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Steven Patten
459 Center Road Bradford, NH 03221 (603) 748-1094 June 4, 2024 Judge Robert Roupe NC Superior Court District 4 625 Church Street Jacksonville, NC 28540 RE: State of NC V. Hunter Oneil Wells (Docket #19056327) Greetings Your Honor, It has been six months since making your acquaintance in Onslow County Superior Court; time I have needed to process every moment of the proceedings which afforded the opportunity. I have reviewed the transcript of Hunter Wells’ sentencing hearing multiple times since receiving the document and contemplated writing this letter. It is important to me that you read the following words, but perceivable that my words will change nothing. Just the same, I will write in Morgan Patten’s Honor. I wish to convey my respect and admiration for the hard work and due diligence required for you to attain your position within the North Carolina Courts. As well, I will say that your patience, comprehension, practical insight and experience was well received by all Morgan Patten supporters in attendance, especially Renee, myself and Philip. One obvious irritant of the proceeding was the special instructions of the day, including your reprimand of Mr. Thomas Lee, “Sir, I’m not going to listen to you run down any law enforcement agency or this DA’s Office”, and later to Philip, “Mr. Brandon, I’m not going to hear denigration of law enforcement. I understand the facts and have heard what’s happened.” In actuality, I believe that you “understand the facts” as they were presented to you and you heard select fragments of what happened on and since November 8, 2019. Morgan Patten’s supporters were attempting to share additional facts of consequence with the Court. You displayed great patience of duration, though little of substance. Per Benjamin Franklin, “It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority”. My heart tells me that you are a good and just man; I believe that if you realized all of the known and unknown facts surrounding the death of Morgan Patten, you would acknowledge the associated injustice. I understand that sentencing guidelines in NC are structured by the General Assembly and that you do not hold the authority to deviate from these guidelines. I recognize the institutional benefits of negotiated plea agreements. I have formed a very robust opinion of the criminal justice system in North Carolina based on four and a half years experience as a real victim advocate, not an office assistant in a grant-funded position with a business card. Here are my reflections on the sentencing hearing of Hunter Oneil Wells. During the presentation of factual basis by the State, Senior Assistant District Attorney Michael Maultsby stated that Hunter Wells told Trooper Taylor (Stokes) Williams that Morgan had been in the rear seat with Charles Cornwall. Investigators never asked first responders for their opinion. A private investigator asked first responders where Morgan had been seated in the vehicle and they unanimously agreed that she had been ejected from the front passenger seat. To this very day, and among many other imperative details, we do not know where Morgan was seated in the vehicle. Mr. Maultsby stated that officers from NC State Highway Patrol took possession of the “black box” from Wells’ truck and estimated that he was traveling over 80mph when he lost control of the vehicle negotiating a curve on White Oak River Road. Wells’ truck actually left the right side of White Oak River Road, abruptly, prior to entering the right hand curve while traveling at a recorded 86mph. The speed recorded by the event data recorder (black box) is inaccurate, though. Wells’ truck was equipped with size 305-45-22 tires in place of the factory equipped size 245/75R16, and had not been recalibrated. The larger diameter tire would create a lower speedometer reading. The actual speed of the truck was 93mph. That is a fact, not an opinion or estimate. Wells purchased the truck in June 2019 from a private seller and obtained a 10 day temporary license plate from NC Department of Motor Vehicles. Wells was cited for driving an unregistered vehicle on 9/6/2019. On 10/9/2019, Wells was cited for speeding (80 in a 55), unregistered vehicle, uninspected vehicle and faulty speedometer. Following this traffic stop, Wells returned to NC DMV and purchased a second 10 day temporary license plate for the same vehicle, despite NC statute prohibiting this. The second 10 day temporary license plate was still on the truck 30 days later and the truck had still not been inspected since the June purchase. Imagine a world where a Marine serving in a military police Battalion can drive his personally owned, unregistered, uninspected vehicle through the gate of a military installation and park it in front of the base Police headquarters every day for over four months without hassle, plus, drive around the city and county of residence