All 7 soldiers who last saw Fort Bragg paratrooper alive face charges

All seven soldiers who were camping with a Fort Bragg paratrooper whose partial remains washed up along Cape Lookout National Seashore in 2020 are facing court-martials this summer for conspiracy and other charges.

Spcs. Juan Avila, Alex R. Becerra, Joshua L. Curry and Benjamin E. Sibley along with Pvt. Annamarie L. Cochell, Pfc. Samad A. Landrum and Sgt. Samuel O. Moore were the last to see Spc. Enrique Roman-Martinez alive, according to court records.

Becerra made the 911 call to report Roman-Martinez missing.

All eight soldiers, assigned to the 37th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, were camping on the remote North Carolina island when Roman-Martinez was reported missing May 22, 2020.

His severed head washed ashore six days later. His body has never been recovered. According to the autopsy, Roman-Martinez's manner of death is listed as homicide.

All seven soldiers are charged each with one count of conspiracy and failure to obey a direct order or regulation tied to traveling more than 50 miles from Fort Bragg when there was a travel ban during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to court dockets.

According to the court dockets, Becerra, Cochell and Landrum are each charged with using LSD, a hallucinogenic drug.

Becerra is charged with three counts of disobeying a superior; Cochell is charged with two counts of disobeying a superior; and Curry is charged with one count of disobeying a superior.

Avila is also charged with one count of making a false statement; Sibley and Landrum and Curry are charged with two counts of making a false statement; and Becerra is charged with three counts of making a false statement.

According to the charge sheets, Becerra, Cochell and Landrum all told investigators that they left the island at 3 a.m. on May 22, 2020, to board a ferry in Davis, North Carolina, but omitted the presence of a fourth soldier.

Sibley and Currey reportedly told investigators that three soldiers left the group on a ferry but omitted the presence of a fourth soldier, according to the charge sheets.

Prosecutors allege that Sibley, Curry, Landrum and Becerra all told investigators that they were not aware of drug use during the trip.

The charge sheets say that Cochell, Curry and Becerra violated supervisor orders by each having contact with a soldier they were prohibited from having contact with from Nov. 30, 2020, to February 2021.

Charge sheets for Avila and Moore weren’t available as of press time.

Becerra was arraigned Jan. 13, and his trial is scheduled for May 31 to June 3.

Moore was arraigned Jan. 13, and his trial is scheduled for June 21 to 24.

Avila was arraigned Jan. 24, and his trial is scheduled for July 25 to 28.

Curry was arraigned Feb. 4, and his trial is scheduled for Aug. 2 to 5.

Sibley was arraigned March 10, and his trial is scheduled for Sept. 12 to 15.

Landrum was arraigned Jan. 6, and his trial is scheduled for Sept. 19 to 22.

Cochell was arraigned Jan. 6, and her trial is scheduled for Sept. 26 to 29.

Roman-Martinez's homicide case remains open but was moved to "cold case status," a spokeswoman for the Army Criminal Investigation Division said in November. No one has been charged with his death.

Officials have said the charges are unrelated to the death of Roman-Martinez.

"The charges are merely accusations and the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty," said Capt. Alyssa Timms, a spokeswoman with the 82nd Airborne Division.

CID continues to offer its $50,000 reward for information that resolves the investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to call Army special agents at 910-396-8777 or the Military Police Desk at 910-396-1179.

They can also anonymously submit information at www.cid.army.mil/report-a-crime.html.

Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.

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This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fort Bragg soldiers who last saw dead paratrooper alive face charges