Soldier with fake ID at MacDill faced forgery charge in 2005

For months, Maureen Kilburn wondered and worried about what happened to her ex-husband, Christopher Paul Kilburn, a U.S. Army specialist who was absent without leave from Fort Riley in Kansas.

The two have been divorced since February and have a 5-year-old daughter together, but the family hadn't seen him since March.

So when she heard the news that her ex and a woman were picked up outside MacDill Air Force Base on Monday with a carload of weapons and military gear, she was relieved in a way.

"I am glad this is over," said Maureen Kilburn. "We have been looking for him for a long time."

Maureen Kilburn said her ex-husband had been on the run for several months. While happy that she now knows where he is, the news is also "very upsetting.''

"He has a young daughter who is going to be affected by this for a very long time," she said.

Maureen Kilburn's sister, Jennifer Nelson Spitzer, said she was "shocked" when she learned about the incident at MacDill.

She said her sister divorced Kilburn in February after six years of marriage. Though she "did not know a lot" about her ex-brother-in-law, Spitzer said, he "always seemed very responsible and level-headed. He was always nice to me.

"I know that he loves his 5-year-old daughter very much," said Spitzer.

Spitzer said the last time she saw Kilburn was in March.

Christopher Kilburn was with a woman named Micah Goodier when he was detained by MacDill security after authorities said they tried to get on the base with fake IDs.

Spitzer said she had previously heard about Goodier, who she said was involved in a relationship with Kilburn. The two, said Spitzer, had been traveling together for a while.

The family, said Spitzer, found out Kilburn was AWOL sometime in April, when Kilburn's base commander contacted the family in an attempt to find him.

"We did not know where he was," Spitzer said.

Hans Athey, who was married to Christopher Kilburn's mother Brenda, said Christopher Kilburn was despondent over the end of his marriage and his diminished time with his daughter.

"He was kind of Mr. Mom to his daughter, Reagan," said Athey. "It was hard for him not to see his daughter."

It was not unusual for Kilburn to be around guns, said Athey.

"He had guns," said Athey. "He always grew up with guns. Before he was in the Army, he was in the Marines. Some people have different hobbies. His was guns."

The most surprising thing about this situation, says Athey, is that Kilburn tried to get onto an Air Force Base.

"If he was AWOL, why was he trying to get in military installation?"

Kilburn had ties to the Tampa area, said Athey. Records show that Kilburn's parents - Ray and Brenda, who were married at the time - had lived at several residences in the Tampa area in the '80s and '90s. Kilburn's mother lives in Pembroke Pines, records show.

On her linkedin.com page, Goodier said she attended the University of Texas Austin between 2006 and 2009. When asked to list what industry she is in, Goodier selected "motion pictures and film."

Reached by telephone Wednesday afternoon, Goodier's father Ronald confirmed that his daughter graduated from the University of Texas Austin, but didn't want to say much more.

"This is a pretty serious matter," he said. "I just don't feel comfortable talking. We do not have the whole story."

Monday was not the first time Kilburn had gotten in trouble for fake documents.

In 2005, Kilburn was arrested in Culpepper County, Va., and charged with forging a public record, unlawfully obtaining state motor vehicle documents and uttering a public record, according to court records. Kilburn had gotten a phony driver's license in his older brother's name in 2003, according to court records.

Court records show Kilburn pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of obstruction of justice without violence and served a one-year suspended sentence and two years of unsupervised probation.

After being on the run, Kilburn resurfaced Monday at MacDill's Bayshore Boulevard gate with Goodier, of Palm Beach, after they were ordered out of a blue Honda CRV they were driving.

A robotic device called in after the fake IDs were discovered found no explosives in their car, but security did find three military-style rifles, three handguns and ammunition, said Col. Dave Cohen, vice wing commander of the 6th Air Mobility Wing. Investigators also found military clothing and other military-style equipment in the Honda and soon discovered Kilburn was AWOL from his military unit.

Kilburn began his military career in the ROTC program at Culpepper County High School in Culpepper, Virginia.

A native of Prince George's County, Md., Kilburn also participated in the drill team, received a VFW medal for leadership and was commander of the school's 3rd platoon.

Kilburn is charged with desertion and will be turned over to Army authorities, according to 6th Air Mobility Wing vice commander Col. Dave Cohen. Additional charges are pending as the investigation continues. The U.S. Attorney's office is reviewing the case to see if there will be any charges brought against Goodier, according to spokesman Steve Cole.

Military officials are releasing few details about the case, including any possible explanation offered by the pair, but stressed the incident did not appear to be terrorism. Thanks to the quick response by security, Cohen said, the base was never in danger.

"Let me make one thing very, very clear," he said. "At no point was MacDill Air Force Base breached. It worked exactly as it was supposed to."

Investigators do not know whether Kilburn or Goodier, who both are U.S. citizens, have ever been on or tried to get on MacDill before, Cohen said. He said investigators do not know whether they have tried to approach other military installations.

Cohen said the vehicle, which is not registered in Florida, is thought to be Kilburn's.

All gates to the base reopened as normal Tuesday morning.