KELLI BORDEAUX (deceased) - 23 yo (2012)/ Charged: Nicholas Holbert - Fort Bragg NC

Man who last saw missing Fort Bragg soldier in custody on unrelated charge

Nicholas Holbert, the last man to see missing 23-year-old Fort Bragg soldier Kelli Bordeaux alive, turned himself in to police and was in custody Friday afternoon on a charge not related to Bordeaux’s disappearance, NBC News reported.

Holbert, a convicted sex offender, was held at the Cumberland County Detention Center in Fayetteville, N.C., for not updating authorities with his address as required under state law.

Bordeaux, who is married, was seen with Holbert at Froggy Bottom bar in Fayetteville Friday night, NBC-17 reported,
and the two rang up a bar tab of $28 that night, for four shots and four beers, according to the bar owner, who would not give his name.

Holbert was not a bar employee but lived in a tent behind the bar and came there often, NBC-17 reported, citing the owner. The tent is no longer there. Holbert wasa convicted at age 16 for indecent liberties - or knowingly causing another person to have sexual contact - with a 5-year-old child.

Earlier Friday afternoon, Bordeaux's brother said there was little progress in the search for his sister.

"Everybody’s doing the best they can with the resources and the manpower to try and find Kelli… safe and sound," Matt Henson, 29, said at a press briefing.

But he conceded that it was "frustrating" and urged people to come forward with tips on his sister's disappearance.

Bordeaux was reported missing Monday when she did not report for duty at Fort Bragg.

She is a combat Army medic with the 44th Medical Brigade.

NBC - 17

Nicholas Holbert, 25, is the last person known to have seen Kelli Bordeaux before her disappearance. He is in custody because he changed residences without informing police, which he is supposed to do as a convicted sex offender.

Authorities questioned Holbert, 25, who said he drove Bordeaux home the night she disappeared, according to WTVD-TVin Fayetteville. He reportedly denied any involvement in her disappearance, saying he dropped her off at the entrance to her neighborhood.

Fayetteville Police Chief Tom Bergamine told reporters at a press conference Thursday that Holbert is one of the last persons that had contact with Bordeaux, and said anybody who saw her early Saturday morning is someone they want to talk to.

Bergamine said there were more than 20 people at the bar that night and that police knew some of the names, but not all.
Bergamine would not say if it had been Holbert's tent had been confiscated for evidence.

He said the Fayetteville police have "no new leads."

Police searched a pond Wednesday night and Thursday morning, without result.

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/20/11308932-man-who-last-saw-missing-fort-bragg-soldier-in-custody-on-unrelated-charge

Police calling for public search for Bordeaux
Updated at 12:15 PM today

FAYETTEVILLE (WTVD) -- The Fayetteville Police Department will ask volunteers to help it search Thursday for evidence connected to the disappearance of Kelli Bordeaux.

he 23-year-old Fort Bragg soldier was last seen leaving Ramsey Street club Froggy Bottoms more than a week ago.

Authorities have said they have had a significant outpouring of support from the public wanting to help locate Pfc. Bordeaux.

A command post will be set up Thursday morning in the parking lot of the Cape Fear Valley Health System's Health Pavilion North at the northwest corner of the intersection of Ramsey Street and Andrews Road.

Check-in for the search will be open from 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Volunteers will need to show a valid photo ID and sign in/out at the command post. After check-in, search teams will be assigned to various locations around the North Fayetteville area.

Authorities are advising residents in the area that there may be searchers crossing private property as a part of the search.

The search is expected to begin at 10 a.m. and run until all areas are checked. After completing the search, volunteers are required to check-out at the command post.

Officals are suggesting volunteers wear comfortable clothing, hat, and shoes. They also suggest bringing insect repellent and sunscreen, rain gear, and a walking stick in case of snakes in dense underbrush.

Water will be provided, but coordinators advise volunteers to bring a bag-lunch and a backpack to carry supplies in.

Through it all, Bordeaux's brother, Matt Henson has said that the public's support has kept him and his family going.

"It's really heartwarming," said Henson. "It really is to see all the support from everybody -- stopping me and telling me to stay strong. They are praying for me. That's really been a big boost for morale."

Bordeaux's family has said they support the police search, but at the same time they said the pace of the search is frustratingly slow.

"I'm still 100 percent positive I am going to find her," said Bordeaux's brother, Matt Henson. "So there is no doubt in my mind."

Last week, two big searches turned up no trace of the missing soldier. Police investigators are now re-interviewing people who saw her at the club before she disappeared.

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=8633718

Vigil is tonight for missing Fort Bragg soldier Kelli Bordeaux

Published: 12:07 PM, Fri May 11, 2012

Excerpt: A candlelight vigil is tonight for missing Fort Bragg soldier Kelli Bordeaux.