virtually uninhibited. Mr. Maultsby stated that troopers were “not able to actually go inside the vehicle and search it for safety reasons”, therefore, “The search was done the next day. Morgan Patten’s license was recovered among other things.” This statement is bogus! The crash occurred at 10:46pm. The first police officer, Trooper Mike Jones arrived at 11:15. Upon learning that there was a fatality present, Trooper Jones declared it a crime scene and ordered the road blocked, although, two men, one identifying as Wells’ brother (Wells does not have a brother) were allowed into the scene. Other Troopers arrived at 11:35, 11:39, 11:46 and 12:24am, but the scene was never secured. No identification was found on Morgan’s body. She was tagged “Jane Doe”. Aside from the firearm and two mobile phones, nothing was collected as evidence from the crash scene. A mobile phone belonging to Charles Cornwall was never recovered from the scene because nobody looked for it. The shoes which had been on Morgan’s feet were pulled from a trash pile behind B and S Auto Body nearly eight months after the crash. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol Policy Manual states; “Vehicles involved in serious or fatal collisions should be secured as evidence if criminal charges are imminent or pending.” In this supposed thorough investigation, B and S Auto Body was called at 12:05am and told to “bring rakes and shovels and get this cleaned up by daylight”. The debris was literally raked and shoveled onto a truck and dumped in a pile against the tree line behind the B and S Auto Body facility. A process which began before Morgan’s body was even removed from the scene! As for the next day search, Andrew Motley, the tow truck operator for B and S Auto Body called Sgt. John Edwards, NCSHP to report that he had found a pink Nautica wallet wedged behind the rear seat of Wells’ truck while he was rummaging through it during the afternoon of November 9, 2019. At 4:15pm on November 9, 2019, Trooper Michael Kirk obtained a search warrant for Wells’ truck indicating that Morgan’s identification may be located in the vehicle. With this warrant, he drove to B and S Auto Body and took possession of the wallet from Andrew Motley. Somehow, the pink Nautica wallet appears in the Onslow County Sheriffs Office evidence log as being submitted at 1:40am on November 9, 2019, by Trooper Taylor Stokes, more than fourteen hours before it was retrieved. The next visit to the truck by investigators happened at 10am on November 12, 2019. Trooper Stokes and Trooper Matt Bryan photographed the remnants of the truck and conducted a vehicle examination, although key elements were skipped. The report shows that the front passenger side airbags had deployed but were not checked for contact trace simply because Wells, the drunk driver of the vehicle had told Trooper Stokes that the front passenger seat had been unoccupied. I believe this type of action is professionally defined as investigative bias, or confirmation bias. This occasion was also when a book was photographed inside the truck which was referenced by Mr. Maultsby during Wells’ sentencing hearing. He stated, “Judge, there also was a book recovered inside of the truck. C.J. Box, Off the Grid. In the discovery process, Mr. Silva did tell me that they actually have the book. The Highway Patrol took a picture of it and their evidence would have been that the book belonged to Ms. Patten.” I can assure you with 100% confidence that the book referenced by Mr. Maultsby did not belong to Morgan Patten! Furthermore, this reference was the very first time Renee and I had heard any mention of a book in the truck that may or may not belong to our daughter. Morgan was an avid reader, as you have been informed. She traveled to Jacksonville on November 8, 2019 with a book titled Whiskey When We’re Dry, by John Larison. This book, marked on page 111 by a handwritten note from me and another from Renee, was in Morgan’s hotel room when we acquired her belongings on November 10, 2019. The video footage from the Baymont Suites from the night of November 8, 2019 clearly showed Morgan walking towards Applebees Grille and Bar with only her wallet in hand. The video footage, by the way, was described to us by ADA Caroline Fountain, OCSO Major Mark Scott, OCSO Detective Jonathan Marshburn and NCSHP First Sergeant John Edwards as being “too grainy and snowy” to even justify watching. Once we received a copy, we were stunned to see five hours of crystal clear footage in which Morgan was captured three separate times. The next time Wells’ truck was visited by investigators was at 10:25am on November 26, 2019, eighteen days after the crash when Trooper Chad Harrington obtained a search warrant to recover the vehicle’s event data recorder, which revealed the speed of the vehicle as well as the fact that Mr. Wells, the driver, had made two evasive steering maneuvers after initially leaving the road