Army Vet Found Dead at JBLM After Ex and Soldier Fiance Charged

Missing Person Report Triggers Investigation

The case began on June 12, 2026, when Caelick Bradley’s mother called Tacoma police from Virginia to request a welfare check on her son. She told investigators that Bradley, 28, had stopped answering calls and messages, which she described as unlike him. He was supposed to have arrived in Virginia days earlier to begin a cross-country move.

When officers checked Bradley’s apartment, they found an eviction notice on the door and his car missing. Friends who were interviewed told investigators they had been concerned about Bradley’s relationship with his girlfriend, Aydee Casado-Dominguez, describing it as toxic and abusive. Bradley had been an Army veteran who served at Joint Base Lewis-McChord from 2017 to 2023, and at the time of his disappearance was working as a security guard.

Credit Card Transactions Lead to Suspect

As investigators began working the case, detectives discovered that someone was actively using Bradley’s bank card. Surveillance footage from a Lakewood Walmart allegedly showed Humberto Rodriguez Hernandez, 21, making purchases with the card while accompanied by Casado-Dominguez and a young child. Rodriguez Hernandez later admitted to using the card more than a dozen times, according to court documents.

Rodriguez Hernandez was arrested on June 30 for identity theft. During questioning, he told investigators that Bradley was dead. He then led detectives to human remains found at a gravel turnout in a publicly accessible training area on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, near Spanaway, Washington. The remains were discovered wrapped in blankets and secured with ratchet straps.

Girlfriend Arrested; Competing Accounts Emerge

Casado-Dominguez was arrested the same day. She told investigators she had not seen Bradley since June 8, claiming he had texted her about a flat tire after leaving her apartment. Investigators obtained cellphone location records showing Bradley’s phone had pinged at Casado-Dominguez and Rodriguez Hernandez’s Lakewood apartment on June 10 and 11 - two days after she said he left.

According to court documents, Rodriguez Hernandez provided a different account. He told detectives he returned home to find Bradley dead on the living room couch, and that Casado-Dominguez admitted shooting Bradley after a dispute turned physical. He said she told him the argument was over photographs Bradley allegedly had on his phone. The couple, according to his account, wrapped the body in blankets, borrowed a truck from a coworker, and transported the remains to JBLM property.

Charges and Legal Status

Pierce County prosecutors charged both Casado-Dominguez and Rodriguez Hernandez with second-degree murder, unlawful disposal of human remains, and multiple counts of second-degree identity theft. Casado-Dominguez also faces a domestic violence allegation because prosecutors allege the victim was her intimate partner.

Both defendants have pleaded not guilty. Bail was set at $1 million for each. A court date indicates trials are scheduled to begin in mid-to-late August 2026. The defendants are being tried separately. JBLM confirmed the discovery of remains on its property and acknowledged that one of the two suspects was an active-duty service member assigned to the base.

Family Speaks as Investigation Continues

Bradley’s mother, Birgit Kueppers, spoke publicly following the arrests. “I told him on the very last day we spoke that I was proud of him,” she told KIRO 7. Referring to the defendants, she said, “I will not speak their names. I will speak Caelick’s name.”

Investigators also noted in court documents that a young child may have been present in the apartment at the time of the killing. The cause of Bradley’s death has been listed as pending by the medical examiner’s office. The trial is scheduled for August 2026, with both cases moving forward in Pierce County Superior Court.

References: Service Member Among 2 Arrested After Missing Man Probe Leads Cops to Body Dump Site on Army Base | 2 Charged With Murder, Identity Theft After Missing Tacoma Man’s Body Found on JBLM Land | Woman, Soldier Fiance Killed Her Boyfriend Over Inappropriate Pictures, Wrapped Body in Ratchet Straps