Newly released Army Criminal Investigation Division records provide the clearest account yet of how Spc. Miguel Garcia Rivera was found dead at Wheeler Army Airfield in April 2025 and what investigators ultimately determined caused his death.
Rivera, a 22-year-old Soldier assigned to D Troop, 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, was found dead on April 6, 2025, inside his vehicle in a barracks parking lot at Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii. Army CID later classified the case as a suicide with no criminal act.
The records were obtained by The Salty Soldier after more than a year of Freedom of Information Act requests, appeals and related litigation seeking records about Rivera’s death. His identity was only publicly confirmed through the investigative records released by the Army in August 2026.
According to CID’s final Report of Investigation, Schofield Barracks Military Police notified investigators on the evening of April 6 that a deceased individual had been discovered inside a vehicle parked near the barracks.
Investigators identified the deceased Soldier as Rivera. He was found in the back seat of his vehicle. CID documented evidence at the scene that investigators believed was consistent with suicide, including a container holding suspected nitrogen.
A subsequent search of Rivera’s barracks room uncovered what investigators described as a suspected suicide note and a receipt for the purchase of nitrogen gas. CID also examined Rivera’s laptop and found internet searches related to suicide conducted several days before his death.
Investigators determined Rivera was last seen around midnight on April 4 and was not discovered until the evening of April 6, according to the report. CID later obtained emergency medical records documenting the response to the vehicle at Wheeler Army Airfield.
An autopsy was conducted shortly after Rivera’s death. The final autopsy findings, later reviewed by CID, determined that Rivera died from asphyxia caused by suffocation involving a plastic bag and probable nitrogen inhalation. The forensic pathologist ruled the manner of death suicide.
CID’s investigation continued for months as agents reviewed additional records, including medical and behavioral-health records, emergency medical documentation, Army investigative material and a Line of Duty investigation.
The final CID report was dated Feb. 10, 2026. It states that all investigative activity had been completed and that the case was no longer pending administrative or judicial action.
The investigative file also contains information about Rivera’s personal circumstances and interactions with the Army in the months before his death. The Salty Soldier is continuing to review those records and will report separately on what they reveal about the period leading up to Rivera’s death and the Army’s response.
Questions also remain about why Rivera’s identity and basic information surrounding his death were withheld from the public for more than a year. Separate records requests seeking Army communications and decisions surrounding that withholding remain pending.
The Salty Soldier will continue reporting as additional Army records become available.
Editor’s note: If you or someone you know is in crisis or experiencing suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
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