Military service member charged with shooting death of medic

Las Vegas ties to a mysterious military death.

It's something 13 Investigates first reported last year.

Now, there's a big new development.

INVESTIGATES FIRST REPORTEDLAST YEAR.CHIEF INVESTIGATOR DARCY SPEARSHAS MORE ON THE LAS VEGAS TIESTO A MILITARY DEATH, AND THEALLEGATIONS OF A COVER UP.WE NOW KNOW THAT A MILITARYSERVICEMEMBER HAS BEEN CHARGEDIN CONNECTION WITH THE SHOOTINGDEATH OF A NAVY MEDIC ON THETWENTYNINE PALMS MILITARY BASE.OTHER SERVICEMEMBERS COULD BEFACING CHARGES, TOO.AS WE REPORTED IN NOVEMBER, THEMEDIC'S DEATH WAS FIRST CALLEDA SUICIDE, BUT FAMILY AND CLOSEFRIENDS ALWAYS BELIEVED HE'DBEEN KILLED BY SOMEONE ELSE.JOSE AND SANDRA DE LEON WEREOVERCOME WHEN THEY LEARNED ASERVICEMEMBER HAS BEEN CHARGEDAND OTHERS ARE BEINGINVESTIGATED IN CONNECTION WITHTHE DEATH OF THEIR SON,30-YEAR-OLD NAVY CORPSMANMICHAEL VINCENT DE LEON.SPEAKING WITH OUR SISTERSTATION IN SAN DIEGO, THECOUPLE SHARED THE SENSE OF LOSSTHEY FEEL TO THIS DAY.SOMETIMES I JUST LISTEN TO HISRECORDINGS...JUST TO HEAR HIS VOICE...(SHAKES HEAD) NOW, THEYFINALLY SEE THE CASE MOVINGFORWARD.A MARINE SPOKESPERSON CONFIRMEDTHAT ONE PERSON HAS BEENCHARGED WITH DERELICTION OFDUTY RESULTING IN DEATH.A HEARING HAS NOT YET BEENSET.DE LEON'S PARENTS FIRSTCONTACTED OUR SAN DIEGO SISTERSTATION FOR HELP AFTER CLAIMINGTHE MILITARY STONEWALLED THEMFROM GETTING ANSWERS ABOUTTHEIR SON'S DEATH.A SOURCE WITH CLOSE MILITARYTIES SAID NAVAL CRIMINALINVESTIGATIVE SERVICE--ORN-C-I- S--CONFIRMED THESHOOTING-DEATH WAS BEINGINVESTIGATED AS A HOMICIDE--NOTA SUICIDE--LIKE HIS PARENTSSAID THEY WERE LED TO BELIEVE.THE PHONE CALL FROM THATRESIDENCE USING MY SON'S PHONEWAS THAT IT WAS A SUICIDE.AND THAT'S WHAT LED TOSPECULATION OF A COVER-UP.WHEN THE FAMILY WAS INITIALLYTOLD THAT THIS WAS SUICIDE,WHEN YOU HEARD THAT, WHAT WASYOUR REACTION?NO.IT'S NOT SUICIDE.

THAT'S NOTMICHAEL.NAVY VETERAN CHRISTOPHERBASTEAN, WHO LIVES HERE IN LASVEGAS, SERVED ALONGSIDECORPSMAN DE LEON.THAT WAS MY FRIEND.SOMEONE I SERVED WITH.THAT I WOULD GO HAND IN HANDWITH.CALLING HIM A MILITARY BROTHERAND CLOSE PERSONAL FRIEND,BASTEAN SAYS MICHAEL WOULDNEVER TAKE HIS OWN LIFE.INSIDE MY GUT I KNEW.I KNEW.THAT "S" WORD WAS NOT REAL.THAT WAS NOT "S" WORD WAS NOTREAL.

THAT WAS NOT REAL AT ALL.BASTEAN HAS BEEN WORKING WITHMICHAEL'S PARENTS IN A QUESTFOR JUSTICE SINCE THE COUPLELEARNED OF THEIR SON'S DEATHLAST SUMMER.IT'S BEEN HARD FOR THEM.THEY JUST WANT ACCOUNTABILITY.THEY WANT ACCOUNTABILITY ANDTHEY WANT ANSWERS.DON'T PUT SOMEBODY IN THE DARKLIKE THAT!

TELL THEM!

THEYNEED TO KNOW.IT'S THEIR SON!

JOSE DE LEONSAID PROSECUTORS TOLD HIM THESERVICEMEMBER CHARGED INCONNECTION WITH HIS SON'S DEATHIS ALSO A NAVY CORPSMEN--A TYPEOF MEDIC--WHOWAS AT A HOUSE PARTY ON-BASEWITH MICHAEL AND OTHERCORPSMEN.DE LEON SAID PROSECUTORS ALSOTOLD HIM THAT SOME OF THOSECORPSMEN ARE LIKELY FACINGUPCOMING CHARGES.AND WE KNOW THAT THE FIREARMWAS DRY- FIRED AT MICHAEL, THEFIREARM WAS PUT AWAY, AND ITCAME OUT AGAIN.AND ACCORDING TO SOMESTATEMENTS, THEY WERE HORSINGAROUND WHEN THE FIREARM COMEOUT AGAIN AND THAT'S WHENMICHAEL WAS KILLED.THESE MEN NEED TO BE HELDACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT THEY DID,FOR THEIR ACTIONS,FOR THEIR LACK OF COURAGE, FORTHEIR LACK OF HONOR.BASTEAN CAN'T MAKE SENSE OF THEACTIONS THAT REPORTEDLYSURROUNDED MICHAEL'S DEATH.YOU KNOW YOUR RULES.YOU TREAT IT LIKE IT'S LOADEDAT ALL TIMES.YOU DON'T POINT A WEAPON ATSOMEBODY YOU DON'T INTEND TOSHOOT!

THOSE ARE BASICFOUNDATIONS THAT CAUSE YOU TOBE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOURACTIONS!

DE LEON ECHOES THAT.THEY'RE TRAINED IN FIREARMS ANDIN TRAUMA RESPONSE.THEY KNEW BETTER.N-C-I-S IS NOT PROVIDING ANYDETAILS.A SPOKESPERSON REPORTED THEINVESTIGATION IS STILL OPEN.THE GOOD NEWS IN ALL OF THIS ISTHAT THE LONG WAIT HAS NOT BEENIN VAIN.A MARINE SPOKESPERSON SAID THEYARE NOT GIVING OUT THE NAMES ORRANKS OF THOSE WHO MAY HAVEBEEN INVOLVED..OR WHAT PUNISHMENT THEY COULDFACE IF CONVICTED.DARCY SPEARS, 13INVESTIGATES.THE PANDEMIC IS FORCING EVENTSTO BE CANCELLED -- BUT