Military Detains Person of Interest in Suspected Homicide of Sergeant at Fort Leonard Wood

Military law enforcement on Thursday arrested a person of interest in the suspected homicide of an enlisted soldier at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.

Sgt. Sarah Roque, 23, missed morning formation on Monday, prompting officials to issue an alert to the public asking for help in locating her. The alert said that neither her chain of command nor family could contact her. Officials said that her body was found in a dumpster near single-soldier housing on base later that same day.

Law enforcement officials confirmed to Military.com that the person of interest was still in custody as of Friday and there had been no charges filed against the person. The Army Criminal Investigation Division is investigating Roque's death as a homicide.

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Few details have been released about the person of interest; law enforcement officials cited the ongoing investigation as a reason for withholding information about the case.

"As this is an ongoing investigation, we are unable to provide additional information at this time," Mark Lunardi, a CID official, said in a statement to Military.com on Friday.

CID Special Agent John McCabe said at a press conference Thursday that the person of interest poses no threat to the community or base personnel at this time.

"This is a tragedy. This is something that we never want to happen," Maj. Gen. Christopher Beck, commander of the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood, said at the press conference.

Beck said that the FBI and other law enforcement agencies are assisting in the investigation.

"Our sincere condolences go out to the family," he said. "But the reality is, we've got to lead and continue to move forward with our mission, and we will do that while we support CID and never fail to provide proper support and transparency to the family."

Roque, from Indiana, was a K9 handler assigned to Fort Leonard Wood's 5th Engineer Battalion, media outlets previously reported. She joined the Army in 2020. Her decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal and Good Conduct Medal.

"Sarah not only served our country bravely and honorably as a soldier," Beck said. "She was also a daughter, a sister and a friend to many. The investigation remains a top priority for Fort Leonard Wood, and all agencies are cooperating to ensure the investigation is thorough and complete."

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