CUMBERLAND COUNTY, N.C. (Court TV) — A North Carolina woman has been arrested in the death of her former Green Beret husband, whose body was found a month after he was reported missing.
Shana Cloud, 50, was arrested Friday and charged with first-degree murder and concealment of death, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office. An arrest warrant reviewed by Court TV accuses Cloud of killing Clinton Bonnell and concealing his death “while knowing Clinton Bonnell’s death was not due to natural causes.”
(L) Clinton Bonnell, (R) Shana Cloud (Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office)
Bonnell was reported missing on Jan. 28 after failing to show up for class at Methodist University. At the time of his disappearance, he was studying to become a physician’s assistant. According to authorities, he retired from the U.S. Army in December.
When authorities arrived at the couple’s home, Cloud told deputies that she had not seen Bonnell since the day before.
His body was found Feb. 25 in a rural pond three miles from their home. However, the remains weren’t confirmed to be Bonnell until a month later, on March 28. A 911 caller who reported finding the body said it appeared to have been dismembered, reported WRAL.
Multiple search warrants were executed in the weeks before Cloud’s arrest, which revealed Bonnell was planning to divorce Cloud. The warrants state Bonnell’s girlfriend last heard from him the night of Jan. 27, when he texted her to say he told Cloud about the divorce and was going to bed.
Cloud appeared in court Monday, where she was denied bond. Her next hearing is scheduled for April 17.
