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Is it possible Elder was murdered? "He seemed weird," Rodriguez said. I will tell you everything, he told his mother. First it was a five-mile run, then it was a two-mile run. Fifty six . (The Boley case remains unsolved.) "What on earth are you training for?" After 8 p.m., Guillens sister Mayra called the base. = Link to a CAC-required sites . (Facebook) Two weeks later, Delacruz . On March 5, 2020, Destanie Sawyers five-year-old daughter found her father, Specialist Christopher Sawyer, 29, after he had shot himself dead in the bedroom of their Fort Hood housing. That an overwhelming majority of the towns economy comes from Fort Hood makes Killeen a kind of rentier state, in that most of its revenue comes through a foreign entity, which historically has led to the collapse of domestic industries, leading to increased dependence on a single source of income. Stump was going 82 mph in a 30-mph zone, the investigation report said, and had hit a tree on a mound. Five were murdered. But advocates for. And yet: The data is not really out of the ordinary for U.S. military bases. The day after Guillen disappeared, Private Gavin Chambers, 21, died on base. Texas Death Records Indexes, Obituaries and Cemetery Burials by County. The exact cause of Hockin's death remains unclear . On May 11, however, Fernandes reported to Fort Hood abusive sexual contact from a staff sergeant, whom he alleged groped him in a supply room, according to the redacted military investigation report. The discovery in 2020 of the dismembered and burned remains of Vanessa Guillen, a Fort Hood soldier who disappeared on April 22, 2020, sparked outrage from central Texas to . Eventually Fernandes rang from the Army hospital. Spc. Later, Robinson would tell investigators that Guillen completed her task and exited the building. The new family, like more than 70 percent of all Fort Hood service members, lived off post, but after two dead bodies were found on their street, they moved into base housing. -. But with each encounter, it was becoming clear that the military had not failed its soldiers at all. As soon as I get out of the hospital, I will call you. The military, Rodriguez said, had known about this but had refused to treat him. The 20-year-old small arms specialist, then a private first class, was supposed to be off that day, so she showed up in civilian clothesblack tee, purple leggings, and a fanny pack. This negates civic participation, as the state no longer needs to collect taxes and thus stops serving the people, who in turn have no need to pressure the government for anythingthe very dynamic that continues to play out in oil-rich Gulf states. FORT HOOD, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - U.S. Army officials at Fort Hood have identified the soldier who was found dead Saturday, Oct. 13 behind his company barracks. Most of the groups were aboveboard, even as they were ruled by certain strictures for meeting attendance, dress code, and how to appropriately signal respect. Fort Hood had refused to list him as missing, and it was only after his then fiance, Paradise Rodriguez, posted a video on Facebook that an officer at the parish jail saw it and got into contact. Fort Hood is one of 800 United States military bases around the world, the third largest in the country. Here are some of the tragic deaths that have plagued the base in recent months: Pvt. The wave of pain went away as suddenly as it had come on but returned again, and again, and again, over the next hour. The deaths were caused by varying reasons -- gunshots, car accidents and illnesses and all the deaths were under probe. Is it possible Elder killed himself ? Ever since returning from a deployment to Iraq in February 2019shipped off two months after basic training for a nine-month tourRing had become withdrawn, developed a drinking problem, and had been arrested for drunk driving. Barely a week later, Private Corlton Chee, 25, died during training. As distressing as the remains in shallow graves or the missing hyoid bone is the fatalism from soldiers and locals alike. Had anyone helped Robinson clean up Guillen's murder in those 40 minutes? Barely a week later, Private Corlton Chee, 25, died during training. Wedel-Morales was thrilled to become a father. The rolling, semi-arid terrain is ideal for multifaceted training and testing of military units and troops. The murder of Vanessa Guilln, a 20-year-old United States Army soldier, took place inside an armory at Fort Hood, Texas, on April 22, 2020, when she was bludgeoned to death by another soldier, Aaron David Robinson. Maxwell Hockin. Guillen's superior confirmed she was missing. The base was named after John Bell Hood, a Confederate general from a family that enslaved people in Kentucky, who made his name by breaking a Union line at Eltham's Landing in Virginia and who, by today's standards, likely suffered from PTSD. As publication approached, it stopped responding to emails pertaining to both specific questions about individual cases as well as broader queries about the base.). The brutal murders of four Idaho college students shocked millions. Oct 13, 2021 An official Army photo of Spc. Later that year, Private Dakota Lee Stump left his barracks to report for work less than a mile away but never arrived for formation. "I am astounded nobody is interested," the Fernandes family lawyer Lenny Kesten told me. On August 17, Sergeant Elder Fernandes, 23, disappeared. It installed 35 firing ranges, 18 chapels, three bowling alleys, and 1,384 barracks that would house, at its peak, 95,000 soldiers, the most densely populated military base, at a cost of $35 million. The tributaries that run through Fort Hood flow into the Leon River, where Guillens remains were later found. She pleaded not guilty. Staff Sergeant Devin Schuette was found dead in his pickup truck, fitted with a hose running from the exhaust pipe to the cabin, in January 2016. Atop these sedimentary layers