Investigators believe foul play was involved in the deaths of two men whose bodies were found at a training area at North Carolina’s Fort Bragg.
The bodies were identified on Friday as Master Sgt. William Lavigne II and Timothy Dumas. The duo was under investigation at the time of their deaths for using and selling drugs, an Army official told CBS News.
While few details have been revealed about the deaths and subsequent investigation, the official said that no weapons were found at the scene of the suspected double homicide. Despite that, shell casings from a weapon were reportedly discovered near the bodies. Authorities said that the deaths could have resulted from a drug deal gone wrong.
Lt. Col. Justin Duvall, the commander of HHC, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, praised Lavigne in a statement after his death.
“The loss of a Soldier is always tragic,” he said. “Master Sgt. Lavigne dedicated himself to the Army for 19 years and deployed multiple times in the defense of our Nation. Our condolences go out to his family during this difficult time.”
A 21-year-old soldier from Fort Bragg who went missing over the summer while visiting the state’s Outer Banks had been decapitated, according to an autopsy report Friday. Spc. Enrique Roman-Martinez’s jaw had been broken in at least two places, and there was “evidence of multiple chop injuries of the head,” the report read.
