He was an important member of the battalion scout platoon and the battalion and his loss is deeply felt.. Spc. "The entire Saber family is devastated by the loss of our true teammate and friend Specialist Maxwell Hockin," Lt. Col. Patrick Sullivan, commander, 91st Engineer Battalion, said in a statement Wednesday. So, you know, this, again, shouldnt have happened. Activists called for systematic changes in how the military handles reports of sexual harassment and assault. And we believe that the person that killed her is that person that sexually harassed her, the one that walked into the shower. Hockin. He was allegedly gunned down by 28-year-old Brandon Michael Olivares, although no motive has been released. These two people had befriended my son, and the week before (the homicide) had been pretty much leeching off my son, Rosecrans father, Thomas Berg Sr., told Fox 7. Fort Hood soldier found dead behind barracks, investigation underway Officials identified the soldier as 26-year-old Spc. [14] Multiple Fort Hood units, including 3CR, began searching the area within two weeks of her disappearance. Guillens remains were found June 30, buried in multiple shallow graves about 30 miles from the base. Olivares girlfriend, Estrellita Hidalgo Falcon, 37, also of Killeen, is charged with hindering prosecution and unauthorized use of a vehicle. Investigators offered no motive for the murder, but concluded that Robinson did not sexually harass Guilln. What are "Jim Crow" laws? What is behind the violence and tragedy at Fort Hood? Guillens family and their attorney alleged that the missing soldier had told them that she had suffered sexual harassment at Fort Hood. [22], On June30, 2020, Army investigators were called in when contractors discovered partial human remains along the Leon River in Belton. The Untold Truth Of Fort Bragg - Grunge.com [38][39], In 2022 the Park Place post office was renamed after Guilln. He has black hair and brown eyes. His death is being investigated as a homicide. The Army announced that it had taken disciplinary action against 21 officers and non-commissioned officers at the troubled Texas base in connection with Guillns murder. An independent panel concluded last December that Fort Hood leaders did not properly address high rates of sex assault, harassment and drug use at the base, and that Army investigators were understaffed and inexperienced. The skeletal remains of Morales, 24, were found June 21 in a field near the base in Killeen, about 10 months after he was last seen. Jovino Jamel Roy, 22, of Coppers Cove, Texas, is charged with murder in the March 23, 2020, killing of Michael Steven Wardrobe, 22, in Killeen, Texas. Army leaders fighting distrust from soldiers at Fort Hood Olivares claimed the man had used his gun, a 9mm Ruger he said hed sold the unnamed person. Tips can also be submitted anonymously on the Crime Stoppers website or at cid.army.mil/report-a-crime.html. [3][4][5], Cecily Aguilar, a local woman identified by authorities as Robinson's girlfriend, was taken into custody and is alleged to have assisted him in dismembering and burying Guilln's body. His name was later added to the official list of Army deserters. Hernandezvargas, 24, was discovered dead Aug. 2 after he disappeared underwater while being pulled on an inner tube behind a motorboat at the same lake where Mortas body was recovered. An automatic rifleman, he had been assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division since December 2017. Command Sgt. Drugs suspected in case of two Fort Bragg soldiers found dead in barracks Berg told the station Olivares and Falcon used his sons cellphone after he was killed. What to Know About the Death of Vanessa Guillen, https://www.nytimes.com/article/vanessa-guillen-fort-hood.html. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) . Brandon Michael Olivares, 28, of Killeen, is charged with murder and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, Bell County Jail records show. Fernandes left on his own accord, Army officials said. Aguilar is accused of helping Robinson cut Guillens body into pieces with a machete and an ax, burn her remains and bury them. Fernandes is described as an African-American man standing 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighing 133 pounds. Anyone can read what you share. Inside the Rash of Unexplained Deaths at Fort Hood | Vanity Fair Maj. Gen. Scott Efflandt, III Corps deputy commanding general, said the investigation includes an assessment of whether the command climate is supportive of soldiers reporting incidents of sexual harassment and sexual assault and the identification of any systemic issues with the SHARP program. Editors note: A body believed to that of Elder Fernandes was found hanging from a tree Aug. 25 near railroad tracks in Temple, Texas. Rosecrans, 27, was found dead from gunshot wounds May 18 on the side of the road in Harker Heights, Texas three miles away from where his Jeep was discovered engulfed in flames. Finding Sgt. Authorities said Olivares story kept changing as he told detectives hed left Rosecrans alive near his Jeep, then told them another man had shot the soldier on a trip back from San Antonio. In the 1970s, a 26-year-old army doctor fatally stabbed his