Lavigne enlisted in the Army in 2001 and graduated the Special Forces Qualification Course in 2007, after which he was assigned to the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), then to USASOC, the command said. garland.chad@stripes.com Twitter: @chadgarland. In June, two paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division were found dead in their barracks in what Army officials said they suspected were drug overdoses. Support local journalism with a subscription to The Fayetteville Observer. William J. Lavigne II, 37, a Green Beret, and Timothy Dumas, 44, an Army veteran who once served at Fort Bragg. Officials responded to the location because of unknown trouble, the sheriffs office said a brief statement. Nothing justifies the way they murdered him.. He served as a fire support NCO assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion. Matthew Disney, 20, of Aberdeen, Maryland, were pronounced dead on the scene by emergency medical Abigail Jenks, died after doing a static-line jump training. Hamilton is survived by his parents, Michael and Carolyn, of Plano, Texas. In May, Fort Bragg Sgt. A Fort Bragg soldiers alleged plot to "physically remove" racial minorities from eastern North Carolina was uncovered by military officials. By Brent Staples. Rubino leaves behind his wife Alyssa, their daughter Legacy, and his mother, Sheila. }); Norton can be reached at fnorton@fayobserver.com. Romero says that Roman-Martinez also took LSD, and that Becerra was allegedly known around the barracks as a small-time dealer of acid tabs. FORT BRAGG, N.C. . This is according to what Romero says he heard from soldiers who were on the camping trip. Lavigne dedicated himself to the Army for 19 years and deployed multiple times in the defense of our Nation. Posted at 11:49 PM, Apr 27, 2023. and last updated 8:49 PM, Apr 27, 2023. (U.S. Army). He had too many plans., Editors picks FORT BRAGG, N.C. (WNCN) A Fort Bragg soldier was found dead in a barracks room Friday, officials say. A Fort Bragg soldier was found dead over the weekend at his family's home in Tucker, Ga., the U.S. Army said Thursday. Fort Bragg hasnt announced any fatalities since then. Megan Touma, a 23-year-old Fort Bragg soldier found dead in a motel bathtub in Fayetteville, N.C., more than a month ago. According to court documents, the situation began when Anthony tried to enter Fort Bragg on March 3, 2022, as officers were conducting random vehicle inspections. Private first class Mikel Rubino, who hailed from Oroville, California, was pronounced dead at the scene on Friday, August 13, by medical personnel. document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ Mark Harris. Rubino's cause of death has not yet been revealed. By Soldier killed, another detained after altercation at Fort Rucker, Like driving the Batmobile into the future: Air Force uses JLTV in mission for 1st time, Trailblazer: First Marine general to lead Defense Intelligence Agency dies at 64, China denounces US Navy reconnaissance planes trip through Taiwan Strait, Reports of sexual assaults increased in Navy, Air Force and Marines in 2022; Army saw decline, New bill aims to expand mental health care for military families, K-Town Now features the latest news from the Kaiserslautern Military Community. All Rights Reserved. He joined the News13 team in March 2020 after nearly two years at a sister station in Pennsylvania. hitType: 'event', ", When will Taemin return from military service? Roman-Martinezs death occurred over Memorial Day weekend of 2020. Christian Romero, a high school friend of Roman-Martinez who joined the Army around the same time and also had been stationed at Fort Bragg, says he cant understand why Becerra planned a camping trip at a time when the weather was so foul. SANFORD, N.C. Authorities on Wednesday said they are investigating the death of a Fort Bragg soldier who was found shot on Sunday in his Sanford home. Attempts to reach Autin by phone were unsuccessful. } The incident remains under investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department. They told the same story to authorities, who related it Griselda. A SPECIAL Forces soldier who was found dead next to an Army vet at Fort Bragg "killed a Green Beret in front of his five-year-old daughter in 2018," the victim's To cap off a freakish year at Fort Bragg, just three weeks after Lavigne and Dumas turned up dead, a 31-year-old combat medic assigned to Special Forces named Tiara Nicole Vinson, 26, was charged with first-degree murder and discharging a firearm into an occupied property in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in the killing of Spc. Follow Kevin on Twitter and read more of his work here. Pfc. The 2020 deaths include the unsolved homicides of Master Sgt. Correction: Officials earlier incorrectly reported Rubinos age as 21. Among the soldiers many awards and decorations are the Bronze Star Medal with V device; Bronze Star Medal (second award); Meritorious Service Medal; Joint Service Commendation Medal; Army Commendation Medal (second award); Army Achievement Medal (third award); and Joint Service Achievement Medal. Army criminal investigators also continue to investigate the death in late May 2020 of Fort Bragg Specialist Enrique Roman-Martinez, a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division, whose dismembered remains were found during a Memorial