The husband of the deceased Lea Gray, who was found dead in the mountains outside of Daegu, has been charged with his wife’s murder:
The mother of Lea Gray reacted with relief and tears Friday at news that murder charges have been filed in her daughter’s disappearance and death in South Korea.
And she said Lea Gray’s 6-year-old daughter Bianca has yet to be told of her mother’s death and continues to ask for her.
The Army on Friday charged Capt. Christopher Gray with murder in his wife’s death.
“I’m glad finally they charge him for my daughter’s death,” Marilyn Bahena, 50, of the Philippines, told Stars and Stripes in a telephone interview from California late Friday. [Stars & Stripes]
This investigation has been ongoing for sometime and it is good to see that it finely appears that CID has arrested the possible murderer, her husband CPT Christopher Gray.
Make sure to read the rest of the Stars & Stripes report because there is an extensive interview with Lea Gray’s mother in there who was very complimentary about the treatment USFK gave her during this investigation period.
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11:48 pm on June 9th, 2008 1
What an idiot, he just wasted the rest of his life over one Woman. I know he had a kid with her but you have to be a desperate dude and a control freak to kill a Woman for any reason other than self defense. I think I would rather be dead than spend the rest of my life behind bars. I think they should send him to a philippine prison, he would be real popular there.
8:19 am on June 10th, 2008 2
Wow Mike, you seem a little upset. You obviously got burned…badly. The same could be said of any woman or man, if you must speculate. You know, Mike, you would be very popular in the Middle East (or some southern states). You could be part of the Moral Police and spend all of your time watching other peoples’ lives and stoning the women and men that refused to make you their boyfriend. You could force that holier-than-thou moral code you have on others! Mind your business, they’ll get their due.
And IF Lea was indeed murdered by CPT Gray, then CPT Gray will get his. It wasn’t up to him to decide her fate, IF he did it. IF he didn’t kill her, then I hope they catch the person that committed the crime.
My condolences to Lea’s family and may the outcome of the case provide some closure.
11:17 am on June 10th, 2008 3
In my book, what this Captain did in meeting his wife online and going to the Philippines to marry her is far more pathetic than her trying to make a more comfortable living for herself, daughter and family. What did this guy think he was getting into via an online Philippine set up? She may have used the guy but I doubt he had any other intentions than to use her. The kid wasn’t even biologically his so it sounds to me like he was a domineering man who thought he owned her. Women have just as much right not to be happy in a marriage and seek companionship elsewhere. If he knew she was cheating on him he should have divorced her and moved on. I would bet that if all the married men living in Korea that were cheating on their wives were caught by their wives and killed for it, we would lose more people than 9-11 so stop with the double standard opinions.
12:15 pm on June 10th, 2008 4
I am indeed upset with all the nasty comments about my sister. I don’t know why people can be so damn insensitive, knowing we are still in great pain and sorrow.
To Cloying_odor, I can assure you that one of these days you will also experience what we are going through right now. You are one judgmental person who likes to humiliate a dead person, who can no longer defend herself from your allegations… How dare you, insult my sister!
12:57 pm on June 10th, 2008 5
Right on Celeste! It is so easy to humiliate a person who is no longer with us and judge them for the reason of race and sex. But know this, every person is unique in their own way may it be a Filipino, American or a Navy Capt. According to statistics, each person has the same probability to commit a mistake just as any one of us. It is up to our own personality to know what is right from wrong.
Here is the scenario, A dead Filipina mother and a CHARGED American soldier…shame on you who discriminate the 1st! We have found justice!
2:28 pm on June 10th, 2008 6
One thing is for sure. Using patented “USFK Logic Plus!”, all suitcase shops should be declared off-limits as suitcases obviously lead to murder.
12:49 am on June 12th, 2008 7
Wow.
I felt very, very bad for the way some people on this board spoke of Lea… saying that it was somehow her fault for her husband to murder her… without actually demonstrating any specific knowledge of her personality and actions… or her relationship with her husband.
I felt bad for Lea’s friends and family who, in this painful time, had to read these hateful, yet unsubstantiated, comments about Lea… posted by people who, while speaking statistical truth, didn’t seem to treat her as an individual and possible exception to the normal rules governing Internet/juicy marriages.
But… after reading some of the recent posts at ROK Drop by Lea’s sister, Celeste, I am starting to change my opinion.
