TAOS, N.M. — In a significant development regarding the homicide of Army veteran Matthew McLaughlin, David Degroat has been sentenced to 44 years in prison. This resolution concludes one aspect of the prosecution that emerged from a case initially launched as a missing-person investigation, which later uncovered human remains along a highway in northern New Mexico.
Degroat entered a plea agreement, allowing him to plead guilty to second-degree murder and several other charges, including conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, assault with intent to commit a violent felony, and three counts of tampering with evidence. His sentence includes a five-year enhancement for firearm use and will be followed by two years of parole. Meanwhile, his co-defendant, Rainor Joiner, is still awaiting trial on a first-degree murder charge.
The case against Degroat and Joiner followed a complex sequence of events after McLaughlin, who was 25, was reported missing on July 31, 2025. Both defendants, former military colleagues of McLaughlin at Fort Benning, Georgia, had been living together near Tres Piedras. Initially, law enforcement described them as having active military warrants due to desertion. The investigation accelerated after deputies obtained a warrant to search their residence.
During subsequent questioning on August 17, 2025, both men provided statements that significantly shifted the trajectory of the investigation. According to the Taos County Sheriff’s Office, Joiner confessed to shooting McLaughlin, claiming that Degroat assisted in concealing the incident. This directive led authorities away from the residence and toward locations along U.S. 64, where crucial evidence was recovered.
Joiner allegedly directed deputies to areas where bags containing human remains were discovered. The remains were later identified by the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator. Prosecutors assert that McLaughlin was killed on July 25, 2025, just days before he was reported missing, and they characterized the shooting as an ambush rather than a spontaneous altercation.
Degroat’s accounts diverged from Joiner’s, with the former claiming to have attempted to dissuade Joiner from harming McLaughlin. Nonetheless, prosecutors contended that Degroat’s actions before and after the murder implicated him as criminally responsible. Evidence indicated that McLaughlin was lured from their home under the pretense of helping with groceries, only to be shot multiple times in a planned attack.
The investigation also unveiled efforts by Degroat and Joiner to destroy or hide evidence after the murder. Degroat’s guilty pleas concerning tampering with evidence highlighted that the concealment of McLaughlin’s death went beyond just the logistics of disposing of his remains. The progression of the case led to a judge ordering Degroat’s pre-trial detention in September 2025, with prosecutors arguing there was substantial evidence suggesting his involvement in a premeditated act.
In July 2026, Degroat accepted a plea deal that reduced the murder charge but retained several other serious accusations. Family members of McLaughlin, including his mother, expressed mixed emotions regarding the plea agreement. While some family members had hoped for a trial to deliver justice, they also recognized the risks of a mistrial or lengthy appeal processes associated with a jury verdict.
At the sentencing, McLaughlin’s family shared the profound impact of his death, focusing on personal memories of him as a son and brother. Friends noted that McLaughlin had relocated to New Mexico seeking a fresh start, placing his trust in former military acquaintances.
While Degroat’s sentence brings closure for some aspects of the case, it does not mark the end of the legal proceedings surrounding McLaughlin’s death. Joiner, who faces a trial scheduled for December, is still presumed innocent. As he prepares for court, prosecutors will seek to demonstrate his alleged role as the primary actor in the fatal shooting.