Crime Junkie
Crime Junkie
"The truth of what really happened on that February night almost 10 years ago may never be known." — Ashley Flowers
"I stated to NCIS agents that I was not 100% convinced this was a self-inflicted hanging." — Late County Coroner (as quoted)
"We found no documentation or witness testimony reflecting NCIS released SN and Tanachi to command officials on the day of his death, which seems pretty shady to me." — Brett (as quoted from the Department of Defense report)
The episode delves into the case of Kyle Antonacci, a Navy trainee whose death was initially ruled a suicide. His family, heartbroken and confused by initial conflicting reports from the Navy (car accident, then aneurysm), became suspicious when other sailors suggested he was found hanging in his barracks. The subsequent official ruling of suicide was met with strong disbelief from his family, particularly after a second autopsy commissioned by them revealed injuries inconsistent with a typical hanging and a missing hyoid bone, which the original coroner was not fully convinced about.
Further investigation, including insights from a civilian medical examiner and experiments using stun guns, suggested potential foul play. The episode also highlights significant criticisms of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) handling of the case, including delayed interviews, mishandled evidence, and alleged pressure to rule the death a suicide. A four-year investigation by the Department of Defense inspector general found numerous lapses in how the NCIS handled both the death investigation and a related sexual assault allegation, concluding that the investigations were not conducted in compliance with investigative standards.
Despite the numerous discrepancies, the missing evidence (including autopsy photos), and the documented investigative failures by NCIS, the Department of Defense report ultimately found "nothing to suggest a conspiracy" to rule the death a suicide. The episode concludes with the lingering questions surrounding Kyle Antonacci's death, emphasizing the potential for systemic issues to obscure the truth, leaving his family without definitive answers.