Man who deserted US air force 35 years ago found under new alias
The story of Captain William Howard Hughes Jr was revealed when investigators interviewed him about passport fraud.
Tuesday 12 June 2018 04:17, UK
A man who deserted the US air force 35 years ago has been found living in California under a new alias.
Captain William Howard Hughes Jr, now 66, was last seen withdrawing $28,000 (£20,919) from 19 different bank branches in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1983.
He was seized by air force agents at his California home after being interviewed by officials investigating passport fraud earlier this month.
Capt Hughes was living under the name Barry O'Beirne, but investigators unravelled his story after spotting inconsistencies and he later admitted his real identity.
He said that he had been depressed about being in the air force, so chose to leave and create a new identity - since then, he has been living in California.
At the time of his disappearance, he had top secret investigation clearance and was assigned to the air force operational test and evaluation centre in Kirtland, New Mexico.
His duties included classified planning and analysis of NATO command, control and communications surveillance during the Cold War.
However, Linda Card, a spokeswoman for the air force office of special investigations, told the Albuquerque Journal that investigators currently see "no indication that he had any classified information or that he gave any classified information".
Capt Hughes disappeared in 1983 after returning from temporary duty in western Europe.
He was officially declared a deserter on 9 December 1983, after interviews with friends and co-workers, and searches by law enforcement failed to give any clues about his location.
He is now being held at Travis air force base awaiting charges.
US deserters can face a number of charges once they are found, including prison time, being dishonourably discharged and losing pay.
The last person to be executed in the US for desertion was Private Eddie Slovik in the Second World War, who was harshly punished so he could be made an example of.
Last year, there was uproar when Bowe Berhdahl was spared prison time after being found guilty of deserting his Afghan outpost - instead he was reduced to private in rank, dishonourably discharged and lost pay.