Capt. Brandon Jones-Adams has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to intentionally killing the unborn child of a junior enlisted soldier he impregnated. (Gary Warner/Stars and Stripes)
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. — An Army captain was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to intentionally killing the unborn child of a junior enlisted soldier he impregnated.
Capt. Brandon Jones-Adams, 34, admitted to secretly administering the drug Mifepristone to the soldier, causing an abortion.
Mifepristone is a medication that works primarily by blocking the hormone progesterone. By blocking progesterone, mifepristone causes the uterine lining to break down, ending the pregnancy.
Jones-Adams also pleaded guilty to domestic violence, fraternization and conduct unbecoming an officer under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
The prosecution was led by the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel, based at Fort Belvoir, Va. The office handles murder, kidnapping and major sex crimes involving soldiers.
“Capt. Jones-Adams’ actions were deliberate, calculated, and malicious,” said Circuit Chief Lt. Col. Tyler Heimann, Sixth Circuit, Army Office of Special Trial Counsel. “By committing these crimes, he inflicted profound harm on his victim and betrayed the trust placed in him as an Army officer. Today’s sentence holds him accountable for his conduct and provides a measure of justice and closure for those harmed.”
Jones-Adams is assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 23rd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division, Multi-Domain Command Pacific, at Lewis-McChord.
Based on the terms of his plea agreement, Jones-Adams could have been sentenced anywhere between four and 12 years in prison, according to the Army.
In addition to prison, the military judge sentenced Jones-Adams to forfeiture of all pay and allowances and to be dismissed from the Army. A dismissal is a punitive discharge for military commissioned officers, equivalent to a dishonorable discharge for enlisted members of the armed forces.
Jones-Adams will begin his confinement at the Northwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility at JBLM.