surface, but never applied vehicle braking. When I questioned First Sergeant John Edwards about this oddity, his response was, “being from West Virginia, I’m assuming that he was familiar with off road driving and would know that in order to get out of a skid like that, you would have to be on the gas, not the brake”. That is some world class assuming from a seasoned investigator! The NC State Highway Patrol Policy Manual also states; “A member assigned to a collision shall notify the supervisor on duty when one or more persons are killed or critically injured or when it appears likely that felony charges may arise as a result of the collision. If felony charges are likely the supervisor shall be responsible to ensure a thorough investigation is conducted, including the immediate notification of the Collision Reconstruction Unit as outlined in Directive L.03.” I cannot count how many times Renee and I requested a crash reconstruction and were denied, only to learn that crash reconstruction is supposed to be standard operating procedure for NCSHP when handling a fatal crash. There is no North Carolina General Statute which requires police officers to investigate anything though; no requirement that Police actually do their job. With no oversight and no transparency, the Policy Manual may as well be printed on a roll of bathroom tissue! Mr. Maultsby provided inaccurate statements during the sentencing hearing in regards to Morgan’s experience within Applebees, when the available evidence suggests something quite different. Mr. Maultsby stated that a meal ticket which was opened at 9:09pm on 11/08/19, consisting of a chicken Caesar salad and sweet tea, and which closed out at 9:59, may be Morgan’s ticket, eliminating the mystery of why her meal was unpaid at the end of the night, according to several witnesses. Mr. Maultsby stated, “ That’s just one of those facts that we’ll probably never know what actually happened. It’s just coincidental that it is the exact same time that the other two tickets conclude, we have this ticket concluding.” The many problems with his statement include; The meal ticket he described was paid for using a Visa debit or credit card that did not belong to Morgan. Both bartenders on duty stated that Morgan ordered a chicken Caesar salad and a beer. The video footage from the Baymont shows Morgan exiting her room at 7:05pm and walking towards Applebees, not 9pm, and Charles Cornwall paid for all of the food and alcohol consumed by he and Wells at 9:41pm, not 9:59pm as stated by Mr. Maultsby. Facts matter! Mr. Maultsby claimed that Onslow County Sheriffs Office deputies conducted a download of Morgan’s phone and pieced together a timeline of events to the best of their ability utilizing her text message history. Mr. Maultsby read some of those messages during Wells’ sentencing hearing, even suggesting that a conversation between Morgan and Renee appeared to be a “typical mother/daughter squabble”, which was far from accurate. Following the sentencing hearing, we were able to obtain Morgan’s IPhone from the Onslow County Sheriffs Office. Upon returning to NH, the phone was delivered to a cybersecurity expert for additional analysis. The forensic download of Morgan’s phone did not reveal any information that would be considered a smoking gun, but did reveal interesting and disturbing facts. The forensic download conducted here in NH in April 2024 was THE FIRST forensic download conducted on the device. There was no evidence that investigators attempted to gain access to GPS history or any other available data contained within the device which could have been utilized to definitively determine an accurate timeline of events and locations. It is much too late to reveal evidence of this nature now as companies such as Google do not store this data for more than 180 days. The analyst was able to see all of the locations where Morgan’s phone connected to Wi-Fi on November 8, 2019, including Peter Pan Bus Lines, Logan Airport, American Airlines etc., the last two Wi-Fi connections being the Baymont Suites and Applebees Grille and Bar. Again, the work that was necessary to answer our questions was not done by investigators who had the ability to do so. Even more troublesome, NCSHP, OCSO and OCDA continue to hide all investigative files regarding the homicide of Morgan Patten which have not been deemed a matter of public record by Statute, despite the case having been “closed” and adjudicated. The process of Discovery allowed Hunter Wells and his family to access all investigative documentation, including Morgan’s private text messages, emails and her handwritten journal, which she traveled with to NC, yet the victim’s family has been denied equal access simply because the Law does not require transparency. Mr. Maultsby mentioned the name Austin Ballard during the sentencing hearing. Austin Ballard was the roommate of Wells and Cornwall at 215 Richlands Avenue, Jacksonville. Mr. Ballard