. Patten willingly entered the vehicle with Mr. Wells and Mr. Cornwall,...”. His job at the Office of Strategic Communication is to choose words carefully to ensure the message is convincing, regardless of accuracy. The speculation of Sgt. John Edwards, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, that Morgan entered the vehicle willingly, has less supporting evidence than our speculation that she did not. Sgt. Edwards was the first responding officer to the crash on November 8, 2019, and, to be blunt, conducted an incredibly poor assessment of the scene. Though Morgan had been tagged as a “Jane Doe” due to lack of any identification, and both men had already been transported from the scene, and despite him finding a firearm in the “debris field” Sgt. Edwards determined within minutes that he was viewing an “unfortunate dui fatality”; nothing more, nothing less. The entirety of Sgt. Edwards investigation supporting his theory of an “unfortunate dui fatality” was complete before the deceased female found face down in a ditch beside White Oak River Road had been identified as Morgan Patten! More than seven hours later, when speaking with us by telephone, Sgt. Edwards learned that Morgan Patten had arrived in Jacksonville on the same evening that she was killed and that she did not know Hunter Wells or Charles Cornwall. It was not until later on November 9th that Sgt Edwards learned that Morgan’s bill at Applebees had not been paid the prior evening, and though every officer we have spoken to regarding Morgan’s death investigation has stated that the driver’s story regarding their activities and intended destination is senseless, nobody has actively investigated alternate agendas. The bartender at Applebees, Joshua Thornton provided a written statement, but not to Sgt. John Edwards or any other law enforcement officer investigating Morgan’s death. Officers from North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) obtained the statement from Joshua Thornton as they were investigating the sale of alcohol to a minor(Charles Cornwall), and they shared this statement with Sgt. Edwards. Interestingly, Jessica Brown was also working behind the bar at Applebees on November 8, 2019, and she was never asked to provide a statement to investigators. Our private investigator met with Ms. Brown on August 18, 2020, and she made the following statements. “ They didn’t know nothing about her. They started asking questions.” “And, um, I’m guessing by the time I clocked out at that point, you know, they weren’t together, period.” “So when they said that one girl ended up with them, it was hard to see why.” “She wasn’t trying to socialize or engage. She was just chilling on her own. You can tell she was a loner. You know what I mean? And a responsible loner because she was by herself. She wasn’t trying to throw them back or nothing like that.” Jessica Brown also described the moment when Wells and Cornwall offered to buy Morgan a shot of Jack Daniels and Morgan declined their offer, but Jessica went ahead and poured three shots and left them on the bar. There is no indication as to whether Morgan drank the shot or not. In his written statement, bartender Joshua Thornton claims that the two men offered to buy Morgan a shot of Jack Daniels, he turned to Morgan and asked her if it was okay if they bought her a shot, she said yes so he poured her a shot. We find it very disturbing that both bartenders claim to have had this personal interaction with Morgan, but the details are distinctly different. We find it more disturbing that law enforcement officers did not question additional staff and patrons of Applebees, but merely accepted the statement of Joshua Thornton as fact. According to the rough timeline of events described to our private investigator by Jessica Brown, she last recalled seeing Morgan at approximately 10:30 pm on November 8, 2019. If her timeline is accurate, there was only one text message sent from Morgan’s phone after leaving Applebees, and it was noted by the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office Detective who reviewed the contents of Morgan’s phone that this text message to Phil Brandon seemed “out of character”. On November 11, 2019, Sgt. John Edwards made the following statement to us. “If Morgan’s blood alcohol concentration comes back higher than .08 I’m going to assume that she got into that truck willingly.” Despite the fact that this is an absurdly stupid statement made by a law enforcement officer, we felt certain that Morgan’s bac would come back significantly lower than that threshold because we knew that she had consumed one beer with her meal, and possibly a shot of Jack Daniels during roughly a three hour window. When Morgan’s autopsy and toxicology report were released, and her bac was reported as being .13, Sgt. Edwards stayed true to his absurdly stupid statement, and has refused to consider science based mitigating