Arrest made in alleged murder of female soldier on Army base

Wooster Rancy, 21, is accused successful nan execution of 23-year-old Sarah Roque.

An Army master has been charged pinch nan murder of a chap soldier whose assemblage was recovered connected an Army guidelines past week.

Spc. Wooster Rancy, 21, is accused successful nan execution of Sarah Roque, a 23-year-old sergeant, officials said Thursday.

Last week, Roque was recovered dormant successful a dumpster astatine Fort Leonard Wood successful Missouri.

Rancy besides faces obstruction of justness charges, officials said. He is presently successful pretrial confinement up of a preliminary hearing.

A combat engineer, Rancy is primitively from Miami and joined nan Army successful 2022, officials said.

Sarah Roque, 23

U.S. Army Fort Leonard Wood/Facebook

It is not yet clear what led to Rancy's apprehension aliases nan motive successful nan killing.

Roque, of Ligonier, Indiana, was reported missing aft she grounded to study for work past week.

In a property convention aft her assemblage was found, Maj. Gen. Christopher Beck said her decease was being investigated arsenic a homicide.

"As a commandant and a leader, this is simply a tragedy," Beck said. "This is thing that we ne'er want to happen, we ne'er want for nan family to person to endure, aliases for nan portion to person to endure."

Roque served arsenic a excavation canine handler, officials said. Since she enlisted successful 2020, she was awarded nan Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal and nan Army Service Ribbon.

"Sarah not only served our state bravely and honorably arsenic a soldier, she was besides a daughter, a sister and a friend to many," Beck said.