Julie Powers Schenecker: Russian Linguist, Previously Associated with U.S. Army Intelligence, and Wife of U.S. Army Intelligence Colonel, Who’s ‘Mainly Responsible for the National Security Agency’s Support to Military Operations,’ Shot and Killed Their Two Children in Florida
January 30th, 2011Update: Video of Perp Walk
—End Update—
Update: 2009 Forum Post Indicates Julie Schenecker (Née Powers) Was Army MOS 97E: Human Intelligence Collector
97E: Human Intelligence Collector:
Major Duties: The Human Intelligence Collector (HUMINT Collector) supervises and conducts tactical HUMINT collection operations that include, but are not limited to, debriefings, interrogations and elicitations in English and foreign languages for positive intelligence and force protection information; screens Human Intelligence (HUMINT) sources and documents to establish priorities for exploitation; under CI supervision, plans and participates in counterintelligence and Force Protection Operations (CFSO). Translates and exploits captured enemy documents, foreign language and open source publications. Prepares and edits appropriate intelligence and administrative reports; utilizes CI/HUMINT reporting and communications equipment; uses interpreters and manages interpreter/translator operations; conducts liaison and coordination in foreign language with host nation agencies; conducts analysis and performs briefings as required.
This 97E MOS now appears to be called Human Intelligence Collector (35M).
Via: 18th Military Intelligence Battalion Forum:
Parker Schenecker in Tampa
Postby pschenecker » Sat Aug 01, 2009 10:03 pm
This is Parker Schenecker, formerly 1LT Schenecker (Battalion S1 from 1987-88). Now, after a lot of years, and numerous oversights by the Army promotion boards, I’m COL Schenecker, the Deputy NSA rep to CENTCOM in Tampa FL. Have kept in touch with many folks from Munich (1986-90 for me, 1987-1992 for my wife, the former Russian 97E Julie Powers) over the years.
Just a recap for me. Came to Munich for duty as the Aide to the AAFES commander, BG EB Leedy…after that, I rolled over to the 18th as the S1, then went over to 66th as the HHC commander for a year; Greg Zellmer (now COL and taking command of 66th next summer) was my XO. Stint @ Huachuca as instructor and BN XO then back to Germany (Vilseck and Wurzburg). Other assignments, CONUS and Hawaii, then back to Germany in Ansbach as the Garrison commander. After 10 years in Germany, we certainly miss it! We get back as often as we can.
OK, during our time in Munich, I’ll recap come of the folks who were with us (86-90). BN Commanders (after McKay was sacked) were MAJ Mike Moak (deceased), LTC Arty Franzello (deceased), followed by COL (Ret)Tom Gandy (now @ Army G2). BN XOs were Mike Moak, followed by MAJ Bob Barrigan, followed by Barb Fast (now MG Barb Fast). BN S2 was LTC(Ret) Mark Knick. BN S3 was John Zellmer; assistant was Randy Luten. BN S4 was Gregg Potter (now BG Potter; EUCOM J2). IMO (S6) was Sam Boggs, followed by COL Rick Zoller. HHC Commander was Jeff Cleghorn. Other officers during that stint were COL Bryan DeCoster, Rob Fagan, Mike Hunter, LTC Bridget Rourke, Tony Pauroso (5th MI Cdr), Bob Beaver (5th MI Cdr), LTC (Ret) Rob Walter, Paul Muehlman, among others. Zak Szebunczek (sp?) was the Civilian Advisor.
We were all there during the “mutiny”; I’ll post a note in that forum with the details. I was the Adjutant during all that fiasco, so I had the details of the whole sordid affair…I can fill in the details on why the 18th became known as the “Love Battalion.”
Looking forward to catching up with folks from one of the best units in the Army…and certainly the best location for an assignment one could even imagine.
Parker Schenecker
Tampa, FL
More: Was Julie Powers Schenecker a First Sergeant?
