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Post by Admin on Aug 26, 2020 19:10:38 GMT
Vanessa-related. 8/26/20
The body of a Fort Hood soldier who was reported missing last week was found hanging from a tree about 30 miles from Killeen on Tuesday, according to the attorney representing the soldier’s family. The body of U.S. Army Sgt. Elder Fernandes, 23, was discovered by a civilian Tuesday evening while walking along train tracks in Temple, about 30 miles east of Fort Hood, said attorney Natalie Khawam.
“Upon officers’ arrival, it was determined that the subject had been deceased for some period of time,” the Temple Police Department said in a written statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Fernandes family during this challenging time,” Temple Police Chief Shawn Reynolds said. Local authorities identified the body as Fernandes using a backpack at the scene that held Fernandes’ military ID and license, according to the attorney, but police say no forensic confirmation had been made yet.
Khawam, who also represents the family of slain Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen, said it was unclear as of Tuesday night whether foul play is suspected. Authorities have said previously they did not believe foul play was involved. “This is another example and another reason why our country needs to protect our soldiers,” Khawam said. “Shame on them for not protecting this young man who just reenlisted in January to continue to serve our country.”
Fernandes, a Massachusetts native, was last seen Aug. 17 by a staff sergeant who had dropped him off at his Killeen home in the 2700 block of Woodlands Drive, Killeen police have said.
Khawam said the soldier was supposed to be released into the custody of his roommate after he was dropped off by military officials following mental health treatment. However, those officials instead left him alone in front of the building where he lived. The soldier reportedly was considering suicide after he told superiors he was sexually assaulted on post in April, according to Khawam.
Military officials have confirmed they are investigating Fernandes’ reports of sexual assault, adding that Fernandes was transferred to another unit after reporting the abuse.
However, Khawam said the abuse continued following the report. Fernandes was reportedly harassed and bullied on post after some soldiers learned of the sexual assault investigation, according to Khawam. “He didn’t have any mental health issues when he joined the Army,” Khawam said. “He reenlisted this year. He told his mom how happy he was to serve. Everything was great until he was sexually assaulted by his staff sergeant. He was upset and humiliated.” Khawam added: “That information was then shared with his new unit, unfortunately, then the hazing and bullying continued.”
Fernandes decided to formally report his sexually assault after learning about Guillen, whose family said she was sexually harassed on post before she died at the hands of a fellow soldier, according to Khawam.
Guillen’s remains were found in late June near the Leon River in Bell County. Authorities believe Spc. Aaron David Robinson killed the 20-year-old Guillen on post in April and dismembered her. They have accused his girlfriend, Cecily Aguilar of Killeen, of helping to dispose of Guillen’s remains. Robinson shot himself and died on July 1 when authorities confronted him during the investigation, according to Killeen police.
Guillen’s story generated international outcry and the viral hashtag #IAmVanessaGuillen was created, allowing hundreds of service members to share their own stories of sexual misconduct within the military.
“When he was sexually assaulted, he didn’t want to tell his mom, he was embarrassed,” Khawam said about Fernandes. “After seeing what happened to Vanessa Guillen, he reported it. He did not sign up to be sexually assaulted and then re-victimized.”
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Post by Admin on Aug 26, 2020 19:14:13 GMT
Vanessa-related. 8/26/20
The body of a Fort Hood soldier who was reported missing last week was found hanging from a tree about 30 miles from Killeen on Tuesday, according to the attorney representing the soldier’s family. The body of U.S. Army Sgt. Elder Fernandes, 23, was discovered by a civilian Tuesday evening while walking along train tracks in Temple, about 30 miles east of Fort Hood, said attorney Natalie Khawam.
“Upon officers’ arrival, it was determined that the subject had been deceased for some period of time,” the Temple Police Department said in a written statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Fernandes family during this challenging time,” Temple Police Chief Shawn Reynolds said. Local authorities identified the body as Fernandes using a backpack at the scene that held Fernandes’ military ID and license, according to the attorney, but police say no forensic confirmation had been made yet.
Khawam, who also represents the family of slain Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen, said it was unclear as of Tuesday night whether foul play is suspected. Authorities have said previously they did not believe foul play was involved. “This is another example and another reason why our country needs to protect our soldiers,” Khawam said. “Shame on them for not protecting this young man who just reenlisted in January to continue to serve our country.”
Fernandes, a Massachusetts native, was last seen Aug. 17 by a staff sergeant who had dropped him off at his Killeen home in the 2700 block of Woodlands Drive, Killeen police have said.
Khawam said the soldier was supposed to be released into the custody of his roommate after he was dropped off by military officials following mental health treatment. However, those officials instead left him alone in front of the building where he lived. The soldier reportedly was considering suicide after he told superiors he was sexually assaulted on post in April, according to Khawam.
Military officials have confirmed they are investigating Fernandes’ reports of sexual assault, adding that Fernandes was transferred to another unit after reporting the abuse.