pregnant wife, 5-year-old daughter, and 2-year-old daughter, as reported in The Fayetteville Observer. An federal affidavit filed July 2, 2020, details the killing and dismemberment of Army SPC Vanessa Guillen, far left, by fellow soldier SPC Aaron Robinson, center, and his girlfriend, Cecily Aguilar. after an independent committee reviewed the CID detachment at Fort Hood, in Texas. Fort Hood officials said Sunday in a statement that finding Fernandes safe remains the 1st Cavalry Divisions top priority. [43], On July30, 2020, Guillen's family met with President Donald Trump regarding her murder. Before Guilln went missing, she had told her family that she was being sexually harassed by an unnamed sergeant at Fort Hood,[15] and that complaints by other female soldiers made against the sergeant had been dismissed. All division motor pools, parking lots, barracks and HQs buildings have been thoroughly searched. Morales entered the Army in June 2015 as a motor transport operator and had been assigned to the 1st Sustainment Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division since November 2016. Vanessa Guillen bludgeoned to death on Army base, family attorney says", "Remains of missing soldier Vanessa Guilln likely found, family says, as suspect kills himself", "Cecily Aguilar indicted on 11 counts for involvement in Vanessa Guillen's death", "Cecily Aguilar pleads guilty to felony charges for involvement in Vanessa Guillen's murder", "Missing Fort Hood soldier was killed in armory, then hacked to pieces, family's attorney says", "Army to investigate Fort Hood SHARP program after disappearance of PFC Vanessa Guillen", "Calumet City Soldier Aaron David Robinson Was Main Suspect In Murder Of Fellow Soldier Vanessa Guillen", "Salma Hayek uses social media to find missing US Army soldier Vanessa!!! Ritter is of course heavily censored on mainstream platforms and is widely condemned by officials in the US government, including those in the State Dept. Police officials said the investigation determined that Rosecrans and Olivares were traveling together in the soldiers Jeep when Rosecrans was killed. Guillen, 20, went missing April 22 in a parking lot at the base after her family said she complained of sexual harassment. But the only among the victims may be the institution that them all. Guillen, 20, was slain April 22, 2020, at Fort Hood, the Texas military base where she was stationed. After a young mom was gunned down, investigators uncovered a heinous and unholy plot that began at the victim's own home. Chris Swecker, Jonathan Harmon, Carrie Ricci, Queta Rodriguez and Jack White visited Fort Hood for 19 days between August and September and conducted 80 group interviews, which encompassed over . Robinson killed himself as authorities tried to arrest him. Thousands of soldiers searched in buildings, barracks, fields, training areas, lakes and trails at Fort Hood. Maxwell Hockin, who was assigned to 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Grinston, center, gets feedback from soldiers about their concerns at Fort Hood, Texas, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. By Marlene Lenthang October 13, 2021, 9:15 AM 2:25 On Location: February 24, 2023 Catch up on the developing stories making headlines. On June 30, 2020, human remains were found near the Leon River in Bell County,. At approximately 1:40 a.m., officers received another call in reference to a water leak coming from one apartment leading to another.. When Morales remains were found, Wedel said was told her son decomposed in the field, with dust and debris covering his remains as they sank over time into the ground over time. Army report finds Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guilln reported being sexually harassed twice before she was killed The investigation did not find evidence that Guilln's alleged killer had. Army investigators detained Specialist Robinson in the killing of Specialist Guillen just hours after her remains were found, but a series of missteps allowed him to flee, then fatally shoot himself, according to an Army report released on April 30, 2021. Guillen, 20, was bludgeoned to death with a hammer in an arms room on April 22, 2020, authorities said. Her dismembered remains were found June 30, buried in multiple shallow graves about 30 miles from the base. Maj. Bradley Knapp. Updated Sep 1, 2020. Wedel last spoke to her son Aug. 19, 2019, when he called her asking for gas money, she told the Post. We've received your submission. [26][3] Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Frazier and Greg Gloff are prosecuting the case on behalf of the federal government. It was not until Guillens disappearance, and a subsequent reward for information on her whereabouts, that Fort Hood offered an identical reward in Morales disappearance. The Black Knight family is heartbroken by the loss of Specialist Francisco Hernandezvargas. We can confirm there is an open investigation of abusive sexual contact involving Sgt. Saber's death is among multiple incidents at the Texas base in recent years. On July 10, 2020, Ryan D. McCarthy, the secretary of the Army, ordered an investigation into Fort Hoods command culture after a year of violent deaths, suicides and complaints of sexual