Evidence presented during the trial revealed that Wilkerson beat and strangled Gonzales in her barracks room at Fliegerhorst Kaserne, located in Hanau, Germany, where both soldiers were stationed at the time.
A former U.S. soldier has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder of a 19-year-old pregnant fellow soldier at a U.S. Army base in Germany more than two decades ago.
On May 7, a jury in Pensacola, Florida, found 44-year-old Shannon L. Wilkerson guilty of second-degree murder in the case of Amanda Gonzales.
Court records reveal that on November 3, 2001, Wilkerson brutally beat and strangled Gonzales in her barracks at Fliegerhorst Kaserne, a U.S. Army installation in Hanau, Germany. During the trial, evidence suggested that Wilkerson was concerned he might be the father of Gonzales’ unborn child and believed her pregnancy could jeopardize both his military career and his marriage to another soldier stationed at the base. At the time of the crime, Wilkerson was serving in the U.S. Armed Forces but was subsequently discharged.
“Shannon Wilkerson brutally murdered Amanda Gonzales, a fellow soldier who Wilkerson knew was pregnant at the time,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “While nothing we can do will reunite Amanda with her family, we hope today’s sentencing brings some measure of closure and comfort to Amanda’s loved ones. I am proud of the dedicated and hardworking members of the Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners, who are committed to pursuing justice for victims of violent crime, no matter how challenging that pursuit may be.”
“The murder of Amanda Gonzales and her unborn child was a horrific act of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody for the Northern District of Florida. “This decades-long investigation and resulting prosecution demonstrate the unwavering resolve of our law enforcement partners and their commitment to obtain justice for the victims and their family. The defendant took the life of a 19-year-old woman serving her country far from home — knowing that he was killing her unborn child. The sentence acknowledges the brutal, selfish nature of his crime and imposes just punishment.”
“Justice for victims is not just a promise, it’s a commitment, no matter how long it takes,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “This sentencing comes just as Amanda Gonzales’ family will mark 23 years since she and her unborn child were brutally murdered by Shannon Wilkerson in Nov. 3, 2001. While no amount of prison time will bring the young Army solider back, we hope this will close another chapter in the Gonzales family’s grieving process.”
You May Also Like To Read,’Michael Madigan’s Corruption Trial Begins After Decades of Power’
DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Steven Wick Blog. Any content provided by our bloggers or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything.
