In a shocking development that has rocked both military and civilian communities in Alaska, a Fort Wainwright soldier has been charged with first-degree murder. Adayus Robertson, an active-duty soldier with the 11th Airborne Division, allegedly shot Joseph Casas in the head at a Fairbanks apartment before fleeing the scene with evidence. Could this tragedy have been prevented with better oversight of soldiers with pending criminal cases?
Execution-Style Murder Shocks Alaska Community
Adayus Robertson, a 24-year-old soldier stationed at Fort Wainwright, allegedly shot and killed Joseph Casas execution-style in a Fairbanks apartment just before 10 a.m. on a Friday. The 37-year-old victim was found with a gunshot wound to the head and was later pronounced dead at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, according to police reports.
Medical professionals who treated Casas provided disturbing details about the nature of his injuries. “It appeared that Casas had a back-to-front penetration gunshot wound,” an emergency room doctor told police, adding, “It appeared Casas had been executed.”
Adayus Robertson, a 24-year-old U.S. Army soldier at Fort Wainwright in Alaska, is facing murder charges after Fairbanks police officers found a man in an apartment with an execution-style gunshot wound to the head. https://t.co/gQvn6dI4c3
— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) April 15, 2025
Evidence and Witness Accounts Point to Military Suspect
GPS data placed Robertson at the scene of the crime, and witnesses reported he was in the same room as Casas when the fatal shot was fired. A female witness provided critical testimony, stating Robertson left her in the bathroom, and after hearing a loud bang, he urgently told her they needed to leave the apartment.
The woman further testified that Robertson’s behavior immediately after the shooting was suspicious. “He picked stuff up off the table before we left,” she stated, adding that Robertson mumbled about how “messed up” the situation was as they departed from the scene.
Law enforcement later recovered a .40 caliber Glock from a trash bin near the shooting scene, believed to be the murder weapon. Robertson was subsequently found at the Big Dipper Ice Arena with a handgun magazine in his possession, leading to additional charges of evidence tampering.
Fort Wainwright Soldier Arrested on Murder Charges in Fairbanks Man's Death https://t.co/Aqa4YyIRmt
— Military.com (@Militarydotcom) April 15, 2025
Soldier’s Prior Legal Troubles Raise Questions
At the time of the shooting, Robertson was already under house arrest for previous charges, including assault and escape. This fact has raised serious questions about military oversight and the monitoring of service members facing criminal charges while maintaining active-duty status.
One of the men who was with Robertson after the shooting provided damning testimony to police investigators. He told officers that Casas “didn’t deserve what happened to him” before agreeing with the characterization that the shooting was an execution-style killing.
Following his arrest, Robertson now faces charges of first-degree murder, evidence tampering, and probation violation, with bail set at a substantial $2.5 million. The 11th Airborne Division and Fort Wainwright command have not issued detailed statements about the incident or Robertson’s military status as the case proceeds through the civilian justice system.