August 9, 2024

Unraveling the Brutal Murder of Richard Halliday
In July 2020, the military community faced significant upheaval following the grim discovery of Fort Hood whistleblower soldier Vanessa Guillen’s dismembered and burnt remains, leading to the loss of several commanding officers from their posts. This scandal set a troubling context for other soldiers, including El Paso Texas’ Fort Bliss whistleblower soldier Richard Halliday, who had been reporting on borderland criminal trafficking.

On July 17, 2020, Richard Halliday, stationed at Fort Bliss, purchased a pistol in El Paso, Texas, using an Uber. He had called 911 multiple times, raising concerns about his safety. He had been undergoing severe whistleblower retaliation since January 2020 from the rogue criminal group of the original response team as well as from his superiors, including Major General Clem Coward and Lieutenant Colonel Michael Rodick. The evidence shows they abused their power and are now suspects in his murder. The harassment and retaliation aimed at discrediting and silencing him, but it didn’t work. Richard Halliday, the Distinguished Honor Graduate for his cycle in Basic Training and AIT, could not be discredited and silenced.

A few days later, on July 22, Leilani Hart, the mother of Richard Halliday’s platoon leader, Dallas Hart, filed a complaint with the CID (Criminal Investigation Division), confessing to extreme criminal activity within her household which included her son 1LT Dallas Hart’s involvement. Her confession was notarized and subsequently referred to the El Paso FBI and accepted. Just one day later, according to reports, Richard Halliday was forcibly removed from his barracks room at Fort Bliss and murdered when his security detail failed to show up for duty. Shockingly, military command did not notify Richard’s family about his sudden absence and murder.

A transition in command occurred on August 13, 2020, when Brigadier General David Stewart took over the 32nd Air Defense Command stationed at Fort Bliss. Richard’s family was still unaware of the situation. As the situation unfolded, on August 28, Richard Halliday’s family called the unit since they had not heard from their son. They received an alarming update from Captain Micah Uchida, who informed them that Richard had been designated a deserter, dropped from the rolls, and that the U.S. Army had washed their hands of the situation, and stating they could not assist the family.

On April 24, 2024, the U.S. Government officially declared Richard Halliday was killed on Fort Bliss in July of 2020. However, his family has not yet received his remains. He was murdered on Fort Bliss, a heavily secured military installation on U.S. soil, yet the U.S. Army is unable to recover his body. This misconduct and neglect within the military hierarchy raise urgent questions about the treatment of whistleblowers and the accountability of those in command. As the case develops, the community continues to seek answers and justice for a soldier who bravely spoke out against wrongdoing.