Soldiers indicted in two 2008 deaths
A Cumberland County grand jury formally indicted a Fort Bragg soldier in the murder of Spc. Megan Touma last year.
Posted — UpdatedSgt. Edgar Patino, 27, of 374 Lairgate Lane in Hope Mills, was charged with first-degree murder in her death. He is being held in the Cumberland County Detention Center without bond.
Her husband, Sgt. Richard Smith, 26, of Denton, Texas, has been charged, as has Pfc. Matthew Kvapil, 19, of Santee, Calif. Both are accused of murder and conspiracy to commit murder. The Smiths and Kvapil were assigned to the 4th Psychological Operations Group.
The Smiths were walking near their house on Baxter Street when, Richard Smith said, someone attacked her. According to police records, Kvapil said Richard Smith asked him repeatedly to kill his wife – and eventually offered $30,000 for the deed to be carried out.
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