Parris Island under scrutiny after recruit's death | Forensic Files

when 20 year old Matthew levison failed to return home after a night out clubbing in Sydney his loved ones were
worried sick suspicion soon fell on Matt's partner 45 year old Michael Atkins after it was
revealed that the pair were fighting on the night of Matt's disappearance but was that unfortunate timing or did
Atkins have something to hide Maddie is the latest podcast from casefile presents a 10-part series
narrated by Lauren O'Keefe from the missing persons advocacy Network Maddie from casefile presents is
available to stream for free right now only on Spotify stay tuned until the end of today's
episode to hear the trailer [Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at any
time you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support
please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website foreign
core is the smallest conventional military force in the United States as of 2022 it has approximately 177
000 active duty members and about 32 and a half thousand Personnel in reserve the Marines motto semper fidelis is a
nod to the tight-knit culture the core is known for meaning always faithful the Latin phrase
refers to the Loyalty Marines have to their country to their work and to each other
in 2017 New York Times journalist Janet Reitman described them as having a tight
Bond grown out of the codes traditions and reverence for suffering that Marines believe set them apart from civilians
and all other military branches all enlisted female recruits and male recruits who reside east of the
Mississippi River undergo their training at the Paris Island Recruit Depot located on Port Royal Island in South
Carolina this military installation is where roughly 17 000 Marines are trained each year
during the 13-week Long training program recruits are cut off from the outside world and undergo a physically and
mentally grueling regimen there are four battalions at Paris Island which recruits are assigned to
according to their platoon and Company the third recruit training Battalion has a particularly imposing history
it's been described as attracting drill instructors with type A personalities who aim to build the most disciplined
Marines the third battalion's reputation is so notorious that it has been nicknamed the
thumping third [Music] [Music] nineteen-year-old Jake Weaver was following in a family tradition when he
enlisted in the Marines his grandfather had served in the Korean war in the early 1950s
in early 2015 Jake and his fellow recruits boarded the bus that would take them to Paris Island for their training
as soon as they arrived at their destination they were met by a drill instructor who barked an order at them
get on the yellow footprints a long line of footprints had been painted along the asphalt nearby marking
a pathway to the entrance building following the instructor's orders the recruits made their way towards the
building to begin their training scenes inside the building were chaotic drill instructors bellowed at the
recruits from all across the room as they filled out their intake forms and phoned their families
recruits were permitted one call home no longer than four seconds and reciting a
strict script after identifying themselves they were to say I have arrived safely at Paris
Island please do not send any food or bulky items to me in the mail I will contact you in seven to nine days by
letter with my new address thank you for your support goodbye for now [Music] over the next few days they were given
uniforms their heads were shaved physical fitness tests were taken and then the real training could begin
Jake Weaver was assigned to platoon 3054 in Lima Company which was assigned to the 3rd Battalion
when he and his fellow platoonmates met their drill instructors the young recruits were asked the question
you want to be trained like Marines right not like crappy individual Marines it would soon become clear what the dis
meant by this [Music] while some drill instructors were older others were close in age to the recruits
themselves the majority of them haven't served in combat but instead work for the Marines
as air traffic controllers mechanics or technicians amongst other roles in order to become a drill instructor
also known as a DI a marine has to complete one term Of Enlistment and pass a psychological exam to make sure
they're not suffering from PTSD if given the all clear they attend an 11-week program where they learn how to
teach recruits in Jake Weaver's experience at Paris Island there were essentially two
training programs that ran parallel to one another by day recruits attended classes and
completed tactical missions they complete a grueling physical exercises and other tasks that seemed
pointless like dangling rifles from their pinky fingers or sitting still for hours at a time
By Night an unofficial kind of training took place sometimes recruits weren't permitted to
sleep drill instructors would pour detergent shaving cream and other toiletries on
the barracks floors and Order recruits to run across it while also scrubbing the floor with brushes
Jake would later tell journalists to Janet Reitman that the drill instructors referred disparagingly to what they
called the new core they felt that the Marines had become too easy with the training being done by
the book and no real struggle for the recruits in Jake's experience the diss saw it as
their role to make Marines of them through hazing a process of degrading and abusing recruits as a form of
initiation there was a tacit understanding that what happened in the barracks stayed in
the barracks as for Jake's own senior drill instructor he was an erratic man who
could be encouraging one minute and aggressive the next Jake found the speed at which he lost
his temper alarming under no circumstances were drill instructors permitted to touch recruits
