PENSACOLA, Fla. – A former member of the U.S. military was arrested Thursday in Florida in the homicide of a pregnant soldier at a former U.S. Army base in Germany more than two decades ago, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Pfc. Amanda Gonzales was 19-years-old at the time of her death in November 2001. Now, Shannon Wilkerson, 42, is facing one count of first-degree murder, DOJ announced in a news release.
The Justice Department press statement said, “Shannon L. Wilkerson, 42, is allegedly responsible for the death of Amanda Gonzales on Nov. 3, 2001. The murder occurred at Fliegerhorst Kaserne, then a U.S. Army base in Hanau, Germany. Wilkerson was a member of the Armed Forces at the time of the alleged offense but was later discharged from the Army.”
Continuing, federal prosecutors said, “Wilkerson is charged under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, which gives the U.S. federal courts jurisdiction over crimes committed outside the United States by, among others, former members of the Armed Forces who are no longer subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.”
Gonzales was four months pregnant at the time of her death. The homicide was discovered on Nov. 5 in her third-floor barracks room at Fliegerhorst Kasern after she failed to report for work. She died by asphyxiation, the FBI said, according to NBC News.
Gonzales was assigned to Headquarters Supply Company of the 127th Aviation Support battalion as a cook. It was on her first duty assignment for the Army, the FBI said.
Wilkerson was discharged from the Army in 2004, according to an indictment filed in federal court in Florida’s Northern District. He was later discharged from the Army Reserve after another three years, NBC reported.
Federal prosecutors did not reveal a motive for the homicide or provide additional details.
An attorney representing Wilkerson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the news outlet Thursday evening.
Wilkerson made his first court appearance on Thursday and pleaded not guilty. A detention hearing is scheduled for March 3.
If convicted, Wilkerson faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
