Enrique Roman-Martinez case: Divers scour NC coast for clues in killing of soldier from Chino who was decapitated

The soldier was last seen over Memorial Day Weekend when he went on a camping trip with seven fellow service members.

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Thursday, December 10, 2020
Autopsy: Fort Bragg soldier from Chino was decapitated
The soldier was last seen over Memorial Day Weekend when he went on a camping trip with seven fellow service members.

CAPE LOOKOUT, N.C. (KABC) -- Dive teams are searching along the Outer Banks off the shores of North Carolina for evidence in the killing of a Fort Bragg paratrooper from Chino who was decapitated, officials said.

Specialist Enrique Roman-Martinez, 21, was last seen going on a camping trip with seven fellow soldiers stationed at Fort Bragg -- six men and a woman -- over the Memorial Day Weekend.

Roman-Martinez's severed head washed ashore near Cape Lookout National Seashore last May, according to an autopsy.

The group with which he had been camping made a 911 call May 23 around 7 p.m. They said it was about 19 hours after they last saw Roman-Martinez.

RELATED: Murdered soldier from Chino laid to rest, remembered as beloved son and brother

The remains of a soldier from Chino who was killed during a camping trip in North Carolina was laid to rest in Southern California on Saturday.

Roman-Martinez's severed head washed ashore May 29 in the area where the tides have washed up other remains in years past, according to a U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command spokesperson.

Special agents from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command along with FBI Evidence Recovery and Dive Teams are working in the area to try and gather clues to help in the homicide investigation, the 82nd Airborne Division said Thursday.

A $25,000 reward is available for anyone with credible evidence leading to the apprehension and conviction of the person(s) responsible for Roman-Martinez's death.

Anyone with information is strongly encouraged to contact Army CID Special Agents at 910-396-8777. They can also submit anonymous information here or contact their contact their local law enforcement agencies.

RELATED: Enrique Roman-Martinez: Remains of murdered soldier from Chino flown back to SoCal

The remains of a soldier from Chino who was killed during a camping trip in North Carolina were flown back to Los Angeles on Wednesday for burial and military honors.

His remains were flown back to Los Angeles International Airport, where his family, accompanied by U.S. Rep. Norma Torres, participated in a planeside military honor ceremony in mid-August.

His remains were then brought to Forest Lawn Memorial in Covina for burial.

His family said they could accept him dying for his country, but that is not what happened here.

Mystery deepens as 911 call released in case of Chino paratrooper whose body was found in NC

A 911 call is adding to the mystery of what happened to a paratrooper from Chino whose dismembered body was found after a camping trip in North Carolina.

WTVD-TV and CNN contributed to this report.