yet this rule was often ignored if a recruit was seen to be smiling or laughing a day I might hit or choke them
the over-exertion from the late night tasks they were forced to perform led to some recruits passing out or suffering a
breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue but none of them complained during the first week of training Jake
Weaver's platoon listened to a talk by one of their drill instructors that focused on the Fraternal connection
between Marines all of them were brothers the instructor said regardless of their faith ethnicity
or race then he asked each recruit what their religion was one of Jake's platoon mates was a young
man from Brooklyn New York named Amir bomesh when he was asked which Faith he followed Amir replied
Islam sir the majority of the recruits were white men from Christian backgrounds many of
them had never met a Muslim before prompting the drill instructor to reassure everyone that there was nothing
wrong with amir's faith but from that day on Emir seemed to be singled out for harsher treatment than
the rest intelligent and hardworking he always performed well on every test yet the
drill instructors made him undertake particularly grueling training sessions on at least two occasions Amir had to go
to the medical unit after these incidents one of the drill instructors from another platoon seemed to go out of his
way to hustle Amir he repeatedly called him a terrorist and asked him where are the wnds were you
part of 9 11. these questions were a reference to the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks on
the United States by militant Islamic group Al-Qaeda following the attacks the U.S had gone
to war against Iraq under the guise of looking for weapons of mass destruction despite the ongoing harassment Amir
stuck with his training and in early July of 2015 he and the other recruits completed their final test and
officially became Marines late at night on July 14 2015 the recruit simpler tune 3054 was sleeping
when the silence was suddenly broken by several men entering the squad Bay it was a number of the drill instructors
including the one who'd become fixated with Amir boremash he was Gunnery Sergeant Joseph Felix
Sergeant Felix and his friends appeared to have been drinking making his way through the squad Bay
Felix asked where's the terrorist as he drew closer to amir's Bunk he asked you a terrorist
no sir Amir replied you were Muslim said Felix yes sir answered Amir Felix ordered him down then he and
another day I marched a mere towards the bathroom turning on the showers they had a mere
lie down on the tiles and do push-ups and other exercises Amir obediently did as he was told
getting soaked as water from the shower heads poured down on him this sort of activity was known as
incentive training on the spot physical training intended as a form of punishment
eventually the diss told him to stop and took him to the laundry room get in the dryer Felix ordered
he was referring to an industrial-sized clothes dryer big enough to fit a grown man
Amir who was six feet tall climbed inside I'm going to find out who you really are
said Felix before closing the dryer door who are you working for he asked nobody sir was amir's reply
displeased with this answer Felix turned to the dryer on amir's body tumbled inside as its drum
began to turn back in the squad Bay the other recruits could hear the bang of Emir crashing
against the bottom of the machine's interior after about 30 seconds Felix stopped the
dryer and opened the door what's your religion he asked Islam sir said Amir Felix closed the door and turned the
dryer on again you're going to kill us the first chance you get aren't you terrorist
what are your plans the inside of the dryer was starting to heat up burning amir's shoulder and neck
he began to cry once again Felix stopped the dryer and demanded to know if Amir was still
Muslim when he said he was the dryer was switched on again eventually after the dryer had been
turned on and off three times Amir gave in and told them what they wanted to hear
he was no longer a Muslim after about 30 minutes Amir was taken back to his bunk still damp and
divisibly upset Felix and his accomplice left and another day I went up to Amir it's pretty effed up what they did to
you back there you're not going to tell a senior drill instructor about this though right
no sir said Amir foreign the following night Sergeant Joseph Felix returned to platoon 3054 Squad Bay
he made a mere hand over his martial arts belt and tied it around amir's neck he also tied amir's shoelaces together
and looped the belt through them forcing Emir to bend a double leading a mirror Around The Bay as
though he were a dog on a leash Felix asked him are you a terrorist are you a spy
no sir cried Amir who was in pain from the restraints Felix demanded Amir did as he was told
then Felix used a flagpole to push down on emir's toes crushing them before taking a different approach
Felix handed a mirror scrubbing brush and told him to behead a fellow recruit with it
show us you're a terrorist Amir hid the recruit's neck several times with the brush while crying out
Allahu Akbar an Arabic phrase that translates to God is the greatest this seemed to make Felix happy
amir's anxiety only increased in the days that followed he also struggled with a loss of
motivation at night he was plagued by nightmares that featured Felix killing his family
Amir wasn't the only recruit who was troubled Jake Weaver struggled with some of the
things he'd seen during training and although he hadn't been targeted in the same way Amir had he found himself
grappling with mistreatment as well on one occasion a drill instructor pushed to Jake's head against the wall
another di had mocked him for being religious Jake had high expectations of the Marines but was growing increasingly
disillusioned about serving his mental health began to suffer and he wound up being hospitalized due to
