The Army is investigating the suspicious death of a Georgia Army National Guard major who died while traveling with family in Belarus.
Maj. Kyle Tafel, 36, was found dead by local police in Belarus on June 12 after apparently falling from his 10th story hotel room, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The Smyrna, Georgia, resident was traveling in Belarus with two of his aunts, according to the newspaper.
Earlier in the evening, Tafel was involved in some sort of argument in the hotel's casino, prompting security to forcibly bring him back to his room, FOX 5 Atlanta reports. Tafel's father, Kevin, said the soldier believed the group he had gotten into an altercation with was out to get him.
"He told his aunts they were out for blood," Kevin Tafel said, according to FOX 5. "Out of fear, they barricaded the door so nobody could get in or out."
About three hours later, police woke up Kyle Tafel's aunts to inform them that he was found dead, according to FOX 5.
Georgia National Guard spokeswoman Desiree Bamba confirmed to local reporters that the Army's Criminal Investigation Command is investigating the death. It is unclear if the Army is working with authorities in Belarus on the investigation.
Kyle Tafel was supposed to travel with his aunts to Hungary after Belarus. He had been stationed in the country of Georgia and was very familiar with Eastern Europe, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The major served in the Georgia Army National Guard for 17 years. His body returned to Georgia on Wednesday, according to media reports.
