Naman Shrestha
One of the horrific murder cases explored in the episode titled ‘You Took My Daughter’ of ABC’s ’20/20′ is that of a pregnant 23-year-old Army dentist named Megan Touma. When she was found dead inside her motel room in Fayetteville, North Carolina, an investigation was immediately launched to get to the bottom of the case. The investigation led the detectives to an unlikely perpetrator, who had woven many lies for her.
Megan Touma Hailed From a Family of Military Service and Followed in Their Footsteps
Born on August 26, 1984, in Seoul, South Korea, Megan Lynn Heine Touma was the beloved daughter of William D. Heine Jr. and Debra L. Pickering-Heine. Having grown up in a nurturing household where both parents served in the military, she never seemed to have any shortage of support. She also shared a tight bond with her sister, Melissa A. Heine, and brother, Bradley S. Heine. Megan was an athletic and energetic child. As a student at Campbell County High School, Megan was an active member of both the cheerleading and cross-country teams. Embarking on the same path as several of her family members, she enlisted in the army in 2002 or 2003.
Megan received basic training as a dental specialist at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and subsequently enrolled in Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Following that, she also refined her basic skills by undertaking the Combat Lifesaver course. After demonstrating her abilities at an army dental clinic at Fort Drum, New York, she devoted three years of service at the Dental Activity Clinic Bavaria (DENTAC Bavaria) in Bamberg, Germany. However, in February 2008, she reportedly requested a transfer to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. It seemed like the relocation request was also due to the fact that she was seven weeks pregnant at the time. Megan was once married to El Sayed Touma, but the relationship didn’t work out, and they eventually got divorced.
Megan Touma Was 7 Weeks Pregnant When She Was Found Dead in a Bathtub of a Motel
Megan was excited about the arrival of her firstborn, but continued to focus on her professional life. Throughout her years of service in the army, Megan was recognized for her determination, resilience, and commitment. She earned multiple honors, including the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon. On June 12, 2008, she reported to the 19th Replacement Company in Fort Bragg and commenced her assignment. Sadly, just over a week later, Megan was killed before she could fulfill her dreams and welcome her child into the world. On June 21, 2008, the 23-year-old was found dead by a motel employee at the Fairfield Inn at Cross Creek Mall in Fayetteville.
Megan had reportedly checked into the motel on June 17. As the door of her room displayed a “Do Not Disturb” sign, it was left unattended by the employees. However, when other guests reported the emission of a foul odour from her room, the motel maintenance supervisor went in to check. As per reports, he discovered Megan submerged in the bathtub and contacted the police. The authorities noted that she had been dead for days. Upon the initial examination of the room, they recovered DNA swabs, two sections of drywall with a red substance they suspected to be blood, and a few other items for further investigation. A Chevrolet Trailblazer found in the motel’s parking space was also seized by the police. The autopsy confirmed Megan Touma sustained bruises on her neck, and her cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation.
The Killer Was the Father of Megan Touma’s Unborn Baby
After Megan Touma’s demise, her ex-husband, El Sayed Touma, released a statement, saying, “I mean the Army knows that she stayed in that hotel or motel; they put her in there and didn’t even check on her to make sure she was okay. And when her family called the Army to check on their daughter, because they hadn’t heard from her in a while, the Army said she was AWOL, and her mother said ‘she would never go AWOL.'” Pressured to get to the bottom of the case, the authorities began the investigation and questioned a soldier named Edgar Patino at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare School at Fort Bragg, but he was not considered a suspect.
About a week after Megan’s remains were found at the motel, The Fayetteville Observer received a letter from someone claiming to be the killer. What boggled the minds of the detectives was that the letter ended with a symbol similar to the signature symbol of “the Zodiac Killer,” a serial killer who was never caught by the authorities. Treating it as a clue, the detectives traced the letter to the typewriter it was written on, which led them to a pawnshop where Edgar had purchased the typewriter a few days after the murder. As per the investigators, he sent them the letter to mislead the police.
Upon digging deeper, they learned that Megan and Edgar were not only stationed together in Germany, but the former was pregnant with his child. Moreover, she followed him to Fort Bragg, allegedly unaware that he was a married man. More than a month after Megan’s murder, Edgar Patino was arrested on the evening of July 29, 2008, at his home in Hope Mills, where he resided with his wife. Besides admitting to be the father of Megan’s unborn child, he also confessed to being in her motel room in the days leading to her demise. Thus, he was charged with first-degree murder of the 23-year-old woman.
Edgar Patino is Supposedly a Free Man Today
By January 2010, the prosecution revealed that they would not seek the death penalty against Edgar Patino. Several months later, on November 2, 2010, the former Fort Bragg soldier pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree murder in connection with the killing of Megan Touma in the summer of 2008. After accepting the plea bargain deal from the prosecution, he was sentenced to between 16 and 20 years in prison for his crimes. However, he was also given credit for the time he had already served in jail from the day of his arrest. From what we can tell, it appears that 44-year-old Edgar Patino was released on parole in November 2024. Since then, he has been staying away from the limelight and leading a private life.
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