Soldier charged with two murders

Fort Drum soldier Joshua S. Hunter, 20, is being held without bail in Scioto County Jail, Portsmouth, Ohio, in connection with the murders of two fellow Fort Drum soldiers earlier this week in Evans Mills.

A warrant charging two counts of second-degree murder — known as intentional murder — has been issued for his arrest, Jefferson County District Attorney Cindy F. Intschert said. The victims, identified as Diego A. Valbuena, 23, and Waide T. James, 20, died of multiple stab wounds, Sheriff John P. Burns said Wednesday. Court documents allege that Hunter acted alone.

Mrs. Intschert declined comment when asked at a press conference whether the means of the murders indicates a crime of rage. She declined to say if a murder weapon has been recovered.

Hunter is expected to waive extradition when he is arraigned as a fugitive from justice this morning in Portsmouth, Ohio, Municipal Court, according to the Scioto County Sheriff's Department.

The arraignment will be by video, meaning he will be in jail while being addressed by the court.

Capt. David S. Hall of Scioto County said some items were impounded following Hunter's arrest about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday at a Days Inn at Wheelersburg, Ohio, but he declined to elaborate, not wanting to impede in the investigation by Jefferson County authorities.

Sheriff Burns confirmed that the vehicle police were looking for Tuesday in connection with the investigation was in Hunter's possession when he was arrested. Hunter is the "person of interest" who was referred to Tuesday, Sheriff Burns said.

A reporter with the Portsmouth Daily Times said he was told New York State Police alerted the Ohio Highway Patrol that Hunter was possibly in Scioto County, and the Highway Patrol forwarded the information to the sheriff's office. Hunter subsequently was taken into custody without incident, the reporter was told.

Autopsies were conducted on the bodies of the two murdered men Wednesday afternoon. Results were not available later in the day.

Mr. James was from Cocoa, Fla., and Mr. Valbuena from Port St. Lucie, Fla., according to the Fort Drum Public Affairs office.

After their unit commander reported the men missing, they were found dead by a deputy sheriff about noon Tuesday in their unit in The Meadows Apartments on Fox Hollow Run. The murders occurred sometime between Sunday and Monday, Mrs. Intschert said. One victim was downstairs, the other in an upstairs bedroom. The sheriff and DA declined to say which victim was on which floor.

According to Fort Drum, the two victims were motor transport operators with the Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 10th Mountain Division.

Spc. James entered the Army in March 2007 and was assigned to Fort Drum four months later. Spc. Valbuena arrived at Fort Drum in January 2008, having joined the Army about five months earlier. Both were recipients of the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal and Overseas Service Ribbon.

In September, Spc. James and Spc. Valbuena graduated from Fort Drum's Warrior Leaders Course, which teaches skills required to lead, train, fight and accomplish the mission as noncommissioned officers.

They and Hunter all listed each other as friends on their MySpace pages.

Hunter's father, Jim Hunter of Ona, W.Va., told the Associated Press in a telephone interview that his son spent 15 months in Iraq and had been back for about four months. He said he had seen his son in October and he "seemed to be doing good."

Mr. Hunter described his son as "a pretty outgoing kid" who was married, had no children and lived off base.

Sheriff's deputies in New York, he said, had not provided much information.

"They told us not to come up until they get him from wherever he's at," he said.

Hunter's personal narrative on his MySpace page exposes a man's threat to kill.

"I dont (sic) need anyone but me, I am cold and heartless," he wrote. "unhappiness (sic) can be a way of life, but im (sic) not gonna be one of those little bitches who kills themselves i will take down anyone who gets in my way by any means necessary."

After using some profanities, he continued "i will not be stopped until i get my revenge. i am angry at the world and i will take it out on anyone... ."

He listed himself as a 2007 graduate of Cabell Midland High School, Ona, W.Va.

His last login was Nov. 25.

On his MySpace page, Mr. Valbuena wrote that he was born in Bogota, Colombia.

"We're just trying to digest the news," his brother, Sergio Valbuena, told the Associated Press on Wednesday. "It's really hard."

A man who was picked up for questioning Tuesday afternoon in the investigation later was released, Sheriff Burns said. State police investigators detained the person after finding him at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at Salmon Run Mall, but he was not charged in the case, the sheriff said.

All people who recently had lived in the apartment where the murders occurred have been interviewed and accounted for. Watertown police detectives conducted some of the interviews, along with the Army Criminal Investigation Division, sheriff's detectives and state police.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.