Army Pvt. Brian Jones Jr., 24, a former trainee in the advanced individual training course for air traffic control operators at Fort Rucker, pleaded guilty to unpremeditated murder under Article 118(2) of the Uniform Code of Military Justice in the killing of Pvt. Abdul N. Latifu, 21, of the Bronx, New York. The court-martial concluded on Jan. 29, 2026.
Jones murdered Latifu in the barracks at Fort Rucker just before 11:40 a.m. on Jan.10, 2023. Both soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 13th Aviation Regiment, 1st Aviation Brigade, U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence at the time of the incident.
Jones was sentenced to 247 months of confinement (20 years and 5.8 months), reduction to E‑1, total forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and a dishonorable discharge.
“The murder occurred just over three years ago, and it has been a long road to justice, but today is the day that Pvt. Jones is finally held accountable for taking the life of PV2 Latifu. PV2 Latifu was not only a soldier; he was also a beloved son, uncle and brother,” said Lt. Col. William Wicks, prosecutor with the Headquarters, Army Office of Special Trial Counsel.
“While the conviction and sentence cannot reverse the tragic loss of PV2 Latifu, we can only hope that today’s outcome is the first step in allowing PV2 Latifu’s family to begin to heal,” Wicks said.
Wicks continued, “I would like to thank the law enforcement professionals of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Southern Field Office for the outstanding support they provided in the investigation and prosecution of this case from beginning to end.”
Jones will serve his sentence at the U.S. Army Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.