having suicidal thoughts he decided to leave the Marines to Jake's dismay he found out he would
be receiving an other than honorable discharge a few months earlier in May of 2015 an
email had been sent to the Paris Island Recruit Depot there was no name attached to it with
the author instead signing off as a retired marine and a concerned parent it read in part
I apologize for writing an anonymous email but I do not want the drill instructors to mark my son for this
email as he is unaware that I am sending this I am afraid I am going to be one of the
parents who is very concerned about the treatment that the new Marines underwent
at third recruit training battalion I confirmed with my friends who were day eyes on Paris Island and they agreed
that you need to be aware of what is going on [Music] the author went on to explain that his
son had told him about his recent experiences while training he and his fellow recruits have been
told by their drill instructors that they didn't need blankets at night as they were only for decoration
in an attempt to stay warm in the freezing cold Barracks the recruits slept in extra clothing and kept their
hands tucked inside their shirts one drill instructor in particular seemed to enjoy pushing recruits against
a wall while choking their necks the author's son had been shoved against the war once and dislocated his shoulder
the recruits knew not to complain having been told what happens in 3rd Battalion
stays in 3rd Battalion [Music] the author of the email clarified that he had been trained at Parris Island
several decades earlier as had his own father before him but neither of them had ever experienced
the kind of hazing that current recruits seemed to be enduring quote we both had hardcore dis but not once
did they ever touch us their style of leadership was already intimidating enough to make us move and
feel as if we earned the title Marine the Third Battalion type of leadership will eventually lead to severe
consequences for someone which I am sure you are aware case File will be back shortly thank you
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25 off your first order with doordash subject to change terms apply twenty-year-old rahil Siddiqui was an
unlikely Marines recruit the son of Pakistani immigrants he had always been academically gifted rather
than athletic in his hometown of Taylor Michigan he was a star student at Harry S Truman
High School rahil worked hard and barely socialized so that he could maintain perfect
degrades he consulted his school's guidance counselor on what would be the most challenging classes to take
his dream was to study engineering at college raheel saw how hard his parents worked
his father at an auto parts factory and his mother picking up odd jobs he wanted to help support them too
when he graduated high school rahil was a valedictorian and a ninth in his class
overall was accepted at multiple universities and was even offered a full scholarship
to Michigan State then in April 2014 he found out that he'd been accepted at the University of
Michigan Dearborn a college with a robotics engineering program rahil was particularly drawn to
they weren't providing a full scholarship but were offering a two thousand dollar one as well as financial
aid this meant his parents wouldn't have to pay expensive college tuition as long as
raheel kept his grades above a c average rahil was ambitious and so decided to aim even higher
he enrolled in the college's honors program which would require him to maintain a B average
as well as studying hard raheel worked part-time on the service desk of a Home Depot store a home improvement franchise
when he finished high school he decided to work longer hours so he could provide
his parents with financial support rahil wanted there to be enough money so his younger sister could one day go to
college too he started working 20 hours a week juggling work and study was harder than
rahil had anticipated he began to feel stressed about the amount of pressure he was under to maintain top grades
by the end of his first semester rehill started getting C's instead of the A's he was used to
in July 2015 the summer after raheel's freshman year he surprised his parents with an announcement
he was leaving college and enlisting with the Marines his mother ghazala and father Masood
were shocked raheel had never expressed any interest in a military and they couldn't
understand why he was abandoning his long-held dream of being at college he reassured them that this was a way
that he could serve his country and would also allow him to achieve his dreams recruiters had told him that he could
continue his studies while serving plus he'd already chosen a technical specialty working on Marine aircraft
which meant he probably wouldn't have to fight unless he wanted to down the track his experience could even
help him pursue a career with the FBI raheel described the chance to serve as a golden opportunity adding
after three years in the Marine Corps I can do anything raheel encouraged his worried mother to
visit the Marines recruitment office in Taylor so she could speak to the recruiters herself
gazala did so and was reassured by the Marines that her son would be entirely safe
recruiters were prevalent in the part of Michigan where the Siddiqui family lived
located about 15 miles Southwest of Detroit Taylor was known as one of the Down River communities and there were
three military recruiting stations in the area when the state's auto manufacturing
industry declined so did the area's socioeconomic standing in Taylor fifteen percent of residents
live below the poverty line for young people in need of a career the military can be an appealing option
and for the Marines highly intelligent hard-working individuals such as rahil Siddiqui are ideal recruits
by July 8 2015 rahil Siddiqui had signed his enlistment papers and began the Marines delayed entry program
the program would introduce rahil to the Marines culture with meetings every Saturday
