American Nightmares

Unsolved Mysteries: The Strange Death of Colonel Phillip Shue

Despite showing signs of mutilation and torture, police ruled the death of Col. Shue as a suicide…

Michael East
True Crime Detective
13 min readNov 9, 2024

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April 16, 2003, seemed a typical day on the I-10. Traffic was moving well out of San Antonio, Texas, and nothing was amiss. That was until suddenly and violently, a tan-coloured Mercury Tracer swerved straight into the median. The car bounced for well over 1000ft, became airborne, and then smashed back down onto the highway. Yet still, it wasn’t over. Landing correctly on its wheels, the vehicle continued to cruise down the road for miles before veering off to the right and smashing into a cluster of trees.

Approaching the scene on Johns Road, Sheriff’s Department deputies found the driver deceased, seemingly from massive head injuries. Wearing full military fatigues, he would later be named as Air Force colonel Phillip Shue, aged 54. However, doubts about what had truly happened began to be raised right there at the scene.

Investigators noted that there was no wallet or ID in the vehicle, and a deep wound to the chest didn’t seem to have been caused by anything in the crash. Another look would reveal that Schu’s left pinky finger had been severed, both nipples had been…

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True Crime Detective
True Crime Detective

Published in True Crime Detective

True Crime Detective covers some of the world’s most baffling murders. From grisly serial killers to unsolved mysteries, True Crime Detective is the place. So, if you’re looking for a publication that will keep you up at night, True Crime Detective is the perfect choice!

Michael East
Michael East

Written by Michael East

Freelance writer. Writing on true crime, mysteries, politics, history, popular culture, and more. | https://linktr.ee/MichaelEast