Virginia
Men charged with stealing Pride flags are members of elite U.S. Army unit
One of two soldiers listed as fugitive after failing to show up at court hearing
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/02/Matthew_Henshaw_mugshot_insert_public_domain.jpg)
News surfaced this week that two men arrested by Arlington, Va., police on Feb. 2 for allegedly stealing LGBTQ Pride flags from the home of a lesbian couple on five separate days between September 2023 and January 2024 are members of the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Regiment also known as the Old Guard, an elite ceremonial unit that participates in burials at Arlington National Cemetery.
One of the two soldiers, Specialist Matthew Henshaw, 20, has been charged with three counts of Unlawful Entry ā Bias Motivated and three counts of Petit Larceny for the flag thefts that Arlington police say occurred Sept. 16, Sept. 30, and Jan. 27. He was released on a secured bond, according to a police statement.
The other soldier, Private First Class Joseph Digregorio, 23, was charged with one count of Petit Larceny for the flag theft that occurred on Jan. 21. Police said he was initially released on a summons, but court records show he failed to show up for a Feb. 7 arraignment hearing at Arlington General District Court and is listed as a fugitive.
Henshaw appeared in court for his arraignment on Feb. 8, where General District Court Judge Cari Michele Steele scheduled his trial date for March 21.
The judge set the trial date after reading the six charges pending against Henshaw and asking him if he has retained an attorney or needs a court appointed attorney. Henshaw said he has retained an attorney.
He appeared in court dressed in a civilian business suit and tie accompanied by a uniformed male soldier. He declined a request from the Washington Blade for comment after leaving the courtroom following the arraignment.
Arlington police have said in a statement that the case of the Pride flag thefts remains under investigation and anyone with any information relevant to the case is urged to contact them through the police tip line at 703-228-4180.
Police have also pointed out in their statement that the two women, whose Pride flags were stolen repeatedly after they replaced them following each of the thefts, live in a home on the 200 block of South Courthouse Road, which is located less than two blocks from the south entrance of Fort Myer Army Base, where Henshaw and DiGregorio have been stationed.
During a visit by the Blade to the 200 block of South Courthouse Road on Feb. 6, at least eight houses on the block had Pride flags either hanging on the sides of the houses or displayed on flag poles.
A resident of one of the houses told D.C.ās NBC 4 News that neighbors of Michelle Logan, 30, and her partner, Jenna Burnett, 27, the couple whose flags were stolen, decided to display their own Pride flags as a showing of solidarity for the two women after learning of the arrests of the two soldiers for the theft of the coupleās flags.
Attempts by the Blade to reach Logan and Burnett for comment have been unsuccessful.
Henshaw did not respond to any of the charges against him during his Feb. 8 arraignment. Under Arlingtonās court system, he was not required to enter a plea of innocence or guilt until the time of his trial on March 21, according to a court clerk.
Court records show that as of Feb. 8, neither Arlington police nor the Arlington Commonwealthās Attorney, which serves as prosecutor in criminal cases, have filed any court documents disclosing the evidence they obtained to support the charges against Henshaw and Digregorio.
Those familiar with the case have speculated that police most likely linked the two soldiers to the Pride flag thefts from video images of the thefts from a security camera that the two women have on their house. The women told the Washington Post and other news media outlets that they posted the video images on social media shortly after the thefts began last September.
āWe recognize the significance and impact of their actions and take these charges seriously,ā the Army said in a statement released to news media outlets. āThe actions of those involved in no way represent the values and character of The Old Guard or our Army,ā the statement says. āWe will continue to work with the Arlington County Police Department throughout this ongoing investigation.ā
Virginia
Parades, community events held to mark Pride Month in Va.
Upwards of 30,000 people attended PrideFest in Norfolk on June 22
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/06/20240629_Shi-Queeta_Lee_at_Arlington_Pride_insert_c_Washington_Blade_by_Michael_Key.jpg)
Activists across Virginia last month held a series of events to mark Pride Month.
Hampton Roads Pride, a volunteer-run organization founded in 1997, held 37 different Pride events throughout the region in June.
Their biggest event, PrideFest, which is part of their larger three day event, Pride Weekend, celebrated its 36th anniversary on June 22. Pride Weekend took place from June 21-23 and began with a block party at NorVa in Norfolk.
PrideFest took place at Town Point Park, and an estimated 30,000 people attended. More than 70 venders participated, while Todrick Hall and Mariah Counts are among those who performed.
