Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: The Brutal Murder of Pfc. Barry L. Winchell
On July 5, 1999, at approximately 3 am, Pfc. Barry L. Winchell was brutally attacked and beaten in the barracks at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He was transported to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, but was pronounced dead the next day at 9 am.
What happened to Barry and why?
Barry was born on August 31, 1977, to Patricia Ann Kutteles and Grant Winchell in Kansas City, Missouri, and was one of five siblings.
In October 1997, Barry joined the U.S. Army and was assigned to Delta Company of the 2nd Battalion 502nd Infantry at Fort Campbell, Kentucky in 1998. At first, Barry had trouble adjusting to the military lifestyle. He was lazy, would get drunk often, and once received an Article 15 disciplinary action for disobeying orders. However, after finding out that he was exceptional at shooting a .50 machine gun, something clicked and he became an exemplary soldier. According to his mother, Barry enjoyed being part of the military, was nominated for “Soldier of the Month”, and received honors for his marksmanship.
In February 1999, Barry ended his seven-year relationship with his fiancée. Devastated by the breakup, Barry’s fellow soldiers, including his roommate Spc. Justin Robert Fisher, took him to the party scene in Nashville, Tennessee, hoping to…
