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When two soldiers are found hanged, the Army concludes suicide, but the men’s families suspect a cover-up.  Billy Ray Hargrove & Michael Carmichael  Billy was found hanging from a tree CASE DETAILS The National Cemetery in Little Rock, Arkansas, is the final resting place for hundreds of soldiers, sailors, and pilots. Two men buried here are at the center of a mystery that has no easy answers. Their names are Sergeant Billy Ray Hargrove and Sergeant Mike Carmichael. The Army says both men killed themselves, but their families say the army is dead wrong. Harvey Hargrove is Billy Ray’s father:
 Michael vowed to find the truth Billy Ray Hargrove and Mike Carmichael led similar lives. Both had planned careers in the military since they were kids. Both joined the Army in their teens. And both married Korean women while stationed in the Far East. They became best buddies as they climbed through the ranks. During the first Gulf War, Billy and his outfit were sent to Saudi Arabia. However, according to Billy Ray’s mother, Sue Nunnally, the conflict ended before their platoon saw any action:
Billy just couldn’t accept the Army’s decision and made a questionable decision of his own. He forged his superior’s signature on the appropriate documents. A short time later, his men received their medals. In June of 1991, he arrived in Korea for another tour of duty and was arrested at the airport by military police for forgery.  Michael was found hanging from a tall locker Billy’s court martial was not his only problem. His marriage was also falling apart. Billy Ray’s mother, Sue Nunnally, said Billy and his wife were fighting frequently:
On February 20, 1992, Billy missed a summons to report to duty. Even after one of his fellow sergeants informed him that he was late, Billy never reported. Instead, he took his dog for a walk. Twenty minutes later, Billy’s wife heard the dog barking. When she went to see what was going on, she found Billy hanging from a tree by an elastic parachute string. A suicide note was found in his pants pocket. It read, in part: “My life is really screwed up now. And I just don’t know how to fix it. I’ve been thinking a lot about taking my life for a long time now.” Sue Nunnally had doubts that her son wrote the note:
The Army acknowledged that the note might not have been in Billy’s handwriting. Even so, they ruled his death a suicide. According to Billy’s mother, they concluded that he had been depressed about his upcoming court martial and divorce:
 What happened to the box of papers? The autopsy report also contained evidence that it might not be suicide. Billy had cuts and abrasions on his face, hands, and knuckles. Billy’s mother thinks Billy may have been involved in a fight before he died:
When Billy Ray Hargrove was laid to rest on March 4, 1992, one of the mourners at his funeral was his friend, Mike Carmichael. Billy’s father recalled a conversation he and Mike had:
After the service, Mike returned to the Hargroves’ house with Billy’s family. Billy’s mother also spoke to Mike Carmichael:
But six weeks later, Mike was also found dead. Mike’s uncle, Oscar Carmichael, served in the Marines for 20 years. He said Mike believed there was a larger conspiracy involved:
Mike Carmichael returned to Korea and began his own investigation. He and his wife, Sun Hui, visited Billy Ray’s widow and collected his personal papers. Included was a letter Billy wrote to his father a few days before the hanging. But that letter never made it home to Harvey:
Mike continued to collect Billy’s papers and stored them with his own papers in a metal box. Mike told his Uncle Oscar that if anything were to happen to him, Oscar should immediately open the box. But Mike never said what was in it. Then, on April 3, 1992 — Mike Carmichael’s 38th birthday — he received an unexpected phone call, ordering him back to the base. According to his wife, Sun Hui, by the next morning, Mike had still not returned home:
An hour later, Sun Hui found Mike Carmichael’s body in his barracks’ office. He was hanging by parachute cord and was leaning in an odd position against his locker. Like Billy, he had abrasions on his face and a gash on his forehead. He had been dead for several hours. The Army’s investigation concluded that Mike Carmichael had taken his own life because he was depressed over financial matters and Billy’s death. His uncle, Oscar, doesn’t believe it:
The Carmichael and the Hargrove families absolutely refuse to believe the deaths were suicides. They launched a letter writing campaign asking for the official reports from the military. Unsatisfied with the Army’s response, they contacted the office of U.S. Congressman Jay Dickey. Greg Stein was Congressman Dickey’s legislative assistant:
Congressman Jay Dickey says he believes there’s been a cover-up:
The two families are especially troubled by the many similarities of the two deaths. Both Billy and Mike died just after they were summoned to the Army barracks. Both were tied with parachute cord. Both had cuts and abrasions on their faces and hands. And both men were found hanging just inches from the ground. Congressman Dickey thinks the position Mike Carmichael’s body was found in raises questions:
The metal box that contained Mike and Billy’s personal papers was sitting on a desk, across the room from Mike’s body. The box of letters later disappeared. No one knows what happened to it and military personnel deny its existence. The men’s families suspect a cover-up. Billy Ray’s mother, Sue Nunnally:
A congressional hearing upheld the Army’s finding of suicide. They found that Mike had choked himself with a rope while sitting on the ground. Billy’s mother says the hearing was just a formality, put on for show. She insists the two buddies were murdered. Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season six with Robert Stack and in season three with Dennis Farina. Also available on YouTube with Dennis Farina. Various seasons available now on Hulu. SUBMIT A TIP |
Donnie Bryant
I just read this story after all these years. My name is SFC (Ret) Donnie Bryant, I was SSG William R. Hargrove’s platoon sergeant when he was station in Germany. I can only tell the family what transpired/happened while we were stationed with C Company, 1st Bn. 15th Inf, Kitzingen, Germany. I will say this, SSG Hargrove was a very good soldier who made a big mistake. I will only discuss this mistake with the family, if they so wish to contact me. It hurt me to the core when I hear about his death in 1992.