Another PrideFest event with a DJ in the afternoon and live music at night took place in Virginia Beach on June 23. Congressman Bobby Scott and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) are among those who attended Pride events in Suffolk on June 30.
Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander, along with members of the Norfolk and Virginia Beach City Councils, also attended the Pride events in their respective cities. Jamar Walker, the first openly gay federal judge in Virginia, also took part.
āYou know people all throughout Pride Month, at all of our various events, tell me all kinds of stories about their own experiences and the past of this community … and some of our older folks especially, remember when we couldn’t have this,ā Hampton Roads Pride President Jeff Ryder told the Washington Blade on Monday during a telephone interview.
āIt was a great year,ā he added. “It was a big achievement for us to have unique celebrations in each of our seven communities. Each of these cities is so different from one another, but to be able to create a Pride celebration that’s unique in each of those places was really great, and I think really well received by folks who may not have felt represented previously. We’re always trying to do better, to embrace every aspect of our community, and take a big step forward there this year.ā
State Dels. Adele McClure (D-Arlington County) and Alfonso Lopez (D-Arlington County) are among those who spoke at Arlington Pride that took place at Long Bridge Park on June 29. The Fredericksburg Pride march and festival took place the same day at Riverfront Park in Fredericksburg.
Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on June 10 hosted a Pride Month reception in Richmond.
Youngkin in previous years has hosted Pride Month receptions, even though Equality Virginia and other advocacy groups have criticized him for supporting anti-LGBTQ bills.
The Republican governor in March signed a bill that codified marriage equality in Virginia. Youngkin last month vetoed a measure that would have expanded the definition of bullying in the state.
Virginia
Rainbow crosswalks, street murals installed in Alexandria, Arlington
Street painting received support from government officials
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/06/20240621_Crystal_City_rainbow_crosswalk_at_South_23rd_Street_insert_1_c_Washington_Blade_by_Lou_Chibbaro_Jr.jpg)
With approval by local government officials, rainbow-colored crosswalks were installed this month on a street in Virginiaās Old Town Alexandria and what officials are calling rainbow street murals were painted on a street in the Crystal City section of nearby Arlington, Va., in time for this yearās Pride celebrations.
Kirk McPike, a gay member of the Alexandria City Council, said the Council gave unanimous approval for the installation of two bright rainbow-colored crosswalks at the intersection of King and Royal streets at Old Townās Market Square āright there in front of City Hall.ā
McPike said he first proposed the rainbow crossings in June 2023, and with support from the Council, the cityās Human Rights Commission brought the proposal to him as the gay member of the Council, and he introduced it. He said the Council approved it last November. According to McPike, the crosswalks were officially dedicated with a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 1 during Alexandriaās annual Pride festival in Old Town.
āAnd this year, we had one of our Pride wrapped Dash buses drive through the ribbon to snap the ribbon and officially open the new Pride crosswalks,ā he told the Washington Blade.
In Arlingtonās Crystal City neighborhood, rainbow stripes were painted on June 12 and 13 on South 23rd Street at the intersections of Eads Street and Fern Street. The Fern Street intersection is located steps away from Freddieās Beach Bar and Restaurant, which is Arlingtonās only gay bar. Freddie Lutz, owner of Freddieās, was among the community leaders who advocated for the rainbow crosswalks.
Kellen MacBeth, president of the LGBTQ group Equality Arlington, said the Arlington Department of Environmental Services, which oversees street and roadway issues, gave approval of the installation of the two rainbow stripes as āstreet muralsā rather than crosswalks, even though they are located next to or parallel to the crosswalks. He said for reasons he is unsure of, the Environmental Services Department didnāt want the crosswalks themselves to be painted with rainbow stripes.
āIf you compare what Alexandria did and what Arlington did, Alexandria has the full crosswalk painted in rainbow,ā he said. āWhereas Arlington did the rainbow stripes on either side of the crosswalk,ā MacBeth told the Washington Blade. āFor whatever reason, the county said they werenāt able to do the full rainbow crosswalk this year. And weāre hoping to have the full rainbow crosswalks for next year.ā
Kathryn OāBrien, a spokesperson for the Environmental Services Department, told the Blade that painting crosswalks in rainbow strips āis not allowableā under the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD), which she said defines national standards for traffic signs, road markings, and other road related issues that Arlington adheres to.
