Two U.S. Navy SEALs from SEAL Team 6 who are suspected of strangling and killing an Army Green Beret might have done so after he found out they were skimming money from an informant fund, and he then refused to take part in the scam, a new exclusive report has found.
Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar (Twitter)
Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar had reportedly told his wife he had a “bad feeling” about two of his partners who were from SEAL Team 6, The Daily Beast has exclusively reported; Melgar told his wife he’d fill her in on the “full story” when he returned home – but Melgar did not make it home. The Daily Beast cited “an official speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still ongoing.”
Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar (Twitter)
The New York Times first reported that Navy criminal authorities are looking into whether or not two members of SEAL Team 6 strangled and killed Melgar while in Mali, Africa, on a secret assignment in June, according to the Times’ sources, which it cited as military officials.
The incident is highly suspicious, and no one has been charged yet in the soldier’s death, which was ruled to be “homicide by asphyxiation,” or strangulation, according to The New York Times. Two unidentified Navy SEALs were flown out of Mali and placed on administrative leave “shortly after the episode.”
Now it has been learned that Melgar might have learned the two Navy SEALs had been taking informant money, according to The Daily Beast.
“Melgar, two special operations sources say, discovered the SEALs were pocketing some of the money from the informant fund. The SEALS offered to cut him in, but Melgar declined, these sources said,” The Daily Beast reported.
The Daily Beast continued:
It is unknown what specifically started the June 4 altercation at 5 a.m. but it escalated. Melgar lost consciousness—and, worse, stopped breathing. The SEALs attempted to open an airway in Melgar’s throat, officials said. It is unknown whether Melgar died immediately. The SEALs and another Green Beret, according to former AFRICOM officials, drove to a nearby French clinic seeking help. Melgar was dead when he arrived at the clinic, the official said. Asphyxiation was the cause of death.
Melgar, who was 34 years old, had served two tours in Afghanistan. He joined the Army in 2012 and was assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
He was found dead on June 4 in embassy housing in Bamako that he shared with other Special Operations forces assigned in the same area, including two members from SEAL Team 6.
The SEALs reportedly changed their stories from when the death was initially reported to after the autopsy came back and revealed strangulation.
The two Navy SEALs initially said they found Melgar “unresponsive” in his embassy housing in Mali, Africa, according to a new Military Times report. But when the autopsy came back and revealed Melgar’s death to be strangulation, the SEALs reportedly told investigators that “the three roommates had been grappling,” Military Times reported.
Military Times cited a report in the Intercept, which also identified one of the Navy SEALs. However, that report can no longer be viewed online.
No charges have been filed in the case. The investigation has been turned over to NCIS, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