Jere Champa
Yes he did make a big mistake but that still doesn’t equate to suicide. Now I understand suicides do occur in the military but 40 different servicemen. Something doesn’t add up to these two men. Billy killing himself in broad daylight while walking his dog? Maybe but Mike killed at a smart ideal time but nobody just kills themselves right after getting married and motivated on finding evidence of friends death. Lack of internal investigation as well. What do you think happened?
Sage
I was there. SSG Hargrove was my squad leader and Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle Commander. I remember this very well and how happy his wife was after getting the life insurance. We’d see her everyday on a spending spree.
anzalone
sage!
Paul
I was there as well, C company 1-15th INF. You were in 2nd Platoon? I was in 3rd Platoon and HC Platoon 6 month after I arrived.
Yeti
I was there as well. C Co 1/15. 3 rd platoon and then I went to Hq platoon. I always liked SSGT. Hargrove. (Billy Ray) I will never believe that he did anything to harm himself.
Jerome W
Good evening Sir I just wanted shade some light on this matter I was on duty the day Hargrove was brought to ER on Camp Casey and I was also 1 of only 3 soldiers to view SST CarM . Body at barracks on that day and I’m the medic who helped remove him from barracks and prepared his body for transport I wanted discussed or go into details on here but there was signs Hit me up jw66197021@ gmail.com SSG CaM barracks room was on 2 floor of unit have blessed one
Narcolepticanarchy
Anyone ever follow up with this?
Jere Champa
This is very interesting. He was wanting a divorce too. You think the folks who killed Billy were different from Mike’s?
Tara
I am not surprised that this hasn’t been solved because The Army knows how to keep secrets very well. If you look at the picture the army drew of where Mikes body was they also drew a box figure on his desk and that was the box he carried with his personal findings on his friends murder. Now they say the box never existed they never saw it. Well then why did you draw it? Come on now !
Jere Champa
Plus you can’t ignore the braises and cuts which would indicate a struggle not mention the bizarre positioning of Mike’s body.
John
Some of the men that serve over seas in Korea are often asked to marry Korean women for a some of money so they can bring them state side. I don’t know if that was the case but I believe it’s an organized network of people that are involved. Many get to the states and have children and soon after a divorce seems to follow. I don’t know if this was the case with Sargent Hargrove. I served with Sargent Hargrove at Fort Stewart as he was my squad leader and I spent a few nights at his off post house. I met Sargent Carmichael while he was attached to my unit for Bradley Fighting Vehicle training in 1987. I don’t think Sargent Hargrove and Sargent Carmichael committed suicide. I was only aware of any of this 5 months ago.
Jere Champa
I don’t believe they killed themselves either but what do you mean about bringing themselves stateside? Billy was planning to divorce his Korean wife while Mike just got married to his. How could these coincide? What is the motivation? Did these two men die while stationed in South Korea? How many other men?
John
This wasn’t Bill’s first toure in Korea. He married her when he was stationed there the first time. I was told that some of the service men are propositioned with with a lot of money to marry a Korean woman and bring her stateside. I can’t say for sure if that was sgt Hargrove’s situation. I knew on guy who was paid to bring a wife back and the minute she was pregnant she divorced him.
Postol Front
Of course this was a murder coverup! Any idiot can see that! And the idiot commanders in the military who called this a suicide, are either complicit in the coverup, or idiot cowards, without the brains or the nerve to come in out of a thunderstorm, if they were a lightning rod!!
Simplefie!!
Danney
I when to school with Billy and join the Army together, I’m sure there is more to this story.