If Lea’s speaking was as hateful and petty to her husband as Celeste’s postings have been, I can certainly see how anger and frustration could have led to violence… which could easily have escalated to the point where short-term relief from constant bitter yapping outweighed long-term thinking of future plans.
Celeste, the memory of your sister would be better served by clearly pointing out why her detractors are wrong instead of accusing them of being stinky faagot a-holes that should burn in helll.
Keep in mind that the majority of people here have seen substantially more tragedy than success with Filipina/GI relationships… and are rightfully cynical about the whole process.
You could best make your point about the goodness of your sister by explaining why she was different from the other Filipinas who frequently marry GIs for the wrong reasons and with the wrong intentions.
I assure you this will garner more support and sympathy for your sister than hateful yet empty statements.
Good luck.
1:09 am on June 12th, 2008 8
CheckenHead, as usual you are a very good moderator. I respect your post. But please do also understand the frustrations of our family. I believe Celeste’s posts are justifiable having read the posts here and the previous one. Do not direct your instructions on her but instead to the other users who have been constantly throwing bad comments on Lea’s death.
There is none here feeling more grief and dismay than Celeste. If there is anyone better to describe Lea’s life…it is her. Let us all be respectful and not judgmental. Let her speak.
1:21 am on June 12th, 2008 9
Well, I see the troll swlee has shown up over here too. Shame, that.
2:29 am on June 12th, 2008 10
ChickenHead, do not be a fool! I’m just expressing my anger and pain towards the many insults posted by a lot of people. And you do not expect me to sit around and just say nothing about it. It is not only me who was hurt but my whole family, and most especially the daughter of my sister. Always bear in mind, my sister was brutally murdered. Yet, it’s way easy for people to judge her. And now, you are becoming one of them, ChickenHead.
2:49 am on June 12th, 2008 11
Chickenhead, Celeste just seems angry. And now some jerk is calling her all sorts of names.
I think if you want to discuss relationships between AM/FL you should just start an advice column, but no need to lecture Celeste on it.
3:28 am on June 12th, 2008 12
Reading some of these posts really dehumanizes a situation like this and to take jabs at someone who just lost their sister to a murder by an American is pathetic. Making comments about juicy girls using Americans doesn’t make the girls look bad; it makes the American that is stupid enough to fall for it looks bad. We Americans need to pull our heads out and realize we are the biggest consumers of this juicy girl business so if we are that critical of the practice of prostitution why are we the biggest supporters of it? The Captain is an idiot and a pathetic one at that. He couldn’t find a girlfriend so he picks one up over the internet from a foreign country and then marries her. What were his intentions in this fixed marriage? Guys like this make Americans hated worldwide and it makes Americans a nation unto itself. America is not very well like by anyone anymore because of incidents like this and people like some of these posters who are willing to dehumanize a situation such as a murder instead of just saying sorry for your loss and sorry that one of our countrymen could commit this type of crime. It is truly a select few who commit these crimes and a select few that would leave insensitive messages to the sister of a murder victim and these people are not doing America proud with their comments.
3:43 pm on June 12th, 2008 13
“America is not very well like by anyone anymore because of incidents like this and people like some of these posters who are willing to dehumanize a situation such as a murder instead of just saying sorry for your loss and sorry that one of our countrymen could commit this type of crime.”
Why should someone from a paticular country apologize for the actions of a fellow citizen? Why should I feel sorry because someone I don’t even know killed someone else I don’t know. Would I still need to apologize if the victim was an American? Should I expect an apology from a Korean who I do not know because one of his fellow citizens killed 32 people I didn’t know at VA Tech? Why should the actions of a stranger toward another stranger burden me with the responsibility to apologize on thier behalf? Please explain.
I would also like to see your statistical data showing that “Americans” are the “biggest supporters” of “the practice of prostitution”, and please compare it with the data for South Korea, Germany, Austrailia and Holland… if you have the time.
4:05 pm on June 12th, 2008 14
Cloying_odor something is indeed wrong with your upbringing. I don’t know how your parents brought you up. But it is clear to me now, they also have a poor, inadequate judgment like you do. You come from a “know-it-all”, RACIST family with a lot to say towards other nationalities, according to what you’ve read or heard. Giving out such generalizations according to some statistics shown, will not give any basis at all…
4:46 pm on June 12th, 2008 15
Nothing to do with racism.