It's planned for 7 p.m. at River Community Church at 6322 Ramsey St., which is near the Froggy Bottoms bar where Bordeaux was last seen April 14. Another vigil will be held simultaneously in Bordeaux's hometown of St. Cloud, Fla.

More: http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2012/05/11/1177165?sac=fo.local

Kelli Bordeaux Missing: Forensic Tests To Determine Identity Of Remains Found Near Fort Bragg


11/21/2012
The discovery of remains on Tuesday near Fort Bragg raised speculation that they might belong to a soldier who vanished seven months ago, WTVD reported.


But before investigators determine if they've at last found Kelli Bordeaux, they must determine if the remains are human or animal.


An Army forensic team is examining the remains at a laboratory, according to WNCT


Bordeaux, a 23-year-old Army medic
at the Fayetteville, N.C. base, vanished after a night of partying on
April 14. When she failed to report for duty two days later, she was
reported missing. Her husband, a civilian, was out of town the night she
disappeared.


The last person to see her
was a convicted sex offender who gave her a ride home from the Froggy
Bottoms bar where she sang karaoke with friends. Police questioned
Nicholas Holbert twice and ruled him out as a person of interest.


In April, police said they had reasons to believe Bordeaux was in danger, but didn't provide specifics.


With no suspects in the case, Bordeaux's sister begged on Monday for anyone with information to come forward.
"I know it's scary to do the right thing, especially if you know a hard
truth, but you can't imagine how difficult it is for my family," Olivia Cox said on Fox News. "Her birthday is a month away and she's not here. She's not going to be here for Thanksgiving."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/21/kelli-bordeaux-forensic-tests-remains-fort-bragg_n_2171536.html

Kelli Bordeaux update: Remains not missing soldier

Earlier it was believed that the remains of Kelli Bordeaux were possibly found, as was written in this Gather News article. However, it's been released in just a matter of hours that the remains are not only a negative match to the missing army medic, but they are not even human. While the loved ones of the missing woman can breathe a collective sigh of relief for that, there is still the fact that remains; She is still missing.

The remains were identified as being non-human, but that is all that has been released to the media. I guess at this point it truly doesn't matter what they are, as all that matters is there is still a woman missing around the Fort Bragg area. Kelli Bordeaux was last seen in April when she left Froggy Bottoms bar with registered sex offender Nicholas Holbert. Holbert has since been jailed on unrelated charges, but it should be noted that he was questioned at least twice regarding Kelli's disappearance before he was arrested.

Today is Thanksgiving and the loved ones of this missing woman need to be kept in your thoughts. Kelli is among the several thousand men, women and children who are missing in the United States on this holiday and all their loved ones want is closure, or their loved ones to return. This will undoubtedly be a tough holiday for this missing woman's family.

http://www.examiner.com/article/kelli-bordeaux-update-remains-not-missing-soldier

Kelli Bordeaux: Remains of St. Cloud soldier missing for 2 years found

Nicholas Holbert, 27, will be charged with first-degree murder

UPDATED 5:58 AM EDT May 15, 2014

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. —The remains of a Fort Bragg soldier from Central Florida, who had been missing for more than two years, were found Wednesday.

The remains of Pfc. Kelli Bordeaux were found Wednesday in a wooded area on River Road, Fayetteville Police Chief Harold Medlock said in an afternoon news conference.

"We never gave up on her, and I love her more than anything," said Olivia Cox, Bordeaux's sister. "Bringing her home is something I promised her I would do, and I would never let her down."

Nicholas Holbert, 27, will be charged with first-degree murder in connection with Bordeaux's death, Medlock said. Holbert has been a person of interest in the case since Bordeaux disappeared, Medlock said.

"I don't feel any better about the situation than I did yesterday," Cox said. "The knowledge of knowing that she's not being held captive, that she's not being tortured, that's where the partial relief comes in."

Bordeaux left her home on April 13, 2012, to go to Froggy Bottoms, a bar about a half mile away. Early the next morning, witnesses reported seeing the Florida native leaving the bar with a homeless sex offender.

Holbert is a registered sex offender. He accompanied police to the scene where Bordeaux's remains were found, Medlock said.

"Why today of all days? What made you decide to say something and on top of that what made you wait so long? We literally have been through hell and back begging and pleading and praying just trying to bring her home," Cox said.

Hundreds of volunteers helped searched for Bordeaux after her disappearance.

Bordeaux was declared dead last May.