embracing his new path wholeheartedly raheel began preparing for training he woke up every morning at 4am to work
out at the gym he learned how to swim he installed exercise equipment at home so
he could also work out there and he began drinking protein shakes raheel's family were astonished at the
changes in him he had always been academically driven but now he was physically motivated as
well his recruiter told them how impressed he was by raheel's work ethic he was definitely the most driven
recruit of the lot finally after eight months reheal's time to attend boot camp at Paris Island
arrived his parents remained nervous rahil had never even stayed away from home for a single night before and now
he would be spending several months Interstate with total strangers gazala Siddiki had a nagging feeling
that going away wasn't the right thing for her son but when she asked him one last time if
he was 100 sure he replied no mum it's okay I made up my mind I'm ready to go don't worry about me
he promised to adhere to the teachings of their Islamic faith while away and follow Muslim dietary requirements as
best as possible in February 2016 rahil's colleagues at Home Depot threw him a goodbye party
they all knew raheel as someone who was highly intelligent but not the most street smart
some were worried that his Outlook was too positive he was a kind person who couldn't conceive of anyone being unkind
one of his friends warned him be careful just watch yourself you don't know what kinds of people are down there
you don't know how other people think on Sunday March 6 2016 rehill said goodbye to his parents and sister
promising to call when he arrived at Paris Island for the next day ghazala and Masood
waited patiently for the phone to ring finally late at night on Monday March 7 it rang
gazala quickly answered it and was met with a very strange sounds it sounded like indecipherable grunting
and shouting set against a noisy background after less than five seconds the line
went dead ghazala said her son's name but there was no reply gazala was worried the call hadn't sounded like raheel at
all the next morning she contacted rahil's recruiter and shared her concerns stating
no one knows my son's Voice better than me that didn't sound like my son the recruiter reassured her that all was
fine raheel had arrived safely at the base he just sounded strange because he'd been reading the script that all
recruits had to follow when they first called home and only had a few seconds to do it
but gazala Siddiqui couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong [Music] when rahil Siddiqui arrived at Paris
Island alongside around 4 000 other recruits laid on Monday March 7. he followed the same instructions that all
new recruits followed after four days of administrative tasks and strength tests he was assigned to
platoon 3042 on Saturday March 12. platoon 3042 sat within kilo company in the 3rd Battalion
kilo company is known amongst the drill instructors and recruits as killer kilo a nod to its intensity
raheel and his 58 platoon mates were taken to their squad Bay it sat on the third floor of its
building and was about 60 yards long and 15 yards wide two long rows of bunk beds flanked two
walls with a wide aisle down the middle the recruits were instructed to sit cross-legged on the floor
their senior drill instructor introduced himself it was Gunnery Sergeant Joseph Felix who
had been reassigned from the platoon he'd had the previous year [Music] speaking in a harsh authority of tone
Felix promised to treat his new recruits with firmness fairness dignity and compassion
under no circumstances would abuse be tolerated then the real training began recruits had to jump on each other in a
dog pile then run back and forth they were made to do hundreds of burpees a full body exercise where they dropped
to a push-up then jumped in the air they had to dangle their rifles from their little fingers
even the extremely fit recruits found it excruciating one later told journalists to Janet
Reitman of the New York Times that he thought he would pass out another recruit had a panic attack and
started vomiting at first officers were supervising from the back of the room after they left the drill instructors
only intensified the training the next morning at 7 20 am the recruits had already been up and training for
several hours when rahil Siddiqui reported that he wanted to die his instructors pushed back against this
asking him what his mother would think if he left before finishing training raheel replied
I'd tell my mother goodbye and kill myself the future does not matter this recruit is going to kill himself
he'd even figured out how he would do it he would jump from the squad bay window
realizing that they were dealing with the suicide threat the drill instructors confiscated raheel's belt and the laces
from his boots military police was summoned and arrived within minutes as it wasn't unusual for recruits to
threaten self-harm in the early days of their training the Marines had a strict protocol they followed
when the military police spoke with rahil he elaborated on what had upset him he couldn't handle drill instructors
yelling at him and hitting him the instructors dismissed rahill's claims they hadn't hit him they had only
touched him when they had to provide Corrections such as fixing his uniform or position
drill instructors were barred from touching recruits in all situations except at drill Corrections
it was determined that raheel should remain on the base under suicide watch recruits were only transported off base
for treatment if they had actually self-harmed or attempted suicide rahil was moved to another platoon Squad
Bay and was told to sit on a mattress in the middle of the room he sat there for 24 hours while other
recruits took it in turns to watch over him when night fell they shot a torch into