factors. The very same report showed that Morgan’s vitreous humor alcohol concentration (vac) at time of death was .02. Research we have conducted and medical professionals we have spoken with assure us that this large discrepancy between bac and vac is impossible aside from contamination. Vitreous humor is widely considered the most reliable source when determining antemortem alcohol consumption in postmortem testing simply because the fluid is protected from outside contaminants and ethanol production from decomposition. Aortic blood was used to determine Morgan’s bac, 60 hours after her death, and the autopsy report shows that her brain, heart and liver were all described as “disruption with hemorrhage”. Further details state that her heart was “fragmented” and much of her large intestines were in the chest cavity. Sgt. John Edwards made all of his determinations based on partial and tainted information, and has shared his tunnel vision with Onslow County Sheriffs Office, Onslow County District Attorney’s Office, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations and now Naval Criminal Investigative Service. If he is certain that Morgan was killed in an “unfortunate dui” crash, as the result of her own actions, namely, overconsumption of alcohol leading to poor and uncharacteristic decision making, why would he stand in the way of further investigations by other State or Federal Agencies. The letter from NCIS includes this very important sentence; “While NCIS maintains federal jurisdiction over Department of the Navy service members regardless of their location, NCIS is responsible for the investigation of felony level crimes and does not typically investigate traffic deaths outside of extraordinary circumstances.” In our meeting with Senator Jeanne Shaheen on December 9, 2022, we shared irrefutable evidence with the Senator and her staff which clearly shows that Charles E. Cornwall committed felony level crimes leading up to the crash on November 8, 2019, and also on December 30, 2019, while providing sworn testimony to Lt. Justin Silvus, USMC, during his Line of Duty Investigation. The response from NCIS, in its entirety, is unacceptable! It is unacceptable to us and it should be unacceptable to you. NCIS did not complete the requested task of thoroughly reviewing the incident, but merely stated, been there, done that. A thorough review MUST include speaking with us, in person, so we can share the many documents that local law enforcement failed to obtain and/or include. If Morgan Patten were your friend, your sister, your child, you would feel as strongly as we do that this is unjust. In death, Morgan Patten is larger than life; Morgan Patten is a friend, a sister, a daughter to all of us, and justice must prevail completely. Truth must be absolute! This is about more than the tragic loss of Morgan Patten; this is about accountability in Government at all levels. The baseless victim shaming is abominable! We urge that you please demand better of the Department of the Navy and Naval Criminal Investigative Service. At the very least, demand that their representatives involved in this fictitious review of events surrounding the death of Morgan Patten meet personally with us, immediately. We are willing to travel anywhere to facilitate this. Morgan Patten deserves your immediate attention to this matter. Thank you. Steven and Renee Patten Philip Brandon Over the last several days I have become more aware of the blatant disrespect we have received as a grieving family in a wrongful death case from those whose job it is to get Morgan the justice she deserves. I can’t even count how many times we have heard the words,”there is nothing more we can do” or “we have to assume she was willingly in the vehicle”, without doing a proper investigation. Both are disgustingly unacceptable, while the criminals responsible for Morgan’s death are out there living their lives as if this nightmare we every day never happened. Even more disturbing is that those same people have families of their own that they go home to every night. They have wives and daughters who look at them like heroes for the work that they do. If only they knew the half-assed mediocre work they actually do, and the families in need that they turn their backs on. If only their families knew that their hero is perfectly fine with the bare minimum if something were to happen to them, considering that is exactly what they do for the families that rely on them on a daily basis in their time of greatest need.
