Congressman Filner says gay sailor's death a possible hate crime

Rep. Bob Filner (D-Chula Vista) said today he had asked the U.S. Department of Defense and the Marine Corps to investigate whether the killing of a sailor, who was gay, at Camp Pendleton was a hate crime.     

Filner, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said he wanted a complete investigation of circumstances surrounding the death of Seaman August Provost, 29, of Houston. Provost’s body was found about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday in a guard shack on the western edge of the sprawling base.

Gay leaders in San Diego had asked Filner to intervene. Nicole Murray-Ramirez, chairman of the San Diego Human Relations Commission, said Provost’s family said the sailor had been harassed by other personnel on the base.

Filner said initial indications are that Provost was shot and his body burned. He said his committee also will investigate the case.

Provost’s partner found out about the death from a newspaper reporter, Murray-Ramirez said.

The military has said that a "person of interest" is in the brig at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station in San Diego. No information has been released about a possible motive.

"We respect the military, but we want to ensure that there is full disclosure, to see if this was a hate crime," said Murray-Ramirez. "A member of our community has been killed."

Provost was assigned to a unit on the base that takes combat Marines ashore in high-speed craft.

— Tony Perry