Stephanie Ingersoll

Leaf Chronicle

One of the men on trial in the slaying of Fort Campbell soldier Shadow McClaine pleaded guilty Thursday, saying he was supposed to be paid $10,000 by McClaine's ex-husband to kill her and help hide the body.

Spc. Charles Robinson III faced a court-martial Thursday morning at Fort Campbell in the slaying of Pvt. 1st Class McClaine, who went missing around Sept. 2, 2016. Her car was found Sept. 13 in Nashville. Her skeletal remains were found off Interstate 24 in Robertson County on Jan. 23.

As the proceeding began, Robinson pleaded guilty to unpremeditated murder, conspiracy to commit murder and obstruction of justice.

More: 5 things to know about Shadow McClaine slaying, as court martial begins

He told the judge that McClaine's ex-husband, Sgt. Jamal Williams-McCray, agreed to pay him to kill McClaine.

Early in the morning on Sept. 3, while it was still dark, McCray lured McClaine to Exit 11 of Interstate 24, Robinson said.

After she arrived, Robinson cut her throat, stabbed her and broke her neck, he said. They then took her body to Exit 19 in Robertson County and hid the body.

The men, both with the 101st Airborne Division, were charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping and murder, kidnapping, premeditated murder and obstruction of justice.

The conspiracy

At a preliminary hearing in April, a government prosecutor said McClaine was killed to silence her after she accused her ex-husband of rape, though at one point she recanted. According to her mother, the two had been divorced for about a year and a half.

As far back as June 1, 2016, McCray talked to Robinson about his decision to kill McClaine, and on Aug. 15, 2016, they met at Robinson's home at Fort Campbell and agreed on the $10,000 price, Robinson said.

They agreed the murder needed to be done before Labor Day because of McCray's upcoming court hearing. Robinson said he didn't know McClaine.

Robinson's wife, who has not yet been named, was in on the discussions, Robinson said.

He originally wanted to use McCray's gun, but Robinson's wife said that wasn't smart. Instead, they decided to use a knife or box cutter.

The initial plan was to kill McClaine at Exit 24, but there was a party going on there that night, so they changed locations to Exit 11.

"I made sure the plan was still in place ... to kill Pfc. McClaine."

The murder

As part of a supposed scavenger hunt, McCray got McClaine to help him dig a hole, and while they were digging, Robinson arrived, pretending to be a property owner who was upset about their trespassing.

He told them to get down on their knees, because he was going to search them and hold them until police arrived, Robinson said.

Robinson searched McCray and found the box cutter he knew would be there. He then went to McClaine and used the box cutter and a knife to kill her, he said. He broke her neck to ensure she was dead.

They loaded her body into the back of Robinson's pickup. McCray poured ammonia on her body and on the grass where the slaying took place to destroy evidence, Robinson said.

They then drove to Exit 19, where they dumped the body.

Robinson drove McCray back to McCray's vehicle and gave him the clothes and boots to destroy.

Robinson took the murder weapons to Riverside Drive and threw them in the Cumberland River, where they were later recovered by investigators.

He then went home and told his wife what happened.

"I informed my wife where we had placed the body and what had happened, and then we had sex," he said.

► More: Soldiers charged with murder in Shadow McClaine disappearance

Later that day, he washed out his truck bed with acetone to get rid of blood and paint, then repainted the truck bed.

Robinson said McCray paid him only $200 of the agreed $10,000.

The judge, Col. David Brookhart, sentenced Robinson to the maximum of life without parole. However, that sentence was superseded for cooperating with the prosecution, so Robinson will have to serve no more than 25 years, and was also credited with 558 days. He was also demoted and given a dishonorable discharge, and had to forfeit pay.

McCray's court-martial has not yet been scheduled.

Reach Reporter Stephanie Ingersoll at singersoll@theleafchronicle.com or 931-245-0267 and on Twitter @StephLeaf