Another concern I have is the overall egocentric and childish behavior displayed by all of these people. For example, at least two detectives in charge of Morgan’s case had their heads so far up their own asses, that when their career moved them elsewhere, they closed Morgan’s case without notifying us, and we would never have known had we not been demanding updates. Who, in their right mind, does that to a grieving family seeking justice for a violent , evil situation that never should have happened in the first place? How can they go home and face their family while letting another suffer? In another example of how backwards all of this is, I was recently berated by a First Sergeant , and made out to be a failure of a Squad Leader because two of my guys had not informed me of issues going on in their personal lives that our Command wanted to be aware of; I’m a failure for not knowing something, which is a direct result of “improper communication” with the Marines serving under me, according to her, yet everyone that has failed to conduct a proper investigation into Morgan’s homicide has been promoted. I am disturbed to the very core of my being to see, firsthand, the greed, corruption and inhumanity of these people. Morgan was very concerned that the military way of life would change me, and that I wouldn’t be the same person she fell in love with. Although I am aware I have changed, Morgan had nothing to worry about because she always kept me grounded. My motivation in everything I did was to be the best possible version of myself, for her. As my father described Morgan, “ she wasn’t just a fire in his life, she was a lightning bolt”. What has ultimately changed me, is the lack of compassion and humanity from those whose job it is to prevent this kind of evil from happening, and failure to seek out absolute justice when it does. We have been robbed of a lifetime of memories, happiness and life events with Morgan and all that Onslow County, NC wants is for us to stop asking questions, to the extent someone actually stated,” this was over three years ago, what does it matter?. Let that sink in. Someone actually saying that to a grieving family who has lost someone in the most horrifying way. It is all just as vile and criminal as Morgan being taken from us. This is the weight that Steve, Renee and I carry while doing our best just to get through the day. If all of these people stayed true to their oaths and did their job from the beginning, we could be putting all of this time and effort into proper, healthy grieving and celebrating Morgan’s life in a way she would want us to; happily together, without this additional weight crushing us and distracting us from living in the moment. It is demoralizing an soul crushing to see how desensitized people have become to tragedies such as this. To watch people mentally write this off as “just one of those bad things that happens”, when it doesn’t directly affect them. The reality is, this could have been anyone. This could have been you or your loved one, and it happens more often than they want to admit because it’s easier for them to lie and sweep everything under the rug than it is for them to do their job. My hope is that, through our fight, we can change that, and more importantly, save the lives of countless young women in and out of the military, and, at the very least, save another family from this very fight. Until then, I know we have a very long and exhausting road ahead of us, and we’ll get there together. I believe every adult person on Earth has, at some point, for some reason, imagined their own death. Whether it be for estate planning purposes, contemplation of their life’s relevance or a simple daydream about what exists beyond mortal life, the thoughts occur, and are entirely normal. I have never met an adult human being who has considered what it would be like to lose a child, for the simple reason, that I believe, that it is unimaginable. Fortunately, very few ever experience such a tragic event. Even fewer experience the inconceivable reality of losing a child to violent crime.
As parents who have been dealt this unfair hand, we can tell you with certainty that such an event does not end one life, but no less than three lives in one horrific moment. Days come and go. Weeks turn into months. Somehow, the calendar continues to turn. Year after year those outside of the epicenter of any such tragedy move on with their lives, and rightfully so. The parents of a child taken by violence have nowhere to go. Sleep is unrestful. Breathing is no longer an involuntary action and moments of joy are quickly interrupted by anxiety and guilt. Time does not heal all wounds. The death of a child by violence is completely avoidable. This simple fact brings on unique challenges, and according to what we all know as a “system of justice”, very straightforward resolution. We are here to tell you that our system of justice is more fallacy than it is solace. We are, and will continue to be supporters of military personnel and law enforcement. We have known many admirable men and women who embraced their roles of responsibility and served the general public with honor, humility and dignity. Unfortunately, none of those men and women have handled our daughter’s case. Those responsible for attaining justice in her case