Missing Fort Drum soldier Hayden Harris is found dead and investigators say foul play is suspected

An investigation into the death of Cpl. Hayden Allen Harris is underway, the Criminal Investigation Command said in a press release.

Harris, 20, was last heard between Thursday night and early Friday. He met someone in Watertown for “some sort of vehicle exchange,” the military’s CID said. The agency made a public plea for information on Saturday.

On Sunday, it announced that Harris was found dead and that the vehicle he allegedly was driving had been located. No other information about the investigation has been released.

“We are devastated”, Brig. Gene. Brett Funck, acting senior commander, 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum, said in a press release on Sunday.

“It is well known here that Corporal Harris was a great soldier, and we share our grief with his friends and family, I hear again and again how he was also – and most importantly – a very wonderful, caring person. , the division and our nation. “

Harris, of Guys, Tennessee, was posthumously promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal and received the Army Commendation Award, according to a Fort Drum press release. He joined the military in March 2019 and completed his education in Fort Benning, Georgia, before arriving at Fort Drum. He was assigned to the C Troop, 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Drum.

“We are grateful to everyone who has shared their photo or offered a prayer for their safe return, and we ask that you continue to tell the story of this great soldier and keep his family in your thoughts and prayers, as we will”, Funck said.

Funck praised Harris’s teammates and said they reported him missing shortly after losing contact with him.

“I am proud of their swift action and I hope they can find some comfort in knowing that they ultimately helped law enforcement locate Cpl. Harris and greatly enhanced the investigation into his disappearance,” he said.

Anyone with information on the matter is urged to contact the Fort Drum Army CID Office at (315) 772-9459. Anonymous tips can be submitted on the CID’s Crime Tips website.

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