Mother of murdered soldier proud her son helped foil terror plot
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SEATTLE -- To know Private First Class Michael Roark is to walk in his shoes; dust-colored, lace-up army boots his mother's partner will occasionally wear in honor and in tribute to soldier, who grew up in Marysville.
"He loved those boots," Roark's mother, Tracy Jahr, said, sitting at the kitchen table of her Snohomish County home, the shoes next to her right arm. "We took them to the beach with us, so we could walk in the sand with them."
Roark, 19, found no greater joy than in wearing the boots - part of his uniform he proudly donned as a soldier based in Fort Stewart, GA, Jahr said.
"I'm immensely proud of him for standing up for what he knew was right," she added.
But where Roark, a Western Washington native, stood up most for his country wasn't in battle. Instead, prosecutors believe it was on the homefront. Investigators believe Roark knew of a domestic terror plot hatched by four other soldiers he'd met on base, and that knowledge ultimately led to his murder.
"He had just told me that he had met this person and that (the person) had a lot of money," Jahr said, recalling a conversation she'd had with her son last fall. "My mom's radar went up just a little bit and I said, 'Well, who is this person? Where is he from? Where does he live? Tell me more about him.'"
The news didn't sit well with Jahr and eventually led Roark to leave the Army in December. Two days later, prosecutors say, the man with the money, along with three other soldiers, led Roark and his girlfriend into the woods near the Army post and shot Roark in the head, killing him.
On Monday, prosecutors in Georgia told a judge that Roark's murder was part of an attempt to cover up a domestic terror plot that four Army soldiers had hatched. The alleged plot involved stockpiling assault weapons, bombing a dam in Washington state, and ultimately assassinating President Barack Obama, among other plans.
"It's not real," Jahr said, "because it can't possibly be your child that's been killed. It was devastating. It was devastating."
Prosecutors in rural Long County, near the sprawling Army post Fort Stewart, said the militia group of active and former U.S. military members spent at least $87,000 buying guns and bomb components.
"This domestic terrorist organization did not simply plan and talk," prosecutor Isabel Pauley told a Superior Court judge. "Prior to the murders in this case, the group took action. Evidence shows the group possessed the knowledge, means and motive to carry out their plans."
One of the Fort Stewart soldiers charged in the case, Pfc. Michael Burnett, also gave testimony that backed up many of the assertions made by prosecutors. The 26-year-old soldier pleaded guilty Monday to manslaughter, illegal gang activity and other charges. He made a deal to cooperate with prosecutors against the three other soldiers.
Prosecutors said the group called itself F.E.A.R., short for Forever Enduring Always Ready. Pauley said authorities don't know how many members it had.
Burnett, 26, said he knew the group's leaders from serving with them at Fort Stewart. He agreed to testify against fellow soldiers Pvt. Isaac Aguigui, identified by prosecutors as the militia's founder and leader, and Sgt. Anthony Peden and Pvt. Christopher Salmon.
All are charged by state authorities with malice murder, felony murder, criminal gang activity, aggravated assault and using a firearm while committing a felony. A hearing for the three soldiers was scheduled Thursday.
Prosecutors say Roark, 19, served with the four defendants in the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division and became involved with the militia. Pauley said the group believed it had been betrayed by Roark, who left the Army two days before he was killed, and decided the ex-soldier and his girlfriend needed to be silenced.
"Justice will be served for them. I do not wish (the other soldiers) well. I do not forgive them," Jahr said.
While forgiveness may be impossible for a mother who has buried her son, honoring him is not. His ashes hang in a cross around her neck, so he will always be close to her heart.
"He died serving his country," Jahr said. "He wasn't in a war. He wasn't killed by the enemy. He was killed by his own people."
"He loved those boots," Roark's mother, Tracy Jahr, said, sitting at the kitchen table of her Snohomish County home, the shoes next to her right arm. "We took them to the beach with us, so we could walk in the sand with them."
