Murder Charge Possible in Beating Death of Gay Sailor

The Navy is expected to announce next week whether a sailor charged with killing a gay shipmate in Japan will face court-martial on a murder charge.

Terry M. Helvey, an airman aboard the amphibious assault ship Belleau Wood, faced the Navy’s equivalent of a preliminary hearing last week in Japan. Helvey, 20, is charged with killing Seaman Allen R. Schindler, 22, who was beaten to death at a public restroom near the Navy base in Sasabo, Japan, on Oct. 27.

At the time of his death, Schindler was being processed for an administrative discharge because he was homosexual, Navy officials said. Lt. Kenneth Ross, a Navy spokesman in Hawaii, said officials are investigating whether the killing was motivated by gay-bashing.

Schindler and Helvey were assigned to the Belleau Wood. A third sailor from the Belleau Wood who witnessed the beating made a plea bargain with prosecutors and was court-martialed on lesser charges. He agreed to testify against Helvey.

The hearing, which ended Friday, was not open to the public. On Monday, Lt. Cmdr. Betsy Bird said the hearing was secret because Helvey took advantage of a military regulation that allowed him to request that the hearing be held behind closed doors.

“The hearing officer will now present his recommendations, based on the testimony, to Capt. Douglas Bradt (commanding officer of the Belleau Wood). We have not been given information as to what the recommendation is. Capt. Bradt is expected to announce the next step next week,” Bird said.

She said the investigating officer will recommend whether Helvey should be tried on a murder charge, or whether there is not enough evidence to warrant a court-martial.

If Helvey is ordered to be tried for murder, Navy officials have not announced whether the court-martial will be open to the public, Bird said.

Last week, the Navy released a copy of Schindler’s diary, which included several entries where he discussed his homosexuality. The diary has an Oct. 6, 1992, entry where Schindler wrote:

“More people are finding out about me. It scares me a little. You never know who would want to injure me or cease my existence.”

The Navy released a copy of Schindler’s journal to his mother, Dorothy Hajdys, who lives in Chicago Heights, Ill. Hajdys made it available to the press. Earlier this month, several Navy officials denied having any knowledge of the diary.