Day camping trip with fellow soldiers to North Carolina's Outer Banks. Jimmy Lee Smith III was found unresponsive at about 10:36 p.m. and pronounced dead by emergency medical services at the scene on Hammock Lane in Raeford, according to the Hoke County Sheriffs Office. }); Investigators said they believed that drug use was involved. Reached by phone, Becerra declined to comment. Last month, two paratroopers were found dead in their barracks room at Fort Bragg. On February 9, 2022, Seth reported the death of 83 soldiers at Fort Bragg in the 18 months ending in June 2021. This means soldiers stationed at Fort Bragg are twenty-seven times more likely to die unexpectedly on their home base than in overseas combat! He dedicated his life to serving his country and did so with great distinction. | In August 2021, CID increased the reward for information in the case to $50,000, the largest sum the Army has ever offered. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. His previous assignments include Hohenfels, Germany; Fort Hood, Texas; Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska; and Fort Sill, Oklahoma. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ In total, a staggering 83 active-duty soldiers stationed at Fort Bragg died in the 18 months ending June 2021, according to data obtained by Rolling Stone. But Roman-Martinezs death took place amid a surge in drug crime on Fort Bragg, with multiple murders with apparent links to the use or distribution of narcotics on-post. The incident is under investigation, officials said. Kevin is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. To date, there is not even a plausible theory of why anyone would have wanted to murder such a thoroughly nice guy, much less viciously decapitate him. Investigators said they found the evidence on Anthony's electronic devices. },false) In September 2021, a warrant officer named Anthony Rivera was charged with the murder of two toddlers hed adopted, both of whom died of blunt force trauma. },false) Last month, two paratroopers were found MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of }) The U.S. Attorneys Office from the Eastern District of North Carolina announced that a Fort Bragg soldier, who recently pleaded guilty to a weapon charge, No more information about the deaths of Lavigne and Dumas will be released while the Army Criminal Investigative Command investigates, USASOC said. Lavigne told Rick that her brother had a screwdriver, she said, but she claimed nothing was found at the scene and no real investigation was ever held.. The post is home to USASOC, as well as the XVIII Airborne Corps, Army Forces Command, 82nd Airborne Division and the Army Reserve Command. }); FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA: A 29-year old soldier was reportedly found dead in his barracks at Fort Bragg. Theyre still happening, but the base has gone dark. Back in January 2022, Seth wrote about this for Rolling Stone. The ferry was closed. Officials said 23-year-old Noah Edwin Anthony pleaded guilty yesterday to possessing an unregistered short-barrel rifle and faces up to ten years in prison. Download the News13 appto stay updated on the go.Sign up for WBTW email alertsto have breaking news sent to your inbox.Find todays top stories on WBTW.comfor the Grand Strand and Pee Dee. No arrests have been made nearly five months after a Special Forces soldier and veteran were found dead Dec. 2, at Fort Bragg, an official said last week. A senior defense official told ABC News in late March 2018 that the shooter was an active-duty member of a Special Missions Unit, known as Delta Force. ", Military news:Fort Bragg paratrooper who died was found unresponsive in barracks room, Army officials say. The US Army Special Operations Command said Lavigne, The death certificates They are trying to deter this investigation from a homicidal one to an accidental one, she says, and in my opinion they look ridiculous and incompetent., In November 2021, CID announced that after exhausting hundreds of leads and thousands of hours of investigation, the file had been moved to cold case status.. Hewitt declined to provide further information about what unit Dumas had served with at the end of his career. let gads_event; reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. eventAction: 'view' His first unit of assignment after graduating U.S. Army Basic Combat Training at Fort Sill in 2006 was with 1-319 Field Artillery Battalion at Fort Bragg. All rights reserved. Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Looking for something special to get your mom for Mothers Day? The rest of his body has not been found. Griselda says that her brother, a sensitive young man who was into Buddhism and crystals, kept a daily journal. Pfc. Though he was airborne-qualified, he was a noncombat support soldier, an HR specialist, who sat in front of a computer all day. The FGC-9 rifle found was submitted to the ATF Firearms Laboratory, which confirmed that it was a short barrel rifle violating the National Firearms Act (NFA). 