Former soldier sentenced for 2000 Fort Cavazos attempted murder and assault

KILLEEN, Texas — A former soldier has been sentenced to more than 16 years in federal prison for attempting to murder another soldier in a 2000 attack at what was then known as Fort Hood, according to the United States Department of Justice.

Allen Houston James, 46, of Suffolk, Virginia, received a 200-month sentence after being convicted of entering a female soldier's barracks room while she was sleeping and attempting to rape her at knifepoint.

The victim, who was not identified, was repeatedly stabbed when she resisted the attack. Court documents show she escaped after James left the room and reported the incident before being rushed to a hospital for emergency surgery.

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The victim suffered permanent nerve damage from the attack.

The case remained unsolved for nearly two decades until 2019, when new DNA analysis by the United States Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory identified James as the suspect. He was located while stationed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, in March 2021.

James was indicted in July 2021 and found guilty by a jury on Feb. 23, 2024.