harassment on the military base. Vanessa Guillen, 20, vanished April 22, 2020, from Fort Hood, where she was stationed and worked as a small arms and artillery repairer. In a federal complaint, the accused soldier was identified as U.S. Army Specialist Aaron Robinson, 20. Army enacts changes on sex assault response - Army Times An investigation is underway and police say foul play is not suspected. Athletic, she lifted weights, played soccer, and ran on track and cross-country teams. Last year, at least 39. We are deeply saddened by the loss of any member of our IRONHORSE team and we will mourn this loss as an organization, said Col. Michael Schoenfeldt, commander of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. Army CID officials said foul play was not suspected in Sawyers death but that an investigation was being conducted. [6] On November 29, 2022 Aguilar plead guilty to accessory to murder after the fact and three counts of making a false statement.[7]. This has been a year of bloodshed and heartbreak at Fort Hood in the central Texas city of Killeen. Broadwater was subsequently assigned as deputy commander of V Corps at Fort Knox, Kentucky. [5], Later that evening, at around 8:30p.m., authorities re-interviewed Cecily Anne Aguilar, a local woman who was the estranged wife of a soldier at Fort Hood. People wishing to remain anonymous will be honored to the degree allowable under the law and the information will be held in the strictest confidence allowable, Army officials said. Freddy Delacruz Jr., 23, died March 14, in Killeen, according to Fort Hood. Roy was indicted by a grand jury earlier this month. Lt. Col. Chris Brautigam, a spokesman for the 1st Cavalry Division, told NBC News on Saturday that Fernandes had reported improper sexual contact to his superiors. Fort Hood officials said Hernandezvargas, a native of Woodside, New York, had been in the Army since May 2017. Vanessa Guillen's death, along with the deaths of several other soldiers shed light on major issues at Fort Hood and some families say they have tried to share their concerns for years At this time, there is no connection between the disappearance of Sgt. Nakealon Keunte Mosley, 24, was indicted Wednesday by a grand jury in Bell County, Texas, on a charge of murder in the death. In one of those two cases, the person charged with murder was an active-duty soldier based at Fort Hood. Our thoughts and our prayers are with Maxwell's family during this difficult time.". Officials recently reported the base has the highest number of cases of soldier murders and sexual assaults among all Army installations. [34] The mural portrays her with the flags of both the United States and Mexico, the latter due to her Mexican American ethnicity. SPC Aaron David Robinson, 20, was pronounced dead at the scene on a street in Killeen. Confession over murder of Army Spc. Vanessa Guilln upheld - AOL Maxwell Hockin is seen in this undated photo. No further details have been released. Philipps, Dave (April 30, 2021) Military Missteps Allowed Soldier Accused of Murder to Flee, Report Says. As long as I keep learning from my mistakes and Morta had been an Army private since last September, when he entered as a Bradley Fighting Vehicle mechanic. Disciplinary measures were also taken against soldiers and leaders assigned below brigade level, however the Army does not, as a matter of policy, "release the names of the battalion level and below commanders and leaders who received administrative action. An investigation is ongoing and officials did not say whether foul play was suspected. CBS Dallas-Fort Worth reported that Aton was standing in the roadway, directing traffic around the involved vehicles, when he was struck by a driver who did not see him in time to avoid him. Vanessa Guillen, 20, vanished April 22, 2020, from Fort Hood, where she was stationed and worked as a small arms and artillery repairer. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Rosecrans, 27, of Kimberling City, Missouri, was found slain May 18 on the side of a road in Harker Heights, Texas. 24, 2021 KILLEEN, Texas Spc. I was kind of ignored.. According to Killeen police officials, the men were in a fight that became physical. His death is being investigated as a homicide. Each of us in the battalion are grateful for having known him, and we collectively grieve his loss.. [49], On January26, 2022, President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order that established sexual harassment as a specific offense under the UCMJ.[50]. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time, said Col. Kevin Capra, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. Natalie Khawam, a lawyer for the family of Specialist Vanessa Guillen, said in early July that her remains had most likely been found and that a suspect in her disappearance had killed himself. . By Todd South. [5] Investigators theorized that the remains, previously buried under concrete, had been dug up by wildlife. Aguilar was reported to be the girlfriend of Aaron David Robinson, a specialist ranked enlisted soldier who was one of the last known people to see Guilln on the day of her disappearance and who had previously been interviewed by investigators. Morales Kia was later found abandoned and a month after his disappearance, he was classified as AWOL, or absent without official leave. Officers in the area located the suspect at a nearby convenience store. We resolve every case based on its unique circumstances. In September 2021, a warrant officer named Anthony Rivera was charged with the murder of two toddlers he'd adopted, both of whom died of blunt force trauma. The Killeen Police Department, which is investigating Delacruz's death alongside CID, said Delacruz was found . Fernandes, who had reported sexual abuse prior to his. [9] Her car keys, identification card, bank card, and barracks key were found inside the armory where she worked. The 20-year-old was missing for about two months before her remains were found buried in a shallow grave last year. Aaron Robinson escape custody and kill himself. Fort Hood is the same Army base where Vanessa Guillen was murdered in April 2020, in a case that engrossed the nation. Vannessa Guilln at Fort Hood led to a reckoning within the Army about sexual assault and harassment. His awards and decorations include the Global War on Terrorism Medal, National Defense Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon. Report finds a 'failure of leadership' after Fort Hood murder Her disappearance nonetheless prompted multiple investigations into sexual harassment on the base, as well as calls for a congressional probe into the way her disappearance and death were handled. Her suspected killer was fellow soldier Spc. Like Wardrobe, Allred had left the service in January. Harker Heights police officials said officers were called around 10:16 a.m. to the 2100 block of Fuller Lane, where Rosecrans was found dead. (U.S. Army, Bell County Jail). The person involved in the proposed trade was not the man Olivares blamed for Rosecrans death. The body of Morta, 26, was discovered July 17 after he was believed to have drowned in Stillhouse Hollow Lake, about 15 miles from the base. [18] CID reported that they found no evidence that Guilln was assaulted, but said investigators believed foul play was involved in her disappearance. Vanessa Guillen & Aaron Robinson: 5 Fast Facts | Heavy.com Fernandes mother, Ailiana Fernandes, told NBC News that her son had been hospitalized for several days prior to his disappearance. Published: Oct. 12, 2021 at 4:48 PM PDT FORT HOOD, Texas (KWTX) - Specialist Maxwell Hockin, 26, a soldier stationed at Fort Hood, was found dead behind his company barracks over the weekend, according to officials at Fort Hood. Marshals and Killeen police officers closed in on a suspect, the man, an active duty junior soldier, turned a gun on himself and pulled the trigger. Fort Hood soldier found dead behind barracks, investigation underway Chee, 25, died Aug. 30 after collapsing during a training exercise two days before, Army officials said. Hernandezvargas was the second soldier who died on the lake in less than a month. It is unclear what started the altercation. They are the highest in most cases for sexual assault, harassment, murders, for our entire formation in the U.S. Army, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said during a visit to Fort Hood earlier this month, the military publication reported. [2], Aguilar was arrested by Texas Rangers and held at the Bell County Jail. 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 Washington. Fort Hood officials said Delacruz entered the Army in November 2017 as a cavalry scout and had been assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division since April 2018. Because his death occurred off-base, the Killeen Police Department is investigating his killing. Jones, 20, of Jena, Louisiana, was found suffering from a gunshot wound shortly after 3 a.m. March 1 at a convenience store in Killeen. [3], On the evening of June30, Robinson escaped the custody of an unarmed guard from his unit and fled Fort Hood after hearing the news of the discovery of remains. If you cant say why he murdered her, you cant say he didnt sexually harass her, family attorney Natalie Khawam said. Two people were arrested earlier this month and charged in Rosecrans murder. Previous Eight alarming cover-ups and contradictions in the East Palestine train wreck chemical nightmare now spreading across . Fort Hood soldier found dead behind barracks amid rash of deaths and The Thunder Battalion is deeply saddened by the sudden and tragic loss of PVT Eric Hogan, said Lt. Col. Ronald Sprang, Commander, 2-12 Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. He had been assigned to the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division since November 2018. Olivares girlfriend, Estrellita Hidalgo Falcon, 37, also of Killeen, is charged with hindering prosecution and unauthorized use of a vehicle. [35] Another mural is dedicated to her at Taqueria del Sol in the Park Place neighborhood. A probe into the implementation of the bases Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention program, or SHARP, is ongoing. His skeletal remains were found June 19 in a field about four miles from the base. Fort Hood NCOs Shamed Victims, Prevented Soldiers from - Military In 2020 alone, 31 soldiers connected to Fort Hood died, including 11 reported as suicides and five as homicides. For