was also the last person to see and speak with Wells and Cornwall prior to their arrival at Applebees on November 8, 2019. Mr. Maultsby mentioned that Mr. Ballard was first interviewed by a private investigator hired by me. This is inaccurate. Though Renee and I have hired two private investigators since Morgan’s homicide, I was the first person to speak with Austin Ballard regarding the events of November 8, 2019. On the morning of January 13, 2023, I spoke with Mr. Ballard via telephone. I learned that investigators had not spoken with him in the three plus years since the crash. The information that Mr. Ballard told me was very similar to what Mr. Maultsby spoke of during the hearing, with a few major differences. When I asked Mr. Ballard when he last saw Wells and Cornwall, he stated that it was as they were leaving for Applebees on the evening of November 8, 2019. Wells and Cornwall invited him to join them for drinks but he declined. He told me that roughly three hours later, he recieved a call from Wells’ cousin, Bobby Dennis. Mr. Dennis told him that Wells had been in a crash and his whereabouts were unknown. At that time, Mr. Ballard told me that he drove to Applebees looking for Wells and/or his vehicle. Not finding either at Applebees or along the route, he returned home. Just as he arrived home, he received a second phone call from Bobby Dennis informing him that Wells was enroute to Naval Hospital aboard Camp Lejeune. Mr. Ballard then called the Platoon Sergeant for he, Wells and Cornwall, Sgt. Kezia Diaz, to inform her, then drove to Naval Hospital. When I questioned Mr. Ballard about the idea of Wells and Cornwall taking Morgan out to White Oak River Road to go shooting, he stated that the story sounded “odd” to him. As one of Wells’ best friends at the time, he had never been shooting with him, even during daylight hours. He had never known Wells or Cornwall to go shooting at night and was unfamiliar with White Oak River Road in Mayesville. Mr. Ballard told me that Wells had not told him what happened the night of the crash aside from stating that he had been driving fast and lost control when his truck hit a patch of loose gravel on the roadway. I reached out to Mr. Ballard one month later and asked if he was certain that Wells and Cornwall did not return to 215 Richlands Avenue in between their trip to Applebees and the time of the crash. He assured me that the last time he had seen or spoken with them was when they were leaving to go to Applebees. I informed Mike Maultsby and Caroline Fountain of my interaction with Austin Ballard on March 31, 2023, and shared his contact information with them. When Mr. Ballard was contacted by Caroline Fountain, his story had changed to the version Mr. Maultsby shared with the Court, that Wells and Cornwall returned to their 215 Richlands Avenue house, retrieved a rifle and told him that there was a girl in the truck that they were taking to go shooting. Mr. Ballard’s story about receiving the call from Bobby Dennis and then driving to Applebees and back remained the same though, which is senseless. If Mr. Ballard knew that Wells and Cornwall were no longer at Applebees, why would he drive there looking for them? In Mr. Maultsby’s description of the investigation, he said, “The Sheriff’s Office didn’t give up on it, in fact, they designated their most seasoned investigators to handle it.” I will not disagree that Major Mark Scott and Major Benji Foy are seasoned investigators, nor will I disagree that both played a role in this investigation, albeit small, but Mr. Maultsby’s assessment is fiction. The first detective assigned to Morgan’s homicide case was Jonathan Marshburn, on December 12, 2019. Renee and I met with Detective Marshburn on December 18, 2019. Detective Marshburn informed us that he had not been able to speak with Charles Cornwall yet because Cornwall was still in the Intensive Care Unit at Vidant Medical Center, where he was being treated for a Traumatic Brain Injury as a result of his skull being crushed between Wells’ truck and a fence post. Much later, we learned that Cornwall had been HOME for two weeks at that time, he had been diagnosed with a “concussion” at Vidant Medical Center, and, according to witnesses at the crash scene, had been conscious and alert during his extrication from the wreckage. Detective Marshburn stopped communicating with me in January, 2020. In December of the same year, Detective Marshburn left his position at OCSO and closed Morgan’s homicide case as he left. In January 2021, ADA Caroline Fountain called Detective Matt Hipple, OCSO, and asked him to reopen the case, and as Detective Hipple told me, “wait for further instructions”. I asked ADA Fountain about her unique instructions and she responded by saying that Detective Hipple must have misunderstood, that he was free to investigate anything that he deemed worthy, and that she would immediately call him to clear up the