A U.S. soldier has been charged with killing his wife after the woman was found dead in a trash can at Hawaii’s Schofield Barracks, according to the Army and local media.
Army Spc. Raul Hernandez Perez, 25, was taken into custody a day after the victim’s dead body was found in an on-post housing complex during a welfare check last month. A homicide investigation completed last week resulted in a murder charge against him, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Thursday.
The suspect’s wife, 25-year-old Selena Roth, was an Army veteran who fought against domestic and sexual violence in the military. She was survived by a young daughter, both of her parents and “many siblings,” her family said on a GoFundMe page.
“This is a tragedy that should have never happened, it was senseless,” they wrote. “Our job as her family and friends now, is to make sure that her daughter knows her and knows how kind her heart was, and how much her mother loved her!”
Roth, who once served in the Army as a signals intelligence analyst for the Army, was reportedly found dead in a trash receptacle on Jan. 13. Officials have not released details about her death or a possible motive in the killing, but court filings obtained by the Advertiser suggest the couple’s relationship was rapidly deteriorating.
Perez filed for divorce on Oct. 8 and sought a protection order against Roth on Nov. 4 after accusing her of throwing a computer tower and other objects at him, according to the paper.
In a statement issued after Perez was detained last month, authorities said they were “committed to the pursuit of justice” and vowed that the person responsible for the murder would be held accountable.
“I know many of us are still in shock. Our priority is to continue to support the investigation and to ensure Selena’s family and our Army community receive the needed support and resources during this difficult time,” said Maj. Gen. James Jarrard, commander of the 25th Infantry Division and U.S. Army Hawaii.
Roth was buried last week in Florida, the couple’s home state.
Army officials in Hawaii did not immediately return a request for more information Monday morning.