Roark, 19, found no greater joy than in wearing the boots - part of his uniform he proudly donned as a soldier based in Fort Stewart, GA, Jahr said.
"I'm immensely proud of him for standing up for what he knew was right," she added.
But where Roark, a Western Washington native, stood up most for his country wasn't in battle. Instead, prosecutors believe it was on the homefront. Investigators believe Roark knew of a domestic terror plot hatched by four other soldiers he'd met on base, and that knowledge ultimately led to his murder.
"He had just told me that he had met this person and that (the person) had a lot of money," Jahr said, recalling a conversation she'd had with her son last fall. "My mom's radar went up just a little bit and I said, 'Well, who is this person? Where is he from? Where does he live? Tell me more about him.'"
The news didn't sit well with Jahr and eventually led Roark to leave the Army in December. Two days later, prosecutors say, the man with the money, along with three other soldiers, led Roark and his girlfriend into the woods near the Army post and shot Roark in the head, killing him.
On Monday, prosecutors in Georgia told a judge that Roark's murder was part of an attempt to cover up a domestic terror plot that four Army soldiers had hatched. The alleged plot involved stockpiling assault weapons, bombing a dam in Washington state, and ultimately assassinating President Barack Obama, among other plans.
"It's not real," Jahr said, "because it can't possibly be your child that's been killed. It was devastating. It was devastating."
Prosecutors in rural Long County, near the sprawling Army post Fort Stewart, said the militia group of active and former U.S. military members spent at least $87,000 buying guns and bomb components.
"This domestic terrorist organization did not simply plan and talk," prosecutor Isabel Pauley told a Superior Court judge. "Prior to the murders in this case, the group took action. Evidence shows the group possessed the knowledge, means and motive to carry out their plans."
One of the Fort Stewart soldiers charged in the case, Pfc. Michael Burnett, also gave testimony that backed up many of the assertions made by prosecutors. The 26-year-old soldier pleaded guilty Monday to manslaughter, illegal gang activity and other charges. He made a deal to cooperate with prosecutors against the three other soldiers.
Prosecutors said the group called itself F.E.A.R., short for Forever Enduring Always Ready. Pauley said authorities don't know how many members it had.
Burnett, 26, said he knew the group's leaders from serving with them at Fort Stewart. He agreed to testify against fellow soldiers Pvt. Isaac Aguigui, identified by prosecutors as the militia's founder and leader, and Sgt. Anthony Peden and Pvt. Christopher Salmon.
All are charged by state authorities with malice murder, felony murder, criminal gang activity, aggravated assault and using a firearm while committing a felony. A hearing for the three soldiers was scheduled Thursday.
Prosecutors say Roark, 19, served with the four defendants in the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division and became involved with the militia. Pauley said the group believed it had been betrayed by Roark, who left the Army two days before he was killed, and decided the ex-soldier and his girlfriend needed to be silenced.
"Justice will be served for them. I do not wish (the other soldiers) well. I do not forgive them," Jahr said.
While forgiveness may be impossible for a mother who has buried her son, honoring him is not. His ashes hang in a cross around her neck, so he will always be close to her heart.
"He died serving his country," Jahr said. "He wasn't in a war. He wasn't killed by the enemy. He was killed by his own people."
A hero is someone who takes charge and takes control to save innocent lives. Â Not doing anything about an obvious danger to innocent lives and being murdered by his own hostile threat group are far from the heroic act. Â Had he contacted a proper agency in time, he could have saved his life and also become sort of hero. Â Unfortunately, he just died in vain, which is a shame.
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 @CIAassassin You go ahead get the mission accomplished.  In the mean time, my agency is looking into "The Man with Money" and his financial source since it's possible he was just acting as a middleman.  It is our job to bring in the mastermind of this plot.  I hope no govt officials were involved in this.
There are no heros in the CIA or NSA either. Just corrupt individuals making a ton of money off of a lack of transperancy. It always happens when you have agencies operating in complete secrecy. Time to end their budgets.
