Words were exchanged, then ‘his hands were around her throat’
KILLEEN, Texas (KWTX) – A Fort Hood soldier admitted to his sergeant during a phone call following a suicide attempt in October that he strangled a woman in a room at a Killeen hotel in 2019, an affidavit released Tuesday says.
Cory Latrell Grafton, 20, remained in the Bell County Jail Tuesday charged with murder.
His bond is set at $1 million.
Grafton was arrested last week after investigators matched a sample of his DNA to DNA found in room where Chelsea Cheatham, 32, was found dead on June 3, 2019 at the Days Inn at 1602 East Central Texas Expressway in Killeen.
An autopsy later showed she died of strangulation.
Several cellphones were found in the room and investigators found several messages had been set to one of them shortly before Cheatham’s death from a number that belonged to Grafton.
Investigators questioned him on Oct. 20 and he admitted “there were communications,” and eventually “admitted to a sexual encounter with Cheatham,” but on a date before June 3, 2019.
Authorities obtained search warrants for Grafton’s DNA and cellphone and after executing them allowed Grafton to return to his barracks, the affidavit says.
On the night of Oct, 20, Grafton spoke with his sergeant and denied involvement in Cheatham’s death, but late on Oct. 21 or early on Oct 22 he was admitted to a hospital after nearly overdosing on over-the-counter pain relievers and alcohol, the affidavit says.
The sergeant, the affidavit says, asked Grafton “Why would you do that?” in reference to the suicide attempt, the affidavit says.
Grafton, the sergeant said, responded by saying “I did it.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know you tried to commit suicide,” the sergeant told Grafton, according to the affidavit.
Grafton, in response, said “No, no I did it.”
“You committed the murder,” the sergeant asked, according to the affidavit.
“Yes,” Grafton replied.
The sergeant asked how it happened and Graton said “he was hanging out with her” and the two exchanged words “and that at that point in time, his hands were around her throat,” the affidavit says.
The DNA sample taken on Oct. 20 was matched on Nov. 3 to DNA recovered from the room.
Grafton was booked into the Bell County Jail on the afternoon of Nov. 4.
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