Brian Adkin’s killer sentenced to 17 years in Ethiopia

Brian Adkin’s killer sentenced to 17 years in Ethiopia

The Ethiopian man who murdered alumnus and Foreign Service Officer Brian Adkins in his home last February was sentenced to 17 years in prison, Adkins’ family and friends said.

Adkins, 25, was found dead in his home in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital city, where he was working for the U.S. State Department. In an e-mail sent to family, friends and The Hatchet, fellow alumnus and friend Michael Geremia decried the sentence for the unidentified Ethiopian man who confessed to killing Adkins in April.

“Such a lenient sentence, for such a heinous crime, makes a mockery of the principle of justice; undermines the safety of American diplomats everywhere, but particularly in Ethiopia; and lacks any serious deterrent value for future murders of Americans in Ethiopia,” Geremia said.

Adkins’ father, Dan, said the family was “devastated” by the sentence but added that the prosecution has already appealed the ruling.

“To try to make sense of all of this, all we can hope for is that Brian’s work was done here and he was taken to do more important work for our Lord,” Adkins’ father said in the e-mail. “Regardless of the sentencing, this doesn’t change the daily loss that we all feel.”

Though the Adkins’ father said he does not believe in the death penalty, he said he hoped his son’s killer would have received a life sentence, preventing him from ever committing another crime. To make matters worse for the family, Adkins’ father said his son’s killer was tried in Ethiopia, as extradition laws prevented the U.S. from trying the case, leaving his family with no say in the killer’s fate.

“This young man devastated our family and we did not get an opportunity to send a letter or state in court what was done to us,” Adkins’ father said in a phone interview Monday afternoon. “Over there we have no say. We would have no say when he comes up for parole, whether or not we feel after 10 years and nine months if he can be out on good behavior, and it’s not acceptable to me. Our hands are tied in this process. To me, all these young people are going over there with the idea they are safe and they’re not. If there are no repercussions [for committing this type of crime] what is going to keep people from robbing and killing.”

Adkins’ father said he did not know when a decision on the appeal would be made, however he said the process will most likely take months.

“We were told that they had very strict laws in that country back in February, and for this sentence to come down the way it did left us very disappointed,” Adkins’ father said. “The man, only being 18 years old now, can be really young when he gets out of prison. He can still commit this crime again.”

Adkins was honored by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as one of 231 Foreign Service Officers who has died while serving their tours of duty.

Foreign Affairs Day and Plaque Ceremony

The AFSA Memorial Plaque Ceremony is held on Foreign Affairs Day to honor Foreign Service personnel who have lost their lives while serving their country overseas in the line of duty or under heroic or other inspirational circumstances. This year, the ceremony will be held on Friday, May 1 at 10:25 a.m., in the C St. lobby of the State Department in front of the west plaque.

Secretary Hillary Clinton is scheduled to preside over this year's ceremony. She will read a message from President Obama and pay her respects to the families of the employees whose names will be added to the plaque, bringing the total to 231.

BRIAN ADKINS
Brian Adkins was a first-tour State Department Foreign Service Officer who was killed on January 31, 2009 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he was serving as a consular officer at the U.S. Embassy. Brian was a graduate of George Washington University, where he completed both his undergraduate and graduate studies. He graduated summa cum laude from the Elliott School of International Affairs in 2005. He joined the State Department after receiving his masters degree in 2007 and was assigned to Ethiopia. Mr. Adkins would have turned 26 on Feb. 2, 2009, the day that friends received word of his death. He was a native of Columbus, Ohio and is survived by his parents, John and Christine Adkins, his sister Tiffany and his brother Michael, as well as his maternal and paternal grandparents.

FELIX RUSSEL ENGDAHL
Felix Russell Engdahl (July 28, 1907-May 14, 1942), better known during his life as Russ Engdahl, joined the Foreign Service on December 16, 1930. After serving as Vice Consul in Port-au-Prince and Calcutta, Engdahl was assigned to Shanghai in October 1935. He was promoted to Consul and, in late 1941, traveled to Hong Kong on courier duty. He was captured by the Japanese not long after the fall of Hong Kong in late December 1941, along with several other members of the Foreign Service and sent to the Stanley Internment Camp. Engdahl died in the camp on May 14, 1942, a few months before all Americans in the camp were repatriated. His death was accidental, caused by a fall down some stairs while in the prison.

