In Fayetteville, North Carolina, a Green Beret’s vanishing has turned into a murder case. The wife of the Green Beret was taken into custody and accused of involvement in his demise.
Officers from Fayetteville Police Department disclosed that Shana Cloud was apprehended at her residence on Friday following the confirmation through DNA analysis that a body discovered in a pond back in February belonged to Clinton Bonnell.
Cloud has been formally charged with first-degree murder and attempting to hide Bonnell’s death. She is currently held at Cumberland County Detention Center in North Carolina without the option of bail.
Bonnell’s Disappearance Timeline
Bonnell, 50, was reportedly last seen in the Gray’s Creek area on Jan. 27. Bonnell was a student at Methodist University and enrolled in the Physician Assistant Program. When he failed to show up for morning class on Jan. 28, an employee at the university called the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and requested a well-being check on Bonnell at his Fayetteville home.
Deputies said they talked to Cloud, who allegedly told them she hadn’t seen Bonnell since the day before. Officers said Bonnell’s car, book bag and other personal items were at the house. According to deputies, they received another call requesting a welfare check on Bonnell. He was then reported missing, and the case was assigned to the Major Crimes Unit.
On Jan. 30, the case was reassigned to the Homicide Unit.
On Feb. 1, detectives went to Virginia and, with assistance from the Virginia State Police, executed search warrants on Cloud’s vehicle, rental property and cell phone. Evidence relevant to the investigation was collected and brought back to Cumberland County.
Throughout February, multiple search warrants were obtained and executed for digital data, including but not limited to cell phone records, video footage, digital devices, etc. The data collected were analyzed and used to develop a timeline of events not only surrounding Bonnell’s disappearance but his whereabouts before his disappearance.
On Feb. 25, the sheriff’s office received a call about human remains in a body of water in the area. Because of the condition of the remains, an immediate identification was not possible.
A 911 caller said the body did not have any limbs.
DNA from the remains was sent to the North Carolina State Crime Lab. That DNA profile was then sent to the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System (AFMES) to be compared with the DNA on file for Bonnell.
On Friday, the AFMES confirmed that the DNA collected was that of Bonnell, leading to charges against his wife.
Methodist University issued a statement saying, “We are thankful to our MU community, on-campus police, and the partnership with local law enforcement who are working with the individual’s family. Our thoughts are with them during this difficult time.”
Cloud’s first court appearance is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Monday.
Anyone with further information about this investigation is urged to call Sgt. J. Mcleod at (910) 677-5548 or CrimeStoppers at (910)483-TIPS (8477).
Copyright © 2025 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.
