A Fort Cavazos soldier has been charged with murder in the shooting death of a civilian man in Killeen, Texas, Army officials said. (Rose L. Thayer/Stars and Stripes)
A Fort Cavazos soldier has been charged with murder in the shooting death of a civilian man in Killeen, Texas, Army officials said Thursday.
Staff Sgt. Marlone L. Best, 26, is charged with premeditated murder and murder for the February death of Larry Kidd, Jr., a 28-year-old father and semiprofessional football player, according to the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel.
The two men got into a fight that led to Best brandishing a 9 mm pistol on Feb. 17, 2024, outside of a business in the 900 block of West Central Texas Expressway, according to the Killeen Police Department, which initially investigated Kidd’s death. The block sits along the expressway at its intersection with Fort Hood Street and contains a large shopping center. It is about 3 miles from the base.
Police were called at about 8:05 p.m., where they found Kidd with several gunshot wounds. He was transported to Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Cavazos where he was pronounced dead at about 8:39 p.m., according to police.
Police took a man into custody at the time but did not identify him.
Nearly 20 witnesses were listed in the police investigative report, two of whom were younger than 18 years old. Four other people were listed as being involved in the incident. All names were redacted from the police report except Kidd’s.
The Army held a preliminary hearing for Best on June 14, where an officer heard evidence in the case, according to the Office of Special Trial Counsel. Prosecutors decided Aug. 12 to move forward with formal charges and a court-martial.
Army officials declined to release a charge sheet for Best because he had not yet been arraigned. A hearing for arraignment has not been scheduled.
Best enlisted as a petroleum supply specialist in May 2016 and has been stationed at Fort Cavazos since November 2017, according to the base. He is assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division.
Kidd was not affiliated with the Army, according to his obituary. He spent his middle and high school years in Killeen and went on to play college and semi-professional football.
Fort Cavazos, formerly known as Fort Hood, is located on nearly 215,000 acres in central Texas and is home to roughly 39,000 active-duty soldiers.
