Newly filed court records show that retired U.S. Army Special Forces veteran Clinton James Bonnell had virtually no money remaining in his personal bank accounts by the time his estate was inventoried—months after he went missing and weeks after his remains were formally identified.
Probate documents filed in Cumberland County Superior Court list zero balances in Bonnell’s Wells Fargo and USAA checking accounts. The estate inventory reports only $131.14 in a Fidelity account and $2.33 in cash as remaining liquid assets. The filings do not explain when the accounts were depleted or who had access to them.
The financial disclosures add a new dimension to a case already marked by a prolonged disappearance, a delayed identification of remains, and serious criminal charges against Bonnell’s wife.
From disappearance to identification
Bonnell, a decorated Green Beret and former Special Forces Medical Sergeant, was reported missing from his Fayetteville, North Carolina home in late January 2025. Prosecutors later alleged the offense conduct occurred on or about January 27, 2025, according to charging documents. Court records do not establish an exact date of death.
On Tuesday, February 25, 2025, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office received a call reporting human remains found in a body of water near his home. Due to the condition of the remains, investigators were unable to make an immediate identification. DNA samples were collected and sent to the North Carolina State Crime Lab for profiling.
On March 28, 2025, authorities confirmed through DNA testing that the remains belonged to Bonnell. The DNA profile was matched against records maintained by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System.
Later that same day, Bonnell’s wife, Shana Lea Cloud, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and concealment of a death. A district court judge found probable cause on both charges, and bond was denied. Her case remains pending in Cumberland County District Court, with hearings continued into 2026. Cloud has not entered a plea and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Estate opened, finances disclosed months later
A full estate administration was opened on April 7, 2025, in Cumberland County Superior Court. Because Cloud is charged in connection with Bonnell’s death, she was deemed unsuitable to serve as estate administrator. The court appointed Bonnell’s sister, Stefanie Firkins, to oversee the estate.
On December 3, 2025—more than ten months after Bonnell was reported missing and more than eight months after his remains were identified—the court-appointed administrator filed the estate inventory. That filing is the first public document to detail the status of Bonnell’s personal bank accounts.
The inventory does not allege financial misconduct and does not include transaction histories. Probate filings typically reflect account balances as reported to the court, not when or how funds were withdrawn.
Property tied up in foreclosure proceedings
Separate court records show the couple’s property on Butler Nursery Road entered foreclosure proceedings in mid-2025. The foreclosure filing names Cloud, Bonnell’s family members, the estate administrator, and unknown heirs as respondents.
The property—jointly deeded to Bonnell and Cloud—was scheduled for foreclosure sale multiple times before the action was ultimately withdrawn in December 2025. The docket reflects default notices and repeated sale filings while both the criminal case and probate proceedings were ongoing.
Those records help explain why the property appeared in early estate filings but was not listed as a liquid asset in the final inventory.
Earlier attempt to access assets
Court records previously reviewed by The Salty Soldier show that before Bonnell’s remains were identified, Cloud filed a separate court action seeking control over his assets, including bank accounts and property. That action was later dismissed following her arrest.
The probate inventory does not state whether any withdrawals occurred before or after Bonnell went missing, and no bank statements have been released publicly.
Case remains unresolved
No wrongful-death lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Bonnell’s estate. Prosecutors have not publicly commented on the probate or foreclosure filings.
Cloud remains in custody as her criminal case proceeds through the Cumberland County court system.
The Salty Soldier will continue monitoring court records and report on developments in both the criminal prosecution and related civil proceedings as additional information becomes available.
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