matter. I spoke with Detective Hipple weeks prior to his departure from OCSO in May or June, 2022. He assured me that Caroline Fountain had not spoken to him in regards to Morgan’s homicide case since January, 2021, when she said “wait for further instructions”. Detective Hipple closed Morgan’s case as he left, as well. To my knowledge, within the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, the case has remained closed since. Prior to his departure, though, Detective Hipple requested that the Jacksonville Police Department make a second attempt to unlock the IPhone which belonged to Hunter Wells. In April, 2022, this second attempt was successful, but nothing further was done with Wells’ phone or the data contained within until October 26, 2023. Wells’ freshly unlocked phone sat uninspected for more than seventeen months before anyone downloaded the contents! Then, in preparation for trial, Mr. Maultsby requested information about Hunter Wells’ phone and learned that it had been unlocked. Mr Maultsby immediately shared three items from Wells’ phone download with us, the text Wells sent to his wife stating that he was drunk prior to even entering Applebees, the 8:31pm entry of Morgan’s first name and cell phone number to his contact list and a photo of Wells, Cornwall and Morgan. Mr. Maultsby mentioned all three of these items during Wells’ sentencing hearing, though, only the first seems relevant to the facts supporting Felony Death by Vehicle. If Mr. Maultsby were to have shown the photo of Wells, Cornwall and Morgan in a trial setting, as evidence that the three were together in Wells’ truck at 10:31pm, even the worst of defense attorneys would have shredded this evidence! It is possible that the photo portrays a selfie taken in Wells’ truck; it is also possible that the photo was taken outside of Applebees, along the hedgerow between the restaurant and the Baymont Suites Hotel, any number of other outside locations or perhaps even AI generated! I have asked to see the original photo as downloaded from Wells’ phone. In response, I have been told that the screenshot of a screenshot that I received, the very same screenshot of a screenshot which was shown in the courtroom, is the “best that Sheriff’s Deputies could do.” I currently own and use the same model Apple IPhone that Hunter Wells did on November 8, 2019. I have not been able to duplicate the lack of quality displayed in the photo. Furthermore, Wells purchased a new phone following the crash and transferred account data utilizing his Apple ICloud login, allowing access to the photo in question. If the photo was as impactful to this case as Mr. Maultsby indicated, why was it not the defense attorney(s) bringing it forth at any point during the four years following the crash. For the reasons described within this body, and countless others that time will not allow me to mention here, I simply do not trust the word of investigators and prosecutors in Onslow County. I need the original photo in order to determine context. In regards to Wells’ contact list, Mr. Maultsby did not mention in the courtroom that Morgan’s name, just her first name, were entered into Wells’ contact list three times, yet her phone number was only entered once. Morgan’s phone was not password protected. In a matter of seconds, anyone could retrieve the phone number from the device with it in their hands. Mr. Maultsby described the vast difference between the blood alcohol concentration (.13) and vitreous humor alcohol concentration (.02) reported by Dr. Arcott in Morgan’s autopsy report, though he incorrectly stated that the vitreous humor was “blood from the eye”. He stated that Dr. Arcott would have testified that the aortic blood revealed a high ethanol concentration likely due to the severe damage done to Morgan’s internal organs. On November 11, 2019, First Sergeant John Edwards told me, “If her bac comes back higher than .08, I’m going to assume that she got into that truck of her own free will.” First, this is an absolutely absurd statement for an investigator to make, and a clear example of victim shaming. Second, I was not concerned about her bac being higher than .08 because we already knew what Morgan had consumed for alcohol. On December 18, 2019, we were told that Morgan’s bac had been .13 and First Sergeant John Edwards, along with everyone else who touched this case “assumed” and stated openly that Morgan had consumed enough alcohol to allow her to make uncharacteristic decisions. In March, 2020, I received a copy of Dr. Arcott’s autopsy report. One of the first things I noticed and began to research was the vitreous humor alcohol concentration, reported at .02. During a meeting with DA Ernie Lee and ADA Caroline Fountain on May 29, 2020, I asked for an explanation of the vast difference between the two results. Caroline Fountain responded to my question with this statement; “I asked the Medical Examiner about this and she told me that