Family Of Lansdale Native Killed At Guantanamo Bay Wants Justice

LANSDALE, PA — The family of a Lansdale native who was found dead near Guantanamo Bay Naval Base several years ago is still searching for justice.

Christopher Tur, 42, who was employed as a loss prevention chief at the Navy Exchange complex on the American military base in Cuba, was found dead in the ocean on Jan. 11, 2015.

The ensuing investigation has not led to murder charges, but it did lead to the conviction just last month of the base's commander at the time, Captain John R. Nettleton, for covering up the an affair he had with Tur's wife and lying during the investigation. Nettleton was dismissed from his command and reassigned shortly after Tur's death, and has since retired.

A sentencing date is set for June 16, and Tur's family will be in attendance. And they want to make sure some semblance of justice is served. They have launched a Change.org petition which demands the Navy court martial Nettleton, and charge him with homicide.

"We are calling on Navy officials and Acting Secretary of the Navy, Thomas Modley, to do the correct thing," Tur's sister, Aline Byrnes, wrote. "Set an example to all Navy Captains that this outrageous and deadly behavior will not be tolerated."

The petition is also addressed to U.S. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick and U.S. Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey.

Tur served for years as a U.S. Marine, achieving the rank of Lance Corporal. He was a 1991 graduate of North Penn High School.

Most widely known for its incarceration of terrorists, the small, out of the way base at Guantanamo Bay is also home to a community of civilian contractors and military families, which, at the time of his death, included Tur, his wife, and their two daughters.

The recent court case, decided in U.S. District Court in Florida, found Nettleton guilty on an array of charges including obstructing justice, falsifying records, concealing information, and related counts. But the trial did not consider the matter of how exactly Tur died.

According to court records, Tur and Nettleton had a drunken brawl the night Tur went missing. Nettleton was the last person to see Tur, but he did not tell his superiors about the fight, and he also denied having an affair with Tur's wife, which was later proven to be true. Nettleton also refused to give permission to request a Coast Guard helicopter to help in the search, documents state.

Tur was found dead days later by a Coast Guard boat, and his cause of death was determined to be drowning. But he had suffered broken ribs and a cut on his dead prior to death.

The petition launched by Tur's family had gained nearly 500 signatures as of Wednesday morning.

To view the petition and read more about the case, see here.