his face in order to keep an eye on him eventually raheel spoke up and said he changed his mind he didn't want to die
at all he wanted to continue training and become a Marine the next morning rahil's senior drill
instructor Gunnery Sergeant Joseph Felix took rahil to recruit liaison services to discuss the previous day's events
with a higher up usually drill instructors waited outside for recruits for meetings like this but
Felix stayed in the office throughout about 10 feet away from a hill rahil explained that he had no intention
of killing himself and had no history of mental health problems he had only said that because he wanted
the training to stop quote this recruit thought it was the only way to quit the recruit never meant that and
regret it raheel was dismissed as a low risk for self-harm and returned to his platoon
over the next few days the recruits continued training they had to perform Sprints and cross-country runs they were
taught mixed martial arts bayonet techniques and close-order drills during one routine focused on punching
recruits were split into Pairs and instructed to punch one another repeatedly many of the larger stronger recruits
were teamed up with smaller individuals they were told not to listen to their Di's instructions just to keep punching
many recruits were hid in their jaws one suffered broken ribs another broke down
in tears drill instructors would refer to their recruits as maggots [ __ ] and a
variety of sexist and homophobic slurs some were targeted for their personal attributes such as their ethnicity
drill instructors themselves weren't immune from abuse either senior Di's would often yell at their
subordinates who in turn took out their anger on recruits after Gunnery Sergeant Joseph Felix
shouted at one day I he began screaming at his recruits to the extent that he became sick and vomited across the floor
one of rahil siddiqui's platoonmates noticed that rahil seemed baffled by being asked to follow orders
following orders was crucial to being in the Marines but raheel seemed to query why he was being told to do certain
things his platoon mate wondered why he had enlisted and later told the New York
Times that raheel always looked like a scared animal at about 2 A.M on Friday March 18 the
recruit who shared raheel's bunk was woken by raheel he wanted to talk to him explaining that
he was in pain we're all in pain his bunk mate replied before turning over to go back to sleep
two hours later it was time for the recruits to get up by 4 15 they were lined up to go to
breakfast a drill instructor told them to sound off before they left a term used for the
call marines are required to give in response to an order all except raheel obeyed
two Di's noticed and began to yell at him for disobeying orders when one approached raheel and demanded
his sound off rahil pointed at his throat and silently passed him a note it read
this recruit has to go to Medical this recruit's throat has been swollen for three days and is getting worse
this recruit also coughed blood a few times last night and to this recruit completely lost his voice and can barely
whisper this recruits whole neck is in a lot of pain the drill instructor told raheel they'd
sort him out after breakfast in the meantime rahil would have to go to the mess hall with the rest of his
platoon at breakfast a drill instructor asked for a heel's help passing out cups
raheel ignored him he sat quietly as the rest of the platoon ate staring into space
by 5 30 am the platoon was back at their Barracks doing some cleaning raheel was ordered to the front of the
squad Bay so he could fill out a form to go to the medical unit when raheel approached senior drill
instructor Joseph Felix rihil didn't address him as was required presumably due to his sore throat
instead he stood there silently Felix became angry and demanded raheel run get backs across the squad Bay
this involved sprinting back and forth across the length of the room until told to stop
exercise such as this was known as incentive training rahil did as he was told while holding
his throat as Felix continued to shout Siddiqui run get back run I don't care what's wrong with you
you're going to say something back to me [Music] the other recruits kept cleaning quietly
as rahil ran back and forth across the squad Bay then suddenly rahil clutched his throat
and fell to the floor crying he lay there motionless his hands still wrapped around his neck
get up Siddiki I know you're faking yelled Felix get up he walked over to raheel and slapped him
across the face rehill's head turned to one side but otherwise he didn't move Felix slapped him again
he did it so forcefully that the sound echoed across the enormous Squad Bay rahil stood up holding his face and
began running again one of his platoonmates thought it was the fastest he'd ever seen anyone run
before it looked as though raheel was completing the get-backs he'd been ordered to do but then he kept running
to the back of the room where a set of double doors led to an external staircase
rahil pushed to the doors open and hoisted himself up on the railing of the stairway
then his fate caught on the metal Rail and he tumbled over the side at 5 35 am a marine who happened to be
outside passing by saw rahil's body fall from the third floor and hit the concrete below
the Marine called 9-1-1 and reported I got a recruit that fell from the third deck
meanwhile up in the squad Bay where heels shocked platoon mates were ordered to file into the bathroom and face the
wall while raheel was being given first aid they were taken to complete their usual
training schedule drill instructors warned them not to talk about what they'd seen
rahil had suffered severe blunt force trauma but was still alive an air ambulance was requested to take
him to a hospital 40 miles away due to heavy fog an airlift wasn't possible so the Marines drove rahil to
Beaufort Memorial Hospital for an hour emergency room doctors worked on Ray Hill
