Wife charged with killing soldier husband in love triangle gone bad

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. — In a case described as “a love triangle gone bad” by Michigan prosecutors, an active-duty soldier is facing charges in the shooting death of her husband, who was also an active-duty soldier.

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Kemia Hassel, 22, was charged with murder Monday in the New Year's Eve killing of Tyrone Hassel III in St. Joseph Township. Another soldier, Jeremy Cuellar, 24, is also facing charges in Hassel's death, accused of having an affair with Kemia Hassel and carrying out the holiday shooting, according to WBST-TV.

All three were stationed at Fort Stewart in Georgia with the Hassels heading to Michigan for the holidays. Cuellar is in custody in Liberty County, Georgia, and will be extradited to Michigan to face charges in the case.

"The motive for the two to plot Sgt. Hassel's death may have been to continue their relationship and reap the Army's death benefit from his murder," prosecutor Mike Sepic said, according to The Associated Press.

Tyrone Hassel's father, Tyron Hassel, Jr. told WSBT he's still in shock over the killing.

“You got to understand, man, this is a person that slept in my home,” Hassel said. “I spent two weeks with this person, after she killed my son.”

“I grieved for her more than I grieved for myself. Because I saw a woman that lost her husband. I look at my grandson and I saw a kid that lost his father,” he said.

Hassel said he felt “deceived” by his daughter-in-law and said if he had one last message for his son, it would be, “I love him.”

Cox Media Group