Via: 18th Military Intelligence Battalion Forum:
Re: What do you not miss the most about the military?
Postby Julie Powers Schenecker » Tue Aug 04, 2009 4:30 pm
1SG McMillin’s white glove inspections of our barracks rooms.
He once told me that I couldn’t have my pink cannondale parked in my living room to which 1SG Mack replied, “that bike is worth more than your CAR, 1SG!”(the bike was allowed to remain inside)
…i do not miss Frank Wiswell ‘bleeding’ all over my carbon copy reports! And I certainly don’t miss the electric typewriters we had to use!!
Ladies, do we not miss the cobblestone on McGraw that trashed our heels of our pumps?
…i do not miss doing a urinalysis in front of senior females or getting taped(fat measuring tool) by SFC Sikorski.
And I certainly don’t miss the annual walk home from the starck bier fest!!
Julie Powers Schenecker
—End Update—
According to the St. Petersburg Times article below:
Parker Schenecker met Julie Powers in Munich, Germany, where they were both stationed in the late ’80s and early ’90s.
She worked as a Russian linguist for the Army, collecting intelligence for European agencies by interviewing refugees coming from the Eastern Bloc, said Tim Fredrikson, who served with her.
Was Julie Schenecker a CIA or NSA officer who was attached to the Army Intelligence unit? Or, if she was in the Army, what was her rank?
Via: St. Petersburg Times:
Julie Schenecker was sick of her teenage children talking back to her, police say, so last week she bought a .38-caliber pistol and planned their murders and her suicide.
She shot her 13-year-old son Thursday evening after driving him home from soccer practice. Then she walked upstairs and shot her 16-year-old daughter in the back of the head as she did homework, an arrest affidavit states.
With their blood on her clothing, the 50-year-old mother remained at the Tampa Palms house all night. Police didn’t arrive until the next morning, after Schenecker’s mother called them from Texas, worried because she couldn’t reach her daughter, whom she believed was depressed.
Schenecker admitted killing her children, Calyx Schenecker, 16, and Powers Beau Schenecker, 13, police said. She showed no remorse.
Though Schenecker cooperated Friday, police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said no explanation could help people truly understand why it happened.
“She did tell us that they talked back and they were mouthy,” she said.
The children’s father, Army Col. Parker Schenecker, 48, was informed Friday that his wife killed their children, McElroy said. He is stationed at Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base and was in the Middle East.
Neighbors said they have seen police cars at the home at 16305 Royal Park Court before, though not often.
The Department of Children and Families said it investigated the family about two months ago after getting a complaint. The tip was determined to be unfounded and the case closed. Spokesman Terry Field said he couldn’t elaborate.
Several out-of-state family members declined to comment Friday, but neighbors and school officials described the children as bright, polite and athletic.
“Calyx was a very sweet girl, always soft-spoken, always quiet — a real sweetheart,” neighbor Seema Jain said. “I just can’t comprehend why this has happened to them.”
• • •
Parker Schenecker met Julie Powers in Munich, Germany, where they were both stationed in the late ’80s and early ’90s.
She worked as a Russian linguist for the Army, collecting intelligence for European agencies by interviewing refugees coming from the Eastern Bloc, said Tim Fredrikson, who served with her.
He was a rising intelligence officer who had graduated cum laude with a French degree from Washington and Lee University in Virginia, where the school yearbook is named the “Calyx.”
In Munich, Julie organized and coached a volleyball team of officers, said K.C. Dreller, another intelligence officer who worked with her.
“She was super good at it,” said Dreller, 49. “I imagine she was super good at everything she did. Anybody that was in that field was a Type A personality.”
The couple married and had two children, Calyx in Germany and Powers, who went by “Beau,” in Honolulu.
The military family moved a lot, and Parker Schenecker studied at several military schools, including the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the U.S. Army War College, according to a 2010 bulletin on distinguished alumni, published on his high school’s website.
