An Army captain admitted to secretly putting an abortion drug in a pregnant junior enlisted Soldier’s drink, causing her to miscarry at 13 weeks and killing their unborn child.
Capt. Brandon Jones-Adams, 34, pleaded guilty June 24 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, to intentionally killing his unborn child, domestic violence, fraternization and conduct unbecoming an officer.
Jones-Adams had previously pleaded not guilty and was scheduled to face an officer panel before changing his plea during his court-martial.
A military judge sentenced him to 12 years in prison, forfeiture of all pay and allowances and dismissal from the Army. The sentence was the maximum confinement allowed under a plea agreement that capped his prison term between four and 12 years.
A Relationship With a Junior Enlisted Soldier
Jones-Adams met the victim in November 2024 after she was assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, according to the Army.
The two began a consensual relationship while Jones-Adams was a commissioned officer and the woman was a junior enlisted Soldier. Their relationship continued while they were assigned to the same battalion at JBLM and during a nine-month rotation to South Korea.
The woman became pregnant with Jones-Adams’ child in May 2025 while the two were completing their rotation in South Korea.
They returned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord in June and July.
Two months later, Jones-Adams secretly drugged her.
She Noticed Residue in Her Drink
The victim was at Jones-Adams’ home in Puyallup, Washington, on the morning of Aug. 21, 2025, when he poured her a drink.
After consuming it, she noticed residue in the cup and immediately suspected Jones-Adams had put a drug in her drink, according to the Army.
She soon began experiencing severe cramping and went to the emergency room at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, where she told hospital staff about her suspicions.
The woman miscarried at the hospital during the 13th week of her pregnancy.
The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division was notified and launched an investigation.
Investigators Found He Used a Fake Name to Order the Drug
Army CID investigators found Jones-Adams used a fake name to order mifepristone online.
Mifepristone blocks progesterone, a hormone needed to sustain a pregnancy.
A forensic examination of Jones-Adams’ cellphone revealed he had also made several attempts to obtain mifepristone from other sources, according to the Army.
When confronted by Army CID agents, Jones-Adams admitted putting a pill in the victim’s drink.
“Today’s guilty plea is the result of the exceptional investigative work of Army CID and the dedication of everyone involved in seeking justice,” Lt. Col. Tyler Heimann, Sixth Circuit chief for the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel, said.
“Capt. Jones-Adams’ actions were deliberate, calculated, and malicious. By committing these crimes, he inflicted profound harm on his victim and betrayed the trust placed in him as an Army officer. Today’s sentence holds him accountable for his conduct and provides a measure of justice and closure for those harmed.”
Special Agent in Charge Michele Starostka of Army CID’s Western Field Office called Jones-Adams’ actions “a disgusting act.”
“What Mr. Jones-Adams did was a disgusting act that killed an unborn child and violated the victim’s trust and autonomy in the most personal way,” Starostka said.
“When someone crosses that line, we will throw every resource we have into the investigation and make sure they face full accountability.”
At the time of his court-martial, Jones-Adams was an Adjutant General’s Corps officer assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 23rd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division, Multi-Domain Command-Pacific, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Jones-Adams will begin serving his sentence at the Northwestern Joint Regional Correctional Facility at Joint Base Lewis-McChord before being transferred to the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, according to the Army.
His dismissal from the Army is the commissioned officer equivalent of a dishonorable discharge for an enlisted Soldier.
Army CID’s Western Field Office investigated the case.
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