FORT BLISS, Texas (KTRK) -- A soldier stationed at a west Texas army
post faces sexual assault charges involving a female soldier who was
found dead in her barracks on New Year's Eve.
"On January 8,
2021, Maj. Gen. Sean C. Bernabe, 1st Armored Division commander,
personally ordered the referral of charges against a Fort Bliss Private
First Class to a general court-martial," Army officials said in a
statement. "The referred charges include one specification alleging the
sexual assault of Pfc. Asia M. Graham. A military judge will be detailed
to the case to arraign the Soldier and docket a trial date."
Graham,
19, of Cherryville, N.C., had reportedly been seeking justice at the
time of her death after she claimed another soldier had sexually
assaulted her. The name of the soldier accused was not released.
Graham
was found unresponsive in her barracks Dec. 31, but an official cause
of death has not been released. Authorities later ruled out foul play.
RELATED: Foul play ruled out after soldier was found dead in Fort Bliss barracksAsia's mother Nicole Graham spoke to
WBTV about the incidents.
"Do
I think she was murdered? No. But do I think if it would have been
handled better from the beginning, I think she would have had the proper
help before and she would have been OK," Nicole said.
According
to army officials, Graham arrived at Fort Bliss in Dec. 2019 after
finishing Basic Combat Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and
Advanced Individual Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. She was
assigned to I-501st Attack Battalion, 1st Armored Division Combat
Aviation Brigade.
Asia was a Human Resource Specialist who joined the Army in July 2019 from Charlotte. Fort Bliss was her first station.