they realized that he needed a more specialized form of care so he was transferred to another hospital in
Charleston [Music] [Music] case File will be back shortly thank you for supporting us by listening to this
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gazala Siddiqui hadn't stopped worrying about her son since he left home for boot camp
she'd only had one bizarre phone call from him and hadn't been able to talk to him at all
at 7 pm on Friday March 18 a week and a half after that call there was a knock on the front door of the Siddiqui
residence ghazala answered the door to see two marines standing outside gazala assumed they must be there to
share some good news about her son's achievements at training the thought was a relief
she had been worried about rehill since he'd gone away to the extent that she'd struggled to sleep at night
gazala invited the Marines inside the two officers stepped inside and asked if everyone was at home
gazala said that she and her daughter Sidra were there but her husband Masood was at work
one of the officers stepped back outside and made a brief phone call as he was talking Sidra rather heard him
say the dad's not home now should I still say it Sidra was confused and couldn't
understand what was happening the officer returned and said to ghazala ma'am I have bad news your son passed
away in total disbelief ghazala replied no no no no you're wrong you're wrong something is wrong
then she cried out for Sidra to call her father before fainting when ghazala woke she was in the
hospital being treated for shock despite the best efforts of doctors in South Carolina rahil had been pronounced
the dead at 1006 am four and a half hours after his fall his death was ruled a suicide
almost a week later on Thursday March 24 raheel's body was flown home to Michigan
in a coffin draped with an American flag when the Siddiki family viewed his body
at the funeral home they were horrified by what they saw there were ligature marks around his
neck and most of his body had a purplish hue when the family read rihil's autopsy
report they noticed that in addition to the blunt force trauma the forensic pathologist found evidence of particular
hemorrhaging this could be caused by heavy coughing or vomiting or even strangulation
[Music] despite the coroner's ruling of suicide the siddiquis couldn't believe rahil had
taken his own life they felt his Devotion to his parents would make it impossible for him to do
so as well as his Islamic faith which considered suicide a sin there was more to the situation than met
the eye they retained a lawyer to Advocate on their behalf when officials interviewed the siddiquis
they confirmed that rahil had no history of mental illness he had always been well behaved with a
mischievous sense of humor and their memory of him was as a son who smiled all the time
upon hearing the story of how rihil had died the siddiquis and their lawyer were
unsettled they couldn't understand how so many witnesses in the squad Bay had seen
raheel collapse and to be slapped by Felix yet only one individual had detailed how he had fallen
an investigation into rahil's death began it was coordinated by the Paris Island
Office of the naval criminal investigative service also known as NCIS while they were adamant that there were
no indications of Foul Play they still wanted to gain a full understanding of the events that led up to rahil's death
although the investigation would look at Paris Island as a whole it was primarily
focused on the third recruit training battalion much of the investigation's focus was on
Gunnery Sergeant Joseph Felix who had been rahil's senior drill instructor aged in his 30s Felix had enlisted in
the Marines in 2002. during his 14 years of service he had worked as an air traffic controller and
was deployed to the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars his time there left a lasting impact on
him Felix would rant to other Marines about how he hated Muslims blaming them for
killing friends who'd served alongside him while it is unclear whether Joseph Felix
suffered PTSD following his service in war zones one officer told the New York Times he had a reputation for being
quote pretty freaking psycho one of the more aggressive drill instructors in his company he even
scared recruits who weren't in his platoon one recruit had been training in raheel
siddiqui's cohort saw Felix push another recruit into a Foot Locker others were choked or thrown against
walls on one occasion Felix forced a recruit to only eat jelly and mashed potatoes
for several days and it appeared that Felix had a history of singling out Muslim recruits in
particular in 2015 the year before rahil Siddiqui began training Felix had repeatedly
tormented a young Muslim from Brooklyn named Amir bormash as well as accusing him of being a
terrorist spy Felix forced Amir into an industrial dryer then turned it on and Emir wasn't the only victim
that same Year Felix honed in on a 19 year old named rakhan Hawes Rican had immigrated to the United
States from Kurdistan with his family as a baby Felix nicknamed rakan terrorist Isis and
Kurdish like Emir rakan was forced into a dryer by Felix although he didn't switch it on
despite the ethos of what happens in 3rd Battalion stays in 3rd Battalion these incidents hadn't gone unreported
when recruit Jake Weaver was told in 2015 that he would be receiving an other than honorable discharge from the
Marines his father decided to step in Troy Weaver had been told by his son about the abuses that had gone on at
Paris Island it seemed incredibly unfair that Jake would be receiving a bad discharge after
what he'd seen and experienced Troy Weaver contacted Jake's commanding officer and shared what he knew
this got the ball rolling a Code of Silence had prevented recruits from speaking up earlier but after Troy
Weaver reached out the Marines opened an investigation into the allegations on November 5 2015.