have displayed immense dereliction of their duties. Just like those who murdered our sweet girl, the investigators, elected and appointed prosecutors and active duty U.S. Marine Corps Officers creating the ensuing injustice have names. Those men and women, regardless of uniform and affiliation, need to be held accountable. Confirmation bias in a major crimes investigation is never acceptable. The path of least resistance will never lead to truth and justice. It is a wrenching feeling to become aware that people we have always respected because of their oath and uniform; people we believed would be our strongest allies in our moment of great need and despair, could actually be so disinterested and lacking in empathy. These public servants range from lazy to incompetent, and in a few instances, corrupt! They failed to put themselves in our shoes, realize that these crimes could have happened to any young lady. It could have been their own sister, wife or even their daughter. Without conscience, they continually ignore our calls, our emails, our pleas and our daughter’s God given rights, distracted, instead, by an easy victory to add to their resume. All of this while we remind ourselves to breathe, wait endlessly to be treated with the simple dignity of a response to questions and concerns, all the while praying that this will not happen to another family. Another child. This is not justice as any of us were taught to understand it. This is not justice by a jury of the accused’s peers. This is no justice at all for the one who needs it most. Her name is Morgan Renee Patten. She was abducted and killed by two enlisted members of the United States Marine Corps on November 8, 2019, at the age of 24. Morgan’s story needs to be told! They want us to believe that it was all a tragic accident, an “ unfortunate dui fatality. They want us to believe that Morgan Patten had a lapse in judgement because she had too much to drink, which, in their words, happens all of the time in a military town. They want us to believe that Morgan walked away from her $20 tab at Applebees Grille and Bar after sharing with the bartender that she was staying in the hotel which shared a parking lot. They want us to believe that Morgan Patten utilized two Ubers, a bus, three planes and a ferry over thirteen hours in order to spend a weekend with her fiancé , yet hopped in a truck with two complete strangers 3 hours after arriving in Jacksonville, NC. They want us to believe that Morgan was enticed to leave Applebees with two strange drunk men because they offered to take her target shooting at 10:30pm, fifteen miles outside of town, on a dead end road in the middle of nowhere, with one lever action rifle and a handful of ammunition. They want us to believe that Morgan Patten was a willing participant in the ride which ended her life; traveling in excess of 90mph with no seatbelt on, pounding beers and having fun right up to the point when she ended up bleeding to death as a Jane Doe, face down in a ditch alongside White Oak River Road. They want us to believe that we didn’t know Morgan at all.
Who are they? They start with the piece of shit who was driving the truck that Morgan died in, Hunter Oneil Wells. He was interviewed at Naval Hospital by Trooper Taylor Stokes, after walking away from the horrific crash with “ scrapes and bruises”. Hunter Wells was interviewed after speaking to his wife, his Platoon Sergeant, Company Gunnery Sergeant, his cousin and a roommate. He is the one who told the story about “going shooting”, which explained why there was a gun found in the wreckage, and perhaps Trooper Stokes and all of the other Theys to follow, found the story as unbelievable as we do, but the story made the crime scene, and the crime, easy to sweep under the rug. Nothing to see here. The one witness who would refute the story is dead. They include Sgt. John Edwards of the NC Highway Patrol, who notified us that Morgan was the victim of an “unfortunate dui fatality”, spreading the lies told by Hunter Wells. Detective Jonathan Marshburn, Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, who was assigned as lead detective in the criminal investigation as a rookie who spent more time and energy sending out his resume to State and Federal Agencies than he did trying to find out what actually happened on November 8, 2019. District Attorney Ernie Lee, Assistant District Attorney Caroline Fountain and Victim’s Advocate Lori Haga who all accepted the story as passed along to them and immediately concluded that the entire situation could be resolved and kept quiet if they believed Hunter Wells’ story, and convinced us that it was all true. But none of them knew Morgan Patten; NONE OF THEM LOVED MORGAN PATTEN! Steven Patten
