A 23-year-old U.S. Army sergeant was found dead Monday night at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, hours after she was reported missing, officials said.
The body of Sgt. Sarah Roque was found in a dumpster next to a single soldier’s housing unit, Maj. Gen. Christopher Beck, Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and commanding general of Fort Leonard Wood, said at a news conference Thursday.
The Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) is investigating her death as a possible homicide, pending the cause and manner of death, a spokesperson said. A person of interest was arrested on Thursday.
Roque was reported missing after she failed to show up for her unit’s morning formation Monday, Beck said. The unit notified Army officials and local law enforcement.
“The Fort Leonard Wood community is devastated by this tragic loss. Sarah was a soldier and a leader… described by her colleagues as tough and proud of all she did and proud to serve our country, which she did with honor and distinction did.” Beck said, calling what happened a “tragedy.”
“This is something we never want to happen, we never want the family or the unit to have to go through this,” he continued.
Information about the person in question, including any charging decisions, was not revealed. Army CID said it cannot provide additional details due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.
Roque, from Ligonier, Indiana, was assigned to the 5th Engineer Battalion as a bridge crew member and mine dog handler with the K9 detachment, according to U.S. Army Fort Leonard Wood. She enlisted in 2020 and completed basic combat training at Fort Leonard Wood, an Army installation post that trains about 80,000 service members and civilians annually.
She received the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.
Roque’s family could not immediately be reached on Friday.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