0:57. After disappearing during a camping trip, Enrique Roman-Martinez became one of dozens of Fort Bragg soldiers to die recently under unexplained circumstances. In other words, the Army cant or wont say how a whole platoons worth of soldiers died at its largest installation, home of the Special Forces, the Airborne Corps, and the Joint Special Operations Command. This spring, Le Creuset has introduced an exciting new shade thats already selling fast: shallot, a soft lavender with pink and slight gray undertones. A 24-year-old Army cook assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg was found dead from a gunshot wound Wednesday in a town about 20 miles from the North Carolina base, according to Army officials and local police. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); A day after the bodies were found, an unnamed Army official leaked to CBS that both Lavigne and Dumas, at the time of their deaths, were under investigation for trafficking narcotics on Fort Bragg, and that investigators suspected a double homicide from a drug deal gone wrong. Spc. A She is the spouse of an Army veteran and a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in journalism. The incident is under investigation, according to officials. Michael was a dedicated Paratrooper, passionate leader, and a loyal friend, Lt. Col. Todd Sunday, commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, said in the statement. But in no fewer than 33 cases, the Army has classified the cause of death as undetermined.. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. In total, a staggering 83 active-duty soldiers stationed at Fort Bragg died in the 18 months ending June 2021, according to data obtained by Rolling Stone. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { He was a hippie, Griselda says, into nature and spirituality, a strong believer in womens rights, staunchly supportive of his female friends. William J. Lavigne II, 37, with U.S. Army Special Operations Command's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, and Timothy Dumas, 44, an Army veteran from Pinehurst, N.C., were found Wednesday in a training area on Fort Bragg, near Fayetteville. Joshua Diamond, 35, of Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Pfc. hitType: 'event', An investigative reporter for Rolling Stone Magazine, Seth Harp, has been His awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, four Army Commendation Medals, seven Army Achievement Medals, two Navy Achievement Medals, four Army Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one Campaign Star, Iraq Campaign Medal with two Campaign Stars, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, two NCO Professional Development Ribbons, Army Service Ribbon, four Overseas Service Ribbons, NATO Medal, Combat Action Badge, and the Army Parachutist Badge. Court documents and other evidence revealed that Anthony was attempting to enter Fort Master Sgt. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. He arrived to Fort Bragg in 2021 and was originally assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division Artillery Brigade. FORT BRAGG A senior enlisted paratrooper was found dead Monday at his home on Fort Bragg, according to a statement Tuesday from the 82nd Airborne Updated: Apr 22, 2023 / 11:45 AM EDT TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A soldier from New Port Richey died in a training exercise at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, according to a Friday announcement. WILMINGTON, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The U.S. Attorneys Office from the Eastern District of North Carolina announced that a Fort Bragg soldier, who recently pleaded guilty to a weapon charge, allegedly had an operation to remove certain minority groups from Eastern North Carolina. The men were found dead around 3:30 p.m. Dec. 2 in a wooded training area of Fort Bragg, near Manchester Road, the newspaper reported. FORT BRAGG A senior enlisted paratrooper was found dead Monday at his home on Fort Bragg, according to a statement Tuesday from the 82nd Airborne Divisions Public Affairs Office. Rubino's cause of death has not yet been revealed. In October, a highly trained Green Beret and intelligence sergeant named Calvin Rockward died from a sudden, unexpected medical event, though he was only 38 and in even better shape, to go by his Instagram photos. Fort Bragg stops reporting soldier deaths after dozens found dead in their bunks An investigative reporter for Rolling Stone Magazine, Seth Harp, has been looking into this medical anomaly. Tsu Surf Pleads Guilty to RICO, Firearms Charges, Collier says that shortly after calling 911, the group of soldiers alerted their unit, the 37th Brigade Engineer Battalion of the 82nd Airborne Division, but that their battalion commander, Lt. Col. Scotty Autin, waited until Monday morning to inform the CID, which delayed until the following Friday to secure Roman-Martinezs barracks as a crime scene. Posted 2:41 p.m. Oct 6, 2021 Updated 5:38 p.m. Oct 6, 2021. His next-of-kin are being notified,according to the statement. eventAction: 'load' Mikel Rubino was pronounced dead after emergency medical services personnel were called to his barracks and attempted life-saving measures, military officials said in a statement to ABC station WTVD in Durham, North Carolina. During his brief Army career, Rubino was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and the Army Parachutist Badge, military officials said. Jimmy was more than just an NCO, he was a mentor, a shoulder to cry on, a comedian at times, but most of all a great friend, Spc. hitType: 'event', FORT BRAGG, N.C. (WNCN) A Fort Bragg soldier was found dead in a barracks room Friday, officials say. Published Dec 4, 2020 5:17 PM EST. We lost our friend, he said. