Soldier charged with murder of Army sergeant at Fort Leonard Wood

The Army has charged a fellow soldier with the murder of Sgt. Sarah Roque after she was found dead at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, last week.

On Wednesday, the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel filed charges against Spc. Wooster Rancy, 21, on charges of murder and obstruction of justice under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Army officials said in a news release.

Rancy, originally from Miami, Florida, is in custody awaiting a preliminary hearing.

He currently serves as a combat engineer with the 509th Clearance Company, 5th Engineer Battalion. He joined the Army in 2022 and completed Basic Combat Training at Base Missouri.

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Roque's body was discovered Oct. 21 in a dumpster next to the installation's individual soldier quarters, Maj. Gen. Christopher Beck, commanding general of the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood, said at a news conference last week.

Roque had been reported missing earlier in the day after missing her morning formation. The unit began searching for her and base officials distributed a “Be on the Watch Out” (BOLO) notice asking for help locating the sergeant. Later that week, Army investigators said they were investigating her death as a homicide.

“The charges are allegations and Specialist Rancy is presumed innocent until proven guilty,” officials said in the news release.

Rancy's battalion commander ordered him into custody on October 24. He was then transferred to the Midwest Joint Regional Confinement Facility at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, on Oct. 30, Michelle McCaskill, spokeswoman for the Office of Special Process Counsel, said in a statement.

The officers assign a neutral officer to the case and arrange a date for the preliminary hearing. After the preliminary hearing, the officer will recommend “the appropriate resolution of the case,” McCaskill said.

A preliminary hearing is required before charges can be brought before a court-martial under the UCMJ.

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