Ex-Green Beret's Wife Charged After Dismembered Torso Found

Clinton "Clint" Bonnell, a 50-year-old retired Green Beret, had spent 20 years serving his country. After retiring in December 2024, he enrolled in a physician assistant program at Methodist University to begin a new chapter. But his future was violently cut short. On Jan. 27, 2025, after telling his wife, Shana Cloud, he wanted a divorce, Bonnell suddenly vanished. A month later, his dismembered torso was found in a pond, and Cloud was arrested for murder.

The Suspicious Disappearance

Clinton Bonnell was enrolled in a physician assistant program at a local university and was reported missing on Jan. 28, 2025, by a school official shortly before 3 p.m., after he failed to show up for class. Deputies spoke with his wife, Shana Cloud, who claimed the last time she saw him was the day before at a gym in Fayetteville. According to her, they had left in separate vehicles, and Bonnell said he planned to study for a test on campus the next day.

Cloud told deputies that when she woke up the next morning, Bonnell's car was still at their home, but he was nowhere to be found. Despite his unexplained absence, she declined to file a missing person report.

It was Bonnell's girlfriend who ultimately alerted authorities, filing a missing person report hours after the school official did. She told deputies that Bonnell had contacted a lawyer about divorcing Cloud on Jan. 27, 2025 — the same day he disappeared. That night, he texted her to say he was home and had told his wife about the divorce plans.

The Gruesome Pond Discovery

Nearly a month later on Feb. 25, 2025, a dismembered torso was found in a pond near the couple's home. The body had been stripped of its head and limbs, making identification initially difficult. With the gruesome nature of the discovery and signs of foul play, the investigation quickly shifted from a missing person case to a homicide. DNA from the remains was first processed by the North Carolina State Crime Lab, then sent to the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System (AFMES) for comparison with Bonnell's military DNA records.

On March 28, 2025, the AFMES confirmed the remains belonged to Clinton Bonnell.

The Arrest

After being granted a search warrant for the couple's property and digital devices in North Carolina and Virginia, investigators say they have surveillance video that places Cloud near the pond around the time the torso was likely dumped. They believe Bonnell was murdered the morning after he told Cloud he wanted a divorce.

Prosecutors say Bonnell was shot multiple times as bullet holes were discovered in his book bag and laptop during a search of the couple's home. Cumberland County District Attorney William West stated, "Mr. Bonnell told his girlfriend that he had let the defendant know about the divorce and his plans the night before. We believe he was killed the following morning," as reported by The New York Post.

Cloud was arrested and charged with first-degree murder on the same day the DNA match was confirmed. She is currently being held without bond at the Cumberland County Detention Center. Her attorney has stated that she maintains her innocence and looks forward to fighting the charges in court.

Shana Cloud's mug shot. Photo courtesy of Cumberland County Sheriff Department.

Remembering the Man Behind the Headlines

Bonnell's girlfriend, Kelli Edwards, said he had been excited about the future and deeply devoted to his daughter. Speaking to ABC News, she shared the heartbreak that followed the grisly discovery. "We as a community have been devastated," Edwards said. "How do you comprehend something like this? There's really no comprehension."

Edwards described Bonnell as a joyful, positive person who had been ready to move forward in life. "He was a very, just a jovial, happy human and he was really looking forward to his next part of his life, closing a chapter, coming out of the Army after 20 years, being in PA school — he was looking forward to the next chapter," she added, according to ABC News. She hopes people remember the good he did and the impact he left on those who knew him.

References: Ex-Green Beret's wife accused of killing and dismembering him after he revealed divorce plans | Wife may have killed Green Beret husband because he was ending marriage, DA says: 'Horrific case' | Girlfriend of slain Green Beret 'devastated' after his estranged wife is charged with his murder | Girlfriend of murdered Green Beret speaks out after his wife charged