A sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole was handed down to Fort Leonard Wood Missouri Army Spc. Wooster Rancy in the murder of Sgt. Sarah Roque in 2024.
Rancy, a 22-year-old combat engineer assigned to the 509th Engineer Company, 5th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, was found guilty by a military jury of the premeditated murder of Roque—who had been found shot in the head, placed in a garbage bag, and hauled into a dumpster behind the barracks where she lived. Details of the murder were outlined in a news release sent by the Army to Military.com.
Wooster learned his sentence on Friday, Feb. 6, at the Pulaski Courthouse where his trial ended just two days earlier. According to the Army, Roque was reported missing on Oct. 21, 2024, after she failed to report to her unit. A search followed and her body was found in a zip-tied garbage bag in a dumpster. She was shot in the head.
Rancy was identified as a suspect after cell phone data showed that both Roque and Rancy were in her apartment for about an hour together on Oct. 20, 2024, the day before she went missing.
After her body was found, according to the Army news release, investigators found a bullet lodged in a banana inside the refrigerator of Roque’s installation apartment. Also, a firearm located in Rancy’s off installation apartment was confirmed through forensic testing to be the gun connected to the same bullet.
This case was an important step towards justice for Sgt. Sarah Roque and her family. – Lt. Col. John Haberland of the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel
“The collaborative work of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri, and the Fort Leonard Wood Department of Emergency Services, enhanced by expert analysis from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory, was essential to achieving this outcome. Effective coordination between all agencies is what brought about this just result,” Haberland added.
Details of the Crime
Investigators found evidence that Rancy purchased heavy-duty trash bags and zip ties from a local Walmart on the morning of Oct. 20, 2021. Further investigation revealed Rancy searched online for “how long it takes for a garbage bag to end up in a landfill” as well as information regarding Fort Leonard Wood’s trash pickup schedule.
“This outcome was a true team effort, and I want to thank the Western District of Missouri U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners at the FBI Springfield Resident Agency and the Kansas City Field Office,” said Special Agent in Charge John McCabe of Army CID’s Midcentral Field Office. “This sends a clear message that Army CID and our justice system will not waver in the pursuit of justice.
While no ruling can bring back Sgt. Sarah Roque or restore what was stolen from her loved ones, this sentencing brings accountability for this senseless act of violence.
“While no ruling can bring back Sgt. Sarah Roque or restore what was stolen from her loved ones, this sentencing brings accountability for this senseless act of violence,” McCabe added.
Sentencing and Rank Demotion
Rancy is from North Miami, Fla., and will serve his prison sentence at the United States Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Due to high public interest and intense media focus on the case, a decision was made to hold Rancy’s trial off-post and in a larger Pulaski County courtroom.
“We are also grateful for the support from officials with Pulaski County for allowing us to hold the trial at their courthouse and ensuring the proceedings went smoothly,” said Lt. Col. Haberland.
Added to Rancy’s sentence, a military judge also reduced his rank to E-1—the Army’s entry level or trainee rank. The judge also ordered a total forfeiture of pay and allowances, as well as Rancy’s dishonorable discharge.
Rancy also received sentences for lesser offenses related to obstructing justice by lying to investigators and throwing away Roque’s cell phone in a dumpster near his off-post apartment.
