Army CID agents have increased the reward offered for credible information leading to the apprehension and conviction of whoever is responsible for the murder of Spc. Enrique Roman-Martinez, according to an update from the soldier’s home unit.
The reward amount was increased from $15,000 to $25,000, the 82nd Airborne Division said in a Tuesday statement.
Roman-Martinez, a paratrooper assigned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, first went missing May 22 in the Outer Banks while at a campsite near Mile Marker 46 on South Core Banks, one of the islands that make up Cape Lookout National Seashore, a 56-mile-long stretch of barrier islands on the North Carolina coast.
Partial remains of the 21-year-old soldier were later found in the area on May 29.
Officials labeled Roman-Martinez’s death a homicide in early June when the original $15,000 reward was announced. Army CID spokesman Chris Grey said at the time that he couldn’t detail the reason why the death was classified as a homicide, adding that it’s “part of the ongoing homicide investigation.”
“The remains washed up on Shackleford Banks Island, part of the Cape Lookout National Seashore, an area where the prevailing tides have unfortunately washed ashore remains in years past,” Army CID officials said in a release at the time. “A positive identification was made using the soldier’s dental records.”
Roman-Martinez’s friends reported him missing the evening of May 23. His phone and wallet were found at the campsite and he was last seen wearing blue shorts and no shirt, according to Army officials.
“A three-time volunteer, Roman-Martinez entered the Army in September of 2016, attended airborne school at Fort Benning, GA and was assigned as a paratrooper to Fort Bragg in March 2017,” according to an 82nd Airborne Division press release.
Roman-Martinez was a native of Chino, California, and served as a human resource specialist assigned to Headquarters Company, 37th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.
Anyone with information is strongly encouraged to contact Army CID Special Agents at 910-396-8777. They can also submit anonymous information via https://www.p3tips.com/ or contact their local law enforcement agencies.
“No more information will be released at this time to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation,” Army CID officials said in a statement.
Kyle Rempfer was an editor and reporter who has covered combat operations, criminal cases, foreign military assistance and training accidents. Before entering journalism, Kyle served in U.S. Air Force Special Tactics and deployed in 2014 to Paktika Province, Afghanistan, and Baghdad, Iraq.
