The Salty Soldier subscribers can view this article free of advertising here
The U.S. Army has confirmed a person of interest has been taken into custody in connection to the death of a soldier who was found dead after being reported missing.
At 1:00 PM EST, on Tuesday, Fort Leonard Wood announced Sergeant Rouque, of Ligonier, Indiana, had been found dead after being reported missing for not showing up to formation on Monday morning.
During a press conference on Thursday morning, Army officials said her body was found in a dumpster adjacent to single soldiers’ quarters at Fort Leonard Wood on the evening of Oct. 21.
“I can say without a doubt, Sarah’s command team and the unit, as well as the rest of our team, used every resource available to locate Sarah,” Maj. Gen. Christopher Beck, Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general said.
“I commend the professionalism of the military and civilian workforce for their efforts and their ability to take appropriate action. Unfortunately, the outcome of our efforts was one that we had all hoped and prayed would not happen. . . later that evening, Sarah’s body was discovered.”
Officials declined to say who found her body or whether there was a suspected cause of death.
Maj. Gen. Christopher Beck, Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general, and CID Special Agent John McCabe confirmed there was a person of interest but said they were not in custody at the time of the briefing.
Despite nobody being in custody, they said there was no immediate danger to the public and all personnel were accounted for.
On Thursday evening, Fort Leonard Wood announced a person of interest had been taken into custody in connection to Sergeant Sarah Roque’d death.
“Sarah was a soldier and a leader in the fifth Engineer Battalion, described by her peers as tough and proud of everything she did and proud to serve our country, which she did with honor and distinction,” Beck said during the Thursday monring briefing. “As our team continues to mourn, please know that our focus remains on providing the care, support and resources needed during this difficult time for the unit, and most importantly, the family and we remain in constant communication with the family, with the effort put forth the past few days.”
Major General Beck and Special Agent McCabe said the Army’s CID is working closely with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.
Beck also thanked all of those involved in the investigation.
“I want to acknowledge the professional leadership of the unit, the Fort Leonard Wood team and the Army Criminal Investigation Division, as well as everyone who has worked tirelessly to respond quickly and appropriately to this tragedy,” he said.
Her cause of death will not be announced until the autopsy has been conducted but they will release more information as it becomes available.
“This is a tragedy. This is something that we never want to happen. We never want for the family to have to endure the unit to have to endure.”
Sgt. Roque was a bridge crewmember, serving as a Mine Dog Handler with the K9 Detachment, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 5th Engineer Battalion.
She enlisted in 2020 and attended Basic Combat Training at Fort Leonard Wood.
Her awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon.
© 2024 The Salty Soldier All rights reserved.
The content of this webpage may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written consent of TheSaltySoldier.com.