Kedo
Both soldiers married asian wives who found the bodies. One at the barracks, which Is curious. The soldiers were friends, did they meet wives in same area and was there life insurance claims, let alone pension and other soldiers wives benefits. Ijs
Sad Viewer
I just watched this episode and am disgusted in the way these families have been treated, especially by some of you posting. Obviously you are not paying attention to the facts, or don’t understand the similarities in the case. There’s no way these honorable men killed themselves. Not saying that abuse of any kind is ok, but even if he did have a rocky first marriage, so what. I did and I didn’t kill myself and neither did he. It doesn’t explain why the weird calls to the army or why they were hung, with similar scratches etc. Was really hoping for a resolution to this case was posted. Sad to see that nothing has been done to help these families.
Ryan L. Willams
I think that it’s a crying shame that the U.S. military, and possibly the U.S. government, are continuing to keep secrets from civilians who have a right to know about certain things that may not be kosher in the military, like the mysterious deaths of two U.S. servicemen that were ruled “suicide”. It’s almost as if they’ve classified the deaths as part of “national security”, or some silly nonsense. My dad an Air Force engineer who served in Vietnam, and if he had died in the manner in which these two young men did, I wouldn’t rest until I found out the absolute truth about his death. So to the families of Billy Ray Hargrove and Michael Carmichael, I just want to tell you that I wish you all the best in trying to find the truth about their deaths. God bless you.
Daniela Carmichael
My father Mike did not kill himself. My mother claimed he cheated on her and beat her, but none of his 3 daughter’s ever seen any violence. Not to say it didn’t happen. What we knew of our father was not violence. My mom and him separated when I was 6. He remarried to a Korean woman when I was 9 and on his Birthday was found dead. I believe my father knew some things he shouldn’t and was murdered for it. And I believe his new wife help cover it up. When this originally went on unsolved mysteries she stated she didn’t want any further investigation. Why wouldn’t you?
Melissa
Hi Daniela, not sure you remember me but your dad Mike was my God father and my dad was Mike Reppert. We played together when we were kids. I would love to get back in touch with you. Please email me melissareppert65@gmail.com
Melissa Reppert
Jere Champa
Yes of course and she seemed very satisfied of the “suicide” ruling. Your father just got married and the manner his body was left certainly doesn’t equate to suicide but would motivation be a combination of life insurance and military dispute? Some type of network with military and something else corresponding in South Korea.
Hadel Toma
Army murdered them plain and simple and they will get away with it because America is run by criminals and thugs.
Daniel Allen
You nailed it. Our country IS run by criminals and thugs
Narcolepticanarchy
On both sides.
It could be so much better.
Anonymous
If I were the detective, I would find out if there were people or nations against it and hold everyone of that nation or against it and would question them. The army had all these resources yet they never used it, the only one not proved innocent or not having an alibi is the ARMY!!!
Anonymous
If all else fails, go back to the beginning. I was reading the sentence in which “Billy missed a summons to report for duty” even after one of his fellow sergeants informed he was late”. Who was this “sergeant”? If he took his dog for a walk, where was the dog when they found the body? How long between the dog walk and finding the body?
A point by point timeframe needs to be done on both parties. Time frames, known associates….Where did they meet these women? How long did they know them before they married? What was their MOS? Did they have access to supplies, secret information?
What did the autopsy report reveal? Was it death by hanging? Was there mention of the cuts, and abrasions? I am former military and would love to help in getting the family closure. Did the family get any medical evidence?
Who else knew about the metal box? Sun Hui
How did she know to go right to the barracks? Don’t you think that she would have called the commandants office to see if her husband was still on base? The other widow is suspect as well.
Comments anyone?
Mary
I believe Mike’s wife spoke no english which is why she didnt telephone anyone.
Daniela Carmichael
She spoke English. I’m one of the daughter’s of Mike. She was a step Mother.
Daniel Allen
Your assessment is spot on. I totally agree.
Collieowner
If the recreation is precise and he owned a collie, that dog would be making a ruckus far before he was dead if someone else was involved. It must have been someone he knew – and someone the dog knew.
You can’t tie up a collie and walk off – especially under duress, without it raising all hell. Any investigator should establish a timeline for the dog. Determine how that dog was distracted enough to allow it’s owner to fistfight and be hung. How nothing was heard until the dog barking brought his wife outside? Very odd.
Detectives
Two possibilities:-
The two men had family issues and they killed both of them, Billy had fights with his wife, and why did Michael give the box to his Uncle, not his father or mother? Because he has family issues.
Both had committed suicides Billy had fights with his wife, and court issues and commits suicide, and Mike lost his great friend so he went, that’s why he gave the box to his uncle.
ok
Family issues…. ok. That doesn’t explain the condition of the bodies, where it looked as though both put up a decent fight before their suicides. Guy flat warns his uncle, don’t be surprised if I am next! The uncle did not get the papers, so I don’t understand that at all. Lots of people have issues, but the fact that they are both taken out the same way doesn’t make sense. Seems like they pissed off airborne – both hanging with parachute cord. Really an odd case. Sorry for the families.