of desecration, displacement, and disorientation, the U.S. War Department set out to build a base that would go on to serve as a footnote to nearly every war in modern memory. Ive lost so much since Ive been in. Before Guillen, there had been Private LaVena Lynn Johnson, who was found dead in a tent in 2005 in Iraq. 5.2 (infant deaths per 1,000 live births) Life Expectancy (at Birth) 76.5 years (2020) Marriage Rate. There she encountered Specialist Aaron Robinson, also 20 years old but a rank above. Last year, at least 39 Fort Hood soldiers died or went missing. Lenz was found dead at Fort Hood on Feb. 1. The corpse had been dead for a while, though it was impossible to determine exactly how long. His wife, Christal, was denied her husbands mobile phone, the final investigation report, and even his corpse, until Texas Congressman Ron Wright stepped in on that front. A U.S. Army soldier, Spc. On August 25, a rail worker in Temple, Texas, 26 miles east of Fort Hood, saw a body hanging from a tree across from a burned-out warehouse near the tracks. When Ailina contacted the military police at Fort Hood, they told her that Fernandes was an adult, and that if he was missing, he likely didnt want to be found. Casteel had been stationed at Fort Hood since the end of June, where hed been bullied for a spinal injury that consigned him to desk duties. When Elisabeth Finch met Jennifer Beyer in 2019, the two women forged a fiercely loyal friendship, and eventually got married. The coming months brought the suicides of Staff Sergeant Richard Harrington, 45, and then Specialist James Green, 23. Yes, simply click Add a photo located underneath the main photo of the obituary then upload the photos/videos you wish to share. Around the Guillen murals in Killeen and in Houston, I met people who had lost loved ones to the military, who felt harm done, who saw in Guillen a savior. Why hadnt the arms room been treated like the crime scene it was? He died the evening of September 2. On April 29, it was Private Joshua Barnwell, 19. Eleven of the deaths remain unresolvedsome legally; others for the victims' families. Hood was an unsuccessful battle commander; 400 men of his Texas Brigade died in a single fight, some would argue through incautious direction. In death, she is no longer a daughter or a sister or a partner. Call (254) 287-9993 or (254) 287-0106 to request a PAO escort. 22.4 (births per 1,000 females 15-19 years of age) Infant Mortality Rate. By then Wedel-Morales had grown distant from his family in Oklahoma, who had not been told of the marriage. That September, Wedel-Morales, who was from rural Oklahoma, was due to be honorably discharged from the military. Later, Robinson would tell investigators that Guillen completed her task and exited the building. Morta's death comes amid intense scrutiny of Fort Hood in recent weeks. The author knocks on the doors bearing the darkest symbols, behind which lie guns, ammo, antisemitism, antiabortion dogmaand a belief in the coming civil war. WASHINGTON (AP) The Army said Friday that it has taken disciplinary action against 21 officers and non-commissioned officers at Fort Hood, Texas, in connection with death last year of Spc. (Fort Hood refused all official interview requests for this story, citing ongoing investigations. The numbers are distressing. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Amid all those other deaths, on June 21, 2020, a search party found the charred lid of a cargo box along the Leon River 20 miles east of Fort Hood. Guillens youngest sister, Lupe, made me promise to stay at the Marriott, a hotel she considered safer than the rest. Chee, like Yazzie, was a member of the Ramah Navajo Indian Reservation community, and was new to the base. Those remains, it turned out, belonged to yet another soldier, Private Gregory Wedel-Morales, who had gone missing the previous summer. The base might have continued to devour its soldiers had it not been for a missing soldier's family whose rage, love, and devotion would attract the attention of the media, celebrities, and later the White House, sparking congressional and military investigations. His body was found nearly a month later, two miles from the barracks. Find an obituary, get service details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a loved one. "She doesn't belong to the Army anymore," AnaLuisa Tapia, a local organizer, told me. "I asked him directly if he wasn't willing to speak because of position and he signaled yes, and he said, 'l'd rather tell you in person.' In death, Guillen has become a kind of patron saint for all those who feel wronged by the U.S. military. Wedel-Morales was thrilled to become a father. After 8 p.m., Guillen's sister Mayra called the base. Two days after Staff Sergeant Anthony Lovell, 40, disappeared in 2017, his body was found, eyes pecked clean, face split in half, in a creek off Killeen's seedy main corridor called Rancier, the same street where Specialist Freddy Delacruz, 23, was shot and killed last March. Why was Robinson not put under watch? By then, the Army, it seemed, had stopped providing Wedel-Morales with a sense of purpose, and he had turned to alternate sources of meaning, namely car and motorcycle clubs, and life beyond the base. Last year, at least 39 Fort Hood soldiers died or went missing. Later the same day, at 8:30 p.m., Aaron Robinsons girlfriend, Cecily Aguilar, changed her story and told Army investigators that Robinson had confessed to her that he killed Guillen in the arms room, beating her to death with a hammer. US Army Since then, Vanessa's family and their attorney Natalie Khawam have tried to shine a spotlight on a string of deaths at the central Texas installation. "I guess my point is," Rodriguez told me, "if everything was 'fine,' the way Fort Hood officials would lead us to believe, then why would this soldier, out of character, leave base without permission, and [why] did he not feel comfortable enough to call his captain or anyone on that base