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { The medical examiner at Fort Bragg determined that the cause of death was likely homicide. April 27, 2023. Fort Bragg soldier found dead in barracks; mother questions death Lavigne had spent about a dozen of his 19 years in the service assigned to Special Forces and USASOC, the command said in a statement Friday. "The loss of Mikel to his family, friends, and fellow Paratroopers is a tragedy," Colonel Phillip J Kiniery III, commander 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, said in a statement. The remains of Army Spc. SHINee members and Shawols say 'we will wait', Who is Natalia Fadeev? Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, 1 hurt in Darlington County shooting Monday night, Met Gala: Tennis star, supermodel reveal pregnancies, Robeson Co. man escapes from Virginia prison Monday, Man linked to killing of NC deputy escapes from jail, Crazy Town singer faces DUI charge in Myrtle Beach, Hartsville man gets 10 years for drug, gun crimes, Coroner: 14-year-old killed in Horry Co. bar shooting, Florence man, FL woman sentenced in pandemic fraud, FMU softball wins Conference Carolinas championship,, 15 student-athletes sign at Carolina Forest High, 4 CCU football players ink professional deals over, NFL players daughter drowns after falling in pool, No. Pfc. Andrew W. Brown, 28, was a ga('ads.send', { In April, another Army paratrooper at Fort Bragg, Spc. }); Our condolences go out to his family during this difficult time, Duvall said. CID did not respond to a request for comment Friday, but an unnamed defense official told ABC News that foul play was suspected. They explained that they searched Anthonys car and found a Glock Like 9mm ghost gun with no serial number in the center council. According to Collier, whos had multiple briefings with the CID task force investigating the case, one of the seven campers entered Roman-Martinezs room before it was locked down. Private First Class Mikel Rubino, of Oroville, I have plenty to say, he tells Rolling Stone, but I prefer not to say anything at this time. He gave no indication of how he intends to plead at his arraignment, scheduled for Jan. 20. WILMINGTON, N.C. (WBTW) A Fort Bragg soldier wanted remove racial minorities from several North Carolina counties, including Scotland and Robeson counties, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. Fort Bragg stops reporting soldier deaths after dozens found dead in their bunks. He was an outstanding culinary specialist and an absolute asset to 3rd Group. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time Jimmy Lee Smith III, 24, died Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, in a shooting in Raeford, N.C. His death is being investigated as a homicide by the Hoke County Sheriffs Office. Officials stated that during a further search of Anthonys vehicle, military officers found two extended magazines, ammunition, Nazi-type patches and an American flag with a Swastika instead of a blue field and stars. Check out these great suggestions. Its unclear if he remained at the command throughout the remainder of his career. Confederate Tributes Are Losing Their Patron Saint. Fort Bragg stops reporting soldier deaths after dozens found dead in their bunks. Patino, who is married to another woman, is being held without bond and is scheduled to make his first court appearance in Cumberland County later today. There are no obvious suspects. FORT BRAGG, N.C. . The 50 Worst Decisions in Music History FORT BRAGG, N.C. (WTVD) -- Fort Bragg officials have identified the soldier killed Thursday in a military vehicle accident on post. A Ft. Bragg Officer Pleads Guilty and his Wife, the Executive Officer of the Campbell University ROTC Program, was Convicted in Government Property Theft that Profited More Than $2 Million "Our service men and women make sacrifices for our country every day and it undermines their commitment when a fellow soldier steals the We extend our deepest condolences to his loved ones as we mourn his passing alongside his family. Mikel Rubino, 29, a 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper was found unresponsive, but emergency medical crews declared Rubino dead when they arrived in the barracks, according to a news release from Fort Bragg officials. Thats why he walked away in the middle of the night.. Dumas had deployed to Afghanistan four times, according to a service history Army spokesman Sgt. Rose L. Thayer is based in Austin, Texas, and she has been covering the western region of the continental U.S. for Stars and Stripes since 2018. 