ALAMOGORDO, N.M. — Nearly a year after Staff Sgt. Isaiah Morningstar disappeared following a sudden trip to the Dominican Republic, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations has confirmed to The Salty Soldier that the Holloman Air Force Base airman has been located and is now in military custody.
The confirmation marks a significant development in a case that drew attention throughout military communities and left Morningstar’s family searching for answers for months.
“I can confirm that he is in custody, but due to this being an open and ongoing investigation I can’t comment further,” Trevor Saylor, Chief of Media Operations for AFOSI Public Affairs, told The Salty Soldier on Monday.
AFOSI declined to provide additional details regarding where Morningstar was located, when he was taken into custody, or whether any charges have been filed.
Morningstar, 28, was initially reported missing in July 2025 after disappearing from the Alamogordo area. Early information placed his final confirmed movements along White Sands Boulevard, where he was seen at local businesses before vanishing. As concern grew, family members launched public efforts to locate him while seeking assistance from military and civilian authorities.
For months, little information was publicly available about his whereabouts. That changed in December 2025 when AFOSI, responding to inquiries from The Salty Soldier, confirmed for the first time that Morningstar’s disappearance was being investigated as a desertion case.
“AFOSI is investigating the disappearance of Staff Sgt. Isaiah Morningstar as a desertion case,” the agency stated at the time. “He was last seen boarding a flight at El Paso International Airport, and his destination was the Dominican Republic. This is an open and ongoing AFOSI investigation. To protect the integrity of the investigation, we cannot provide additional information at this time.”
The statement provided the first official explanation of what investigators believed had occurred and revealed that Morningstar had traveled internationally after leaving New Mexico.
While AFOSI classified the matter as a desertion investigation, Morningstar’s family publicly expressed concerns that he may have been manipulated by an individual he traveled overseas to meet.
In previous interviews with The Salty Soldier, Morningstar’s mother, Sara Benson, said her son had developed an online relationship with a woman identified as Rosa Moronto approximately 14 months before his disappearance. According to Benson, Morningstar met Moronto online and later met her in person. She said the relationship deepened over time and involved substantial financial support sent overseas.
Benson told The Salty Soldier that family members became
“He lost a lot of weight. He wasn’t eating,” Benson previously said. “Mental health was already a concern, and I believe she took advantage of that.”
According to Benson, Morningstar had discussed traveling to the Dominican Republic later in the year, but his actual departure appeared sudden and unexpected. Family members said he left without notifying loved ones and carried only a small drawstring bag while leaving most of his belongings behind.
Benson also stated that Morningstar had reportedly married Moronto online without informing family members, a development that heightened concerns surrounding the circumstances of his disappearance.
Following his departure, family members reported no verified contact, no confirmed sightings, and no known financial activity linked to Morningstar. As the months passed, Benson remained publicly engaged in efforts to locate her son, traveling to New Mexico, working with investigators, and sharing information online in hopes of generating leads.
Throughout that period, The Salty Soldier remained in contact with family members, pursued records requests, and repeatedly sought information from Holloman Air Force Base and AFOSI regarding the status of the investigation. Despite those efforts, officials released few details beyond confirming the desertion investigation and Morningstar’s travel to the Dominican Republic, citing the ongoing nature of the case.
AFOSI’s confirmation that Morningstar is now in military custody answers the most pressing question that surrounded the case for nearly a year: he has been found alive.
However, many questions remain unanswered.
AFOSI has not disclosed whether Morningstar returned voluntarily, where he was located, how long he remained outside military control, or what investigative findings led to his return to custody. The agency has also not commented on whether the concerns raised by family members played any role in the events leading up to his disappearance.
For now, AFOSI maintains that the matter remains an open and ongoing investigation.
The Salty Soldier will continue pursuing records and reporting verified developments as additional information becomes available.
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