Jan 5, 2022, 7:55PM to Andrew.Niebel, Todd.ferry, Robert.teller, ly.fecteau Greetings General Niebel Let me be brief. My daughter, Morgan Patten was killed in Onslow County on 8 November 2019, as a direct result of two Marine Corps Lance Corporals, Hunter Oneil Wells and Charles Edward Cornwall V. A criminal investigation into Morgan’s possible kidnapping remains open and active. Through a FOIA request, I recently received a redacted copy of the Line of Duty/Misconduct Investigation of Charles E. Cornwall ordered by Col. Ebitz on 25 November 2019, also approved by Col. Ebitz on 14 January 2020 (1534807011/5811 USMC). I have communicated previously with current Bn. Commander, Col. Kyle Phillips and SJA Lt. Col. Michelle Over, and both have informed me that they cannot be of assistance. I am requesting the Line of Duty/Misconduct Investigation of Charles E. Cornwall be reviewed and reopened, as I can provide irrefutable evidence that LCpl Cornwall was deceptive while providing Sworn Testimony to the Officer responsible for conducting said investigation. Please advise. Thank you and Semper Fi. Steve Patten Niebel BGen Andrew M Jan 7, 2022, 11:39AM to Tellez, me, Ferry, Fecteau Mr Patten, First and foremost, I am very sorry for your loss. As you are aware, words cannot adequately express condolence for the loss of a family member. Throughout my 30 years in service as a Marine, I have dealt with the loss of Marines, their family members, and friends of Marines. All are tragic. You mentioned a previous discussion with Colonel Phillips and LtCol Over, both of whom I’ve contacted to discuss their interaction with you. I can tell you that both Marines are compassionate and conduct themselves professionally. As previously discussed, the line of duty investigation is not a criminal investigation- it is administrative in nature to determine potential disability compensation. It has been completed over two years ago and in the case of LCpl Cornwall is not something that the command is able to effect. LCpl Cornwall has been discharged from the Marine Corps. I understand you have concerns about the line of duty investigation. However, having read the investigation, I will tell you that questioning the veracity of LCpl Cornwall’s statements has no bearing as to whether his injuries were sustained in the line of duty, which is the purpose of a line of duty investigation. If you believe that there was misconduct involved in other events that occurred on the evening of the accident, that is separate and distinct from determining whether LCpl Cornwall’s injuries occurred as a result of his own misconduct. Unless a service member’s misconduct was the proximate cause of his injuries, he/she will be found in the line of duty. I believe that clarity is helpful. I am being as straightforward as I can be to alleviate any ambiguity. Respectfully, BGen Niebel Steven Patten Jan 7, 2022, 2:05 PM to Niebel, Ferry, Tellez, Fecteau General Niebel, Thank you for your prompt response and your kind words. You are correct, clarity is helpful. I clearly understand your explanation of the Line of Duty Investigation, now allow me to clearly explain why I questioned its legitimacy. The initial Order from Col. A.R. Ebitz, dated 25 Nov 2019, and all subsequent documents state the subject as “LINE OF DUTY/MISCONDUCT INVESTIGATION INTO THE FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE INJURIES SUSTAINED BY LANCE CORPORAL CHARLES E. CORNWALL V 1534807011/5811 USMC”. Furthermore, on the Suspects Rights/Acknowledgement Statement, item number (1) clearly states that LCpl Cornwall was being investigated for an Article 92 infraction, Under Age Drinking. During the interview, LCpl Cornwall stated, “The hospital told me they did a blood test to see if I had alcohol in my system and they didn’t find any”. The records from Vidant Medical Center state that upon arrival, LCpl Cornwall’s blood alcohol content was .13. The records were included in the final Report, but apparently not checked against LCpl Cornwall’s Sworn Statement. A little bit of leg work would have revealed that he consumed 1 double shot of Jack Daniels, 1 single shot of Jack Daniels and 2) 20 ounce Sam Adams Oktoberfest beers within an hour and twenty minutes prior to the crash, which he purchased using a stolen Military ID card! LCpl Cornwall also stated during the interview that he had been sitting in the front passenger seat, securely seatbelted at the time of the crash. The NCSHP Crash Report states that he had not been wearing a seatbelt and had been seated in the right REAR seat. Again, this document was included, but apparently not reviewed to substantiate. Perhaps I AM wrong when questioning the purpose of the Line of Duty/Misconduct Investigation Report, but I am absolutely correct saying that the “Findings of Fact” 5. There is no evidence to suggest LCpl Cornwall consumed alcohol prior to the crash. 11. There is no evidence to suggest LCpl Cornwall was impaired in any capacity. 12. There is no evidence to suggest LCpl Cornwall was in an altered state of mind…….. 