once he was arrested for speeding? Ad Choices. Joel Leal 12:18 PM, Oct 11, 2022 . Far from itthe military was operating as it had been intended. Because what the military asks of its men and women is so antisocial, it must co-opt the rhetoric of the family. Namely, the military. Later the same day, at 8:30 p.m., Aaron Robinson's girlfriend, Cecily Aguilar, changed her story and told Army investigators that Robinson had confessed to her that he killed Guillen in the arms room, beating her to death with a hammer. A few days later, they spoke again, for the last time. But at Fort Hood, it sometimes seemed like mission first, equipment second, he said, highlighting the paradox of the military that in word puts the well-being of soldiers first but in deed must, by design, favor combat readiness over all else. Since being stationed at Fort Hood in November 2016, Wedel-Morales had frequented the Dollhouse, a strip club not far from where his remains would eventually be found. The additional scrutinythe congressional delegation visit, press toursmeant that soldiers had to work harder. In death, Guillen has become a kind of patron saint for all those who feel wronged by the U.S. military. Simply browse the Fort Hoods obituaries listing you can find on this page or conduct a search on the web site with your loved ones name. Chris and Moses friends of Gregory Wedel-Morales at the site of his remains, Killeen TX. Fuck Biden, Dont Tread on Me, and a Wisconsin Death Trip for Our Times. The military is necessarily an institution of state-sanctioned violence, where we teach our young to kill on our behalf in the name of ideologies such as patriotism or democracy. Amid all those other deaths, on June 21, 2020, a search party found the charred lid of a cargo box along the Leon River 20 miles east of Fort Hood. Fertility Rate. On August 13, Staff Sergeant Bradley Moore died during a land navigation exercise on the base. Also that year, Marine Lance Corporal Maria Lauterbach was raped by her superior, which she reported. On March 5, 2020, Destanie Sawyer's five-year-old daughter found her father, Specialist Christopher Sawyer, 29, after he had shot himself dead in the bedroom of their Fort Hood housing. But the only among the victims may be the institution that them all to kill. Lenz's mother, Margie Taylor, said her son loved children and looked forward to having a family of his own one day. Because what the military asks of its men and women is so antisocial, it must co-opt the rhetoric of the family. It was a "heartrending, searing experience," central Texas historian Gra'Delle Duncan said, "leaving lifetime marks on all, and actually killing some" from the psychic devastation that followed. So much of reporting is opening yourself up to chance, and there I was, compulsively locking and relocking the rental car door. At first blush, such violence at a base that calls itself "the Great Place" may seem extraordinary, inexplicable even. A sergeant from Guillen's division called it "mandatory fun days." CID and Homeland security believe the NVGs were stolen from shipping . More than 2,200 trials over land rights commenced. Maxwell Hockin. When the family exhumed his body in November 2020 for want of a second opinion, the independent autopsy revealed that the bone had in fact gone missing.) They returned several days later to pour concrete over the remains. Reformers would say that the military had failed its men and women. The first week I spent in Texas that October, 22-year-old Lucas Hicks-Mack went missing on base. The back-to-back deaths come just four months after two congressional committees launched probes into the high number of deaths at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, in 2020, highlighted by the . Rosecrans, shot four times, was found three miles from his vehicle. The vast emptiness that is most of the state can make you feel inconsequential, as if you could disappear and no one would know you ever lived. That an overwhelming majority of the town's economy comes from Fort Hood makes Killeen a kind of rentier state, in that most of its revenue comes through a foreign entity, which historically has led to the collapse of domestic industries, leading to increased dependence on a single source of income. He died in 1879, leaving a troubled legacy that is only now beginning to be questioned. After the public remonstrations began, Fort Hood launched something it called Operation Phantom Action, a weeklong retreat of sorts that was meant to rebuild trust between soldiers and the leadership. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. ), Wedel-Moraless death was not the first from the base that may have involved bike gangs. Vanessa Guillen. It was also an ancient Comanche Native American burial ground, discovered when construction workers unearthed more than 2,200 grave sites in 1998. "That is the opposite of what he's been consistently saying.". Had one of them stood in for Guillen during roll call? Fernandes wouldnt share much, nothing about what had caused him to be hospitalized, and said that he was using an insecure base hospital line. ", Several days later, Rodriguez learned that Casteel had been committed to a hospital on base. Many complained specifically of being made to cut grass to ready for such official visits. (Fort Hood does not count Moore in its official casualty list, as he was a member of the National Guard.). (Fort Hood contributed nearly $30 billion to the Texas economy in 2019, according to the Texas comptrollers office.). All this has been true since the founding of the American military, but a sense of disorientation has increased in recent years, as wars that were never good to begin with began to lose moral shine. There had been a few people, then it was a group run of 11. Then they tried burning the body. During the day, though, it was still hot enough that if you dropped a beer bottle, the contents appeared to dry on contact. 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