A pair of military deserters allegedly slaughtered and dismembered a member of their Army unit and dispersed parts of his corpse along a highway in New Mexico — and the one that pulled trigger said it was “not a hard decision for him.”
Rainor Joiner, 23, and David Degroat, 22, were both arrested by the Taos County Sheriff Department and allegedly confessed to murdering Matthew McLaughlin, a 25-year-old US Army veteran from West Virginia who was reported missing on July 31.
The three men were all living together in New Mexico after serving in the same unit at Fort Benning in Georgia.
Joiner and Degroat allegedly had active warrants out for their desertion. It’s unclear how and when McLaughlin may have been relieved of service.
Joiner allegedly told authorities he was fed up with McLaughlin for “speaking ill of him, bringing random people to the residence, and the use of narcotics at the residence,” according to a criminal complaint obtained by KRQE.
The deserter and supposed mastermind behind the violent murder had apparently threatened to kill Degroat too if he didn’t help or if he snitched, according to a confession signed by Joiner.
Joiner allegedly confessed that he shot McLaughlin with Degroat’s help, adding that “I did it, I f–ked him, and I don’t f–king regret it,” according to KOB.
He also allegedly said killing his roommate was “not a hard decision for him,” the documents state.
Degroat contended that Joiner forced him to assist with the grisly murder and lure McLaughlin into an ambush while he was walking home with groceries. He allegedly told authorities that Joiner shot McLaughlin three times with an AR-15 style rifle — once in the chest and twice in the head.
Afterwards, Joiner allegedly made Degroat hold open a plastic bag to place parts of McLaughlin’s dismembered corpse in.
From there, they dispersed the severed body parts along Highway 64. Once they were caught at their home, Joiner led authorities to each spot where they uncovered multiple trash bags with body parts inside that were turned over to the medical examiner’s office.
McLaughlin’s grieving family members are struggling to fathom why people he trusted enough to move cross-country with would do such a thing.
“All I want to say is, I found out that they had planned this for weeks. I’ll never see my son again,” his mother, Rebecca, told the Santa Fe New Mexican.
The Army veteran is survived by his mother and seven siblings, according to a GoFundMe organized by a family friend.
Joiner was charged with a laundry list of felonies, including first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated battery.
Degroat is facing charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with evidence.
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