A national story with local ties is bringing some clarity to a Pennsylvania family after Jacksonville Navy Captain John Nettleton was arrested in connection to Marine Christopher Tur's death back in 2015.
First Coast News spoke with Aline Byrnes, Tur's sister in Pennsylvania.
"I'm very proud of the work that NCIS did to make this happen," said Byrnes about the indictment.
Tur was found dead in the waters off the base at Guantanamo Bay Jan. 11, 2015. The Department of Justice reports in its indictment that Nettleton was having an affair with Tur's wife, a fact he failed to disclose during the investigation.
Tur, a 42-year-old marine who achieved the rank of Lance Corporal was working at Guantanamo Bay in a civilian capacity.
The indictment documents a confrontation at a party on Jan. 9, 2015 between Tur and Nettleton where Tur accused Nettleton of having an affair with his wife.
Nettleton turned himself into NCIS Headquarters at NAS Jax and was immediately taken into custody at a federal holding facility on Wednesday.
By Wednesday afternoon, he pleaded not guilty on 10 counts including obstruction of justice, concealing facts, and falsifying records. He was not charged for Tur's death.
"We lost somebody very important to us," said Byrnes. "For us, it'll never end. The pain will never go away."
At the courtroom, a family friend of Tur who asked not to be identified told First Coast News the arrest is "bittersweet" because despite the charges, they do not include a murder charge.
"I personally believe he's getting away with murder," he said.
"Somebody needs to be held accountable," said Byrnes. "The evidence led investigators where it did. They are seeking justice and I had every faith in NCIS."
The Navy captain was released with some restrictions on his travel until his trial on May 6. If he is convicted, he faces a maximum of 110 years in prison and a $2.5 million fine.