"I wanted her to come back smiling and laughing and hugging, and to get to meet the new members of our family," Cox said. "And to continue to experience so much in life because she had so much to offer."

http://www.wesh.com/news/kelli-bordeaux-remains-of-fort-bragg-soldier-missing-for-2-years-found/25981102?tru=N3VKQ#ixzz31nBvKh2o

Nicholas Holbert could face death penalty if convicted of Kelli Bordeaux's murder

Posted: Friday, May 16, 2014 9:14 am
Updated: 9:26 am, Fri May 16, 2014.
By Nathan Hardin and Nancy McCleary Staff writers

His wrists handcuffed behind him, Nicholas Holbert's somber stare flicked from the judge to the district attorney.

Holbert watched Thursday as District Court Judge David Hasty flipped through the warrants filed against him in the killing of Fort Bragg Spc. Kelli Bordeaux: first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping.

The 27-year-old's hair was the same short length he wore in interviews with the media two years ago, when he proclaimed his innocence in Bordeaux's death.

That changed Wednesday, when Fayetteville Police Chief Harold Medlock said Holbert helped investigators find a shallow grave off River Road. Bordeaux's remains were inside, police said.

Holbert, a registered sex offender, told investigators he killed Bordeaux at a lean-to shelter behind the now-closed Froggy Bottoms bar on Ramsey Street, according to arrest warrants.

He has been a "person of interest," the chief said, since Bordeaux, 23, vanished after leaving the bar with Holbert during the early morning hours of April 14, 2012.

After a moment Thursday, Hasty looked up from the file and gave a $250,000 bail on the kidnapping offense. No bail was given on the first-degree murder charge.

There were few in attendance at the arraignment, and no family members came on behalf of Holbert.

The death penalty is still on the table for Cumberland County District Attorney Billy West, who said he will review evidence in Bordeaux's death to see if charges against Holbert warrant capital punishment.

"As the investigative file comes in, we'll review the investigation to see if any factors exist, and then we'll present that at a hearing later on in the process," West said.

According to arrest records, Holbert got into a fight with Bordeaux outside Froggy Bottoms.

Arrest records said Holbert knocked Bordeaux unconscious, put her in a car and later killed her at a campsite behind the bar.

Hours later, warrants said, he buried Bordeaux in a shallow grave off River Road, about a mile and a half north of Interstate 295.

Holbert wore a deep-orange county jail jumpsuit and had slight stubble on his chin.

Asked if he understood the charges against him, he answered Hasty several times with, "Yes, sir."

The courtroom was silent as two gray-uniformed guards flanked Holbert.

He appeared somber as Hasty appointed him a public defender.

After the hearing, West said there was a sense of relief in the investigation.

West said prosecutors often asked Fayetteville police detectives about the Bordeaux case.

"We certainly wanted some closure to this investigation," West said. "We wanted to know who did this and to be able to arrest the person that did it. We've done that now."

Makeshift grave

Police forensic technicians finished their work Thursday at the site where the soldier's remains were found Wednesday.

Fayetteville police have released no information since the discovery was announced at a news conference Wednesday.

A representative from the state Medical Examiner's Office in Raleigh was scheduled to be at the scene to assist with the removal of the remains, said Lt. Todd Joyce, police spokesman.

Investigators, some wearing State Bureau of Investigation gear, arrived about 7:30 a.m.

Investigators followed a path through the dense woods that traveled about 300 yards away from River Road. The path continued, but police followed a secondary trail that cut north about another 50 yards.

It was where the brush was thickest.

The main path was about as a wide as a patrol car, with a creek that ran just south of it.

The side trail wound through briar patches and fallen pine trees. The green and brown foliage was dotted with black latex evidence gloves.

In the middle of a clearing bedded with pine needles, a shallow pit of slightly silver-colored dirt lay beside what appeared to be partially decayed plastic sheeting.

The makeshift grave was roughly 3 feet wide and 4 feet long, and no more than a foot deep.

David Marshburn, 38, a private investigator from Smithfield, said he was given information that led police to the soldier's remains.

Marshburn said he began working on the case on his own a few months after Bordeaux disappeared.

About five months ago, he started working with Dr. Maurice Godwin, a forensic consultant, and Al Mignacci  of Raleigh.

The men have been active with a group led by Tina Turner that has searched for Bordeaux since she went missing.

Godwin and Marshburn worked together to interview Holbert after he was cleared in February from his probation period on a sex offense charge stemming from 2012, the men said.

Holbert denied, in the interview, that he had killed Bordeaux and said he did not know police still considered him a person of interest, Godwin and Marshburn said.

Marshburn said he found Holbert living on the 200 block of Stuart Avenue in Fayetteville, the address that was listed on the N.C. Sex Offender Registry.

No one was at the residence Thursday.

According to warrants, Holbert's mother lives in Spring Lake. A woman who answered the door there Thursday declined to comment.