MacBeth praised the National Landing Business Improvement District, an organization that promotes community-based businesses in the area known as National Landing, which includes the Pentagon City, Crystal City and Potomac Yard neighborhoods, with playing a lead role in advocating for the rainbow street mural project, among other things, by paying for the street installations.
āLocated at key intersections along S. Fern Street and S. Eads Street, these installations are the first of their kind in Arlington, designed to show solidarity and support for the LGBTQIA+ community,ā the organization, known as National Landing BID, said in a statement. āBeyond their aesthetic appeal, they foster a sense of community pride and inclusivity, transforming National Landing into a vibrant and welcoming neighborhood,ā the statement says. āTheir presence encourages dialogue, celebration, and reflection, making them integral to the cultural fabric of our community.ā
The installation of the rainbow crosswalks in Alexandria and the rainbow street murals in Arlington came about seven years after D.C. first installed two full rainbow-colored crosswalks on 17th Street, N.W. near Dupont Circle in 2017 near the gay bar JR.ās and the LGBTQ supportive restaurant Annieās Paramount Steakhouse. Additional rainbow crosswalks were installed in that section of 17th Street in subsequent years.
Virginia
Suspect in 1996 murder of lesbian couple in Shenandoah National Park identified
Convicted serial rapist died in prison in 2018
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/06/Laura_Lollie_Winans_and_Julianne_Julie_Williams_insert_courtesy_FBI.jpg)
The FBI has identified a then-48-year-old man from Ohio who it describes as a convicted serial rapist as the person it believes committed the May 1996 murder of a lesbian couple at their campsite in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.
In a statement released on June 20, the FBI says newly analyzed DNA evidence and an extensive review of other evidence surrounding the 28-year-old murder case has enabled it to identify Walter Leo Jackson, Sr., as the prime suspect in the murders of Laura āLollieā Winans, 26, and Julianne āJulieā Williams, 24.
The FBI statement says the two womenās bodies were found on June 1, 1996, after an extensive search by rangers with the National Park Service after family members reported them missing.
āIn 2021, a new FBI Richmond investigative team was assigned to conduct a methodic review of the case,ā the statement says. āFBI special agents, intelligence analysts, and other FBI Richmond employees reassessed hundreds of leads and interviews,ā according to the statement. āThey spent countless hours to identify and prioritize evidence from the crime scene to retest and submit the items to an accredited private lab.ā
It says the lab successfully extracted DNA from several items of evidence and, with help from Virginia State Police, and through the FBIās Combined DNA Index System a positive DNA match to Jackson was obtained.
āThose results confirmed we had the right man and finally could tell the victimās families we know who is responsible for this heinous crime,ā Stanley M. Meador, the FBI Richmond special agent in charge, said in the statement.
āAfter 28 years, we are now able to say who committed the brutal murders of Lollie Winans and Julie Williams in Shenandoah National Park,ā U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said in the statement. āI want to again extend my condolences to the Winans and Williams families and hope todayās announcement provides some small measure of solace,ā he said.
The FBI statement says Jackson, who died in prison in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, in March 2018, had a lengthy criminal record that included kidnapping, rapes, and assaults. It says Jackson worked as a residential painter and āwas an avid hiker and was known to visit Shenandoah National Park.ā
![](https://www.washingtonblade.com/content/files/2024/06/Walter_Leo_Jackson_Sr_insert_courtesy_FBI.jpg)
The FBI has stated in past statements regarding the two womenās murders that it did not have evidence to classify the murders as a hate crime in which Jackson targeted the women because of their sexual orientation.
Media reports at the time of the murders identified Williams as a native of Minnesota who moved to Vermont, where she helped form a group supportive of LGBTQ people with a Presbyterian church ministry. Winans was a wilderness guide in Michigan and met Williams through an outdoor program in Minnesota called āWoodswomen,ā media reports said.
A report in the Advocate published before the FBIās identification of Jackson as the man responsible for the womenās murders, said the two women had been dating for about two years before their murders. It reported they had planned to move in together that summer to a home in Huntington, Vt., and that Williams had recently accepted a new job as a geologist at a location near Lake Champlain in Vermont.
āThe FBI will continue to work with law enforcement partners to determine if Jackson is responsible for other unsolved crimes,ā the FBIās June 20 statement says. āAnyone with information on Jackson should call 1-800-CALL FBI or submit it online at tips.fbi.gov,ā the statement concludes.
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