Is Army Murder Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 118, 2021–2025
Army records from 2021–2025 hold 15 courts-martial that charged Article 118 (murder). The median confinement was 26 years, compared with 6 months in the rest of the Army, and 3 sentences were life sentences. 36% of cases with a plea recorded were contested, compared with 30% Army-wide.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 4 min read
Trends › By Offense › Article 118 › Army
Short answer: Army records from 2021–2025 hold 15 courts-martial that charged Article 118 (murder). The median confinement was 26 years, compared with 6 months in the rest of the Army, and 3 sentences were life sentences. 36% of cases with a plea recorded were contested, compared with 30% Army-wide.
Sentences Measured in Decades
13 of the 15 cases ended in a conviction on at least one charge, and all 13 sentences included confinement (100%). The median confinement was 26 years. In the rest of the Army, the median was 6 months.
A quarter of the confinement terms were 62 years or longer. 3 of the sentences were life sentences.
These are adjudged sentences, as announced at trial. They come before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and each one covers every charge in the case.
Most Accused Pleaded Guilty
14 of the 15 records list a plea. 9 were guilty pleas and 5 were contested. A contested case is one in which the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge, either fully or through a mixed plea.
The contested share was 36%, higher than the 30% for all Army cases in those years.
Who Decided Guilt
A military judge alone decided guilt in 10 of the 15 cases (67%). Members heard 5 cases: 4 enlisted panels and 1 officer panel. The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt.
Dishonorable Discharges Were the Usual Discharge
77% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge: 9 dishonorable discharges and 1 bad-conduct discharge. Across the Army as a whole, the share was 73%.
A dishonorable discharge can only be adjudged by a general court-martial. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out an administrative separation later.
Other Charges in the Same Cases
Article 118 was the only charge in 4 of the 15 cases. Article 128 (assault) was charged in 6 cases. Article 80 (attempt) and Article 81 (conspiracy) each appeared in 4, Article 131b (obstruction) in 3, and Article 92 (orders violation) in 2.
Rank of the Accused
The accused were 8 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) and 7 NCOs (E-5 to E-9). No officers or warrant officers appear. The mix is similar to the Army as a whole, where 55% of the accused were junior enlisted.
Cases Tried Each Year
The records show 4 cases in 2021, 3 in 2022, 1 in 2023, 2 in 2024, and 5 in 2025. The first was tried in April 2021 and the last in December 2025.
No Clear Trend in the Share of Convictions
Article 118 was part of 4 of 891 Army convictions in 2021–2022 (0%) and 4 of 816 in 2024–2025 (0%), about the same share. The yearly number of convictions including Article 118 was highest in 2021, at 4.
| Year | Convictions incl. Art. 118 | All convictions with offenses listed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4 | 467 | 1% |
| 2022 | 0 | 424 | 0% |
| 2023 | 1 | 408 | 0% |
| 2024 | 1 | 428 | 0% |
| 2025 | 3 | 388 | 1% |
Rule Changes and Record Limits
Article 118 is a covered offense. Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel, not commanders, decide whether to prosecute covered offenses. New sentencing parameters apply when every guilty finding is for an offense after December 27, 2023. Both rules depend on the offense date, and the records give only trial dates, so trials from 2024 on include cases under the old and new rules.
The records do not describe the evidence or the plea terms, and they leave out matters handled by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Army courts-martial tried 2021–2025 that charged Article 118 (15 cases). The trend line uses convictions whose records list the offenses found, by trial year.
Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in Military Trial Results, data updated October 24, 2026. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: how this data was built. Errors: content@bodiesburied.com.
Related Analysis
- Article 118 (Murder): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- Army Courts-Martial: Data and Trends (hub)
- By Offense (hub)
- How Has Article 118 Changed in Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial Since 2017? (another service)
- Army Article 107 Cases by the Numbers, 2021–2025
- Army Article 112a Cases by the Numbers, 2021–2025
- Army Article 115 Cases by the Numbers, 2021–2025
- Army Article 119b Cases by the Numbers, 2021–2025
- Army Article 121 Cases by the Numbers, 2021–2025
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Compare: federal court. Murder: Federal Sentences vs. Army Courts-Martial
About the author. Jocelyn C. Stewart is a retired Army JAG with more than 24 years of trying courts-martial and more than 200 jury trials. She hosts Where All The Bodies Are Buried and runs the Law Office of Jocelyn C. Stewart. This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.