15. LCpl Cornwall utilized all available Pesonal Protective Equipment available. have no factual content whatsoever. LCpl Cornwall lied to the Investigating Officer and that Officer conducted a poor investigation. Two years have passed, but what was wrong is still wrong. There must be a means of correcting this. It is my life’s mission, and that of my wife, to ensure LCpl Cornwall is convicted in civilian court, along with LCpl Hunter Wells for the kidnapping and eventual death of our only child. We will also go to extended lengths to be certain they are not able to enjoy the benefits of being a Marine throughout their miserable lives. That title is for honorable men and women! Thank you, again. Steve Patten Interestingly, just a few days after posting “ Two Sad and Frustrating Years”, the Onslow County District Attorney’s Office contacted us with a proposed meeting date of December 1, 2021. Of course we jumped at the opportunity! Our NC attorney was present, as were our attorney here in NH and the investigator working for the Estate of Morgan Patten; yes, it still stings to write, speak or read those four words linked together. DA Ernie Lee, ADA Caroline Wahoff and Victim/Witness Advocate Lori Haga listened intently to our presentations of relevant facts and our pleas for further scrutiny for 2 hours and 16 minutes, and though our request to have Captain Mark Scott and Detective Matt Hipple present was not fulfilled, Sergeant John Edwards, NC Highway Patrol joined us. Our Team presented very well, and in review, we believed that the DA’s Office would come back to us with a solid plan for expansion of this investigation. After sharing the fruits of our investigative efforts with them, there was simply no other option. Eight days after this meeting, we received notice from ADA Wahoff that she would be pursuing three specific investigative efforts, which I would like to share with you all, but, because it was a private meeting and the investigation is ongoing, it is in Morgan’s best interest that it remain private. Of course we were all pleased with this news! Ms. Wahoff asked Renee and I to conduct a very specific task in order to expedite the proposed process and we promptly complied. Along with these efforts, we requested follow up by Ms. Wahoff, or better yet, Detective Hipple so that we may explain the relevance of our body of work. Two months have passed since that conveyance with no further communication from any Onslow County Officials. After four weeks, Renee and I made it a point to call Caroline Wahoff’s office and Lori Haga’s office at least twice per week seeking an update. We have not received a return call despite leaving polite pleading voicemails with each effort. It gets worse. Two weeks ago, I called Detective Matt Hipple to inquire about his progress and ensure that we were all on the same page. His response was, “I haven’t spoken to Caroline since May, 2021. This is the first I’ve heard about this”. He went on to inform me that he had no idea that Renee and I had been in Jacksonville for a meeting on December first! This is a good opportunity to share some of the other doors that have been slammed in our faces, starting with the United States Marine Corps. We have undeniable proof that Charles Cornwall lied to an Officer while providing sworn testimony during his Line of Duty/Misconduct Investigation. Other documents within the final Report clearly show Cornwall’s untruths, which were overlooked, perhaps ignored by those in his Command. I first shared this concern with Lt. Col. Michelle Over, Staff Judge Advocate, Marine Corps Installations East. Lt. Col. Over informed me that there was nothing she could do to help. The issue would have to be raised with Cornwall’s Command. She also stated that it has been over two years since the event occurred. I’m glad she reminded me of that fact! I then wrote Col. Kyle Phillips, Commanding Officer, Headquarters and Support Battalion, Camp Lejeune. I requested that Cornwall’s investigation be reopened. Col. Phillips responded quickly, stating that there was nothing he could do to help, and, by the way, this happened over two years ago. Again, thank you. Br. General Andrew Niebel, Commanding Officer, Camp Lejeune was next on my list. After making the same request, I promptly received his response, “it has been completed over two years ago and in the case of LCpl Cornwall is not something that the command is able to effect. LCpl Cornwall has been discharged from the Marine Corps.” Am I the only one that sees the problem here? I know it was over two years ago. I know Cornwall has been discharged. The problem I am trying to point out is the Line of Duty/Misconduct investigation was “shoddy” at best, resulting in Cornwall being discharged with rank, benefits and disability compensation after being involved with killing my daughter. How f’ing hard is that to understand? It was wrong two years ago and ignoring it in perpetuity will never make it right! During