Braxton Taylor
An Army sergeant at Fort Cavazos in Texas is facing a staggering 27 criminal charges, including attempted murder and rape, after a string of violent attacks targeting fellow soldiers in their barracks.
Sgt. Greville Clarke, 31, was arraigned Monday, accused of breaking into the rooms of five women, robbing them, holding two at gunpoint and, in one case, strangling a soldier with a lamp cord until he believed she was dead.
The charges, including attempted premeditated murder, rape, intent to rape, kidnapping and burglary, stem from a series of alleged incidents at the Texas base in 2022 targeting five alleged victims.
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Clarke pleaded not guilty Monday, and his attorney could not be reached for comment. Clarke was most recently assigned to the 74th Multi-Role Bridge Company, 62nd Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade.
In the most recent incident on Oct. 2, 2022, according to court records, Clarke allegedly broke into a woman’s barracks room, bound her hands, and blindfolded her before sexually assaulting her at gunpoint.
He also allegedly took photographs of her naked, struck her with the gun and stole $14,000 from her bank account after seizing her credit card. He is accused of forcing her into a footlocker to take her to another location, but she broke free.
Clarke allegedly shot at her as she fled, but it was unclear from the court documents whether she was wounded.
Clarke was taken into custody the following day and has since been held in pre-trial confinement.
The October attack wasn’t an isolated incident, according to the charges. In July 2022, Clarke allegedly carried out a similar assault on another woman.
Court records state that he photographed her, stole her military ID and Apple watch, and raped her at gunpoint after tying her up and blindfolding her.
During the attack, Clarke is accused of pressing his foot on her neck and strangling her with a lamp cord, stopping only because he believed she had died. Prosecutors allege that Clarke then attempted to cover his tracks by washing and disposing of the bedding used during the assault.
Further back, in March 2022, Clarke allegedly broke into the barracks rooms of two more women, assaulting both while holding them at knifepoint. He raped one woman and sexually assaulted the other, according to the charges.
The charge sheet also details two additional break-ins in July 2022, where Clarke allegedly entered an additional barracks rooms with the intent to commit rape. However, no charges were filed in connection with those break-ins, and it’s unclear whether the women he targeted were present at the time.
Barracks typically have virtually no security, including no cameras or, in some cases, no appropriate locks. A 2023 Government Accountability Office report found systemic issues with broken door locks and windows in its inspection of military barracks. In some instances, service members reported being unable to lock their doors and were concerned about security.
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