months, activists, politicians and Specialist Guillens family called for an investigation into Fort Hood, the nations third-largest Army base. According to Fox 7 in Austin, Rosecrans had been shot four times. April Rubin, Michael Levenson, Bryan Pietsch and Christopher Mele contributed reporting. But the Army isn't giving any By Seth Harp Illustration by. Jun 14, 2021. Additionally, his only known vehicle was located on base at his units parking lot.. From Texas Standard: Last year's murder of Pfc. Moore, a 36-year-old Texas Army National Guard soldier, died in a training accident while completing a land navigation course Aug. 13 at the base. They just assumed the worst and let it go., Gregory Morales Pv2 Gregory Wedel Morales, who was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, had been missing since Aug. 20, 2019. On September 12, 1990, Dianne Hood, a 32-year-old mother of three, had just left a lupus support group at a community center in Colorado Springs, Colorado when the unthinkable occurred.A masked assailant in military garb grabbed Hood's purse from behind and then shot her. Once dismissed by cynics as a "conspiracy theory the New World Order is rapidly becoming a reality. The punishments are the latest Army moves in response to Guillns disappearance and death. A Bell County grand jury declined to indict the suspected gunman in June, the publication reported. His awards and decorations include the Army Achievement Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, National Defense Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon. Aton, 22, died of his injuries Aug. 12 after he was hit by a car as he provided assistance at the scene of an accident in Killeen, the Military Times reported. Elected in May 2021, incumbent Jessica Gonzalez is a director of sales. Falcon told police those allegations were not true. The unit sexual assault response coordinator has been working closely with Sgt. 2021, in Washington. Army investigating after another soldier is found dead at Fort Hood [15] On June 23, Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, in whose district Guilln's family resides, met with Fort Hood officials to discuss the ongoing search. Mejhor brought honor, dignity and respect to our nation, Armstrong said at the memorial, according to the news station. Commentary: Joe Biden's Domestic Terrorism Backstory (Bell County Jail). Delacruz, 23, of Vidalia, Georgia, was one of three people killed in a triple homicide March 14 in Killeen. PFC Anthony Peak was a valuable member of this team and his loss is felt by his friends and the soldiers of the Saber Squadron and Greywolf Brigade. Fernandes, ensuring he was aware of all his reporting, care, and victim advocacy options., Fernandes had also been transferred to ensure he received the proper care and ensure there were no opportunities for reprisals.. Vanessa Guillen", "Foul play suspected in Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen's disappearance", "Vanessa Guillen search: Lawmaker suspects foul play in the disappearance of Texas soldier", "Fort Hood says they have found no connection with sexual harassment and Guillen's disappearance", "Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia hosts virtual update on Vanessa Guilln case", "She 'never made it out of the Army alive': Affidavit details killing of Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen", "Remains of missing soldier Vanessa Guilln identified by Army, family says", "Vanessa Guillen killed with hammer and her body mutilated, affidavit says", "New court documents in Vanessa Guillen's case reveal possible motive for murder", "Public's Help Sought in Locating Fort Hood Soldier", "Army Senior Leaders Update Reporters on U.S. Army Response to COVID-19", https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/30/politics/vanessa-guillen-family-donald-trump/index.htmlM, "Army punishes 14 senior officers after murder and other deaths at Fort Hood", "Texas woman pleads guilty to role in Vanessa Guillen's death", "Houston artists pay tribute to Vanessa Guillen", "New mural pays tribute to Vanessa Guillen in her neighborhood", "Mayor Turner honors Vanessa Guillen with visit to mural", "Fort Hood unveils gate and plaque honoring Vanessa Guilln", "Fort Hood names gate after slain Spc. I would like to send my heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and loved ones. According to Fort Hood officials, he was assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. Jovino Roy Jovino Jamel Roy, 22, of Coppers Cove, Texas, is charged with murder in the March 23, 2020, killing of Michael Steven Wardrobe, 22, in Killeen, Texas. [23] According to a criminal complaint filed in the Western District Court of Texas, Aguilar allegedly helped Robinson dismember and dispose of Guilln's body on April22, 2020, after Robinson told her he had bludgeoned Guilln to death with a hammer inside the armory. Army Investigating How Fort Hood Soldier Found Unresponsive Behind He was taken into custody and transported to the Killeen City Jail.. Authorities have said Robinson bludgeoned Guillen to death in an arms room on the base and carried her body away in a heavy-duty plastic case. Vanessa Guilln, who was missing for about two months before her remains were found.