Meiziaha Cooper: Death of soldier and her family at Fort Stewart Army Base ruled 'domestic in nature'
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA: The family of four discovered dead in their Georgia home on a military base was identified by the Army on Friday, and it concluded that their deaths were "domestic in nature."
Just after 2 pm on Wednesday, the bodies of Staff Sgt Meiziaha T Cooper and her husband, Desmond Cooper, were found at the Fort Stewart property on-post, according to the Army.
Family members identified the children as Desmond Jr and Juice. They were 9 and 4 years old, respectively.
Following a request for a welfare check from Meiziaha Cooper's unit, the disturbing discovery came to light.
Army officials have not revealed the reason behind the family's tragic demise nor have they identified any assailant.
Where is Fort Stewart Army Base?
Fort Stewart, situated approximately 40 miles southwest of Savannah, Georgia, is the largest Army station east of the Mississippi River.
Army officials have not yet stated whether the incident will be regarded as a crime, notwithstanding the domestic verdict.
The unexpected death of the family is the latest in a series of tragic deaths at the Army facility.
Within one of the fort building complexes last year, Spc Shay A Wilson, 28, of Queens, New York, allegedly shot and killed Sgt Nathan Hillman, 30, of Plum, Pennsylvania, with a privately owned firearm.
A few months prior, authorities claimed that a medical evacuation pilot had killed himself by suicide when he crashed his chopper into another Black Hawk.
What did Army officials say?
3rd Infantry Division Deputy Commander of Operations Col Jeremy S Wilson said in a statement, “Our thoughts and prayers are with Staff Sgt. Cooper’s family, friends and teammates during this very difficult and tragic time,”
He added, “Our community has been shaken by this unspeakable tragedy and out of respect to the family, we ask for privacy to grieve this loss.”
Meiziaha Cooper, an honorably decorated culinary noncommissioned officer, enlisted in the Army in October 2012, according to Army officials.
Six Army Achievement Medals and four Army Commendation Medals were among her accolades.
She was a devoted and compassionate colleague, and her fellow troops mourned her, calling her “the best work mom anyone could ever ask for.”
Fellow soldier Michaela Greene mourned on Facebook, “You showed up for us when you didn’t have to, you made sure you helped us with any goals and accomplishments that we wanted to pursue in the military, you were there for us when it came to our personal problems… you were a mentor, a mom but a FRIEND to us inexperienced soldiers.”
Meiziaha Cooper was praised by NCO Shan Collier who called her "one of the biggest blessings God had to offer."
She wrote in her tribute to Meiziaha on Facebook, “Every one (sic) just leaned on you, even the soldiers who weren’t assigned to you. But that didn’t matter because you always offered love and care with open arms to everyone regardless. You literally changed me for the best. You taught me to be the nurturing, open minded, selfless NCO I am today and man this hurts so bad.”
A representative for the Army shared with The New York Post that Meiziaha Cooper’s husband, Desmond Cooper was a “prior service veteran,” but he would not provide further details about his deployment or conditions for discharge.