‘I think they stole him from us;’ After the death of the daughter, the family is filing a case in the defense department

A Springfield family is suing the Department of Defense in hopes of getting justice for SPC Kylie Harris, 545th Military Police Detachment.

>>Photo: ‘I think they stole him from us;’ After the death of the daughter, the family is filing a case in the defense department

He grew up in Springfield and both his father and stepmother now live in Spring Valley.

His loved ones say he died by suicide while in the army, and months later they say he was sexually assaulted by another member of the military.

NewsCenter 7’s Brandon Lewis spoke with Kylie’s father and stepmother on Friday, and her family believes the military doesn’t care that she wasn’t sexually assaulted.

That is why they are taking legal action.

Kylie, who was a military specialist with the military police, came out as gay on social media in January 2021 while in the military, her father and stepmother said.

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Lewis said he was stationed in Alaska, and his family said he was sexually assaulted by another man on base later that month. The man was in the Air Force.

The family claims the attack was not properly investigated or taken seriously.

They tell Louise that a few months after the attack, Kylie ran into her perpetrator during a training session.

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Kylie then died by suicide a few days later, her father and stepmother said.

“She had very specific goals for what she wanted to do and I think they stole her from us,” said Kylie’s father, Shawn Harris. “I don’t want it to happen to other people. I mean I don’t want other parents to have to go through this. It’s not right.”

Lewis said the family wants to see change in the military.

They contacted Dayton Congressman Mike Turner and Senator Sherred Brown.

The father and stepmother want to see military members face hate crime charges when the situation warrants and started a Facebook page, I stand with Kylie Harris.

The story continues

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Harris told Lewis that they were trying to get Kylie’s medical records from the Army but had no luck.

A U.S. Army spokesman told Lewis Friday night that the Army does not comment on ongoing litigation.