7 Soldiers Who Last Saw Fort Bragg Paratrooper Before His Death Facing Court-Martial

A sign for Fort Bragg in N.C., on Jan. 4, 2020. Chris Seward/AP Photo

Seven soldiers who were the last to see a Fort Bragg paratrooper alive before his severed head washed up on a beach are facing court-martial and a string of other charges.

Sgt. Samuel Moore, Pfc. Samad Landrum, Pvt. Annamarie Cochell, and Spcs. Juan Avila, Alex Becerra, Joshua Curry, and Benjamin Sibley, were the last to see Spc. Enrique Roman-Martinez alive, according to court records obtained by the Fayetteville Observer.

The soldiers, who are assigned to the 37th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, had gone camping with the paratrooper at Cape Lookout National Seashore in North Carolina over Memorial Day weekend on May 22, 2020.

Friends reported Roman-Martinez missing on the evening of May 23.

His phone, wallet, and glasses were found at the campsite where he had been staying with the soldiers.

The severed head of 21-year-old Roman-Martinez was washed up on the shore six days later and officers were able to identify him using dental records and DNA. His body has not yet been found.

According to the Fayetteville Observer, an autopsy report lists Roman-Martinez’s manner of death as a homicide.

All seven soldiers are each charged with one count of conspiracy and failure to obey a direct order or regulation related to traveling more than 50 miles from Fort Bragg during a travel ban in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to court documents cited by the publication.

However, no one has yet been charged with Roman-Martinez’s death and the charges faced by the seven soldiers do not directly relate to the homicide, officials stressed.

Three of the soldiers: Becerra, Cochell, and Landrum are also each charged with using the hallucinogenic drug LSD, according to the publication.

Becerra is charged with three counts of disobeying a superior; Cochell is charged with two counts of disobeying a superior, and Curry is charged with one count of disobeying a superior.

Avila, Sibley, Landrum, Curry, and Becerra are also charged with various counts of making false statements.

All seven have all been arraigned and their trials are scheduled from May to September. It is unclear what penalties they will face if found guilty.

Roman-Martinez’s homicide case remains open with a $50,000 reward but was moved to “cold case status,” a spokeswoman for the Army Criminal Investigation Division told the Fayetteville Observer in November.

A specialized Task Force was set up to investigate his death, comprised of Criminal Investigation Division (CID) Special Agents, FBI personnel, and the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit.

To date, the Task Force has executed more than 100 warrants and subpoenas and conducted more than 400 interviews during the investigation. Officials have also conducted several extensive air, land, and sea searches while looking for additional evidence.

Drive teams have also conducted extensive searches of the area.

“I have been a criminal investigator for more than 40 years and have worked hundreds of death investigations,” said CID Special Agent Steve Chancellor in a press release (pdf) in August 2021.

“This tragic death is a real mystery on what exactly happened. All logical theories or suspicions that were developed to date have been investigated and either discounted or disproven. We have and are still looking at all possibilities, but need the public’s help,” Chancellor added.

The Army CID declined to comment on the matter, stating that it “does not comment on open investigations.”

“The decision to charge or not charge an individual rests with the court martial convening authority and/or prosecuting office,” CID said in a statement to The Epoch Times.