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None of you have any idea what this family is going through. You can have all the speculation and assumptions you want, trusting what the media puts out there and twists to get higher ratings. Michael was not âINâ this militia per se. These were people that claimed to be his buddies and friends. He had no militia tattoo as âALLâ of them have. Michael Burnett can claim he took money and you can believe it if you choose. Maybe thatâs what Michael Burnett was told he did in order to lure him out there. The fact is, none of you know any real evidence of this case other than what is being reported and perhaps instead of taking 2 people who are the victims and victimizing them even more and their families, you could possibly show some discernment when commenting on the reports of the news media. Iâm all about freedom of speech and the right to have your own view but keep in mind that this has been a case that started 8 months ago and all of it is not going to come out in one day. So unless you are privy to the âFACTSâ i.e. talked to the prosecutor personally or have been in this courtroom, I would be wary to believe solely on the media.Â
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 @lrrrbd75 I agree with you. Even in the days that have followed now there is more info coming out everyday about this. I will not judge Roark at all nor try and say he should have done this or that as none of us know the whole story. I think it's too easy for people to sit back behind their keyboards and think they could have done something different or better than what he did. Obviously Aguigui had enough persuasion to manipulate these people. All of us should dig deeper into this story if we are going to make some kind of comment. If we don't then we just look ignorant, period.
Which is also why we shouldn't believe that he's some sort of hero. So far there is no evidence he did anything but try and cover his own ass and steal some money from some mentally retarded idiots. The people responsible should be put to death. They were traitors who were only doing this for personal gain. @lrrrbd75
@lrrrbd75
1st of all I am sorry for the moms loss.
Now I know there is more to the story not being reported.
1) why did he not report the plan when active?
2) how did he get out of the Army at 19 Y.O.? Enlistments are 3+ years active.
3) what kind of discharge?
Victim for sure . Hero?
My 1st post.
All I saying things do not add up. They are both victims. But far from hero's.
A hero would have turned them Immediately regardless  of  consequences.
also answer 1,2 +3
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 @BocaBob  @lrrrbd75 Did you walk in his shoes? No. Do you not see that some of them were his commanding officer? Who was he to report to?  How do you know he didn't try and report them? The Army will not divulge either way because, it's the military. He took a general discharge.Â
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Who was his commanding officer? the highest ranking is a SGT that's an E-5. Not a commanding officer. O-3 or above.
General discharges are given to service members whose performance is satisfactory but is marked by a considerable departure in duty performance and conduct expected of military members.  Iâm not surprised..
How do I know he did not report them? I d onot but  the army has an open door policy that is explained over and over to members. If no results from your supervisor you can go to his and so on. There will be formal trail left.
If you are his mom and want clear his name learn more about the Army and UCMJ. Get a lawyer with a good back round with the Mil. your congressman should also get involved once you get the facts straight.
If he really did try and report it there is a great big injustice here. I will refrain from what I think as you are right I do not have many facts but the ones provided do not look in his favor. Good luck and do pursue.
From CNN
"Â Several agencies, including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, were called into the investigation because of the accumulation of weapons.On Monday, Pfc. Michael Burnett laid out the elaborate plot, telling a southeast Georgia court that he was part of what prosecutors called "an anarchist group and militia."Dressed in his Army uniform, he spoke in a Long County court about the group of Army soldiers and its role in the December deaths of former soldier Michael Roark and his teenage girlfriend, Tiffany York. Roark, he said, was killed because he took money from the group and planned to leave."
 http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/28/justice/georgia-soldiers-plot/index.html
There is also evidence in the court case that Roark was trying to leave the militia after taking a bunch of their money.
Live by the sword, die by the sword.
 @Blindman State a link to this evidence.