THOMAS W. WALDRON
Thomas Waldron (May 21, 1814-September 8, 1844) was appointed as the first U.S. Consul to Hong Kong on July 21, 1843. This was a recess appointment and he was later confirmed by the Senate on May 17, 1844. He arrived in Hong Kong in early February 1844. He traveled to Macau on an official visit in September 1844 where he died of cholera. He is buried in the Old Protestant Cemetery in Macau.

EDMUND ROBERTS
Edmund Roberts (July 29, 1784-June 12, 1836) was appointed as Special Agent on January 26, 1832. President Jackson tasked him to negotiate commercial treaties with Muscat, Siam and Cochin China. Later in 1832, he was also asked to negotiate a treaty with Japan. In 1832, Roberts negotiated treaties between the United States and Siam and Muscat. In March 1835, Roberts left the United States on a mission to Cochin China, Siam and Japan. While in Siam, Roberts contracted dysentery and died in Macau on his way to Japan. He is buried in the Old Protestant Cemetery in Macau.

The solemn ceremony offers us an opportunity to remember and honor our fallen colleagues who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, and to remind us of the extremely dangerous and difficult conditions that our Foreign Service personnel face today in many parts of the world. Our deepest sympathies and heartfelt gratitude go out to all their loved ones.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will give the keynote address in the Dean Acheson Auditorium to the over 500 retirees who will be attending this year's Foreign Affairs Day, prior to the Plaque Ceremony.

Following the conclusion of Foreign Affairs Day at 3:00 p.m., everyone is invited to attend AFSAs FAD Reception, from 3-5 p.m. at the newly renovated AFSA headquarters, 2101 E Street NW. The AFSA Scholarship winners will be announced during the reception

Ethiopian man confesses to the murder U.S. official

Ethiopian man confesses to the murder U.S. official

An Ethiopian man has pleaded guilty to the murder of 2007 alumnus Brian Adkins, a Foreign Service officer found dead in his Ethiopia home this February, according to Adkins' family.

State Department officials told family members that a man named "Sammy" had admitted to beating Adkins to death with a baseball bat in the Ohio native's African home. Sammy, a local man whose full name was not available, had met Adkins through mutual friends who frequently played video games at the house.

At a preliminary hearing on March 27, Sammy pleaded guilty to second degree murder and stealing Adkins' possessions, said Dan Adkins, Brian's father, in an interview. Dan Adkins added that prosecutors are seeking to convict the man of first degree murder, which could result in the death penalty.

Court proceedings are happening in the African country's capital city, Addis Ababa, because the United States does not have an extradition treaty with Ethiopia. State Department officials did not return requests for comment.

Family members wrote in an e-mail to Brian's friends and acquaintances that Sammy stayed overnight at the house after he and Adkins played video games late into the night. The house was adjacent to a series of Foreign Service Officers' homes, and the compound was watched over by a guard and surrounded by concrete walls and razor wire, Dan Adkins said.

Sammy and Adkins began arguing the next morning and Sammy later told investigators he was afraid that the loud noises would alert the guard. He said he tried to quiet Adkins using a baseball bat, which was usually kept by the door for protection, and repeatedly hit him in the head and face as Adkins fell to the ground. The cause of the argument is unknown.

"I really need some closure on what caused the argument," Dan Adkins said.

A funeral director in Cleveland later told Dan Adkins that the body was so damaged it could not possibly be restored for an open-casket funeral.

Upon fleeing Adkins' house, Sammy took some of the 25-year-old's belongings, which included a cell phone, a laptop computer and a camera. He left his own cell phone at the house, which investigators used as their primary lead in the case. Sammy was later apprehended in a village six hours from Adkins' home with the belongings.

"So, in all, our son was killed for a few lousy bucks for his belongings on the street of Addis Ababa," the family's e-mail said. "What a terrible waste of a man, son, brother and a true friend to many."

The family learned about the details of the case after State Department officials visited them at their home in late February. They have also been communicating with the U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Donald Yamamoto. The State Department told them they did not consider the murder to be connected with terrorism or political opposition to the Ethiopian government.

Adkins earned two degrees from GW - a bachelor's degree from in 2005 and a master's degree in 2007. While in Foggy Bottom he was active in the GW Knights of Columbus and the Newman Catholic Center.

