Soldier who was found dead on post was murdered by fellow soldier, according to Army

Specialist Jacob Allen Ashton (left) was allegedly killed by a fellow soldier in his unit (right).

It has been just over a week since 21-year-old Specialist Jacob Allen Ashton was found dead at Fort Drum and an arrest has been made.

According to Public Affairs at Fort Drum, a soldier in Ashton’s company has been charged with murdering him.

Specialist Riley Birbilas was arrested sometime last week.

Both soldiers were members of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, and deployed together to Iraq.

“The general nature of the charges are premeditated murder and obstruction of justice in violation of Articles 118 and 131b of the Uniform Code of Military Justice,” the release stated.

Specialist Ashton was found dead on August 5, but the Army Criminal Investigative Division has offered little details about his death.

Ashton’s aunt, Michelle Ustupski, claims Birbilas and Ashton were roommates after returning home from their deployment together.

She told Syracuse.com, Ashton was found dead in his car in a parking lot on the base and he died from blunt force trauma.

“He was just 21,” Ustupski said. “He was just getting ready to start his life.”

Birbilas, 22, is from Kodiak, Alaska, and joined the Army in 2021.

He is currently being held in pretrial confinement and is awaiting a preliminary hearing, according to a press release from the Army post.

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