The newsletter also said he became a colonel in 2006 and was mainly responsible for the National Security Agency’s support to military operations.
About three years ago the family landed in Tampa.
Parker is assigned to U.S. Central Command’s intelligence directorate and has worked for CentCom for more than two years, said Lt. Col. Mike Lawhorn, a spokesman. He was on a temporary duty assignment overseas the past few days.
Julie Schenecker, no longer in the Army, stayed home with their children. She took shifts driving in the neighborhood’s King High School car pool and often referred to the struggles of parenting in seemingly light-hearted Facebook posts.
On May 7, a friend wrote, “Happy Mother’s/Hallmark day to all the mothers. You are more brave than I. Not sure how you do it, but glad you do.”
Julie responded: “some days, not sure how we do it, either!! :-)”
On Sept. 23, a friend posted on his profile: “Hold yourself to a higher standard than anybody else expects of you.”
Julie commented: “i needed that advice today — have a 16 yr old daughter!”
• • •
Beau attended Liberty Middle School and played soccer. The young teen could often be found playing basketball, street hockey or other games with friends in the cul-de-sac.
Calyx was in the 10th grade in the pre-International Baccalaureate program at King High. She was a talented artist, took part in speech and debate and formed a Harry Potter fan club.
Principal Carla Bruning described her as an excellent student who was popular, sweet and enthusiastic.
“She was a great kid, the kind you would want to clone,” Bruning said.
Gary Bingham, who coached Calyx in cross country and track, called her “the fastest freshman I ever had.”
She was quirky, he said, a girl fascinated by bugs and funny-looking leaves on the running trails. She was easy-going and bubbly — smart, too.
At track practice Thursday afternoon, Calyx, a distance runner with long legs, decided to also give hurdles a try.
“She went over a hurdle and fell face first,” Bingham said. “She got up just laughing.”
Bingham expected to see his runner again at a 5K race today. Instead, he consoled his track team Friday and thought of Calyx’s father.
“He leaves here with a family and comes back with nothing,” Bingham said.
• • •
The scene Friday morning was ghastly. Beau was still in the van, Calyx by the computer. It didn’t look like they struggled. “The children never saw it coming,” McElroy said.
Inside the house, police found a detailed note that explained how their mother planned to kill them, then herself. As they processed the scene, the department’s Critical Incident Stress Management team was on hand to counsel the investigators, all parents.
Schenecker told police she shot her son in the head “for talking back to her” as she drove him to soccer practice, an arrest affidavit states.
About 3:30 p.m., authorities led her from Tampa police headquarters. She wore a white, plastic outfit, the type given to suspects when their clothing is seized as evidence.
She did not answer questions from reporters and mumbled to herself as deputies escorted her into the Orient Road Jail.
She shook uncontrollably, and deputies took her to the medical unit to be screened, said Sheriff’s Office spokesman Larry McKinnon.
Deputies planned to monitor her around the clock.
There is no doubt we will see more and more of this as time goes by. Violence begets violence. America is a society that thrives on killing, terrorism and subjugation. The terror we have inflicted upon the innocent in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere is now turning back upon the perpetrator.
Friends can’t reconcile images of mom accused of killing kids.
“I’m sure a lot of things will eventually come to the surface as to why this tragedy happened,” he said. “All I can tell you is the person I saw on the news (Friday) being arrested is not the same person I knew.”
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2011/jan/30/friends-struggle-to-reconcile-images-of-mom-accuse/news-breaking/
She broke under the stress of doublethink, i’ll bet my entire experience on it.
Five will get you twenty that it will emerge later that she was on one of the following:
Concerns about the extreme negative side effects of many popular antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs have been on the rise, as these drugs not only cause severe health problems to users, but also pose a significant threat to society. The ISMP report indicates that, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System, many popular drugs are linked even to homicides.
Most of the drugs in the top ten most dangerous are antidepressants, but also included are an insomnia medication, an attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drug, a malaria drug and an anti-smoking medication.
