Former Sergeant Pleads Guilty To Stabbing Fellow Fort Stewart Soldier 40 Times in Revenge Killing

Then he walked the mile back to the gate, quickly got rid of his bloody clothes, and disappeared.

Booker, who was arrested the next day, pleaded guilty to Hawk’s murder Thursday, Oct. 27, in federal court and now faces spending the rest of his life in prison under minimum sentencing laws. Federal prison has no parole.

“Byron Booker murdered a former fellow soldier in cold blood in retaliation for that soldier performing his duties as a service member,” US Attorney Estes, a retired Army colonel, said in a Department of Justice release. “The FBI and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigative Division did outstanding work in solving this despicable crime and bringing Booker to justice.”

Booker’s co-defendant in Hawk’s killing still faces charges of conspiring with Booker. Jordan Brown, 21, of St. Marys, Georgia, still faces a slew of charges for helping Booker’s plan for “silencing” Hawk, federal prosecutors said.

Hawk’s murder led Fort Stewart to add 8-foot fencing and razor wire where Booker had entered the base.

On a GoFundMe page set up after Hawk’s death to defray costs of attending Booker’s trial, his mother wrote: “Austin loved his family and friends. Austin leaves behind his parents Andrew and Julie Hawk, his disabled older brother and his twin sister. The heinous murder of Austin has left his family devastated. They are in disbelief to find out their beloved son was murdered by his fellow servicemen. No family should have to endure what Austin’s family have had to go through. It is unimaginable to realize your child who is serving his country would be murdered by the very people who he called his brothers.”

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