"I dug into his past and found his likes and his dislikes, and approached him with an open-arms friendship," Marshburn said. "I gave him the opportunity to talk to me or turn away."

Marshburn said Holbert attended Pine Forest High School and was on the wrestling team.

Marshburn would not discuss specific conversations with Holbert or other aspects of the relationship and his and Godwin's investigation, saying he wanted to disclose that information to police detectives.

"It took seven or eight months from the time he got out of jail (in May 2013), about a month after that to now to be able to get him to open up," Marshburn said. "It was tough."

On Tuesday, Marshburn said, "he confided in me."

Marshburn and Holbert began searching, driving from Froggy Bottoms, out I-295, across the Cape Fear River and onto River Road.

"We had an area, but we didn't have an exact location," Marshburn said.

It was difficult, Marshburn said, for Holbert to recognize where he had left Bordeaux's body.

"You've got to imagine two years of vegetation growth," Marshburn said. "It would have been hard for anybody to remember exactly. It was like walking up to a wall of briars and walking through them."

But several hours later, they found the site.

Marshburn had an assistant, Marsha Ward, with him, he said, as well as his German shepherd, Kaz, a dog trained to sniff out bodies.

"If you can't get in there, more than likely they (cadaver dogs) don't want to, either," Marshburn said. "We had to clear paths."

'Pray for the families'

Bordeaux was assigned to the 601st Area Support Medical Company, 44th Medical Brigade and served as a combat medic.

"There is no greater crime than the theft of a human life," said police Detective Jeff Locklear, who worked on the Bordeaux case. "Please pray for the families."

Hasty, the judge, was clear and to the point in telling Holbert that, if convicted of the Bordeaux murder, he could face a potential death sentence.

"I hope he gets a full sentence," said Turner, 54.

Although she stopped searching, Turner said she always believed the slain soldier would be found.

"We never gave up that she would be brought home," she said.

Turner said Kelli Bordeaux has been on her mind since she went missing 25 months ago.

"Not a day goes by we didn't think about Kelli," Turner tearfully said.

http://www.fayobserver.com/news/crime_courts/article_497f32c3-527d-5c7a-80d3-149b056853cf.html

Slain St. Cloud soldier laid to rest after 2-year search
Army Spc. Kelli Bordeaux went missing in 2012

By Erica Rodriguez, Orlando Sentinel
8:04 p.m. EDT, May 31, 2014

ST. CLOUD — Kelli Bordeaux had finally made it home. More than two years after the petite, bright-eyed soldier went missing and one year after she'd been declared dead by the Army, Bordeaux arrived home in a flag-draped coffin to a church filled with mourners.

Dozens of friends, family members and soldiers filed into Cornerstone Church on Saturday to bid the 23-year-old soldier a final goodbye.

Family members spoke of Bordeaux being driven to succeed and loving challenges. It was her desire to help people, they said, that led her to eventually become a combat medic. A St. Cloud native, Bordeaux was stationed in Fort Bragg, N.C., when she vanished April 14, 2012.

There was no end for her," said Charles Henson, Bordeaux's grandfather, himself a veteran who encouraged Bordeaux to join the military. "She did not take the easy way out."

Bordeaux's remains were found May 14 in a wooded area a few miles from the Fayetteville, N.C., bar where she was last seen alive. Police have charged Nicholas Holbert, a 27-year-old sex offender, with her kidnapping and slaying. Before his capture, Bordeaux's family had spent the years relentlessly raising awareness about the missing soldier with media interviews, a vigil, a Facebook group and distribution of thousands of wristbands printed with the call to "Bring Kelli Home."

On Wednesday, hundreds at Fort Bragg paid their respects to Bordeaux at a military service in her honor. During Saturday's service, an Army chaplain called Bordeaux a tough, friendly soldier with a courageous personality and "selfless love for others." Local childhood friends also spoke about Bordeaux.

"It didn't matter what kind of walk of life you came from, she was always accepting," said Jack Dunlow, 26, who once was Bordeaux's neighbor. "She may have been small in stature, but she had the heart of a giant."

At Bordeaux's grave site in Mount Peace Cemetery, a military guard pierced the silence with honorary gunfire and the sounding of taps. Bordeaux's mother, Johnna Henson, wore a set of military dog tags around her neck while accepting an American flag from a soldier as a tribute to Bordeaux's service. Henson placed a rose atop Bordeaux's coffin and kissed it. Charles Henson saluted.

Charles Henson and other family members thanked the investigator who since Bordeaux's disappearance has pursued leads on her case. Charles Henson said finally having Bordeaux home was "a relief," but he still felt "disgusted" by how quickly her life ended.

ericarodriguez@tribune.com or 352-742-5928

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-kelli-bordeaux-funeral-20140531,0,4163315.story