A U.S. Army lieutenant serving in the 1st Battalion, 228 Aviation Regiment was found dead over the weekend in Honduras after going off-base on authorized leave.
1st Lt. Marciano Parisano, 25, of Cibolo, Texas, a Black Hawk helicopter pilot, was found dead in Comayagua, Honduras, on Saturday, U.S. Army Joint Task Force-Bravo said in a release. Comayagua is about five miles north of Soto Cano Air Base, where the victim was stationed.
Honduran authorities got word that 1st Lt. Parisano’s body had been found at around 2 p.m. local time. A partially damaged cell phone that they believe belonged to him was also recovered near the scene, the Honduran National Police said in a newsletter Monday.
They have ruled out robbery as a motive in 1st Lt. Parisano’s death, but said suspects have been identified and that an investigation was underway in concert with U.S. diplomatic and military authorities in Honduras.
Neither Honduran nor U.S. authorities have specified 1st Lt. Parisano’s cause of death, though HNP described his death as a “violent incident,” as translated from Spanish.
Joint Task Force-Bravo commander Col. Daniel Alder said that 1st Lt. Parisano “served our unit and mission here at Soto Cano Air Base with dignity, pride and courage. … He will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege to know him and serve with him.”
“The command team extends our deepest condolences to 1st Lt. Marciano Parisano’s family, friends and loved ones. We stand with you in this time of grief. One soldier lost is one too many,” he said.
