Elena Athens

Well, it starts back in January. Clinton, Clint, that's how it goes by, Bonnell was in his second semester of physician's assistant school at Methodist University. That's in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Bonnell was a Green Beret. He had recently retired after 20 years of service. And remember, a Green Beret is a name for someone in the U.S. Army Special Forces.

Well, it starts back in January. Clinton, Clint, that's how it goes by, Bonnell was in his second semester of physician's assistant school at Methodist University. That's in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Bonnell was a Green Beret. He had recently retired after 20 years of service. And remember, a Green Beret is a name for someone in the U.S. Army Special Forces.

They undertake some of the most sensitive missions. This is an elite force of the military. Green Berets are specially trained. So on the morning of January 28th, Bonnell did not show up for class. And that really was out of the ordinary for him, according to his sister, who spoke with our ABC station, WTVD.

They undertake some of the most sensitive missions. This is an elite force of the military. Green Berets are specially trained. So on the morning of January 28th, Bonnell did not show up for class. And that really was out of the ordinary for him, according to his sister, who spoke with our ABC station, WTVD.

Also, according to the program director at the Physician's Assistant Program, he was this dedicated, passionate student. So when he did not show up for class, university employees knew something was off, something was wrong. A concerned university employee had called the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office and asked to do a welfare check.

Also, according to the program director at the Physician's Assistant Program, he was this dedicated, passionate student. So when he did not show up for class, university employees knew something was off, something was wrong. A concerned university employee had called the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office and asked to do a welfare check.

So when deputies got to his house, investigators say the car was there, as well as backpack, wallet, laptop, however. They say they could not find his cell phone. His wife, Shanna Cloud, was at home at the time. She allegedly told investigators she hadn't seen him since the day prior, so that's January 27th, and then he hadn't come home that night.

So when deputies got to his house, investigators say the car was there, as well as backpack, wallet, laptop, however. They say they could not find his cell phone. His wife, Shanna Cloud, was at home at the time. She allegedly told investigators she hadn't seen him since the day prior, so that's January 27th, and then he hadn't come home that night.

She did not file a missing persons report at the time. In an interesting twist, Bonnell had a girlfriend, and that girlfriend also called to have deputies do a welfare check. And we actually did go out to their house where the search warrants were executed, where the welfare checks were done. I just wanted to kind of get an idea of what this house looked like.

She did not file a missing persons report at the time. In an interesting twist, Bonnell had a girlfriend, and that girlfriend also called to have deputies do a welfare check. And we actually did go out to their house where the search warrants were executed, where the welfare checks were done. I just wanted to kind of get an idea of what this house looked like.

It's an extremely rural part of Cumberland County. You're gonna have nothing but trees and farmlands. And this was a part of that town. All wooded area. When we pulled up to the house, you couldn't get past this massive iron gate that's outside. And there's tall trees. If you looked hard enough, you could see the roof line, but it was very secluded, this home.

It's an extremely rural part of Cumberland County. You're gonna have nothing but trees and farmlands. And this was a part of that town. All wooded area. When we pulled up to the house, you couldn't get past this massive iron gate that's outside. And there's tall trees. If you looked hard enough, you could see the roof line, but it was very secluded, this home.

Well, it did change in a few days. January 30th, the case was reassigned to the homicide unit. At that point, detectives, they expanded the search for him into Virginia. So there are some connections to Virginia. Bonnell's wife, Shanna Cloud, owned property there.

Well, it did change in a few days. January 30th, the case was reassigned to the homicide unit. At that point, detectives, they expanded the search for him into Virginia. So there are some connections to Virginia. Bonnell's wife, Shanna Cloud, owned property there.

We also learned in court that she was a traveling nurse and had even done some work for the Virginia Department of Corrections as a traveling nurse. So detectives, they executed a search warrant on Cloud's vehicle. rental property, as well as cell phone. They did multiple searches.

We also learned in court that she was a traveling nurse and had even done some work for the Virginia Department of Corrections as a traveling nurse. So detectives, they executed a search warrant on Cloud's vehicle. rental property, as well as cell phone. They did multiple searches.

There were multiple warrants that were issued in Cumberland County, Virginia, to extract that information from clouds devices there so they could obtain digital data, cell phone records, video footage, etc., etc.

There were multiple warrants that were issued in Cumberland County, Virginia, to extract that information from clouds devices there so they could obtain digital data, cell phone records, video footage, etc., etc.

Well, this is where things take a turn, a gruesome turn at that, in February. So this is about a month after Bonnell was last seen. The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office received a call about human remains in a pond. So this is an extremely rural area of Cumberland County. And where this pond is located is only about three miles from Bonnell's house. And our station, WTVD, did obtain that call.

Well, this is where things take a turn, a gruesome turn at that, in February. So this is about a month after Bonnell was last seen. The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office received a call about human remains in a pond. So this is an extremely rural area of Cumberland County. And where this pond is located is only about three miles from Bonnell's house. And our station, WTVD, did obtain that call.