Army Pfc. Kenron Laing, 24, was arrested Nov. 14, 2024, at Fort Liberty, N.C., by Indiana State Police detectives and Army Criminal Investigation Division agents on a felony murder warrant, police said. Laing is accused in the Nov. 2, 2022, shooting death of Gildardo Garcia Salina, a 39-year-old landscaper. (Corey Dickstein/Stars and Stripes)

An 82nd Airborne Division soldier was arrested and charged at Fort Liberty, N.C., for a killing that he is accused of committing in Indiana two years ago before he joined the Army, military and state law enforcement officials said.

Pfc. Kenron Laing, 24, was arrested Nov. 14 at the sprawling Army post by Indiana State Police detectives and Army Criminal Investigation Division agents on a felony murder warrant, police said. Laing is accused in the Nov. 2, 2022, shooting death of Gildardo Garcia Salina, a 39-year-old landscaper.

Police said Laing was arrested without incident and booked into North Carolina’s Cumberland County Jail. He remained in the Cumberland County jail awaiting extradition to Indiana on Wednesday, according to jail records.

Detectives linked Laing to Salina’s death through a hotel where Salina’s landscaping company had worked and which was “frequented by Laing,” police said. Salina was found shot to death at his residence in northern Owen County, about 45 miles southeast of Indianapolis.

Police provided no information about a possible motive in the killing and said the investigation was ongoing. Detectives spent two years interviewing witnesses and processing evidence in the case, which included interviews in Chicago, according to the Indiana State Police.

Laing’s home of record is listed as Crown Point in northeastern Indiana, about 45 miles southwest of Chicago.

Laing was a petroleum supply specialist assigned to the 82nd Airborne’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, according to the Army. He had been stationed at Fort Liberty since April.

Records show Laing enlisted in the service in August 2023, about 10 months after Salinas was killed.