Air Force Times: Emails accuse former Aviano vice wing commander of protecting Wilkerson
The Air Force Times reports:
The Air Force made public late last month hundreds of pages of emails between top Air Force leaders in the case. Wilkerson was convicted in November of sexually assaulting 49-year-old Kimberly Hanks. Three months later, Third Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Craig Franklin overturned the verdict.
“Col. Ostovich clearly failed to act as the senior [sexual assault prevention and response/sexual assault response coordinator] rep on the base,” Zobrist wrote in the May 2012 email to Franklin. “I believe he did this to protect his friend, the alleged assailant.”
Zobrist explained that Ostovich was in a relationship with the victim’s friend. Hanks had shared with her friend key details of the assault. Ostovich “potentially obstructed justice by communicating this info to Lt. Col. Wilkerson, although this will be hard to prove,” Zobrist wrote in the email to Franklin.
“I have counseled him multiple times before on the need to behave like a senior leader and he clearly hasn’t gotten the message,” Zobrist wrote.
