FBI Seeks Information in the Murder Investigation of a U.S. Government Contractor
Reward Up to $20,000 Offered for Information in the Death of James Kitterman
| FBI Washington March 21, 2014 |
WASHINGTON—Today, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the individual or individuals responsible for the May 2009 murder of James Owen Kitterman, a U.S. citizen and government contractor, in Baghdad, Iraq.
James Kitterman was last seen alive on May 21, 2009, at approximately 9:00 p.m. (2100) local time inside the Green Zone, Baghdad, Iraq. The following day, May 22, 2009, Kitterman’s body was found in his vehicle, which was located inside the Green Zone.
Kitterman was the owner and operator of Peregrine Eyes, a private construction company (now defunct) that operated in Baghdad and was contracted by the U.S. government. Peregrine Eyes was established in 2008 and began contracts in Iraq that same year. At the time of his death, Kitterman was overseeing Peregrine Eyes’ construction of a helipad at the U.S. Consulate in Baghdad inside the Green Zone. Kitterman’s office and residence were also located inside the Green Zone on a compound owned and operated by Corporate Training Unlimited (CTU), a security contracting company. Compound security was provided by locally recruited guards, some of whom reported Kitterman’s vehicle leaving the compound around 11:00 p.m. (2300) local time on May 21, 2009.
In 2009, Peregrine Eyes had approximately 45 employees with whom James Kitterman was known to interact. As is common with many U.S. government construction-related contracts on bases in the Middle East, employees were recruited from many different countries. Employees working for Peregrine Eyes in 2009 were primarily from the U.S. and the Philippines. After Kitterman’s death, Peregrine Eyes was run by another contractor until approximately late 2009 or early 2010, when the company was dissolved.
Almost five years after Kitterman’s death, the FBI continues to investigate this unsolved murder.
The FBI has created a seeking information poster and is asking anyone with information regarding James Kitterman to please contact their local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate or to submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. Tips can remain anonymous.
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