there is something wonky about the results. So we’re going to have to assume that she was somewhere between a .02 and .13.” Renee and I hired a forensic pathologist, Dr. Thomas Andrew to review Morgan’s autopsy, as “assumptions” and “wonky” are not sufficient. Dr. Andrew explained to us that femmeral blood is preferred to determine bac in post mortem cases, however, Morgan had exsanguinated in the ditch on White Oak River Road. The blood sampled by Dr. Arcott was from Morgan’s chest cavity, which contained all of her vital organs described as being “fragmented”, and also contained a portion of her small intestines. The autopsy was also performed fifty nine hours after Morgan’s death, which allowed the putrification, or, natural decomposition process to begin producing ethanol. For these reasons, Dr. Arcott also removed a vitreous humor sample during autopsy, which is a fluid within the human eye that remains well protected from foreign influences and putrification. Vitreous humor testing is widely considered the most accurate post mortem source when determining anti mortem alcohol consumption. As mentioned before, Morgan’s vitreous humor alcohol concentration was .02. Dr. Andrew explained that Morgan would have to have consumed a minimum of eight alcoholic drinks within the last hour of her life to have a blood alcohol concentration of .13. According to the autopsy results, Morgan had consumed very little liquid in the last hours of her life; her stomach contents were described to be “about 600cc of pasty food”. In summary, Dr. Andrew determined that Morgan’s blood alcohol concentration was likely between .01 and .015 First Sergeant Jon Edwards spoke with investigators at Naval Criminal Investigative Service at some point, and stated that Morgan’s blood alcohol concentration was .20, meaning two and a half times greater than the legal limit to drive a vehicle! First Sergeant Edwards also spoke with Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Mike Groom at NC State Bureau of Investigations. Agent Groom called me on November 11, 2022 and informed me that First Sergeant Edwards had informed him that it is very typical for the vitreous humor alcohol concentration to be much higher than the blood alcohol concentration in post mortem testing due to the faster absorption rate of the vitreous humor. He informed me that he has great respect and admiration for First Sergeant Edwards' knowledge and professionalism. When I reminded Agent Groom that Morgan’s reported vac was significantly lower than her bac, he quickly stated that it simply “doesn’t matter” and that the investigation had been “very thorough”. Mr. Maultsby spoke about Josh Thornton’s statement given to NC Alcohol Law Enforcement Officers. Mr. Thornton was a bartender working at Applebees on November 8, 2019, and he provided a written statement on November 10, 2019. Mr. Maultsby stated that Mr. Thornton served alcohol to Morgan that Cornwall purchased, and added, “he looked at her to see if she consented to the alcohol being purchased. He would have testified that he believed that she did, in fact, consent. She didn’t say no and that she, in fact, consumed the alcohol on site”. Who was Mr. Maultsby trying to convict? Mr. Maultsby also mentioned Jessica Brown, a server working at Applebees on November 8, 2019, who also helped out at the bar. Ms. Brown told a private investigator that she was the one who served the shots of Jack Daniels. Wells and Cornwall asked Morgan if she would do a shot with them and she said no. As they were trying to entice her to do so, Ms. Brown poured three shots of Jack Daniels, left them on the bar in front of the three patrons and walked away. She had no idea who consumed the shots. Investigators, conveniently, never spoke to Jessica Brown or asked Josh Thornton if Applebees attorneys had coached him prior to his statement. I have described a few of many red flags and discrepancies within the Onslow County and North Carolina investigation of the homicide of Morgan Patten. As you read the real facts about what has happened in this case, I hope you can comprehend the intense frustration that Morgan’s supporters entered your Court with. I have not even mentioned the hurdles thrown at us by Second Marine Law Enforcement Batallion and the United States Marine Corps. I have no legal education whatsoever. Prior to Morgan’s homicide, the only attorneys I had interacted with were managing real estate transactions or they are friends who happen to be members of the bar. I do not know what the term “ethics” means to an attorney, but to me, it signifies the concept of what is morally right and wrong. I do not know if Mr. Maultsby violated any attorney’s code of ethics with his performance before you on November 28, 2023, but, in my opinion, his actions were morally corrupt. In the transcript of Hunter Wells’ sentencing hearing, nearly every word credited to Mike Maultsby, from page 29 through page 41 had absolutely