Recently returned (Afghanistan) veteran charged with murder

[sabra]

Source: Chicago Trib

Wife’s shooting came after odd behavior, officials said

An Oak Lawn man accused of fatally shooting his wife in their home Saturday night was a recently returned veteran of the Afghanistan war who had been behaving oddly since his discharge, officials said.

Prosecutors charged Joseph Jesk, 23, with first-degree murder in the death of Heather Jesk, also 23, Cook County state's attorney spokeswoman Sally Daly said Sunday.

Police were called to the Jesk home in the 4600 block of West 101st Street in the southwest suburb about 10:45 p.m. Saturday after family members heard a gunshot in the basement, Oak Lawn Police Division Chief Michael Kaufmann said. Heather Jesk was found there, already dead, with a gunshot wound in her face, Kaufmann said.

...

Oak Lawn Mayor Dave Heilmann said Jesk had been troubled since he arrived home.

People told police Jesk "was not acting normally," Heilmann said, and "had been pointing guns at people since he returned."

Kaufmann confirmed that family members said Jesk behaved oddly after his discharge.

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-oak-lawn-murder-20100228-32,0,7323837.story

[peace13]

1. These wars are just too much for the troops.

I love this line under the article title, 'Wife’s shooting came after odd behavior, officials said.' If sounds like she was the one with the odd behavior! My heart goes out to the family of this woman and I hope her soul can find peace. I hope this sends a message to families of all that when someone's behavior is odd for goodness sake get some help, remove the guns from the home and remove yourself when alcohol and drugs enter the picture. This is sad on so many levels. This young man is 23 and he has had time to go to school, train for the service, fight the war and come home to kill. This is really a fast track to disaster. End these wars and get on with healing the troops!

[jotsy]

3. Hear here.

Well said.

The havoc war wreaks long after the battle has ended. The trauma of ongoing hostility will continue to take this kind of toll until this ideotic (typo intentional) madness can be brought down for the destroyer it is. I gotta go cry now.

[peace13]

4. Hugs to you.

I feel your pain! Peace, Kim

[greiner3]

2. Strange behavior for someone with a personality disorder!

[demosincebirth]

7. They blame everything on war. Can't a guy just be nuts?

When I served, there were a few nut jobs I served with and we never seen action. 60% of troops are rear echelon, anyway

[readmoreoften]

10. It doesn't matter. "Non-Combat" troops are in dangerous situations all the time.

I volunteer with active duty to help them get medical, psychiatric care. Sure, there's always a fluke, but the PTSD rate is extraordinarily high. It's so high that I know soldiers who are getting discharged before deploying due to witnessing so much violence on base. It's tough out there...

[EFerrari]

5. Oh, god.

:(

[2Design]

6. he was trained to kill and that is what he did n/t

[WriteDown]

11. Few talk about the massacres committed by the men coming back from WWII. nt

[scottsoperson]

13. ww2 had some rationality to it

scott

[scottsoperson]

14. petraeus says we should talk to some of the taliban

scott

[WriteDown]

15. Trench warfare? That'll unhinge anyone. nt

[PacerLJ35]

12. I went through that same training...

and I haven't killed anyone yet. The Army doesn't train people to just be cold-blooded killers. There are plenty of people out there with personality and mental disorders, many of them undiagnosed. PTSD and such only makes the situation worse. But by and large, the vast majority of people in the military don't come home and start killing people.

[WriteDown]

16. Yet!

You are a time-bomb waiting to go off.

[PacerLJ35]

19. And what makes you say that?

Seriously...I'm not a violent person. I'd wager that most of the people I work with aren't violent either. If I was in a situation where combat was required I'm sure I'd do what I had to do, but I wouldn't take pleasure in it and I'm sure I wouldn't be unaffected. Trust me...had that thought in my brain while I was walking around Najaf as one of two Americans within a 20 mile radius...

[2Design]

17. your mind has to become warped to kill people and not be affected

taking young people and training them to kill is a travesty - we have enough killing on our streets and neighborhoods here now - I am against training people to kill in a unjust illegal conflict - the last war that needed to fought was WWII - the rest have been politics and money

[PacerLJ35]

18. WTF are you talking about?

You think if I killed somebody I wouldn't be affected? You are out of your freaking mind.

[lynch03]

8. damn i knew both of them

I went to school with heather, sat next to her for over a year in 6th grade. nice, bright girl, never really talked to the guy who shot her.

[Rapier09]

9. It is usually the young who kill and commit suicide

I honestly believe the army would be better off unloading the VA and getting its own services set up to deal with these incidents.