Girlfriend of Murdered Green Beret Speaks Out After His Wife Charged
April 2, 2025 – Fayetteville, NC – The girlfriend of Clinton “Clint” Bonnell, a retired Green Beret whose dismembered remains were found in a North Carolina pond, has broken her silence following the arrest of his wife, Shana Cloud, on charges of first-degree murder and concealment of death. Kelli Edwards, who had been in a relationship with Bonnell at the time of his disappearance in January, spoke to ABC News about the devastating loss of a man she described as “a beautiful human being” and the shock of learning his fate.
Bonnell, 50, vanished on January 28 after failing to attend his physician assistant class at Methodist University in Fayetteville, where he was in his second semester and served as cohort president. Edwards, who last saw him the day before, said she sensed something was wrong when his usual stream of text messages stopped. “The last text was that he was going to bed—‘good night,’ basically,” she recalled. “The next morning, I sent an early text, and it didn’t deliver. That’s when I knew something was off.” Alarmed by his silence, Edwards requested a welfare check on January 28, a call echoed by the university after he missed class—an uncharacteristic lapse for the disciplined veteran.
The investigation took a grim turn on February 25, when a torso was discovered in a pond three miles from Bonnell’s home on Butler Nursery Road. DNA analysis, confirmed on March 28 by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, identified the remains as Bonnell’s, revealing he had been shot multiple times. That same day, Cumberland County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Cloud, 50, at the couple’s residence. She was charged with murder and concealment, with prosecutors alleging she killed Bonnell on January 28—the morning after he informed her of his intent to divorce.
Edwards, speaking publicly for the first time since Cloud’s arrest, painted a picture of Bonnell as a patriot and a compassionate soul. “He was a Green Beret who served our country, helped his teammates with injuries, deployed around the world, and retired just three weeks before this happened,” she said, her voice heavy with grief. “Whatever happened to him, he didn’t deserve it—no one does—but he was just a really beautiful person.” She noted that Bonnell rarely spoke of his wife early in their relationship, instead focusing on his love for his daughter. “He adored her, talked about all she brought to his life,” Edwards added.
Court documents reveal a chilling timeline. On January 27, Bonnell met with a lawyer to initiate divorce proceedings and texted Edwards that night to say he’d broken the news to Cloud. Prosecutors believe Cloud shot him the next morning inside their home, with evidence including bullet holes in his bookbag and laptop matching wounds on his torso. Digital records show Cloud traveled to the pond’s vicinity on January 29, lingering near where his remains were later found. “She was there for some time,” Cumberland County District Attorney Billy West said in court, calling the case “horrific” due to the body’s condition—missing arms, legs, and head.
Cloud, a former traveling nurse who worked for the Virginia Department of Corrections, appeared in court on March 31, where her attorney, James Macrae Jr., maintained her innocence. “Mrs. Cloud looks forward to her day in court,” he said. She remains in custody without bond, facing potential capital punishment. Meanwhile, Edwards and Bonnell’s community are left grappling with the loss. “We’ve been devastated,” Edwards told ABC. “How do you comprehend something like this? There’s really no comprehension.”
The Bonnell family, in a Facebook statement, echoed her sentiments: “Clint was an incredible human who sacrificed so much for others and dedicated his life to the betterment of this world. To be taken from us prematurely at the hands of evil will never be understood.” Methodist University, where Bonnell was a standout student, offered counseling to peers, with Program Director April Martin noting his leadership and passion.
As the legal process unfolds, Edwards urged the public to remember Bonnell’s legacy. “He left an impact on so many people,” she said. “That’s who he was—an amazing human.” With Cloud’s next hearing set for mid-April, the case continues to unravel a tragedy that has shaken Fayetteville, leaving Edwards and others to mourn a hero lost too soon.