Army nurse's disappearance unravels into chilling case of murder, arson and lies
She was a soldier, nurse and mother of two who never missed a shift without a warning — until one hot summer night when she vanished.
Army nurse Holley Lynn James' disappearance in 2008 would set off a chilling investigation that would unravel into a case marked by fire, secrets and deception.
A new "20/20" episode, "You Took My Daughter," airing Friday, Nov. 7, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC and streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu, examines the case.
You can also get more behind-the-scenes of each week's episode by listening to "20/20: The After Show" weekly series right on your 20/20 podcast feed on Mondays, hosted by "20/20" co-anchor Deborah Roberts.
In July 2008, 2nd Lt. James, a 24-year-old army nurse stationed at Fort Bragg near Fayetteville, North Carolina, failed to show for a nursing shift at Womack Army Medical Center, the military hospital located at the base.
Jesse Gossett, James' friend and co-worker, told "20/20" that it was bizarre for her to miss a shift.
"I was driving back to Fort Bragg from Iowa and I received a text from a friend at work asking me when the last time I heard from Holley was," Gossett said. "It was unusual. Holley was very dependable, and it's just being an Army officer, it was kind of unheard of to not show up for work."
Authorities began to investigate what could have happened to James and found her apartment had been destroyed by a fire. There was also disturbing evidence that violence had occurred there.
There were missing knives from the kitchen, missing sheets from the bed, a missing chunk of the carpet had been cut out, blood splatter in her bedroom and a bullet hole in the closet door, according to investigators.
Most alarming of all — investigators say there was a letter found in the apartment that read "she shot herself and I tried to make it look like an accident."
A few weeks later, James' burned body was found over 100 miles away at Sneads Ferry by the local forestry department.
Detective Jeff Locklear of the Fayetteville Police Department, who was in charge of James' case, told "20/20" that he saw her body after it was discovered.
"I saw human remains rolled up in what appeared to be an air mattress," Locklear said. "There was a hatchet in the burn pit with the remains. I saw a number of knives that looked like they came out of a butcher block."
Police investigated if James' death was at the hands of a possible serial killer suspected in the strangulation of fellow Fort Bragg soldier Megan Touma, who was found deceased in a hotel room about a month before with the symbol of the Zodiac killer on the mirror, according to investigators. A letter was also sent to a local paper about Touma's death. However, this theory was later debunked when Edgar Patino, a married man who had impregnated Touma, was found to be her murderer, according to authorities.
Patino was charged with second-degree murder for killing Touma, and he was eventually sentenced to 16 years in prison after he pleaded guilty.
Authorities soon discovered that James had filed for a protective order against her husband, Marine Cpl. John Wimunc, less than two months before she was killed.
Police arrested Wimunc on suspicion of his wife's murder, charging him with first-degree murder, second-degree arson and conspiracy to commit second-degree arson.
Authorities also arrested a fellow Marine, LCpl. Kyle Alden, alleging he had helped Wimunc cover up his wife's murder. Alden was charged with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder, second-degree arson and conspiracy to commit second-degree arson.
Alden eventually pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to five years in prison after helping to implicate Wimunc in police interviews.
Two years after James' murder, Wimunc also pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to life in prison.
"Many, many people loved Holley and you took her all away from us," James' father, Jesse James, said in a letter to Wimunc that he read to "20/20."
He added, "I still have episodes of grief that I'm unable to control."
Beaux James, Holley Lynn James' brother and a Marine who had served alongside Wimunc, told "20/20" that he always remembers his sister as a protector.
"I think she should be remembered for trying to give so much," Beaux James said. "My sister loved protecting the people she cared about."