Jake Weaver provided a statement as did Amir boremash two months later the findings were
submitted the training regiment's executive officer found the evidence compelling
enough for the drill instructors involved to be stood down from their duties including Joseph Felix
but no action followed four months later Joseph Felix was given the role of senior drill instructor for
platoon 3042. rahil Siddiqui a pakistani-american Muslim was assigned to this platoon
despite Felix's history of abusing Islamic recruits on Thursday March 17 2016 an individual
involved in the 2015 hazing investigation contacted the investigating officer to suggest more
witnesses be interviewed an email had just arrived from someone corroborating some of the most serious
allegations the following day was the day that rehill died [Music] many of the recruits from raheel's
Platoon noticed how Gunnery Sergeant Joseph Felix seemed to single reheal out some heard him call a hill a terrorist
again and again in a completely serious tone one recruit estimated that in just a few
days of training Felix addressed raheel as a terrorist more than 10 times in one meeting he told raheel that he
smelled like a terrorist at another Felix asked the recruits if any of them knew what a Bazaar was
rahil said that he did of course you do you goddamn terrorist Felix replied he also asked him if he needed his
turban at least one of the other recruits noticed that raheel seemed reluctant to
obey Felix's commands after being spoken to this way just the day after joining Felix's
platoon rahil mentioned wanting to kill himself Felix attended a meeting where raheel
discussed what he'd said even though it was usual protocol for drill instructors
to wait outside such meetings reports as to what exactly occurred in the immediate lead up to rahil's death
were mixed some of his platoonmates who'd witnessed Felix reprimanding him said Felix had
ordered rahil to run while choking his own throat others thought raheel was holding his
throat because it was sore one witness said he'd seen Felix throw raheel to the floor
the others all believed raheel had collapsed on his own everyone agreed that Felix had slapped
rahil but some thought he did so only once to revive him others said Felix slapped him hard two
or three times after that raheel had leapt up and sprinted out of the squad Bay and over a
stairwell he died just five days after being assigned to Felix's platoon on Thursday September 8 2016 six months
after rahil's death the Marines released a 133-page report about the matter and other allegations of abuse
much of it was redacted with 40 pages completely blacked out nevertheless it was clear the Marines
had concluded that the actions of Joseph Felix directly led to rehill jumping from the building
they also stated that Felix should never have been assigned to rehill's platoon given he was already under investigation
for harassing another Muslim recruit it was recommended that Felix be charged with assault for slapping raheel
the report also focused on incidents involving other recruits being choked and forced to engage in unauthorized
incentive training it found Marines working as drill instructors had been operating with
impunity without the proper supervision or leadership 20 Marines were relieved of Duty in the
wake of the investigation including three teams of drill instructors and the Depot's regimental Commander
four were charged for incidence of abuse unrelated to rahil Siddiqui Joseph Felix was charged with failure to
obey a general order cruelty and maltreatment making a false statement and a drunk and disorderly conduct
rahil's family were disappointed with the charges they didn't understand why Felix wasn't
charged with assault as the report had recommended Joseph Felix was ordered to face a
military trial which began in November 2017. the trial would not Center on the death
of rahil Siddiqui but focus on numerous allegations regarding Felix's treatment of recruits
the prosecution called almost 70 witnesses to the stand other drill instructors testified about
Behavior they'd witnessed from Felix various recruits spoke of him choking them hitting them against walls and
forcing them to hurt one another the prosecution also detailed how Felix that seemingly targeted Muslim recruits
describing his actions as hate crimes Amir bormash and rakhan javez spoke of how Felix had abused them for being
Muslim with both of them being forced into industrial dryers Amir said Felix had tumbled him in the
dryer for up to 30 seconds at a time an expert on Industrial dryers confirmed that a model such as the one in the 3rd
battalion's laundry was large enough to hold and Tumble a recruit weighing up to
168 pounds [Music] the defense only called one expert witness a bird's expert she said that in 30 seconds the dryer
would have reached temperatures over 300 degrees Fahrenheit or 149 degrees Celsius
this would have caused third or fourth degree burns within one second yet Amir had no physical evidence of burns
however the expert did acknowledge that shorter durations could still cause pain
without leaving visible injuries adding if I were in a drier three seconds would
seem like an eternity although some said Felix spoke openly about his dislike of Muslims Felix's
lawyer insisted that his client hadn't specifically targeted Muslim recruits he had only discussed the Islamic faith
with Amir out of curiosity and he had chosen rakhan Harvest to be squad leader after discovering he was
Muslim some witnesses suggested that Felix had only called Muslim recruits terrorists
as a joke and hadn't meant anything by it at all the eight-person jury made up of male
Marines spent a day deliberating before reaching a verdict they found Felix guilty of eight counts
of violating training orders regarding multiple recruits including slapping raheel and forcing him to Sprint laps
while sick but he was found and not guilty of referring to rehill as a terrorist
Felix was also convicted for being drunk and disorderly and making false official
statements but he was cleared of obstructing justice for supposedly telling recruits
to conceal information about what happened to rahil during his sentencing Joseph Felix
addressed the court he apologized to his wife stating thank you for standing by me and being
as wonderful as you are I can never repay the disappointment I feel you have in me
he did not apologize to the Siddiqui family or the other recruits he had abused nor did he acknowledge any of the
charges he'd been convicted of Felix's attorney asked that his client only served 30 days in prison while the
