Green beret girlfriend murdered after his wife accused

The murder of Clint Bonnell, a retired green beret whose remains were found in a North Carolina lake earlier this year, left his loved ones staggering. Now, his wife has been accused of his murder.

“We, as a community, have been devastated,” said Kelli Edwards, Bonnell’s girlfriend, ABC News. “How do you understand something like this? There really is no understanding.”

She added: “What happened to her, he didn’t deserve, nobody deserves any of that, but he was just a really beautiful human being.”

Bonnell was in his second semester of the Medical Assistant School at the Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and was president of the cohort, said Edwards.

“This is a green beret that was a patriot of the body, which served for our country, which helped his teammates with all his injuries, which were deployed in teams, which were all over the world and he arrives home and retires in three weeks and this is what happens? This is not right,” said Edwards.

Edwards said Bonnell told him that he was already going through the divorce process. Bonnell said he and his wife had been living separately for a couple of years and that he had met with divorce lawyers, he said.

“After trying to make a marriage work for a long time, he decided that it was better to cut ropes and move on. And when I met him, he was already at that stage,” Edwards said.

She added: “He was very intelligent, very intelligent. But I think he really tried to see the best in all who was close. You have that personality, which is a great feature and sometimes it can be a defect.”

Police said a employee of the Methodist University called a Bonnell welfare check from the Methodist University on January 28 after Bonnell did not attend class. When the agents arrived at the house, they talked to his wife, Shana Cloud, who said he had not seen Bonnell since the previous day, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s office.

The Bonnell vehicle, the school stock exchange and other items were found in the residence, police said. A second welfare check was later requested at night by a friend of Bonnell, according to the Sheriff’s office.

Finally, a missing person was declared. Police executed multiple search warrants before human remains were found on a lake on February 25.

Several weeks later, the remains were identified as belonging to Bonnell.

His wife has now been accused of first degree murder and serious crime that hides an unnatural death.

Cloud, a former traveling nurse who worked for Virginia’s corrections department, remains in a custody without bail. His lawyer maintains his innocence, according to ABC Station WTVD in Durham, North Carolina.

“Mrs. Cloud waiting for her day in court,” said his defense.

In the Court, prosecutors alleged that Cloud was seen in a video near the place where Bonnell remains were found, according to WTVD.

“Mr. Bonnell told his girlfriend that he had let the defendant know about the divorce and his plans last night,” said Cumberland County District William West in court on Monday. “We believe he was killed the next morning.”

Bonnell was shot several times, prosecutors say. According to WTVD, a search in the couple’s house discovered bullet holes in their bookbag and laptop.

Edwards said he began to notice some awkward patterns and things that happen in Bonnell’s life as his relationship became more serious.

“He really didn’t talk much about his wife at the beginning. He simply knew more about his daughter, how much he loved his daughter and all the things you know had brought to his life,” he said.

Edwards said he saw Bonnell on Monday that he disappeared and said he could say he had a lot in mind.

“The last text message was that he went to bed and basically good night. And that was all. And the next morning I sent him a text message in the morning and had not delivered,” he said.

Edwards said he called a social assistance check when he had no news of Bonnell the next day.

“I knew something was wrong because we were in communication a lot during the day, mainly text messages because I was at school, and I didn’t hear from January 28,” Edwards said.

Edwards said they want people to remember Bonnell as an incredible human who left an impact on many people.

“He was very, just a Jovial human, happy and was anxious for his next part of his life, closing a chapter, leaving the army after 20 years, being in the Pennsylvania school, he was waiting for the next chapter,” Edwards said.

The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said: “Our hearts are with the Bonnell family, the Special Forces community and the Methodist University Physician attendee program during this difficult time.”

Additional details will not be published in the case “out of respect” by Bonnell and the integrity of the investigation, said the department of the Sheriff.