Fort Hood

Fort Hood Soldier Facing Murder Charge in 2019 Death of Woman

Cory Grafton was arrested after a DNA test and statement from a co-worker who said he had confessed, officials said

In this June 3, 2016, file photo, the Bernie Beck gate at Fort Hood is seen in Fort Hood, Texas.
Drew Anthony Smith/Getty Images (File)

A Fort Hood soldier has been arrested in the death of a woman at a Texas hotel last year, authorities said Wednesday.

Cory Grafton, 20, an active-duty soldier assigned to the Texas base, was arrested Tuesday and is facing a murder charge in the death of Chelsea Lynell Cheatham, a 32-year-old who was found not breathing at a Days Inn in June 2019, officials said. Her death has later ruled a homicide, NBC News reports.

The Texas Rangers, which received a grant for DNA testing last year, approached police with the possibility of using the testing in the year-old case. Police had also gotten a statement from one of Grafton's co-workers who said he had confessed to the killing, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.

Grafton was being held in lieu of $1 million bail Wednesday night, according to online jail records. It was not clear if he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com

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