A civilian died in the town of Sulzbachtal, a suburb of Kaiserslautern, early Monday morning. A female soldier from the 1st Personnel Command soldier was charged with manslaughter for allegedly stabbing her husband to death. (Ben Bloker / S&S)
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — A soldier was charged with manslaughter Monday afternoon by German authorities who believe she stabbed her husband to death.
The incident occurred in the early-morning hours Monday at the couple’s off-post house in Sulzbachtal, a village about 9 miles north of Kaiserslautern.
The soldier, Spc. Latasha Ricks, is assigned to 1st Personnel Command; her husband was described simply as a civilian, according to a U.S. Army Europe news release. His nationality was not released. Ricks is 25, and the deceased man was 29, according to a Kaiserslautern Polizei news release.
Neither the German police nor American military officials would release the man’s name.
Early indications are that the death stemmed from a domestic dispute, the Polizei release stated. Neighbors called police after hearing a loud discussion coming from the couple’s home, said Christiane Lautenschläger, a spokeswoman with the Kaiserslautern police. German media reported Monday afternoon that two small children were asleep in the house when the incident took place.
An autopsy performed Monday found that the man was stabbed near the heart and lost a lot of blood in a few minutes, Lautenschläger said.
“She said she acted in self-defense,” Lautenschläger said.
As a result of the charge, Ricks will be held in German jail.
The victim was pronounced dead shortly after police arrived. Blood was drawn from the woman Monday after the incident and showed no signs of alcohol in her system, Lautenschläger said.