However, Khawam said the abuse continued following the report. Fernandes was reportedly harassed and bullied on post after some soldiers learned of the sexual assault investigation, according to Khawam. “He didn’t have any mental health issues when he joined the Army,” Khawam said. “He reenlisted this year. He told his mom how happy he was to serve. Everything was great until he was sexually assaulted by his staff sergeant. He was upset and humiliated.” Khawam added: “That information was then shared with his new unit, unfortunately, then the hazing and bullying continued.”
Fernandes decided to formally report his sexually assault after learning about Guillen, whose family said she was sexually harassed on post before she died at the hands of a fellow soldier, according to Khawam.
Guillen’s remains were found in late June near the Leon River in Bell County. Authorities believe Spc. Aaron David Robinson killed the 20-year-old Guillen on post in April and dismembered her. They have accused his girlfriend, Cecily Aguilar of Killeen, of helping to dispose of Guillen’s remains. Robinson shot himself and died on July 1 when authorities confronted him during the investigation, according to Killeen police.
Guillen’s story generated international outcry and the viral hashtag #IAmVanessaGuillen was created, allowing hundreds of service members to share their own stories of sexual misconduct within the military.
“When he was sexually assaulted, he didn’t want to tell his mom, he was embarrassed,” Khawam said about Fernandes. “After seeing what happened to Vanessa Guillen, he reported it. He did not sign up to be sexually assaulted and then re-victimized.”
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Post by Admin on Aug 28, 2020 2:23:35 GMT
8/24/20 Suzanne M
Barry Morphew, the Colorado man whose wife Suzanne vanished after going for a bike ride on Mother's Day, has spoken out for the first time since her disappearance.
On Tuesday, Morphew spoke exclusively with local news station Fox21 in a 25-minute phone interview. “This is the most devastating thing that has ever happened to me,” Barry said. “But I have got to keep my faith and trust in God. And Suzanne trusted the Lord and if one person got saved from this, she would think it was worth it. And we are just a Godly, loving, caring, family and this thing is just a tragedy.”
Suzanne Morphew vanished on May 10. While her bike and a "personal item" were recovered during a search of an area near her Maysville home, little else is known about Morphew's disappearance. During Tuesday's interview, Morphew said he believes authorities have handled the case poorly.
“The Sheriff’s Department screwed this whole thing up from the beginning and now they are trying to cover it up and blame it on me,” he said, according to Fox21. “My buddy was there right after [they found her bike], and he said that they completely destroyed the evidence, and he tried to stop them, but they wouldn’t listen to him and said, ‘This is not CSI,'” he continued. “There’s no evidence for the investigators to see because the Sheriff’s Department completely obliterated it.”
Morphew's not sure what happened to Suzanne but theorized maybe she had been attacked by an animal, involved in an accident with someone driving on the road or crossed paths with someone who knew her.
Until Tuesday, Morphew had been silent since his wife's disappearance except for in a video uploaded to the Facebook page "Find Suzanne Morphew" in May, where he spoke directly to his missing wife, telling her, "Suzanne, if anyone is out there that can hear this that has you, please, we'll do whatever it takes to bring you back...We love you. We miss you. Your girls need you."
According to Sheriff John Spezze, investigators are not ruling out foul play in Morphew's disappearance and the Federal Bureau of Investigations and Colorado Bureau of Investigations are now aiding in the search.
Family has previously stated Barry Morphew was out of town in Denver when his wife went missing.
On Tuesday, Morphew said he chose to stay silent after seeing the negative coverage of him in the news. “I am afraid of what is out there,” he said. “People don’t know the truth, so they’re gonna think what they’re gonna think.”
Looking forward, Morphew has no plans to stop searching for his wife. "My wife and I have been in love since 1988 and she’s the love of my life. And I continue to search for her every day and I will until I find her," he said. "I promise and I promised my girls that.”
Anyone with information is urged to call the FBI tip line at 719. 312. 7530.
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Post by Admin on Aug 28, 2020 2:38:15 GMT
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Post by Admin on Aug 28, 2020 2:40:05 GMT
8/25/20 Suzanne
The husband of a woman missing since Mother's Day said investigators in Colorado have botched the investigation into her disappearance and are now trying to "blame it on me."
In a 25-minute phone interview with KXRM-TV, Barry Morphew offered several theories about why his wife Suzanne went missing after reportedly leaving her Maysville home to go on a May 10th solo bike ride. He insisted he had nothing to do with her vanishing.
“This is the most devastating thing that has ever happened to me,” he said. “But I have got to keep my faith and trust in God. And Suzanne trusted the Lord and if one person got saved from this, she would think it was worth it. And we are just a Godly, loving, caring, family and this thing is just a tragedy.”
He further theorized that the 49-year-old mother of two adult daughters could have been attacked by an animal, run into someone she knows or had an accident.
Morphew was reportedly in Denver at a training course for his volunteer firefighter job at the time of his wife's disappearance. Investigators found his wife's bicycle on a path but little else is known about what happened to her.
During the phone interview, Barry Morphew accused investigators of bungling the case.
“The Sheriff’s Department screwed this whole thing up from the beginning and now they are trying to cover it up and blame it on me," he said according to the news station.
