{"id":62826,"date":"2019-06-11T19:17:58","date_gmt":"2019-06-11T19:17:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/06\/11\/navy-probe-rules-vice-admirals-death-a-suicide\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:47:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:47:23","slug":"navy-probe-rules-vice-admirals-death-a-suicide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2019\/06\/11\/navy-probe-rules-vice-admirals-death-a-suicide\/","title":{"rendered":"Navy probe rules vice admiral\u2019s death a suicide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The three-star admiral found dead in his home<\/a> last year in Bahrain took his own life, according to a copy of the service\u2019s preliminary inquiry into his death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The body of Vice Adm. Scott Stearney, the 58-year-old commander of U.S. 5th Fleet<\/a>, was found on the afternoon of Dec. 1 in his residence in Janabiya, according to the three-page preliminary inquiry obtained by Navy Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The heavily redacted document cites a Naval Criminal Investigative Service probe and concludes that a \u201ctimeline of events and witness statements\u201d revealed \u201chis intent to commit suicide.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo information uncovered during the subsequent NCIS investigation, including multiple interviews and forensic analysis of VADM Stearney\u2019s electronic devices, contradicted this finding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The inquiry determined that Stearney\u2019s death occurred in the line of duty and was not due to his own misconduct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSuicide creates a strong inference of a lack of mental responsibility which has not been overcome by any of the facts uncovered from this investigation,\u201d the inquiry states. \u201cTherefore, no adverse line of duty determination is recommended.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t