Fort Drum, N.Y. — A soldier assigned to Fort Drum killed a fellow member of his unit who was also his roommate, military officials said Monday.
The soldier, U.S. Army Spc. Riley F. Birbilas, was charged Monday with premeditated murder and obstruction of justice, according to a Monday evening news release from Katherine Wright, a Fort Drum spokesperson.
Spc. Jacob Ashton, 21, of Perry, Ohio, was found dead last Monday at the expansive base near Watertown, officials previously said.
Ashton was found dead in his car in a parking lot on the base, according to his aunt, Michelle Ustupski. Officials told her that Ashton died from blunt force trauma.
Birbilas, 22, of Kodiak, Alaska, was arrested at some point last week. He spent the weekend in the Oneida County jail in Oriskany, about two hours southeast of Fort Drum, records show.
Birbilas will be prosecuted through the military justice system, officials said. Charges were “preferred” against him Monday, the equivalent of filing a criminal indictment. He now awaits a preliminary hearing, which functions similarly to an arraignment.
Birbilas may face a court-martial, the equivalent of a criminal trial. If convicted of murder, he can be sentenced either to life in military prison or death.
Both men served in a unit of the 10th Mountain Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team. They deployed last summer for nine months to the Middle East.
Officials haven’t offered a possible motive for the killing.
Fort Drum is home to nearly 15,000 servicemembers and employs about 4,000 civilians, according to the military. It hosts various units of the U.S. Army, including the 10th Mountain Division, on 168 square miles in Jefferson County.
Birbilas and Ashton had roomed together since April after returning from their deployment to Iraq, Ustupski said. Ashton hadn’t told her of any issues with Birbilas, she said.
Ashton was a soft-spoken man, Ustupski told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. He viewed serving in the military as a chance to help other people and experience something new, she said.
He continued a legacy of service upon enlisting in 2021, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, who had also served in the U.S. Army.
Ashton completed basic combat training at Fort Moore in Georgia. The young soldier earned various awards and decorations, including the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Combat Infantry Badge.
Ustupski recalled how she and other relatives constantly worried about Ashton while he was deployed overseas. It’s hard to accept he came back safely from Iraq, but a fellow soldier killed him on base, she said.
Ashton’s enlistment contract was set to end in December, Ustupski said. He had talked about training to become a police officer or firefighter, she said.
“He was just 21,” Ustupski said. “He was just getting ready to start his life.”
Staff writer Jon Moss covers breaking news, crime and public safety. He can be reached at jmoss@syracuse.com or @mossjon7.
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