First in a series

Ten years after National Guard Sgt. Scott Ansman was convicted of fatally bludgeoning a young woman at the Culver City Armory and sentenced to life in prison, a former Ansman aide, with clarity in mind, has stepped forward.

His purpose: To demystify some details surrounding the killer who was married with three small children, including a newborn, when he murdered JoAnn Crystal Harris with a baseball bat on Aug, 24, 2007.

Not long afterward, the killer telephoned Culver City police. He told them to come arrest him at the Armory.

“I served with Sgt. Ansman from ’05 to ’08,” said the newcomer who identified himself as Mr. Camp.

This is his story:

“The first day after I got out of the Marine Corps, I did two years of nothingness. Then I went into the Army, and Sgt. Ansman was a supply sergeant at the Armory.

“He taught me how to soldier because the Marine Corps and the Army are two different  beasts. He taught me a lot.

“He was a very good guy. He was a good father.

“In regard to his marriage, that is none of my business.

“He was in a situation…like I say, he was a good soldier and he taught me a lot. But the thing is, supposedly he had a gripe with our superiors because one thing in the military, it is all about respect and honor and integrity.

“Supposedly – I never confirmed this – he was saying he was in areas in combat when he really wasn’t. So there was an issue there with the higher-ups and him.

“When I found that out, it bothered me a lot. Because, me and this man, he has taught me a lot. He always went to bat for me. He tried to get me promoted. I was kind of struggling financially. So he helped me get on state active duty. So I was at the Armory a lot.”

(To be continued)