As reported in Time, the top ten list is as follows:
10. Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq) – An antidepressant that affects serotonin and noradrenaline. The drug is 7.9 times more likely to be associated with violence than other drugs.
9. Venlafaxine (Effexor) – An antidepressant that treats anxiety disorders. The drug is 8.3 times more likely to be associated with violence than other drugs.
8. Fluvoxamine (Luvox) – A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drug that is 8.4 times more likely to be associated with violence than other drugs.
7. Triazolam (Halcion) – A benzodiazepine drug for insomnia that is 8.7 times more likely to be associated with violence than other drugs.
6. Atomoxetine (Strattera) – An ADHD drug that is 9 times more likely to be associated with violence than other drugs.
5. Mefoquine (Lariam) – A malaria drug that is 9.5 times more likely to be associated with violence than other drugs.
4. Amphetamines – This general class of ADHD drug is 9.6 times more likely to be associated with violence than other drugs.
3. Paroxetine (Paxil) – An SSRI antidepressant drug that is 10.3 times more likely to be associated with violence than other drugs. It is also linked to severe withdrawal symptoms and birth defects.
2. Fluoxetine (Prozac) – A popular SSRI antidepressant drug that is 10.9 times more likely to be associated with violence than other drugs.
1. Varenicline (Chantix) – An anti-smoking drug that is a shocking 18 times more likely to be associated with violence than other drugs.
Terrible in any event…my heart aches for the father.
-cybele
No, not the same person he knew. And the hundreds of thousands of young American men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are not the ones we knew. Not the ones working at Wal-Mart, McDonald’s, the local gas station or hardware store. Because they have been sent to countries where their mission was to occupy, control and terrorize local populations who did not want them there. No, they will never be the same. Some will do as Mrs. Schenecker and kill members of their families, others will put guns to their temples, and still others will live on dying slow deaths never being able to reconcile what their government sent them to do.
I’m with dagobaz. I can’t view the “perp walk” video, as my firefox keeps on crashing when I try to load it, but it was reported that she “shook uncontrollably” — that’s what happens when one goes off (cold turkey) a high dose of certain anti-depressants. I know from personal experience, as my mother, now deceased thank gawd, was bipolar (manic-depressive), and yes, she had quite a violent temper during her manic phases and when she decided that she didn’t need her medication anymore. Julie Schenecker, a Type A personality who had quite an exciting time of it when she had a paid career, is now a stay-at-home mother, perhaps bored out of her intelligent skull and missing the feeling of being “important” with underlings or those she used to interrogate not daring to be “mouthy” to her with impunity, while her husband’s career is on the fast track. Goes on anti-depressants, which really dull one’s affect, and then perhaps decides to go off of them, with no weaning off stage? Yikes.
Wow. Interesting how Pookie and Dagobaz read this, but I’m with Larry Glick and CRGroove69 on this one. I lose credibility most of the time on this website when I post because I jump to conclusions, write them out and then beat myself up later when the facts are realized, one way or another. Hum. I am looking at this woman and see her cracking under the strain of her life. Have no clue as to whether she was on drugs or hated her at home life. I know a few people who have retired fron long careers in counterintelligence who have retired and are living decent, sane, and relatively normal lives.
These days, I tend to be more forgiving to womenfolk than ever before. I am now just beginning to digest my mother’s life. I wish she had not passed on one year ago this week.
But then again, I am still here because my mother did not shoot me because of who I was as a teenager. My Mother, it appears, had cause to shoot me many times over, because I “talked backed to her” many times. Mom wasn’t on drugs, worked at the bakery, and I was almost successful at driving her crazy. She actually ran away from home once because of me. But at least she didn’t shoot me in the head. Maybe thought about doing so.
Women are interesting emotional creatures. The way the planets are moving indicates that womenfolk are going to be in the news more than usual. I suspect that in the future, I’m going to have a soft spot for them, and give them the benefit of the doubt.