nothing to do with providing evidence that Hunter Wells was guilty of committing Felony Death by Vehicle and Felony Serious injury by Vehicle. Much of Mr. Maultsby’s entire presentation prior to and beyond the aforementioned pages had absolutely zero relevance to the crimes which Hunter Wells was pleading to, yet, you allowed him to proceed. You allowed Mr. Maultsby to defend Hunter Wells from a crime that he was not even charged with when he said, “there is no evidence in this case that she was kidnapped. That’s the bottom line and it needs to be said, and I’m saying it right now.” I am quite certain that the “dog and pony show”, as I’ll call it, was presented for the cameras and reporters attending the hearing, not for the Court. I am just as certain that you were aware of the spectacle which Mr. Maultsby intended to perform even prior to the onset. If there is/was any legal necessity, or even justification for this, please enlighten me. I believe that Mr. Maultsby hijacked the hearing as an opportunity to tell the media that the Onslow County District Attorney’s Office and all related investigative agencies went above and beyond the call of duty for Morgan Patten, while the facts are disgustingly contrary. His job was to provide evidence that Morgan Patten was in Hunter Wells’ vehicle on the night of November 8, 2019, that Hunter Wells was impaired and that Hunter Wells crashed that vehicle causing Morgan’s death, yet Mr. Maultsby denigrated my daughter in his effort to camouflage an investigation that was clearly incompetent, corrupt, or both, and you allowed him to do so while simultaneously stifling opposition from those who love and support Morgan Patten, those who knew that you were hearing distorted and extraneous information presented through a rose colored filter, proving that victims are very inconvenient to bureaucracy. Hunter Wells stood in your Court and said the following words. “I want to, foremost, apologize to the Patten family. I know I’ve caused them pain and suffering over the last four years. I haven’t answered to anything because I was advised to stay quiet.” He then went on to describe how his actions have hurt his own family, then circled back to say, “I wish it was me instead of her”, which may be the only statement he has uttered in four years that I could concur with. Mr. Wells concluded by saying that he did not expect Morgan’s family to accept his apology, but, “ I want them to know that I am sincerely sorry for what happened that night”. As reward for his vapid performance, Mr. Wells received a mitigated sentence. As you rendered such, you stated, “Mr. Wells, only you and God know whether your apology was sincere”, then read aloud the terms of his sentence as previously negotiated by Counsel, adding, “And the Court is going to find that the defendant accepted responsibility for his criminal conduct by pleading guilty today,…”. Hunter Wells pleaded guilty on two felony counts pursuant to Alford, which, by definition, means that he maintains his innocence but recognizes that there is enough evidence to convict. Accepting responsibility and pleading guilty persuant to Alford seem to be mutually exclusive actions, to my logic. I will remind you that Hunter Wells called his wife from the crash scene on November 8, 2019, on a phone borrowed from Tim Stroble, (also not interviewed by police) and told her that he had crashed into another vehicle, killing a female occupant. Hunter Wells told his roommate that he had lost control on some loose gravel. Hunter Wells told his long time friend, Brooke Osborne, (also not interviewed by police) that he had not been drinking and that Morgan “dumped” her fiancé to be with him on the night of November 8, 2019. Hunter Wells told his second wife and her family that his truck hydroplaned, causing the crash. Hunter Wells told investigators that he, Cornwall and Morgan were going shooting, but did not specify where. Mr. Maultsby stated during Wells’ sentencing hearing that residents of White Oak River Road have said that people shoot out there regularly, which is not an invalid statement. However, all of the residents Renee and I have spoken with said that neighbors will occasionally shoot in their respective backyards, similar to situations you would likely encounter in any rural American town. None have mentioned awareness of any location that would entice random strangers to White Oak River Road for a shooting experience, especially nearing 11pm in a residential zone. There is an expansive shooting range located near the end of White Oak River Road, which has since closed, but was never open to the public, did not allow night time access and had security personnel on sight. White Oak River Road leads directly to a main access point of Hofmann Forest, which is 79,000 acres of undeveloped land. Hofmann Forest, however, has a gated access point. It is not open to the public. Hunter Wells told his own family that he was driving