Who Is Shannon L. Wilkerson? Amanda Gonzales Murder Case

Shannon L. Wilkerson is a 42 year old man from Northern Florida. Police have accused Wilkerson of the 2001 murder of Army soldier Amanda Gonzales. Gonzales was pregnant at the time of her death.

Shannon L. Wilkerson Allegations

Wilkerson Arrested, Accused Of Gonzales Murder. “Now, a former Army soldier has been arrested on a first-degree murder charge in northern Florida in relation to Gonzales’ death more than 21 years later, the Justice Department announced. The exact location of his Feb. 23 arrest wasn’t specified. Shannon L. Wilkerson, 42, is accused of acting with premeditation before killing Gonzales at Fliegerhorst Kaserne, an indictment said. “They took away my daughter and first grandchild,” Bates previously said in 2008, according to Stars and Stripes.” [Herald]

Gonzales Body Found At Fliegerhorst Kaserne Army Base In Germany. “Gonzales was killed at Fliegerhorst Kaserne, a former U.S. Army base in Hanau, Germany, where she was stationed as a cook at the time of her death, the FBI said. Her body was found on Nov. 5, 2001, in her third-floor barracks room after she failed to report for work, and her cause of death was ruled a homicide by asphyxiation, according to the agency. Gonzales was also four months pregnant when she died, according to a previous FBI release.” [CBS]

Wilkerson Was In The Army At Time Of Murder. “According to court documents, Shannon L. Wilkerson, 42, is allegedly responsible for the death of Amanda Gonzales on Nov. 3, 2001. The murder occurred at Fliegerhorst Kaserne, then a U.S. Army base in Hanau, Germany. Wilkerson was a member of the Armed Forces at the time of the alleged offense but was later discharged from the Army. Wilkerson is charged under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, which gives the U.S. federal courts jurisdiction over crimes committed outside the United States by, among others, former members of the Armed Forces who are no longer subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.” [DOJ]

Wilkerson Discharged In 2004, Motive For Murder Not Revealed. “Wilkerson was discharged from the Army in 2004, according to an indictment filed in federal court in Florida’s Northern District. The document says he was discharged from the Army Reserve three years later. A possible motive was not identified in the document and additional details about the alleged crime or either discharge were not immediately available. A lawyer for Wilkerson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday night.” [NBC]