Family believes death of sailor is hate crime

 Relatives of a sailor found murdered in San Diego say he was shot, tied up and burned, and they're calling his death a hate crime.

 The body of August Provost III, 29, was found in a guard shack Tuesday at Camp Pendleton, near San Diego, California

 He was from Houston but a number of his relatives live in Beaumont.   

 Rose Roy believes her nephew was murdered and she doesn't think the military is telling the family the entire truth about what happened.

   Relatives say there is evidence to indicate Provost was attacked because he was gay.

   Roy says a friend of Provost called her and said when Provost was found, his hands and feet were tied, he was gagged, shot three times and his body had been set on fire.  He was found early Tuesday morning in a guard shack when another person showed up to replace him on duty.

  His aunt says he was proud to serve in the Navy.  He had been in the military for two years and was stationed at Camp Pendleton near San Diego.  Roy says he went into the military to help pay for the remainder of his college education.  He had already completed three years, studying to become an architectural engineer.

 Roy says it was about a year ago when her nephew told her and his superiors he was being harassed because he was gay.

 Roy says the military told Provost's mother it had no information about his death - other than he was found slumped over in his boots.

  Roy says she wants the military to tell her and the rest of his relatives the truth.     

 "He went to the Navy to serve and protect," said Roy.  "He didn't get protected at all.  To have someone hate, that kind of hate and treat him like he was garbage, and basically that's the way we feel.  The military didn't step up to the plate as he stepped up to protect his country and serve."

 The military has taken one man into custody and relatives say investigators are seeking a second person of interest.

 The family says the military isn't releasing additional information.  

The family has ordered an independent autopsy.

Relatives plan on holding the funeral next weekend.

SAN DIEGO (AP) - The death of a gay sailor who was killed as he stood guard at Camp Pendleton doesn't appear to be a hate crime, officials said.

Seaman August Provost, of Houston, Texas, was found shot multiple times Tuesday in what investigators are calling a random act unrelated to the 29-year-old's sexuality.

"It is clear to the investigators right now that it could have been any sailor standing watch," Navy spokesman Capt. Matt Brown told The Associated Press.

Some in the gay community had called for a hate crimes probe. Nicole Murray-Ramirez, chairman of the San Diego Human Relations Commission, said Provost's family told her that personnel on the base had been harassing the sailor.

Earlier in the day, Democratic Rep. Bob Filner of San Diego, who chairs the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said he would call for a Defense Department probe to see if the killing was a hate crime.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service has taken a "person of interest" into custody but had not filed any charges. Navy officials said he had made incriminating statements that tied him to the killing, though these statements did not constitute a confession.

Another sailor was questioned and released Wednesday.

Brown said Provost's killer burned the guard shack to cover up evidence.

Brown described Provost as "a rising star in our Navy," who entered the service in March 2008. He had completed basic training and subsequent technical schools and was beginning preparations for overseas deployment.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)