Army Soldier Found Alive After Alleged Kidnapping

The missing United States Army soldier who had been allegedly stabbed and kidnapped from her home by her own husband last week has been found alive. The mother of three was able to call family members after the accused left.

Domestic violence has affected more than 33 million adults in the United States, with that many admitting to being directly abused by their partner. It isn't any surprise that when Tammy Skelton decided to leave her husband that the outcome would nearly claim her life. Tammy Skelton joined the Army last year to escape her abuser, the man she married. According to reports, she failed to show for duty on Friday of last week. When soldiers from her unit at Fort Bliss found her apartment unlocked and in a wreck, they notified police. Police said that there was blood inside the apartment where Clinton W. Lewis had reportedly beaten and stabbed Tammy. He then allegedly kidnapped her and drove her from Texas to Nevada and left her there.

The police affidavit says Lewis was waiting inside the soldier’s apartment and kicked her in the face as she walked through the door. The private first class was stabbed with a kitchen knife, threatened with death, then raped, investigators allege.

Investigators said Lewis then drove the soldier more than 720 miles to Las Vegas, apparently boarding an El Paso-bound bus sometime Saturday.

Lewis returned to El Paso to turn himself into police after seeing himself on the news. The pattern of abuse in domestic violence cases is usually one of escalation. For Tammy and Clinton, the two met about six years ago and fell in love. Despite being an "on again, off again" relationship (one of the signs of an abusive relationship), they married. Family members were terrified of Clinton (another sign of abuse). Tammy Skelton had never told her family the whole truth.

Why? Because doing so might result in fatal outcomes or the fear of such outcomes. In Tammy's case, she said she didn't tell because "He told her that if she ever left him, he’d kill her. If he couldn’t have her, no one could,” Skelton said. “I’ve heard him say that myself, several times.”

Again, a very common thing in domestic violence relationships. The family knew and the excuses were made. Some do not want to get involved. Some fear retaliation. The reasons are enumerable. Just days prior to her disappearance, Tammy had texted her sister and told her that Clinton had finally left. Tammy gave Clinton money to buy a ticket and believed that he was on his way out of her life for good. Far from the truth. Fortunately, Tammy's three young children were not with her during the time of the beatings, stabbing and kidnapping. They were staying at a family member's home in Tennessee until their mother had a place to live on Fort Bliss. It was also reported that an emergency protective order filed by police was DENIED:

A police request for an emergency protective order barring Lewis from contacting his wife or being within 200 yards of her was denied overnight. Municipal Judge John Needham said instead that if Lewis is released on bond he is to have no contact with his wife or children.

This story comes a few days after a United States Marine was charged with the murder of his wife. Her remains were found burned in a brush fire three days after she went missing. Clinton W. Lewis is being held on $75,000 US dollars bail for charges of aggravated kidnapping. He has an extensive criminal history including multiple arrests for assault, domestic violence and an outstanding warrant.