Former Gitmo Commander Guilty Of Obstructing Death Probe

WASHINGTON, DC — A Florida resident and former commander of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay was convicted by a federal jury Friday of obstructing justice and making false statements in connection with the death of a 42-year-old civilian employee who accused him of having an affair with his wife only two days before his body was found.

Fifty-four-year-old John Nettleton of Jacksonville was also convicted of concealing information and falsifying records stemming from the Navy's investigation into the drowning death of Christopher M. Tur, whose body was discovered in Guantanamo Bay on Jan. 11, 2015.

“By deliberately misleading NCIS during the investigation into the tragic death of Mr. Tur, Capt. Nettleton delayed justice and wasted valuable Department of the Navy resources,” Special Agent in Charge Matthew Lascell of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service Southeast Field Office said following the verdict.

Prosecutors said Nettleton not only failed to report the accusation concerning the affair with Tur's wife, but he also did not report he and Tur got into a scuffle in which Tur was injured. The autopsy confirmed Tur was injured before his death.

Tur, the loss prevention safety manager at Gitmo's Naval Exchange, first confronted Nettleton about the affair during a party at Gitmo's Officers’ Club on Jan. 9, 2015. The physical struggle took place later that night when Tur showed up at Nettleton’s home.

Tur was reported missing the following day by other Gitmo residents. Nettleton was the commanding officer at the time.

“Captain Nettleton dishonored his oath and impeded the investigation into a civilian's tragic death, preventing much needed closure for the family and friends of the deceased," Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department's Criminal Division said after the verdict.

No sentencing date has been set for Nettleton.