Waiting for justice: Mother still grieving murder of only son

Two years after her son was murdered in his sleep at a Louisiana Army base, Billie Eisinger still feels the hole in her life.

Anxiety attacks overcome her, sometimes to the point of physical illness. She has been unable to go back to her job.

The grief remains raw, the tears very near the surface.

“I wish I could find a surgeon who could sew my heart back together,” she said.

Eisinger’s only son, Byron Whitcomb, 21, was attacked and killed the morning of June 19, 2010, in his apartment at Fort Polk Army Base, apparently by a homeless veteran he had befriended.

Marcus P. Carey, who had been discharged from the Army but continued to stay on the base, is accused of the murder and additionally has been charged with attempted murder for an attack on Whitcomb’s roommate, Howard Alley. Alley survived the attack.

Though court records indicate Carey admitted killing Whitcomb and attacking Alley, early last year he pleaded not guilty in federal court. Carey is in jail awaiting a trial that could begin late this summer.

The federal government still hasn’t decided whether it will seek the death penalty for Carey.

Billie and her husband, Tom, of Whitefish, say they’re frustrated by the drawn-out judicial process, and they don’t know why the federal government chose to seal the court records.

“It’s been two years,” Tom said. “We’ve had a hard time getting information. We’re kind of out of the picture.”

They plan to travel to Louisiana for the court trial and are pushing for the death penalty for Carey. Defense attorneys had until April 13 to submit reasons to the U.S. Attorney’s Office why the government should not seek the death penalty for Carey.

Friends and family of the Eisingers and Whitcomb have a May 13 deadline to turn in their recommendations for a “just sentence” to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Vicki Chance, a victim witness coordinator for the Justice Department, said anyone who knew Whitcomb is invited to write a letter.

“If you would like to convey to the prosecuting attorney your feelings as to how Byron affected your life, and as to how the taking of Byron’s life away from you has affected your life ... you may write a letter stating your feelings,” Chance said in an advisory issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Letters may be sent to: U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Attention Vicki Chance, Western District of Louisiana, 300 Fannin St., Ste. 3201, Shreveport, La., 71101-3068.

“Tom and I feel the more letters the better,” Billie said. “We just feel Byron’s family and friends should at least have a chance to convey their feelings.”

According to a news story in the Leesville Daily Leader in Leesville, La., Carey’s mental state could play into his defense.

A psychiatrist’s report revealed Carey, who had served in the Army for five years, suffered from chronic post traumatic stress disorder, severe depression and alcohol dependence that was “in full remission in a controlled environment.”

That report further stated Carey’s “mental diseases and/or defects caused him to act without malice or aforethought, premeditation, plan or design,” according to the Leesville news report.

It still baffles the Eisingers how their son could be so vulnerable on a military base.

“I thought he was so safe there,” Billie recalled.

While Whitcomb and Alley were sleeping, Carey retrieved a hammer from the laundry room and knives from the kitchen, then attacked Whitcomb, striking him in the head an undetermined number of times and stabbing him numerous times, the U.S. Attorney’s office alleges. Carey then proceeded to attack Alley.

They’re puzzled why the Army allowed the former soldier back on base after being “mustered out” of military service. They believe the base should have had a better security system for keeping track of unauthorized visitors.

The Eisingers aren’t surprised that Whitcomb invited the man to stay overnight because their son was a very giving person.

“He opened his heart to this gentleman and gave him a place to stay,” she said.

Billie raised her son as a single mother and the bond they had was special. Tom, a retired railroad engineer, married Billie in 2009, a year before Whitcomb’s death. He wishes he had the chance to get to know his stepson better.

“Thank God Tom came into my life,” Billie said. “I don’t know what would’ve happened to me.”

Tom created a memorial to Whitcomb on the front lawn, in the exact place Billie was standing when the black SUV pulled up and a uniformed soldier stepped out to deliver the devastating news.

“I was out mowing the lawn,” Billie said. “The military showed up and I knew...”

Billie went to counseling sessions at the Veterans Affairs office in Kalispell to deal with the loss, and expects to resume counseling as the trial gets closer.

“It’s helped tremendously,” she said.

Whitcomb was a standout athlete at Whitefish High School and was named All Conference and All State in football his senior year. He also played hockey and baseball. His obituary stated “he excelled to be the best at everything he did and had talent that did not go unnoticed.”

Whitcomb had been looking forward to deploying to Afghanistan as part of a Black Hawk company in fall 2010.

Billie knows her son’s death has forever changed her.

“I don’t laugh like I used to,” she said. “It took away a lot of my personality.”

Tom added, “It’s a hollow feeling.”

Friends continue to drop in to check on the couple and offer support. They tell them once the trial is over, they will get closure.

“What the heck is closure?” Billie asked. “The only day I’ll get closure is the day I leave this earth.”

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.