Hadel Toma
Do you work for the crooks called the ARMY???
Daniela Carmichael
What the reports don’t say is his my father “Mike” had 3 daughter’s. I dont believe he committed suicide.
Michael
I’m a soldier as well and I’m curious they mentioned your father had an abrasion across his forehead is it possible to exhume him and have a proper autopsy done I know it will be terrible and I couldn’t imagine unearthing my brothers who passed but if there’s been military corruption than it needs to be uncovered your father seems like a great man and if he died for our country he needs to be remembered for it again I’m sorry for your loss ma’am
Mr. T
It’s a good thing you are just an armchair detective and not anything credible or pertinent. Your crime solving skills make Scooby Doo and his Gang seem legit by comparison. Anyone with a modicum of pragmatism can clearly be able to distinguish that suicides were not the case here at all. Lol, wow…
A Suffering Army Gulf War Vet.
The Army and DOD are definitely covering stuff up about exposures during the gulf war 1990-1991. Vaccines, PB pills, Insecticides and Nerve Agents. No clue if This has anything with this case, but they’re service during this time should not be overlooked or taken lightly.
Blue bird
What In The Hell? Those Men Did Not Kill Them selves That’s A cover Up I Dont Know Why U Military People Are Neglecting These families! All Of U Need To Get Out There And Do Your Jobs! AND Help These Poor Families! Get The Justice They Deserve!
LUIS FREEH
“I” THINK “U” NEED HIM TO POST ON THE SITE! NOT YOUR PRIVATE EMAIL. HOW DID “U BUY” THREE ABUSED SISTER’S “GORRILLAS” & “MEDIC” ( PUN INTENDED) WHEN DID U JOIN GORRILLAS? AFTER DEATH HE! HE! “CAN I GET YOUR MUMMA’S JAGUARS TOO? ANOTHER EXCUSE FOR UNKNOWING PEOPLE TO “CRY FOR POLICE” (ONLY TO END UP DEAD) ON SN ARMY BASE. SERIOUSLY! GET “IT” TO POST ON THE SITE.
Mr. T
What are you even going on about? Your post makes no modicum of sense at all. Just incoherent ramblings about different animals. Go take your meds already…
Ty
It’s a shame that after all this time no one has come forward with anything, not even 1 lead. Something more needs to be done. This is UNACCEPTABLE!
dont matter
Your finally going finally going down 😉
Al
Wtf are you into?
Depraved.
If the government doesn’t want something found out, it won’t be found. Case in point: JFK, RFK, and JFK Jr. I wonder what our founding father’s would think of how Amercia turned out nearly 240 years after many happily gave their lives for freedom? Ashamed, and disgusted is my guess.
Daniel Allen
The founders would wonder why the people hadn’t sacked and burned DC a long time ago.
Anonymous
Wow of course the army’s trying to cover up something
Sky
They were murdered. Army covered it up.
Rebecca
These men enlisted in the army to protect their own country from the enemy, only to find out their enemy is their own country, who inflicted such pain on both of these men and countless others, which lead to their untimely demise. They knew something, that would have brought down some powerful people or some conspiracy that was going on, they were silenced by the army, the army covered up their death by claiming suicide. It is a shame, so sad for these families to lose their love one in such a horrifying way. They need to bring those responsible up on charges. Then they wonder why people don’t want to enlist in the army.
J. Watkins
I remember this like it happy today. I was station at camp casey, S. Korea. as a 91 B ( medic) back in 1992, Work at main hospital on post and was on duty the day call came that a soldier had commit suicide. Am one of medic that went out and assit in removing Carmichael body from living quaters and am soldier who prepare his body to be tranport to souel.I wish i had a way to contact his family and tell them what i observed.
J miller
I am the husband of Michael Carmichael’s oldest daughter. She would love to hear what you have to say. Her email is ccarmichael74@gmail.com
ashley
Mike is not my father but he is my 3 sisters father he beat my mom And was very abusive towards her and he kicked one of my sisters across the room when she was just a baby he cheated on my mom with a Korean or blonde headed woman if you would like to contact me let me know
Hadel Toma
Take your lies back to your criminal bosses in the army that murdered him, and tell them to give you a raise.
Petula austin
I know his daughter. I’m Sure she would like to talk to you.
Daniela Carmichael
Hello I am his youngest daughter. Daniela Carmichael. Please contact me, I would love to hear from you.
Jere Champa
So these two men wasn’t killed in South Korea? 40 servicemen died on similar circumstances, why? Were they all stationed in South Korea?
Sleuther
Of all the similarities listed between the two men, I find it interesting that both men had Korean wives who found their husbands hanging.