On March 14, 2020, 23-year-old Army Specialist Freddy Beningo Delacruz Jr., a Filipino-American, was tragically killed in a triple homicide at the Summerlyn Apartments in Killeen, Texas. Delacruz, who was stationed at Fort Hood, was found alongside two other victims, 23-year-old Army veteran Shaquan Markell Allred and 22-year-old Asia Cline, who was Delacruz's pregnant girlfriend.
The incident occurred when Killeen police responded to a call about gunshots, but initially found no evidence of a shooting. About 40 minutes later, they returned to the scene for a report of a water leak and discovered the three bodies in an unlocked apartment.
The investigation into the triple homicide revealed that Barnard Lnell Morrow, a 23-year-old Army veteran who had separated from the Army in August 2019, was the perpetrator. Morrow was arrested in August 2020 in Newton, Mississippi, and later transferred to Bell County Jail. He was found guilty of capital murder in April 2022 and automatically sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The prosecution presented evidence that Morrow shot and killed the three victims, although Morrow denied being at the apartment during the killings.
The case deeply affected the community, especially Delacruz's family and friends. His mother, Latrece Johnson, attended the trial and expressed her pain, knowing that she had spoken to Morrow over the phone when talking to her son. Despite the tragic loss, Johnson found some solace in the evidence presented during the trial, which helped answer the questions of what and how her son died, though not the why.
The Army Criminal Investigation Command and Killeen Police Department worked together on the investigation, and the case highlighted the importance of community and law enforcement collaboration in solving such heinous crimes. The verdict brought a sense of justice to Delacruz's family, even as they continue to grieve the loss of a young soldier who was well-regarded by his peers and superiors.
