Camp Lejeune Marine Death Investigation

An investigation is underway into the death of a Camp Lejeune marine.

By: | WNCT
Published: January 10, 2009

Was it murder or suicide? An investigation is underway into the death of a Camp Lejeune marine.
A marine who was supposedly stabbed in the heart, lungs, throat, and eyes. Tonight, the NCIS is calling the wounds self inflicted but the marines father is calling it cold blooded murder. Nine on Your Side's Laura Vesco explains the two very different takes on one very violent death.

You can imagine the immense pain Steve Burnette is going through just days after he heard the news his son, Corporal Johnathon Burnette died aboard Camp Lejeune.

"If I'd ever thought when he would be safe, it would have been when he was in his camp," says Burnette.

During an interview Thursday Burnette told our news partner WSMV-TV Johnathon was found in a pool of his own blood, with stab wounds all over his body inside his barracks.

Burnette says, "To know the type of person that he was. Who could do something like that." NCIS says that person seems to be Johnathan himself. An NCIS agent told Nine on Your Side their preliminary investigation shows no foul play was involved, that Johnathon's wounds were self inflicted.

NCIS says another marine assigned to Headquarters Battalion found him and spoke with him and based on that conversation NCIS believes it is suicide.

Our partner station cites a military police report that they say shows Burnett's son was stabbed in the heart, throat, lungs, and even eyes, hardly wounds that seem like a suicide.

NCIS says they will provide more information after briefing the family Friday night.