“Without exception every Filipino woman who comes here to Korea is a prostitute at best”
Notice how I was specific in which people I was talking about. I am sure many good hearted and honest Filipinos exist, they just don’t come to Korea to sell themselves and possibly find a meal ticket in the process.
I don’t discriminate. Everyone has equal opportunity for me to dislike them. No free passes and no special treatment should be expected.
5:59 pm on June 12th, 2008 16
I have deleted a number of comments on this thread if people are wondering why the comments seem disjointed because of the amount name calling going on.
I do not have the time to always read all the comments because of the sheer quantity of comments left on this site as well as the fact if people haven’t noticed I haven’t commented on the site for the past week because I have been away on work. I actually have a day job besides running this site. I would appreciate if people would self moderate themselves so I don’t have to waste 20 minutes of my time after coming back from work and deleting comments.
As far as Lea is concerned it doesn’t matter if she cheated on her husband or not because under no circumstances did she deserve to be killed. As well notice in the posting that I said her husband is the possible killer. Everyone should just let the justice system play out and let the husband receive a fair trial to determine if he is indeed guilty or not.
11:38 pm on June 12th, 2008 17
We are talking about the girls outside military bases in Korea that are there for GI’s. Listen, I am in the U.S. right now and I love my country, however, we as a nation have just as many problems as anyone else. we have prostitution here, drugs, beggers on every street corner, people stealing light posts for the copper inside, one of, if not the highest murder rate, etc… some of you posting here talk like america is almighty, but we are not anymore. The wife that was killed in this incident didn’t deserve to die no matter how she was living her life. You don’t have to appologize for someone else who commits a crime but you also don’t have to be a jackass and hit someone when they are down. I doubt everyone in your family is perfect, you hide behind these posts because no one can see the real you, which I would bet, looks at himself as being superior to other races.
12:34 am on June 13th, 2008 18
I don’t know who lea gray or cpt gray are, Yes, he should have divorced her, yes she should have divorced him, sure, sure, sure. I don’t believe too many people kill just to kill. If we don’t want domestic violence to continue, stop the cause of it, don’t anger the other side. If we, as a society don’t condemn immoral behavior, but turn a blind eye to it, what do we think will happen? What could have been done to have prevented this guy from going off the deep end? Look at the suicides in the Army this past year; 50% were directly related to a relationship issue. I’m sure the vast majority of the other 50% were indirectly related to a relationship issue. All the SF guys that killed their wives at Bragg were because their wives cheated on them while they were deployed. There are a lot of people out there that toe the line of insanity when their spouse cheats on them; some cross the line and find resolution themselves. As long as wives cheat on their husbands, there will be husbands that assault and/or murder their wives. Like it or not, thats a fact.
2:22 am on June 13th, 2008 19
6:09 am on June 19th, 2008 20
For as long as there are psychopaths alive, murder will definitely take place anywhere…
5:25 pm on June 19th, 2008 21
our condolences to leah’s family. we’re super shocked to find out about her demise. we used to be her post-grad classmate at an exclusive school here in her hometown. she was fun to be with and was carefree and easy-going. her plans for her future as well as for her daughter are very honorable. to label her as such (read previous threads) is definitely unfair and biased. i think it would be better to just remember the good in the person no matter what they’ve been through. i’m sure that leah had a wonderful life and that is all that counts. justice!!!!
5:49 pm on June 28th, 2008 22
Celeste,
God bless you in your time of need, and I pray for you, Lea, and her daughter. Regardless of what others have said in a most shameful way, your sister did not deserve the violence directed towards her, no one does.
Godspeed.
3:53 pm on September 24th, 2008 23
First,
Speak no evil of the dead.
It is sad that a child can not see her mother no more, and vise ve..
LEAH was a happy woman, she like any other woman deserves to be let free
once they deem the relationship unfit.
It is obvious that she told people she wanted out.
We all expect a military person to protect the U.S constitution and lives of American people, what is going on?
Leah is human, she was happy person, she cared for her baby, and others.
We all can not expect our friends, family, sister, daughter to be killed
because they are in pursuit of happiness.
Well no law in America allows one to kill another because the make other choice, or seek freedom….think of 13th amendment, 1st amendment and 14th amendment..
We miss leah, and our lives are not same, Celeste take care my condolence.