2023 www.fayobserver.com. Kids in their early twenties go on camping trips and get drunk and trip on psychedelics all the time. pg.acq.push(function() { eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Chad is a Marine Corps veteran who covers the U.S. military in the Middle East, Afghanistan and sometimes elsewhere for Stars and Stripes. Otherwise, there has been absolutely no explanation from the Army for how these apparently healthy young men died. Our condolences go out to his family during this difficult time.. Another 3D-printed rifle was found inside Anthonys room at Fort Bragg, which also contained no serial number, according to the release. He would never hurt another person, she says, wiping tears from her eyes. Officials added that the gun hadnt been registered, as required under the NFA. ga('ads.send', { 734. Soldier and veteran found dead at Fort Bragg had longtime ties to the base By Chad Garland December 4, 2020 Master Sgt. Earlier in the day, park rangers had approached the group to ask them to move their vehicles, which were encroaching on protected sand dunes. Authorities on Wednesday said they are investigating the death of a Fort Bragg soldier who was found shot on Sunday in his Sanford home. Whoopi Goldberg interrupts 'The View' live segment, raises her voice and hits co-host, Demi Moore has not left Bruce Willis's side and is doing everything to make his 'last moments happy', 'Liza took a final breath and sighed': Liza Burke, 21, dies 6 weeks after stage 4 cancer diagnosis, Baywatch star Jeremy Jacksons ex-wife Loni Willison spotted looking for food in LA waste, Archie Blake: Boy, 11, mauled by shark while snorkeling just meters away from shore during family trip. A Rolling Stone magazine investigation published in April found that 44 Fort Bragg soldiers died on or near the base in 2020, including several killed in homicides and at least 21 who died from suicide. He had also earned a Combat Infantry Badge and Combat Action Badge. Master Sgt. His death came a day before President Joe Biden mobilized 1,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg to join U.S. troops deployed to Afghanistan over the weekend to, according to the president, facilitate the "orderly and safe drawdown" of U.S. personnel and allied forces in the region overrun by Taliban fighters. Kevin Accettulla is the digital executive producer at News13. if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ Taliban fighters were reaching the capital "from all sides", a senior Afghan interior ministry official told Reuters. As per a recent report, in order to evacuate US embassy personnel from Kabul from a Taliban onslaught threatening to topple the government, about 3,500 from Fort Bragg were being flown from the United States to the Middle East. ga('ads.send', { Kelia Horton, 22. FORT BRAGG A Fort Bragg soldier was killed and three others injured during a military vehicle accident at about noon Thursday on post, according to a news release from the installation. Lavigne and Dumas were found shot to death in December 2020 on a training range at Fort Bragg. Drugs may have been involved in the cases of Diamond and Disney, who were found dead on the same day in June 2021, just two weeks after an airborne master sergeant named Martin Acevedo III was charged with trafficking cocaine. The incident is being investigated by the The incident is being investigated by the Armys Criminal Investigation Command. By that time, Collier says. He was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division, an airborne infantry division of the United States Army specializing in parachute assault operations. By all accounts, Roman-Martinez had no disputes with anyone. The seven soldiers who were on the camping trip claimed that Roman-Martinez simply walked away in the middle of the night, never to be seen again, and agents with the Armys Criminal Investigative Division, or CID, couldnt seem to get any more information out of them. Sadly, the killings didnt end there. Fort Bragg identified Dumas in a separate statement. Two men connected to the special operations community were found dead on an Army post in North Carolina where both had served for years one a soldier in an elite unit and the other a veteran. 'Stop it!' Lavigne, 37, enlisted in the Army in 2001. Related Stories hitType: 'event', The deaths come a week after an airman and a soldier were found dead at Joint Base San Antonio in a separate incident. Fort Bragg soldier charged had alleged operation to remove minorities from easter NC, A former Fort Bragg soldier accused of casting a racist plot recently pleaded guilty to a gun charge, Tuesday Morning going out of business, holding liquidation sales, Upstate school board meeting with superintendent contract on agenda ends abruptly, Critical need for organ donors: 17 people die each day waiting for an organ transplant, Murdaugh files response to lawsuit regarding housekeeper's death, Man charged with distribution after drug overdose death, kelli.radcliff@foxcarolina.com - 864-213-2103. The U.S. Army has filed criminal charges related to the case of Enrique Roman-Martinez, a 21-year-old soldier in the 82nd Airborne Division whose beheading remains one of the most baffling of the many unsolved killings to have taken place at Fort Bragg lately. ga('ads.send', { At least 44 Fort Bragg soldiers died stateside in 2020 several of them were homicides. Families want answers. But the Army isnt giving any Three weeks before Christmas, in the piney woods outside of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, a deer hunter came across the fallout from a firefight that, to date, no one has been able to explain. Harp wrote: Fort Bragg soldiers have been turning up unresponsive in their barracks on a disturbingly regular basis since the beginning of 2020, including Caleb Smither, Terrance Salazar, Jamie Boger, Joshua Diamond, Matthew Disney, Mikel Rubino, Michael Hamilton, and numerous others who have not been named. Our thoughts and prayers are with them all during this difficult time.".
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