On Friday, May 1, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to preside over a ceremony honoring Adkins and three other Foreign Service officers who have died on duty. The four officers' names will be inscribed on a memorial plaque in the State Department's main lobby at their building adjacent to campus.

Adkins was in his first year of duty in the country, performing consular work including helping Americans in distress and handling visas and passports. He was scheduled to travel to Rwanda for several weeks on the day of his death to work in the U.S. Embassy there, Dan Adkins said.

Diplomat killed in Addis Ababa

I heard about this when it happened, but didn't want to post anything until it was public out of respect for Brian's family. As always, our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

U.S. diplomat's death in Ethiopia being investigated as homicide

By Carly Lagrotteria and Sarah Scire The GW Hatchet

A George Washington University alumnus working for the State Department was found dead in Ethiopia this week and U.S. government officials say his death is being investigated as a homicide.

Brian Adkins, who graduated in 2007, worked for the State Department as a Foreign Service officer stationed in Ethiopia's capital city, Addis Ababa. Representatives from the State Department said Wednesday that Adkins died on Saturday, but would not give further details because it was an ongoing homicide investigation.

Adkins, who would have turned 26 on Feb. 2, completed both his undergraduate and graduate studies at GW, graduating summa cum laude as an international affairs major from the Elliott School of International Affairs in 2005. He joined the State Department after receiving his master's degree in 2007 and was assigned to Ethiopia.

After studying the indigenous language and culture for nearly a year, Adkins moved to Ethiopia as part of a Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship.

John Wysham, head of the Ethiopia desk at the State Department, said he was unable to provide details about Adkins' death or the homicide investigation.

"The trouble here is that it is a crime scene we are talking about," Wysham said. "It wasn't like he fell off a rock and hit his head."

He added, "We'd love to talk about it and stop some of these rumors but we cannot."

Wysham said that he has been in contact with the Ethiopian embassy and Ethopian police forces about the ongoing investigation.

A Foreign Service officer also stationed in Africa is planning to accompany Adkins' body from Ethiopia to the United States, Wysham said. The casket will be transported by military aircraft.

Ginny Boncy, a member of the State Department's casualty assistance department, said Adkins was in the first year of his assignment and performing consular work for the State Department.

Consular work typically includes providing services like assisting Americans in distress and handling visas and passports.

Though Adkins' father could not be reached for comment, senior Michael Geremia, one of Adkins' best friends, described the Ohio native as "selfless, hardworking, confident, funny, charming, articulate, a scholar and a gentleman."

"The world has lost someone who had so much to offer. I miss him tremendously," Geremia said. "When I received word of his death on Monday, which would have been his 26th birthday, a piece of me died in Ethiopia."

Geremia said that he last spoke to Adkins on Sunday, Jan. 25, when the two friends started to plan Adkins' summer vacation in D.C.

"He was so excited to be in Africa serving his country as a diplomat, promoting American values," Geremia said. "As much as he loved his career, he missed the U.S."

Geremia said that despite the trials of living abroad, Adkins was optimistic about his future as a diplomat.

"Whenever I would urge him to be safe, he would reassure me that Ethiopia was safer than D.C.," Geremia said.

As a student in Foggy Bottom, Adkins was a leader at the Knights of Columbus and the Newman Center, two organizations devoted to the Catholic faith.

He served as a trustee and held several officer positions with the Knights, including chancellor in charge of membership. After graduating, Adkins served as state ceremonial chairman and district warren for the Knights. In 2007, he was named Knight of the Year in D.C.

"He was friendly to everyone, incredibly devoted to his faith, and always willing to volunteer and give of himself," said senior Conrad Murphy, a former grand knight. "When he left for Ethiopia, we found that it took at least three of us just to fill his shoes."

Friends and fellow members of the Knights of Columbus, including Murphy, said Adkins will be remembered as incredibly intelligent and always working to master a new language. He spoke French, Arabic and Amharic, the official working language of Ethiopia.

Tom Saccoccia, a fellow 2007 alumnus and close friend, said Adkins will also be remembered for his humility.

"He just wasn't a credit grabber, even though he did everything," Saccoccia said. "He was just an all-around good guy."

Adkins was a native of Columbus, Ohio. A Rite of Christian Burial is planned in his honor at St. Mary's Church in his hometown.