Not trying to make anyone feel bad, but the news accounts of this say that her son was IN the militia group, and was killed because they feared he was a loose cannon, and knew too much. He did not go to the authorities, according to reports. Â He may have been freaked out and left the Army because of it, but I don't see anything that shows he was a hero. Â He went along with it, and when he left the Army (no mention of why) they decided he couldn't be trusted. Â Sorry, but he was IN the group, and believed in the things that they were pushing, even if he chickened out at the last minute. Â Unless there is proof that he foiled the plot personally, I don't get the KOMO hero thing. Â Is there something I'm not seeing? Â
Also reported on CNN that this hero had just stolen money from the group. Lets see how this developes.
 @BocaBob Show the link where CNN reported this
@lrrrbd75 They Aguigui + freind suspected NOT me. It was enough to get the poor boy killed. i do not think he desrved to die but does not get a hero card either. Maybe later not now till more comes out.
 @BocaBob "Suspected" does not mean he did.
When asked by judge Robert Russell how the murders fit into the plot, Burnett said Aguigui suspected Roark of taking money from the group's funds. They also suspected Roark planned to leave the group when he left the military. More importantly, they worried he would report their plans.
It was WTOC LUDOWICI, GA could not copy the link. Got there thru CNN my bad. Even so more will surface.
Exactly how did her son foil this plot? Anyone? Sounds like he was one of them at least for a while.
 @MilitaryVeteran If you read into the sixth paragraph, it states that PFC Roarke spoke to his mother and divulged information about the group, probably causing him to rethink their position and left the group. When he was killed she, most likely, notified the authorities and brought the attention to their plot out.
@DarkRenegade Speaking to Mommy means nothing. He could have gone to the military police, Army CID, FBI, his chain of commmand. He did nothing. He's no better than the people that killed him.
 @DarkRenegade  @MilitaryVeteran Exactly!
 @MilitaryVeteran  @DarkRenegade Assuming as a veteran, you would know that at his age there is a feeling of homesickness and some still feel more safe talking to a loved one than someone within the military. Perhaps he did speak to someone in the chain of command but what if this group is larger than just the four and he didnt go to his superior officer in case they were a part of this group? There are unanswered questions that will eventually come to light but certainly his death resulted in the group being found out and stopped.
a very shocking and sad time for this young man's family, and the family of his girlfriend, I cannot imagine their loss, and I want to thank him for his service, and for seemingly attempting to do the right thing by exposing the plot ...
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there are questions though ... is it because he was no longer in the service that the military isn't also investigating ? what about those accused, are they still enlisted ? is the military investigating and that's not being reported ? there is much more to know, and I hope that all of the domestic terrorists (not just the few mentioned, it was hinted there were others too) involved are brought to justice before they bring harm upon their fellow Americans
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Though other articles. Yes the others are still enlisted. The Army CID did a full investigation and sure no others are involved. The Army has dropped its charges as the civilian ones are greater as the murder did not happen on the post but just off. Also the victims had just stolen money from the group which will probably be the real factor in this case.
Hero ? I think not. But we will see as facts come out.
1st of all I am sorry for the moms loss.
Now I know there is more to the story not being reported.
1) why did he not report the plan when active?
2) how did he get out of the Army at 19 Y.O.? Enlistments are 3+ years active.
3) what kind of discharge?
Victum for sure . Hero?
I am so sorry for your loss. My heart hurts for you.
And just who can we thank for military trained soldiers trying to hatch a plan of domestic terrorism. Let's see - the religious right? Radical conservatives? Every misinformed senior over the age of 60 who gripes about "obamacare", mainstream media who offers no hope for the human race. And what's up with The acronym F.E.A.R. - how is that patriotic? This is what happens when you give kids a misguided sense of patriotism, a good battlefield training, and guns. They try to destroy the country from within!
thank? you mean blame, don't you? So the great 'somebody' just has to be behind their heinous deeds? They can't possibly be to blame for their own actions, now can they? 'the devil made me do it' - the dog ate my homework. Sounds like blaming to me. I say they are responsible for their own actions and now they are suffering the consequences of those actions. Instead of blame, we should be teaching responsiblity.
