Army charges soldiers for murder of two soldiers outside Fort Stewart

The Army says two soldiers are responsible for a double murder, occurring on March 8, that left Pvt. Malika D. Jackson and Spc. Marquez S. Brown dead.

Sgt. Shaquille Craig, 24, of Salem, AL, and Spc. Phillip E. Thompson, Jr., 24, of Warner Robins, GA, are accused of murdering the two soldiers in Hinesville apartment.

According to WTOC News, officers from the Hinesville Police Department went to the apartment after receiving an anonymous tip there were two men dead inside.

Police say the men died from gunshot wounds and one victim was also stabbed. WTOC News reports police also believe the motive stemmed from something personal between Jackson and the suspect.

“When I saw my son’s body, you could see the rage. My son was shot twice at point- blank range, and he was knifed twice in his throat,” Jackson’s father, Will Johnson tells WTOC News. “This is rage. He didn’t want anyone to talk to his wife. He didn’t want anyone to be in the car with his wife. My son was not the guy he thought he was.”

The Coastal Courier reports in April, both co-defendants were denied bond in Liberty County Superior Court.

During Thompson’s civilian preliminary hearing, Hinesville Police Department Detective Jeff Lui testified Thompson drove Craig to the townhome and was inside Brown’s residence when Craig shot the soldiers.

Police had reported there was a party at Brown’s home the night before the men were found dead. Lui said that Craig’s estranged wife attended the party with Jackson. Craig did not attend, but learned his wife was there with Jackson. Lui said it appears that Jackson had started having a relationship with Craig’s wife.

The married couple was estranged but was not yet divorced.

Testimony revealed that Craig asked Thompson to meet him in the parking lot of the Live Oak Library in Hinesville. Thompson said Craig walked up to his vehicle and appeared to be carrying a gun at his waist covered by his shirt.

Craig told Thompson that he had followed Jackson back to Brown’s townhome and that Jackson, “has got to go.”

Thompson said Craig then laid out the plan.

Thompson went to Brown’s apartment — pretending he had attended the party the night before — but left something behind.

Brown let Thompson enter the apartment, closed the door behind him but left it unlocked.

That is allegedly when Craig came in, shot both men twice and also stabbed Jackson in the throat. The knife was still stuck in Jackson’s throat when police arrived.

Lui said Thompson told investigators that Craig said, “Brown was just a witness we had to get rid of.”

According to the Coastal Courier, Lui said Thompson later helped Craig dispose of the gun and blood-stained clothing.

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