Police in Junction City, Kansas, are investigating the death of a Fort Riley soldier found in his home Monday morning, but have found no indications of foul play.
Officers found 1st Sgt. Patrick E. Centamore, 46, after a member of his unit contacted police when he didn't show up for work, said Tim Brown, chief of police of Junction City, about five miles south of Fort Riley.
The officers discovered "no outright evidence of any cause of death," Brown said, and may not know more until preliminary toxicology reports are complete — a process that can take up to 60 days.
Centamore was the senior noncommissioned officer of G Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, according to a Fort Riley news release. The senior maintenance supervisor had deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
He was new to the battalion, but had been at Fort Riley since August 2010, the release states.
In his short time with his unit, Centamore "had already rapidly established himself as a professional senior noncommissioned officer who was well liked and respected by Soldiers and leaders across the formation," battalion commander Lt. Col. Trent Upton said in the release. "Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family, and we stand ready to support them throughout this difficult time."