this time frame, I also reached out to the Camp Lejeune Office of Naval Criminal Investigative Services. After speaking with a Special Agent, he said he would look into the case, but he had no records of their involvement. He said he would get back to me with any information. I’m still waiting. Now, for the civilian side. Many months ago, we shared Morgan’s story with our U.S. Senator’s offices and our U.S. Representative. We received a reply from a Senior Legislative Assistant with Senator Jeanne Shaheen and set up a meeting. After hearing more detail this gentleman contacted the Salem, NH office of the FBI and requested that an Agent contact us. After discussing the case with an Agent a few days later, we were told that there is likely no angle that would give FBI jurisdiction over this case because Morgan was not a minor, nor did the vehicle cross State boundaries. As a good will measure though, this Agent did type up a bulletin and sent it to the Charlotte, NC office. He also informed us that the FBI would jump on board with assistance at the request of Onslow County. Representative Annie Kuster’s office called us and stated that Morgan’s homicide is not a Federal matter so there is nothing they can do. Senator Maggie Hassan’s staff is apparently too busy to respond to us. We contacted the NC State Bureau of Investigations to learn that they will only get involved in a case when requested by another investigating agency or an elected official. We sent a letter to Governor Chris Sununu’s office and followed up with a phone call. Several days later we received a call back. We were informed that Morgan was killed in North Carolina, not New Hampshire; we would have to call Governor Roy Cooper. Just a few days later, Gov. Sununu directly contacted an out-of State Agency regarding the sad and traumatic case of a missing 7 year old girl from Manchester, NH. His office also ensured that every news agency had a copy of his communications. Someone obviously determined that Gov. Sununu could score some major political points by doing so. We sent a formal request to Governor Roy Cooper expressing our concerns over the DA’s Office in Onslow County and the lack of investigation into Morgan’s homicide. We requested in writing that he hand over jurisdiction to the NC State Bureau of Investigations and followed up with a phone call, as did several Morgan Patten supporters; thank you!! The response we received from Governor Cooper’s Office was, “homicide investigations fall outside of the jurisdiction of the Governor”. “I am sorry that there is no further action our office can take at this time.” I find this statement intriguing. The Governor of North Carolina appoints a Director for the State Bureau of Investigations, for a term of 8 years. The Director of the NC State Bureau of Investigations reports to the Governor. Hmmmm. Let me make a few things clear- We do not believe that Morgan’s homicide investigation has been hampered solely by incompetence. We believe that corruption is involved as well. We have no reason to believe the corruption in this case has traveled outside of Camp Lejeune and Onslow County. Morgan NEEDS an advocate in the NC Justice System! Morgan needs an advocate that has knowledge of the system, disdain for corruption and neither fear of, or profound loyalty to, anyone else. We will keep searching. We will not be deterred.
I never could have imagined that the human body and mind could tolerate such immense torture. I never would have imagined that Renee and I could withstand two years of knowing that Morgan is gone, yet not knowing why. The sense of loss each morning is equal to that of November 9, 2019, when we received notification, and the anger and frustration with a broken criminal justice system compounds daily. Inconceivable and injust, that’s how I would describe it.
Hunter Wells is still awaiting his trial date for the charges of Felony Death by Motor Vehicle, Involuntary Manslaughter, Felony Serious Injury by Motor Vehicle, DUI, Reckless Driving, Unregistered Vehicle, etc., blah, blah, blah. The Marine Corps got rid of this shitbag as quickly as possible following Morgan’s death, faster than I have ever seen someone processed out, so he has been hanging out at home with his family, living a life as though nothing happened. He’s driving around, hanging with friends, going out at night, playing with his daughter, all the good stuff. He’s also still clinging to his right to remain silent, knowing that if the truth comes out, he will be facing charges of kidnapping and felony murder. What a coward! Meanwhile, kicking back in Big Sky Country is Charles Cornwall, AKA shitbag #2. Cornwall was medically retired from the Marine Corps in January, 2021, due to injuries received in the crash. Poor thing! There was a “Line of Duty” investigation done by Cornwall’s command at Camp Lejeune, regarding his actions on the night Morgan was killed. It reads like the