An Army soldier in Kansas pleaded not guilty last week to charges in connection with the April shooting death of his infant son.
Spc. Peyton D. Creel, assigned to the Combined Arms Command Law Enforcement Activity, Special Troops Battalion, at Fort Leavenworth, is facing a court-martial after his child was shot in the head with a rifle.
“SPC Peyton Creel is charged with one specification of murder and one specification of involuntary manslaughter for the murder of his infant child on April 28, 2026, at his residence on Fort Leavenworth,” said Michelle McCaskill, the U.S. Army Office of Special Trial Counsel’s Director of Communications, in a Monday email.
“The charges are allegations and SPC Creel is presumed innocent unless proven guilty,” she added.
Creel will face a court-martial in January 2027.
According to a charge sheet provided by the Special Trial Counsel’s office, Creel enlisted in December 2021 for a 5-year term. Although the document redacts the name of Creel’s son, an online obituary for James Philip “J.P.” Creel, who was born on Sept. 29, 2025, and died on April 28, 2026, lists Peyton Creel as a parent.
“J.P. loved to FaceTime with his grandparents,” his obituary said. “Ever eager and playful, J.P. found joy in banging the keys on a keyboard, so much so that his parents got him his own. Unlike most babies, J.P. was captivated not by typical children’s shows, but by the television series ‘Bones,’ which held his mesmerized gaze for hours.”
Photos shared with the tribute showed a chubby-cheeked baby being kissed and doted on by family and friends.
Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press.