A soldier stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, has died while in custody in the local jail, officials announced Thursday.
Sgt. Marcus Lamarr Nelson Sr., 45, died Monday in the Bell County Jail in Belton, Texas.
The circumstances surrounding Nelson's death are still under investigation.
Nelson was being held in pretrial confinement at the Bell County Jail, according to information from the 1st Cavalry Division. He had been was charged under the Uniform Code of Military Justice with departing his appointed place of duty, disobeying a lawful order from a noncommissioned officer, dereliction of duty and disobeying lawful regulation, and communicating a threat.
Nelson, who was from Detroit, Michigan, joined the Army in April 2005 as a petroleum supply specialist. In June 2015, Nelson was assigned to 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade. The brigade belongs to the 1st Cavalry Division.
He deployed to Iraq twice, from September 2006 to September 2007, and from October 2008 to September 2009.
Nelson's awards and decorations include three Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, three Army Good Conduct Medals, and the Iraq Campaign Medal with four campaign stars.
Michelle Tan is the editor of Army Times and Air Force Times. She has covered the military for Military Times since 2005, and has embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Haiti, Gabon and the Horn of Africa.