his truck around while Cornwall and Morgan “hooked up” in the rear seat. His family believes this story, still, despite logical and scientific evidence to the contrary. I understand that none of them had the liberty of knowing Morgan’s character, but nevertheless, if Morgan intended to “hook up” with Cornwall, Wells or both, for that matter, her hotel room was one hundred and twenty feet away from Applebees. There would be no sensible reason to climb aboard a truck filled with garbage (front and rear) to accomplish such a task. Furthermore, as Mr. Maultsby clarified during Wells’ sentencing hearing, the forensic analysis portion of Morgan’s autopsy indicated no evidence of sexual assault, including no foreign dna identified within the oral swab. Morgan had not so much as kissed Wells, Cornwall or anyone else.. The forensic analysis did uncover two foreign contributors to the dna retrieved from Morgan’s fingernails of her right hand, though, and we are currently working with a private laboratory, hoping to identify the contributors. Morgan’s pants were unzipped when she was found at the crash scene, and the crotch area of those pants were either ripped or cut open perpendicular to the zipper. We will also have those pants tested for foreign dna, as this was not done by investigators in their thorough investigation. Hunter Wells has never accepted responsibility. Hunter Wells has never even murmured the truth about the events of November 8, 2019, or his level of involvement. His sentence provided closure to investigators and prosecutors yet circumvented justice for all. The ambiguity of this case is imposing and exhausting. I deeply believe that Morgan Patten became a passenger in Hunter Wells’ truck on November 8, 2019, through means of abduction or coercion. I am very confident that none of the reasons that Hunter Wells has spoken of are based in truth. Charles Cornwall even told a private investigator that he does not believe the story of going shooting. Were it not for the crash on White Oak River Road, I feel that Morgan would likely have become a missing person. Overwhelming evidence acknowledges that Morgan Patten did not receive a professional and thorough investigation, which would have served justice and is every victim’s God given Right. Instead, the public search for truth has been influenced by inside forces that point towards corruption. Renee and I, along with thousands of patrons feel strongly that Hunter Oneil Wells and Charles Edward Cornwall V got away with murder. I will not rest until undeniable evidence supports or negates these beliefs. Renee and I are also working with a private laboratory to conduct advanced substance testing in order to verify or eliminate any possibility that Morgan had been drugged. Mr. Maultsby dubiously stated that, “ no drugs were found in her system”, however, the procedure(s) conducted by the North Carolina Crime Laboratory eliminated less than ten percent of substances known to be prevalent in eastern NC. I would like to take this opportunity to share one of many instances where NC Agencies have continued to inhibit worthwhile efforts. Eight weeks ago I called the Raleigh, NC Office of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. I spoke to a pleasant woman who identified herself as Kelly, Executive Assistant to Colonel Freddie Johnson Jr. I requested a meeting with Colonel Johnson to discuss the policy deviations of First Sergeant John Edwards and other respondents to the crash on November 8, 2019. Kelly told me that she would speak to the Colonel and call me back on the next day. Seven days later, having not received a call, I called Kelly again. This time she told me that I would need to speak with the Office of Internal Affairs, to which I replied, “that will not be necessary, I would prefer to meet with Colonel Johnson”. Kelly told me that someone would call me back. Later that evening I received a call from Lieutenant Tim Wilson, NCSHP. Lt Wilson informed me that the case had been adjudicated, NCSHP had done everything within there power to ensure a felony conviction in the case, and, if I ever call NCSHP again, I will be charged with harassment. He was not as pleasant as Kelly! In conclusion, please accept my apology for the lack of brevity in this correspondence. I have no expectation of response to my concerns; I only desire that you find a moment to wholly contemplate whether the North Carolina Judicial System displayed its best effort in the matter of NC V. Hunter Oneil Wells. Should you remain of the opinion that justice has been served, I hope you find peace. In Honor of Morgan Renee Patten, I hope you find courage to diverge from normalized complicity. Respectfully, Steven S Patten Renee L Patten
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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.    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.
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