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Former Army Deserter Sentenced to 44 Years in Killing of Fellow Veteran

David DeGroat was sentenced in New Mexico for his role in the July 2025 death of a veteran he served with.

4 reports on this incident · first at Aug 23, 2026, 10:55 a.m. ET

By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 23, 2026, 10:28 a.m. ETUpdated Aug 23, 2026, 4:52 p.m. ET
David DeGroat, 22, was to 44 years in prison on August 23, 2026, in , according to military.com and ibtimes.co.uk. The sentence includes a five-year firearm enhancement and is followed by two years of parole. DeGroat was convicted in connection with the death of McLaughlin, a veteran he had served with. According to conflicting reports, DeGroat lured McLaughlin to a property on July 25, 2025, by asking him to help carry groceries up a dirt road, after which Rainor Joiner ambushed him. Military.com reports Joiner shot McLaughlin once with a rifle before firing additional shots with DeGroat's handgun, while ibtimes.co.uk reports Joiner fired first with a rifle before using DeGroat's handgun for additional shots. The Taos County Sheriff's Office investigated the case. DeGroat remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court, according to ibtimes.co.uk.

Earlier reports

  1. Aug 23, 2026, 11:14 a.m. ET

    Army Deserter Sentenced to 44 Years for Killing Veteran He Served With

    David DeGroat, 22, was sentenced to 44 years in prison on August 23, 2026, in New Mexico's 8th Judicial District Court, military.com reported. The sentence stems from the July 25, 2025, killing of McLaughlin, a veteran DeGroat had served with.

    According to military.com, DeGroat lured McLaughlin to a property by asking him to help carry groceries up a dirt road. Once there, Joiner ambushed McLaughlin, shooting him once with a rifle and then firing additional shots with DeGroat's handgun. The Taos County Sheriff's Office investigated the case.

    The cause of the killing has not been determined, and no further details about the motive or circumstances have been released.

  2. Aug 23, 2026, 11:09 a.m. ET

    Army Deserter Sentenced to 44 Years for Killing Veteran He Served With

    David DeGroat, 22, was sentenced to 44 years in prison on August 23, 2026, in New Mexico's 8th Judicial District Court, military.com reported. The sentence stems from the July 25, 2025, killing of a veteran he had served with.

    According to military.com, DeGroat lured the victim, McLaughlin, to a property by asking him to help carry groceries up a dirt road. There, Joiner ambushed McLaughlin, shooting him once with a rifle and then firing additional shots with DeGroat's handgun. The Taos County Sheriff's Office investigated the case.

    The cause of the killing has not been determined, and the investigation is ongoing.

  3. Aug 23, 2026, 10:55 a.m. ETFirst report

    Army Deserter Sentenced to 44 Years for Killing Veteran He Served With

    David DeGroat, 22, was sentenced to 44 years in prison on August 23, 2026, in New Mexico's 8th Judicial District Court, according to military.com. The sentence stems from the July 25, 2025, killing of a veteran he had served with in the Army.

    Military.com reported that DeGroat lured the victim to a property by asking him to help carry groceries up a dirt road. Once there, another individual, identified as Joiner, ambushed the victim, shooting him once with a rifle before firing additional shots with DeGroat's handgun. The Taos County Sheriff's Office investigated the case.

    The victim was a veteran who had served with DeGroat. The specific charges and the victim's name were not detailed in the report.

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Revision history

  1. Version 223 Aug 2026, 20:52current

    Updated to reflect sentencing outcome and include both conflicting accounts of the conduct.

  2. Version 123 Aug 2026, 15:09current

    First published.

  3. Version 123 Aug 2026, 14:55current

    First published.

  4. Version 123 Aug 2026, 15:14current

    First published.

  5. Version 123 Aug 2026, 15:04

    First published.

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