Two former U.S. Army soldiers stationed together at Fort Benning, Georgia, are facing prosecution after allegedly shooting and dismembering their roommate in Taos County, New Mexico, following months of friction over his behavior in their shared home.
David Degroat, 22 at the time, has agreed to a plea deal reducing his first-degree murder charge to second-degree murder in the 2025 killing of 25-year-old Matthew McLaughlin, a fellow Army veteran from West Virginia. Authorities say Degroat’s roommate, Rainor Joiner, is accused of pulling the trigger before both men cut up McLaughlin’s remains and scattered them along U.S. Route 64 near Tres Piedras. Joiner is set to stand trial in December.
According to the Taos County Sheriff’s Office, McLaughlin went missing on July 31, 2025, prompting a search involving local deputies and an out-of-state volunteer group. Investigators later determined all three men had lived and served together before McLaughlin’s disappearance. Deputies detained Joiner and Degroat weeks later, discovering both men had outstanding military warrants for desertion.
During questioning, Joiner reportedly confessed to shooting McLaughlin with a rifle and pistol, then helping dismember his body days afterward. He allegedly guided deputies directly to where the remains were hidden. A sheriff’s office undersheriff described Joiner as showing no remorse during his confession.
Court records allege the men had grown resentful of McLaughlin over frequent drug use, spreading rumors, and repeatedly inviting unfamiliar guests into their residence — tensions that allegedly culminated in an ambush on July 25.
McLaughlin’s mother says she wants both cases to go to full trial despite the confessions already on record, though she acknowledged a trial carries a longer possible sentence than the plea agreement, which could bring Degroat roughly 30 years behind bars instead of life. Degroat’s plea is expected to be finalized by early August.