The wife of a North Carolina former Green Beret, whose body was recently found floating in a pond weeks after he vanished in January, has now been charged with his murder.
Shana Cloud, 50, has been charged with first-degree murder by the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office. Cloud is accused of killing Clint Bonnell, 50, and dumping his remains in a pond.
Bonnell was first reported missing on January 28 when an employee at the Physician Assistant Program at Methodist University reported that he had failed to show up for class. When police arrived, they encountered Shana Cloud, who told them that she had not seen her husband since the previous day.
Police went to the couple's home, where they found Bonnell's vehicle, school book bag, and other personnel items. Police began a missing person investigation, and on January 31, they executed a search warrant at the Bonnell residence. On February 1, another search warrant was executed on Cloud's vehicle, rental property, and cell phone. Police did not disclose an any evidence that was collected.
Throughout the month of February, law enforcement executed multiple search warrants for information, including cell phone records, video footage, and digital devices, in an attempt to create a timeline related to Bonnell's disappearance and determine the events surrounding his disappearance, police said.
Then, on Tuesday, February 25 police received a report of human remains floating in a pond. DNA was obtained and sent to the North Carolina State Crime Lab. Once authorities had a DNA profile, it was sent to the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, which was able to positively identify the remains as being Bonnell on March 28.
Following that identification, police arrested Cloud at her home and charged her with first-degree murder and concealment of death. She was being held without bond.
"Our hearts go out to the Bonnell family, the Special Forces community, and the Methodist University Physician's Assistant Program during this difficult time," police stated. "We ask that the public be respectful of their privacy and mindful of the comments made on social media. Out of respect for Bonnell and the integrity of this ongoing investigation, no additional details will be released at this time."
Originally published on Lawyer Herald
