A decorated U.S. Army sergeant was discovered dead in a dumpster at Fort Leonard Wood Monday evening, hours after being reported missing, with military authorities now holding a person of interest in what investigators are treating as a potential homicide.
Sgt. Sarah Roque, 23, of Ligonier, Indiana, was found adjacent to single soldier housing after failing to appear for her unit’s morning formation, according to Maj. Gen. Christopher Beck, the installation’s commanding general. The Army Criminal Investigation Division has taken a person of interest into custody, though details about potential charges remain undisclosed.
“The Fort Leonard Wood community is devastated by this tragic loss,” Beck said at a Thursday news conference. “Sarah was a soldier and a leader… described by her peers as tough and proud of everything she did and proud to serve our country, which she did with honor and distinction.”
Roque, who enlisted in 2020, served as a bridge crewmember and mine dog handler with the K9 detachment of the 5th Engineer Battalion. Her service awards included the Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
“This is something we never want to happen, we never want for the family to have to endure or the unit to have to endure,” Beck said, describing the death as a “tragedy” at the installation that annually trains approximately 80,000 military personnel and civilians.
The Army CID declined to provide additional details, citing the ongoing nature of their investigation into the death’s cause and manner. The case has shocked the military community at Fort Leonard Wood, where Roque had completed her basic combat training before beginning her service career.
