A special forces US soldier has been charged with killing his heavily pregnant wife and injuring her unborn baby who survived the attack.
Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Santiago, 33, was charged yesterday, 6th October, for killing his wife Meghan Santiago, 33, at the Fort Campbell military base in Kentucky on 27th September.
Meghan was 32 weeks pregnant when she was attacked and was kept on a life support machine until Tuesday, 5th October, when it was switched off and she was declared dead.
The news site WTSP reported that limited details about the murder have been made public. However, a soldier who preferred to remain anonymous told the news site Stars and Stripes that Meghan suffered a brain stem injury.
Meghan’s unborn baby survived the attack and the victim left behind three children all of whom have been placed in the temporarily care of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services.
The Fort Campbell Public Affairs Office said in a statement: “Meghan’s death is a tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends.”
Col. Brent Lindeman, commander of 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), said: “This tragic event has shaken our entire unit. We take all allegations of domestic violence seriously, and we will provide every resource to ensure a thorough investigation.”
Santiago is currently being held at Grayson County Jail in Kentucky as the US Army Criminal Investigation Division investigates the case.
