Back on Febuary 21st I posted an Alert about a missing Marine, Eric Hall {that link takes you to my site}.
I started that off with this:
Missing Marine makes phone call
'CHARLOTTE COUNTY: The family of missing Marine Eric Hall says the young man made a phone call to a friend in Jeffersonville, Indiana early Wednesday morning.
Hall has been missing for nearly three weeks. His family says he was wounded in Iraq and is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.'
There is a video report at the News Channel 2 site as well
Another report about Eric explains more of possibly why he disappeared.
I've been following this since hoping that Eric would be found.
There was a reported second phone call to the same girl in Indiana which at first raised the Hopes of the Family and Friends and those of us following the story, but Phone call turns out to be prank, not from missing Marine
On the 28th this article appeared
Hall is considered 100 percent disabled, Becky Hall said, and has had several surgeries to repair his leg. He now walks with a limp. He also had some psychological treatment through the Veterans Administration, but decided not to continue it.
On March first another report came in
Family turns to homeless for help in search for missing Jeffersonville Marine The mother and father of missing ex-Marine Eric Hall are now reaching out to the homeless community for help in locating their son, who disappeared in Florida about a month ago.
With this update about that second phone call
Earlier this month, a female friend of the family received two phone calls, initially thought to be from Eric Hall. Hopes were dashed when one of the calls was traced back to Louisville and found to be a hoax — perpetuated by someone with whom the family friend used to be involved, said Kevin Hall.
A Sick Basturd Playing With Peoples Lives and Probably Not one Iota Feeling of Remorse, reminds me of a certain in charge person!!
The first phone call, to my knowledge, hasn't been traced to Eric or this hoaxer.
Than there was nothing, Till Yesterday:
Missing Marine search volunteer finds remains
The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office says a volunteer who has been helping the family of Missing Marine Eric Hall found human remains in a drainage pipe Sunday.
The volunteer decided to investigate a strong odor coming from the pipe off of Sulstone in a wooded area.
Deputies excavated the remains and it's unclear if it's a man or a woman.
The above has a video report as well.
Here is another that came in, which also has a Video, in this one they talk to the 'Nam Veteran who found the body.
A veteran who had been helping the family of Eric Hall search for the Marine was looking in the area and smelled a foul odor. The odor was coming from a drain sitting in a small culvert.
Some people suspect Hall climbed through this small opening of a drainage pipe. The person climbed a considerable distance though the pipe. Talking to WINK News, Charlotte County Sheriff's Office Lt. Ricky Hobbs said, "We had to excavate the pipe about ten feet under ground and then actually open the pipe up."
Some people, including Kalena, believe Hall was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and may have thought he was running from Iraqi soldiers.
Than today I had this report
Vet crawled 50 yards through pipe to find remains
Charles Shaughnessy had been inside the drainage ditch twice, but something felt different this time.
This time, Shaughnessy would crawl 50 yards through rotten sediment and bugs to discover decomposed human remains.
"My heart goes out to that family," said Shaughnessy, a decorated Vietnam veteran who specialized in tunnel searches during the war.
A tunnel rat, one of the most dangerous 'Nam jobs, who never forgot nor feared!
Hall had a flashback Feb. 3, according to relatives. He left his aunt's Deep Creek home and has not been seen since.
Shaughnessy suspects Hall got spooked and ran into the field near the drainage pipe. He probably smoked a cigarette and tried to regain his composure, Shaughnessy said.
But when Hall flicked the cigarette, he accidentally started a brush fire. The Florida Division of Forestry confirmed the small blaze occurred Feb. 3.
Panicked, Shaughnessy said, Hall likely crawled into the pipe and kept backing up to avoid the smoke.
Shaughnessy believes the situation could have been avoided had Hall received counseling.
"He was going through hell and he wasn't getting any help," Shaughnessy said.
Than just a short time ago:
Family identifies body of missing Iraq vet
The family of Eric Hall, the 24-year old Iraq war veteran who went missing last month, has stopped searching for him and is ready to take their son home.
Becky Hall, Eric Hall’s mother, said she is certain the body found deep within a culvert Sunday at the end of Partin Drive and Highlands Road in Charlotte County was her son’s.
The family is still waiting for the medical examiner's confirmation, but is going ahead with plans for a memorial on Thursday.
The Hall family will hold a press conference at noon on Wednesday to allow members of the press to ask questions of the family.
On Thursday at 12 p.m., a memorial for Hall will be held at Faith Lutheran Church in Punta Gorda. The memorial will be open to the public.
REST IN PEACE Eric, you Braved Conflict Theaters only to come home and be Consumed as the Nightmares From that Engulfed You and took you from your Loving Family and Friends, Your Battle Is Over, RIP!!!
UpDate:
Body identified as former Marine Hall
(Last updated: March 12, 2008 11:14 AM)
The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has notified Eric Hall’s family this morning that the remains found in a culvert Sunday was the former Marine.
A detective from the agency notified the family at 10 a.m. and relayed the cause of death has not been determined.
Becky Hall, Eric’s mother, plans a press conference at noon.
The family scheduled a military memorial service at noon Thursday at the Faith Lutheran Church, 4005 Palm Drive, Punta Gorda.
Update 2: Video of Family Press Conferance
Eric Hall