A Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, airman is charged with attempted murder for allegedly setting fire to a home in January 2014 in an effort to kill the woman inside, then conspiring again this year to kill her, according to documents filed with the Judge Advocate General’s office.
Staff Sgt. Elijah Langhorne faces charges of conspiring to and attempting to commit murder, as well as an arson charge, JAG records show.
Langhorne was assigned to the 72nd Security Forces Squadron at Tinker at the time of the incident, according to information from the base. Prosecutors said he had been planning the alleged murder since October 2013.
On Jan. 17, 2014, Langhorne allegedly set fire to the home in Jones, Oklahoma, while the woman was inside, JAG records show, in an effort to murder her. Prosecutors noted that two other individuals in the home at the time could also have been harmed.
The records do not disclose the condition of the alleged victims following the incident, and only refer to them by initials. No information was given on the home, other than a statement that the property is valued at $70,000.
According to court documents, the next year, in March 2015, Langhorne conspired with another airman to murder the same woman, including tracking her whereabouts as well as acquiring a firearm, equipment and clothing.
The second airman, Staff Sgt. Steven Bailey, has been charged in the crime, but the case has not been formally forwarded to a court-martial proceeding.
Air Force Times could not reach either the staff sergeants or their legal counsels for comment.
“We have great confidence in our military justice system which holds military members accountable for their actions and provides a fair and efficient process for just resolutions in all cases,” said Col. Stephanie Wilson, the 72nd Air Base Wing commander.
“It is important to point out that a charge is merely an accusation and that the sergeants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,” she said.
Langhorne also faces drug charges for using and distributing anabolic steroids, the Air Force said.
His court-martial is set for November. The charges stem from an investigation conducted by the Air Force Office of Special Investigation.
