Fort Leonard Wood man sentenced for domestic violence

The domestic partner of a soldier stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, was sentenced in federal court today for strangling and assaulting her in their home.

Kevin Levon Bonner, 33, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips on Wednesday, Dec. 8, to five years and 11 months in federal prison without parole.

On June 21, 2021, Bonner pleaded guilty to one count of assault of an intimate partner or spouse by strangulation or suffocation, and one count of domestic violence. Bonner admitted that he choked the victim, a sergeant in the U.S. Army  and an intimate partner with whom he shared a residence in Fort Leonard Wood, to the point of unconsciousness sometime in the first week of July 2020. The victim, identified in court documents as “S.B.,” later told investigators that both of her eyes were completely bloodshot afterward. She attempted to self-medicate with Visine and compresses, and took a few days off work.

On July 13, 2020, S.B. and Bonner were in their bedroom when Bonner held her against the wall and punched her in the face multiple times. Although her face was severely damaged and she was in significant pain, S.B. reported for work that day. Her command staff ordered her to go to the emergency room. Medical staff observed bilateral blowout fractures to both her orbital sockets and severe petechiae in both eyes, as well as older injuries, such as bruises and scratch marks, and the Army Criminal Investigation Division was notified.

When S.B. was transferred to another hospital, according to court documents, doctors noted she had bilateral orbital fractures, conjunctive hemorrhaging of the eyes, tachycardia, healing fractures of the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth ribs on the right side, healing subacute bilateral fractures of the sixth, seventh, and ninth ribs on the left side, and a minimally displaced fracture on the right ninth posterior rib. Doctors also noted contusions on S.B.’s right upper extremities and on her left anterior thigh.

According to court documents, Bonner is a habitual domestic violence abuser. While on parole for abusing his legal wife (identified in court documents as “C.B.”), Bonner fraudulently married the victim in this case and began his cycle of abuse once again.

After his arrest, Bonner repeatedly attempted to influence S.B. to help him get out of detention, to get the case against him dismissed, and to refuse to cooperate with the investigation.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Division and Military Police Investigations.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.