Vanished, Beheaded, and Forgotten? The Chilling Mystery of Spc. Enrique Roman-Martinez
The disappearance and brutal murder of U.S. Army soldier Spc. Enrique Roman-Martinez remains a haunting enigma. His severed head washed ashore in North Carolina in 2020, yet his body was never found. Years later, the case is still unsolved, despite the involvement of fellow soldiers and a military investigation shrouded in controversy and unanswered questions.
A Weekend That Turned Deadly
On May 22, 2020, Roman-Martinez, a 21-year-old paratrooper from Chino, California, set out for a Memorial Day weekend camping trip with seven fellow soldiers on South Core Banks, a remote barrier island off the North Carolina coast. It should have been a relaxing getaway from their base at Fort Bragg. But by the next day, Roman-Martinez was gone—vanished without a trace.
His fellow soldiers waited until the afternoon of May 23 to report him missing. Even more suspiciously, they failed to mention his disappearance when they encountered a park ranger earlier that day. Hours later, a 911 call was finally placed, with one soldier, Spc. Alex Becerra, suggesting that Roman-Martinez had “suicidal tendencies.” But his sister, Griselda Martinez, adamantly denies this claim.
“I just want to know why. Why my little brother?” she told A&E True Crime. “He was a sweet kid. He would take the shirt off his back for everybody. He wasn’t suicidal. This doesn’t add up.”
The Gruesome Discovery
Six days later, the case took a grim turn. Roman-Martinez’s severed head washed ashore, sending shockwaves through the military and law enforcement. The rest of his body was never found. The medical examiner confirmed that while they couldn’t determine the exact cause of death, the evidence was “most consistent with homicide.”
Despite an extensive investigation involving thousands of hours of detective work and an increased $50,000 reward for information, the mystery of his murder remains unsolved. Suspicion swirls around the soldiers who last saw him alive, especially given their behavior before and after his disappearance.
The Soldiers’ Strange Behavior
The inconsistencies in the soldiers’ accounts and their actions have only fueled speculation. Why did they delay reporting him missing? Why was his wallet, phone, and glasses left behind in his tent? Why did Becerra immediately suggest suicide in the 911 call, despite no known history of suicidal thoughts?
Adding to the intrigue, Becerra and two other soldiers—Pfc. Samad Landrum and Pvt. Annamarie Cochell—now face military charges. Their alleged crimes include using LSD the night of Roman-Martinez’s disappearance, violating Fort Bragg’s COVID-19 travel restrictions, and conspiring to make false statements. However, these charges are unrelated to his murder, leaving the central mystery unanswered.
A Family’s Fight for Justice
The Martinez family has been vocal about their frustration with the Army’s handling of the case. U.S. Rep. Norma Torres has taken up their cause, demanding answers and criticizing the military’s sluggish response. “It took almost 17 hours to report him missing,” Torres said. “That in itself brings so many questions. Why did the Army treat this as an AWOL case instead of a missing person or potential homicide?”
The Army’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) insists they pursued every lead. A task force, including FBI personnel and behavioral analysts, conducted over 400 interviews and analyzed more than 100 pieces of evidence. Yet, the case has now gone cold, with no significant breakthroughs.
Lost in the Bureaucracy?
One pressing question lingers: Who should have taken charge of the investigation? Since the murder occurred off-base, should local law enforcement have been more involved? Torres argues that jurisdictional confusion may have cost valuable time and evidence. “We lost critical time in potentially finding evidence,” she said. Rainy weather over the weekend of his disappearance further complicated the investigation, washing away potential clues.
A Cold Case, But Not Forgotten
Despite the Army’s insistence that the case remains active, Roman-Martinez’s family and supporters fear his murder will be buried in military bureaucracy. With no suspects officially named and no clear motive established, the case teeters on the brink of becoming another tragic, unsolved mystery.
Torres urges anyone with knowledge of that fateful weekend to come forward. “The family right now could really use the help of the community,” she said. “This could very well be our brother or sister or son.”
The Army is still offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to a breakthrough in the case. Those with knowledge can contact Army CID at (910) 396-8777 or the Fort Bragg Military Police Desk at (910) 396-1179. Tips can be provided anonymously.
The question remains: Who killed Spc. Enrique Roman-Martinez, and why? Until answers emerge, his family will not stop searching for the truth.
