Sailor Charged with Murdering Gay Sailor Commits Suicide

By: Edecio Martinez
Topics: Daily Blotter

(MySpace Photo)

MySpace Photo of Navy Seaman August Provost.

SAN DIEGO (CBS/AP) A sailor charged with killing a fellow sailor, who was gay, committed suicide in a military jail by stuffing toilet paper in his mouth until he could no longer breath, according to a U.S. Navy spokesman.

Petty Officer Jonathan Campos was found unresponsive in his cell at Camp Pendleton about 12:20 p.m. Friday, said Navy spokesman Doug Sayers. He was rushed to the base hospital where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.

"He was intent on committing suicide and stuffed toilet paper into his mouth until he asphyxiated," Sayers said.

Campos, 32, was charged July 23 in connection to the fatal shooting of Seaman August Provost of Houston. On June 30, Provost, 29, was shot several times while on duty in a sentry station at Camp Pendleton.

Provost's remains were set on fire in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence, Navy officials said.

Campos was charged July 23 with 16 criminal offences, including murder, unlawful handling of a dead body, stealing military property and soliciting a civilian to kill a fellow sailor. He had been in Navy custody since July 1 and faced an investigative hearing in military court, similar to a grand jury, in the coming weeks.

Provost's family believed his shooting may have been a hate crime. The family said Provost, who was gay, complained of being harassed about his sexuality in the days before his death.

Navy officials rejected those claims and said there is no record of Provost filing a harassment report.

Officials said Campos, a gas system technician, had been co-operating with investigators.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service continued to investigate the shooting death, according to Sayers.

An autopsy has been ordered for Campos.

VIDEO COURTESY OF CBS AFFILIATE KFMB-TV SAN DIEGO

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July 24, 2009 - Sea of Hate? Sailor Charged with Killing Gay Sailor
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by carolcape August 3, 2009 6:00 PM EDT: What a senseless loss of life. Two young men and no reason for it. This man that committed suicide, should have thought long and hard what he was doing to an innocent individual who has the right to live his life the way he wants. A tragedy for both family's so sad. I send my condolences to both family's and hope that there is more education for the military and stop the hate and abuse of gay and lesbian persons. Get a life, anyone that wants to interfere with someone else, get a life and let people live the way the choose.; Reply to this comment