 @Elaine2 They are to blame for their own actions. Did you happen to catch yesterday's article about this? The comments were atrocious. There was a guy hoping they had planned to bomb Olympia, and others who seem to long for an armed revolution on US soil. These guys are responsible for their own actions. It is unfortunate that there seem to be people in our country who applaud such action.
terrible for that family....
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even worse is these huckster politicians and their "homeland security" BS wanting everyone to fear and hate those darn foreigners - 'specially Muslims.
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PFC Roarke lived up to the oath he swore when joining the military, '....To support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic....' No greater honor or respect can be acknowledged for his sacrifice to ensure the protection of the citizens of the United States.
 @DarkRenegade where does it say that he foiled the plot? There is just no information out there that says that he did.  Do you have a link?Â
 @DT Perhaps you should reread paragraphs six through eight. PFC Roarke disclosed the identities of the others to his mother during their conversations who most likely turned that information over to the authorities upon notification of the young man's death.
 @DarkRenegade I wholeheartedly agree with the quote, however I believe it's more dangerous for an American citizen to support and defend our Constitution domestically. Those in power may very well be our enemies and the tough question is, "How do we defend against them?" Yes, we have elections to remove them from office but sadly I don't believe elections matter anymore. Our government has become too big and too powerful to fight with voting. I believe that in my life time, we may see a civil war again and millions will die protecting our Constitution once again. It is sad really that we all argue and throw insults at the opposing political parties, becoming so upset with how we perceive they are ruining our country. And yet, we continue to vote them in office to perpetuate the damage year after year after year. I fear Obama's next 4 years if he is elected. I also fear Romneys election and although it may change slightly from what Obama has done, it will not make much difference. I have always been a "glass half full" kinda gal however I have become cynical, disenchanted and downright suspicion of our government. They DO NOT care about the citizens any longer. And quite frankly, I for one no longer care for them. I still have my hopes for our Country to become great again but at this point they seem to be just that. Hopes.........
 @Robinsnest  @DarkRenegade I think that you and those who share this belief of yours are somewhat hopeful that it is a self fulfilling prophecy. I personally will not use my guns against my neighbors or others for merely disagreeing with me over politics.
 @Robinsnest " I believe that in my life time, we may see a civil war again and millions will die protecting our Constitution once again. It is sad really that we all argue and throw insults at the opposing political parties, becoming so upset with how we perceive they are ruining our country."
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Yeah, whenever there is a democrat in office, we have a rise in Right Wing nut cases flipping out over the constitution and hatching plans like this because it is the patriotic thing to stand up to the president.Â
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When the republican is in office, it is suddenly "unpatriotic" to question the president.
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 @Robinsnest "I fear Obama's next 4 years if he is elected. I also fear Romneys election and although it may change slightly from what Obama has done, it will not make much difference. I have always been a "glass half full" kinda gal"
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Yeah, You basically just did the "both sides are bad so vote republican" thing. Good luck with that.
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 @Robinsnest "  however I have become cynical, disenchanted and downright suspicion of our government. They DO NOT care about the citizens any longer.."
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Maybe if the GOP will stop acting Crazy, then people who are not crazy or just corporate whores will try and run for the republican nomination.Â
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In short, this whole "I do not agree with these people but I understand their frustration" language from the republicans is rediculous. You people have played your "we came unarmed this time" card. Now either go out and start your sad little civil war because you can't handle who the president is, or shut the hell up and deal with it.
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Of course, you can always move to another country, but stop acting like a bunch of perpetual victims.
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He stood up for what's right. Sadly, this guy and that innocent woman won't make the evening news because it's not catchy enough for ratings or shallow people.
I do believe that he died serving his country because fighting terrorists means from outside and inside our own country. They must have become suuspicious of him and decided he needed to be silenced. Hope they throw the book at them and lock them up for good!
Its a sad state of affairs to be sure. HIs girlfriend also was killed I guess. They need to be lined up and shot.