Foul play is suspected in the deaths of a master sergeant and a veteran whose bodies were found Wednesday at Fort Bragg, an Army official told CBS News on Friday. Both the soldier and the veteran had been under investigation for using and selling drugs, a defense official said.
The bodies of the two men, identified Friday as Master Sergeant William J. Lavigne II and Timothy Dumas, were found in a training area on the North Carolina base. The Army has not released much information about the men's deaths but did say the deaths did not occur as part of official training.
An Army official told CBS News that no weapons were found on the scene, but said shell casings were found on the ground, leading investigators to suspect that it was a double homicide resulting from a drug deal gone wrong.
The Army Special Operations Command praised Lavigne in a statement, writing that he was deployed multiple times to Afghanistan and Iraq and listing the many awards and decorations he received for his service.
"The loss of a Soldier is always tragic," Lieutenant Colonel Justin Duvall, commander of HHC, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, said in the statement. "Master Sgt. Lavigne dedicated himself to the Army for 19 years and deployed multiple times in the defense of our Nation. Our condolences go out to his family during this difficult time."
The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command is investigating.
David Marin contributed reporting.