prosecution asked for seven years he was sentenced to 10 years his rank would also be reduced he would
have to forfeit all pay and allowances and would subsequently be given a dishonorable discharge
a total of five Marines ended up being convicted or pleading guilty to charges relating to hazing of recruits of Paris
Island rahil siddiki's death wasn't the first time a recruit died at the Depot in 1956 a drill instructor ordered his
platoon to march across a swamp six recruits drowned two decades later another recruit was
beaten with training sticks and subsequently died rahil's death had a ripple effect
throughout the United States then President Barack Obama had his attention drawn to the case
a democratic congresswoman from Detroit reached out to the siddiquis and petitioned the Marines on their behalf
for an unbiased inquiry into hazing in the wake of rahil's death Marine Corps commandant to General Robert Nella
the highest ranking official in the Marines stated we mourn the loss of recruit sadiki and
we will take every step necessary to prevent tragic events like this from happening again
one of raheel's platoonmates told the New York Times that despite some changes to training he and the other recruits
were still treated badly even after rahil's death let's say you did report something he
said they changed the DI and what happens after that another day I who presumably was friends with the prior
day I is going to make your life hell several months after rihil died a new Commanding General was appointed to the
Paris Islander Depot Austin renforth set about making changes including having officers supervise
drill instructors more actively and updating a policy ladder to emphasize the Marine's Zero Tolerance approach to
hazing in an interview with the New York Times he admitted that he'd thought about
contacting rahil's parents but decided quote I just didn't feel it was my place [Music]
the siddiquis struggled with the silence they received from the Marines after rehill died
his sister Sidra told the Detroit Free Press newspaper that she now had difficulty saying the Pledge of
Allegiance a patriotic verse that students at most American public schools have to recite
her faith in the country her parents had immigrated to for a better life had been
broken the siddiquis chose not to speak to most reporters as they were disappointed with
the way their son had been portrayed in the media as though he were weak or unprepared for boot camp
in order to be accepted as a recruit he'd had to pass a psychological exam none of them had ever witnessed any
signs pointing to rehill having a mental illness or Suicidal Thoughts they remain convinced that raheel would
never take his own life and believe there are unanswered questions relating to his death
the family lodged a civil suit suing the federal government for 100 million dollars for their son's death
their lawyer was arguing that the Marines had been negligent when recruiting rahil in failing to tell him
there had been allegations of abuse against Muslim recruits at Paris Island at a time when the Marine Corps was
eager to attract recruits for a more diverse backgrounds it seemed they had a duty of care to ensure those recruits
would be safe from possible hate crimes the siddiquis also wanted rihil's death certificate amended
a coroner had marked his cause of death as suicide but his family thought it should be listed as undetermined
because of the way rahil's feet tripped over the stairwell causing him to fall awkwardly it wasn't clear whether he had
truly intended to take his own life perhaps he'd just been trying to escape Joseph Felix
the lawsuit was ultimately dismissed due to a federal precedent that prevents the
U.S government from being sued for harm to military personnel the judge who made the ruling said he
had no other option and expressed strong reservations about having to do so the siddiquis have retained raheel's
bedroom as a kind of shrine to him it has been kept perfectly clean and is dotted with awards that raheel one for
his academic achievements and hanging in the closet is a reminder of what he wanted to achieve
to perfectly press the dress uniform that raheel would have worn upon graduating from training with the
Marines casefile presents a new Spotify exclusive podcast Maddie no one is ever prepared for a loved one to suddenly
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narrated by Lauren O'Keefe the founder of the missing persons advocacy Network and host of case File presents podcast
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from casefile presents available September 19th only on Spotify it's not a justice system it's just a system

Case 225: Raheel Siddiqui

The United States Marine Corps is known for its tight-knit culture, as solidified in their motto, ‘Semper Fidelis,' which means ‘Always Faithful.’ 20-year-old Raheel Siddiqui was looking for his next move in life. A brilliant student, he determined that joining the Marine Corps would be a great way to pursue his dreams while also serving his country.

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Erin Munro Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn

SOCIAL LINKS

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RESOURCES

For all credits and sources please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-225-raheel-siddiqui

Brief Summary

Rahil Siddiqui's tragic death during Marine boot camp reveals systemic abuse and discrimination against Muslim recruits.

Key points

Matthew Levison's Disappearance. 20-year-old Matthew Levison goes missing after a night out, raising concerns among loved ones.
Suspicion on Michael Atkins. Matthew's partner, Michael Atkins, becomes a suspect after a fight on the night of his disappearance.
Hazing in the Marines. Recruits face brutal hazing and mistreatment during training, raising serious concerns.
Amir's Harrowing Experience. Amir, a recruit, endures severe harassment and abuse from drill instructors, leading to trauma.
A Parent's Concern. An anonymous email reveals alarming treatment of recruits at Paris Island, sparking concern.
Raheel's Decision to Enlist. Raheel Siddiqui leaves college to enlist in the Marines, surprising his family.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Was that unfortunate timing or did Atkins have something to hide?

Suspicion falls on Matt's partner after their fight on the night of his disappearance.

0:19WatchOct 1, 2022

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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