Was it a hate crime or not? Fort Campbell investigators won't say. But some friends of Barry Winchell say he was murdered because he was gay. Tonight, a man who says he was the dead soldiers lover, tries to shed more light on the motive. He talked exclusively to Newschannel 5's Dana Kaye.

"I definitely believe it was a hate crime." When PFC Barry Winchell was beaten to death inside his barracks at Fort Campbell, speculation grew that he was killed because he was gay.

"Barry was a very handsome, gentlemanly young man." Nashville entertainer Cal Addams is a transexual, who says he was Winchell's lover for the last 5-months of his life.

"Barry told me I was the first non-biological female he had slept with, that I was his first gay experience."

Addams says he met Winchell at 'The Connection', a gay bar in Nashville...where he is a female impersonator. He says the club is frequented by Fort Campbell Soldiers.

"Barry told me he assumed that everyone in his company knew that he was involved in a gay relationship."

Then came the harassing questions from other soldiers. "Asking him, are you gay? are you going to that gay bar in Nashville." "the guards would ask him, so have you been to that queer club? Is that where you're coming back from."

Addams says Winchell was worried that so many of his fellow soldiers seemed to know about their relationship. "He didn't tell me what he feared might happen, but he was concerned."

A few weeks later, Winchell was allegedly beaten to death with a baseball bat outside his room. A 2nd soldier has now been charged in connection with Winchell's murder.

But Addams is worried the military will try to cover up WHY Winchell was killed. "I don't think the military is investigating every possibility that this could be a hate crime."

Army investigators have questioned Cal Addams. But the army still says there is no concrete evidence the murder of PFC Winchell was an anti-gay hate crime. They do say however that their investigation into every aspect of this crime is continuing.

Any indication more soldiers were involved in Winchell's murder?
Cal Addams says he has heard from other soldiers on post, that more soldiers in the barracks heard the beating and did nothing....and may have even egged it on.

Gay organizations in Nashville plan to hold a memorial service for Winchell, tomorrow night at 7pm at the Centennial Park Bandshell.