CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — An Okinawa sailor charged with soliciting and conspiracy to commit murder pleaded not guilty at a general court-martial Wednesday.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Sheila Daniels, based at White Beach Naval Facility, is accused of asking Marine Sgt. Michael Avinger, a friend she knew to be a gang member, to arrange the death of the girlfriend of her husband, Darian Daniels, during the summer of 2005.
Daniels was pregnant with the couple’s second child and was fed up with her husband’s affairs, particularly his affair with then-Staff Sgt. Christine Miller, who was also pregnant with his child, prosecutor Maj. Robert G. Palmer said during opening statements.
The Danielses lived near Avinger and his wife on Camp Courtney. The two couples became friends, and Sheila Daniels learned that Avinger was a high-ranking member of the Crips gang, Palmer said.
“Sgt. Avinger is a killer. She knew it, and she asked him to kill for her,” he said.
A team of fellow gang members was in place to “make the hit,” Palmer said. They called it off only when they saw that Miller was pregnant, knowing Avinger had a “soft spot for children” and would not want them to kill the unborn child, Palmer said.
A Naha District Court judge recently sentenced Avinger and Darian Daniels to eight years in jail for robbing and cutting the throat of an American civilian on Okinawa in October 2006.
During the joint investigation by Okinawan police and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Avinger revealed the details of the solicitation by Sheila Daniels, testified NCIS Special Agent D.J. Maier.
The solicitation and conspiracy charges are not part of the October 2006 crime.
Civilian defense attorney Shannon Frisson said the case is about Avinger, not about Sheila Daniels.
“Avinger was on a constant mission to have sex with Petty Officer Daniels … advances not reciprocated by Petty Officer Daniels,” Frisson said.
She did not solicit or conspire to hurt anyone, Frisson said, adding that Sheila Daniels wasn’t accused of a crime until Avinger was in a Japanese jail and talked about a lot of alleged crimes.
The court-martial was to continue Thursday with testimony from Avinger.
