THE Army is investigating Vanessa Guillen’s alleged murder after 26 Fort Hood soldiers died this year, a bombshell report revealed. The mutilated remains of 20-year-old Guillen were found in July – but a spate of fatalities have since emerged. KWTX revealed that 26 Fort Hood soldiers in total have died in 2020 alone in accidents, suicides, homicides, […]
THE Army is investigating Vanessa Guillen’s alleged murder after 26 Fort Hood soldiers died this year, a bombshell report revealed.
The mutilated remains of 20-year-old Guillen were found in July – but a spate of fatalities have since emerged.
KWTX revealed that 26 Fort Hood soldiers in total have died in 2020 alone in accidents, suicides, homicides, illness and some cases that have yet to be solved.
As part of the Army probe into Guillen’s death, the top commanding general Maj. Gen. Scott Efflandt is being moved and replaced by Gen. John Murray, who will head up the “in-depth” investigation.
Guillen was last seen at the military base on April 22 — the day investigators say US Army Specialist Aaron Robinson hit her in the head with a hammer.
Federal prosecutors have said Guillen’s body was burned before it was placed in three different holes near the Leon River in Bell County, roughly 20 miles east of the base, after she was bludgeoned to death.
As cops closed in earlier this month on Robinson, who is said to have conspired his 22-year-old girlfriend Cecily Aguilar to hide the body, he killed himself.
Guillen had allegedly faced sexual harassment at the base.
On Tuesday, US Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said “this is a comprehensive look at all of the actions taken at every echelon of the command related to Vanessa Guillen.”
This major probe will bundle all the ongoing inquiries into one, reported ABC News – but five civilians will also be conducting an independent review into the climate and culture at the base.
McCarthy previously acknowledged Fort Hood had the highest number of murder, sexual assault and sexual harassment, a fact he reaffirmed this week.
“We needed to get a much more comprehensive look about the challenges that Fort Hood is experiencing,” said McCarthy.
“We need to understand the root causes, so that we can make the appropriate changes, whether that’s a leadership issue, resources, conditions on the ground, our systems.”
Two weeks ago, Sgt Elder Fernandes became the twelfth soldier to be found dead after he was founded hanged in Temple, about 30 miles from the base.
The Sun previously reported on the 12 deaths of Fernandes; Guillen; Spc. Cole Jakob Aton; Sgt Bradley Moore; Robinson; Gregory Wedel-Morales; Private Mejhor Morta; Specialist Francisco Gilberto Hernandez-Vargas; Private First Class Brandon Scott Rosecrans; Private First Class Freddy Delacruz Jr; Specialist Christopher Wayne Sawyer; and Specialist Shelby Tyler Jones.
Altogether in 2020, there were eight accidental deaths, five murders, two illness-related deaths, six suicides, and five undetermined fatalities.
In 2019, there were 38 deaths in total – including 17 suicides; 28 the year before with 16 suicides; and 29 fatalities in 2017, including 14 suicides and two murders.
Pvt. Mejhor Morta drowned at Stillhouse Hollow Lake on July 17 of this year.
Spc. Francisco Gilberto Hernandezvargas also died as a result of drowning at Temple Lake Park on August 2nd.
Jakob Aton, 22, was fatally hit while attempting to direct traffic during a minor crash on US Highway 190/Interstate 14 on August 12.
Pvt. Eric Christopher Hogan and Pvt. Anthony Nevelle Peak both died in crashes involving vehicles in Williamson County on February 1.
Sgt. Bradley Moore, a Texas Army National Guard soldier, died during a training exercise at Fort Hood on August 13.
So far this year, six people have taken their own lives at Fort Hood, officials told KVTX.
This included Fernandes after a preliminary autopsy ruled his death a suicide by hanging on Tuesday.
Robinson shot himself in the head early in the morning on July 1 as Killeen officers tried to approach him.
Meanwhile, two unnamed Fort Hood soldiers died of an undisclosed illness.
Army officials confirmed there were five pending deaths of Fort Hood soldiers
In early March, Sawyer, 29, was found dead at at off-post abode and although foul play wasn’t suspected, it also wasn’t ruled out.
Speaking about the Guillen probe and other Fort Hood deaths on Tuesday, Gen. James McConville, the Army’s chief of staff, told reporters “we need to get this thing, right.”
“[We need to] make sure we do a thorough investigation of all the activities of the chain of command,” he added. “From the top all the way down the bottom – and we think this is the best way to do it.”