investigation was conducted by a third grader. Cornwall spent 23 days in a NC hospital following the crash, then returned to his home in MT for additional recovery and physical therapy. While at home, Cornwall was interviewed OVER THE PHONE by his own Lieutenant! Of course, Cornwall was nothing but brave and honest during this interview and stated that he could not recall the crash, but knew that he had not been drinking (underage), he was not driving, and that he was securely buckled into the front passenger seat. It’s all bullshit! If the third grade Lt. had read the NCSHP crash report, which he attached to his own investigative report, he would have seen that Cornwall lied about wearing a seatbelt and where he had been sitting in the truck. Also, a quick check with civilian investigators would have revealed that Cornwall had consumed three shots of Jack Daniels and two 20oz beers within an hour and twenty minutes at Applebee’s, purchased using a stolen ID card. He may also have been interested to learn that a gun belonging to Cornwall was found at the crash site. But, instead, the determination of the investigator was that Cornwall was a victim of a crash that he could not have prevented, therefore, recommended that he be medically retired with full military benefits. Excuse me while I vomit! Morgan’s name did not appear in this report. No mention of a young girl losing her life; a young girl with no ties to either of the men. Completely ignored was the fact that this truck was traveling in excess of 90mph on a dead end road in a remote area. Oddly enough though, Cornwall’s injuries, as reported by Vidant Medical Center, were listed in this Line of Duty Investigation Report; a couple fractured ribs, broken left wrist and pelvic bone, lacerated liver, ruptured spleen and a few other things, none of which I could care less about. The report did not include a head injury of any magnitude. This leads us to a bigger source of shit and corruption. The Onslow County District Attorney’s Office, specifically, Assistant DA Caroline Wahoff, who has been “protecting” Charles Cornwall for nearly two years saying things like, “ he suffered a traumatic brain injury”, and “he cannot recall the crash, the day(s) before the crash and several months after the crash”, or “he’s lucky to be alive”. My thought is, “you’re god damned right he’s lucky to be alive, now let’s find out what he CAN remember”. The act of assuming someone else’s identity in order to violate the law (purchase alcohol while under age) is a Class G Felony in North Carolina. When Renee and I suggested that Cornwall be arrested for this infraction, just so civilian investigators could use it as leverage, we were told by Ms. Wahoff that they wouldn’t do that because Cornwall is a cooperating witness in the trial against Wells on the Felony Serious Injury by Motor Vehicle charge. Huh? So, Ms. Wahoff has repeatedly told us that she believes Cornwall cannot remember anything that happened on November 8, 2019. That sounds like an ideal candidate to testify, under oath, about the events of that night. Cornwall has submitted to two interviews over the past six months, both conducted by agents working directly on behalf of The Estate of Morgan Patten. Though he has not confessed to being involved in her kidnapping and murder, he has made dozens, if not hundreds of conflicting statements about what he can and cannot remember, his relationship with Wells and even the gun (his gun) found at the crash. We have relayed these discrepancies to the OCDA’s office, on the rare occasion that they will speak with us, and to date, they refuse to expand the scope of investigation. Ms. Wahoff is quite content prosecuting Wells for what happened at 1385 White Oak River Road, Maysville, North Carolina, but thus far, has no interest in learning why(s). Why was Morgan’s bill at Applebee’s unpaid? Why did nobody at Applebee’s see her leave? Why was the truck doing 93mph on a dead end road in Maysville? Why did the truck leave the road in the first place, prior to entering the curve? Why were the brakes never applied after leaving the roadway? Why did Morgan have DNA from two subjects embedded under her fingernails? Why was there a gun in the truck? Why did Wells tell officers that he would “tell the story” after he spoke to an attorney, then invoke his right to remain silent immediately once he did receive a court appointed attorney? Why does Cornwall change his story every time he is confronted? And the list goes on. It’s exhausting! Meanwhile, I forgot to mention that Cornwall is trying to land a career in law enforcement back in Montana. Great! Just Fucking Great! Renee and I owe a LOT to the many friends who have tolerated our impatience throughout this horrific ordeal, and the many supporters who believe in our mission. Thank you all! We love you Mouse, and exhausting as it is, we will never stop fighting to get justice for you! ❤️ |