He accused the Sheriff's Department of mishandling evidence and the scene where officers found her bike.
“There’s no evidence for the investigators to see because the Sheriff’s Department completely obliterated it,” he said.
Morphew said he's avoided speaking publicly on his wife's case because of the negative media attention. The interview was Morphew's first public statements about the disappearance since uploading a video in May to a Facebook page dedicated to finding his wife.
Morphew said he will keep searching for his wife.
"My wife and I have been in love since 1988 and she’s the love of my life," he said. "And I continue to search for her every day and I will until I find her. I promise and I promised my girls that.”
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Post by Admin on Aug 28, 2020 3:38:11 GMT
wse
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Post by Admin on Aug 28, 2020 3:41:09 GMT
8/25/20 Suzanne
EXCLUSIVE: Three months after Suzanne Morphew, 49, did not return from a solo bike ride, family members are speaking out in an effort to revive the search for their missing loved one, bring her home and get some closure.
“My sister was just the sweetest person ever and anyone would have been happy to be friends or neighbors with her ..." Suzanne's brother Andy Moorman tells Fox News. "And she has two daughters without answers right now. My father at 87 has cancer and needs answers. And I'm not going to give up. I'm coming back out there to look."
After months of silence, Suzanne’s husband, Barry Morphew, said in a recent interview with KXRM-TV that he believes his wife may have been attacked by a mountain lion and drove her bike over the edge of a hill. Moorman, who went to the area where his sister's bicycle was found the day after her disappearance, says he is positive this is not the case.
“An animal did not attack her because there absolutely was no blood evidence and no tracks on the ground, no scent from an animal,” he says. “I stood there and looked and I realized that nobody rode over the side of that hill. There would have been signs of a struggle or you would have been skinned up.”
Moorman and his brother in-law both searched the area where Suzanne's bike was found for any signs of a clue. “I said to Barry ‘Hey, I don't think she fell off the hill on that bicycle or rode over the edge.’ I said, ‘I believe a human being threw this down here.’”
Discussing accusations that Barry Morphew may be involved in Suzanne's disappearance, Moorman admits he was surprised to hear Barry refused to take a polygraph test when asked by the police, something his brother-in-law denied during his 25-minute call with KXRM, but Andy is adamant that everyone is innocent until proven guilty and stresses that his main concern is finding his sister and letting the authorities sort out the rest.
Moorman says he has not been in contact with his Barry Morphew or his nieces since shortly after his sister’s disappearance, and addresses Barry directly in the interview:
“Please, Barry, if you could see this, I would really love it if you would take the time to revisit the authorities and go over everything once again ... Take a voice analysis and a lie detector test and clear yourself," pleads Moorman. "Put my mind at ease and everybody out there's mind at ease if you want to shut the rumors down. That's the way you do it. You need to find your wife. That should be your only goal is to find your wife and whatever you're asked to do by the authorities is what you should. If you're not guilty, step up to the plate."
Moorman does not have much hope that his sister is still alive, but is determined to find her one way or another. He will host a candlelight vigil Saturday night in Alexandria, Ind., in the hope that it will restart the search effort. While he is doubtful that Suzanne’s husband and daughters will attend, he believes the rest of the Morphew family will be there as a show of support.
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Post by Admin on Aug 28, 2020 4:26:44 GMT
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Post by Admin on Aug 28, 2020 4:28:10 GMT
8/26/20 Suzanne
There is still no sign of Suzanne Morphew, a Colorado mom who reportedly set out on a bike ride on Mother's Day, and never returned. Now, Morphew's husband, Barry, is saying police are trying to accuse him of his wife's disappearance.
"There is nothing I'm hiding," Barry said as he expressed concern with the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office's handling of the investigation into his wife's disappearance.
"The Sheriff's Department screwed this whole thing up from the beginning, and now they are trying to cover it up and blame it on me," he said.
The 49-year-old mother of two went missing May 10 after going on a solo bike ride in Maysville, Colorado. Suzanne's two daughters were on a camping trip out of state, and a neighbor reported her missing.
One week after her disappearance, Suzanne's husband released a video on Facebook, pleading for her safe return to him and their two daughters. In the video, he offered a $100,000 and another $100,000 was provided by a family friend, according to a report.
Over the past three months, there has been a massive search in search of Suzanne through Chafee County, Colorado that has included volunteers, divers, tactical mountain rescuers and search dogs. The FBI and The Colorado Bureau of Investigation were also called in on the case that has sparked international and national interest.
Early in the search, investigators found Suzanne's bike and a personal item that has not been disclosed.
When Suzanne's bike was discovered, Barry slammed law enforcement officials for "destroying evidence." He claimed that they did not properly document the discovery correctly.
"My buddy was there right after that, and he said that they completely destroyed the evidence," Barry said. "There's no evidence for the investigators to see because the Sheriff's Department completely obliterated it."
Since the story broke, investigators have searched the $1.5 million home Suzanne shared with her husband and their two daughters twice.
In May, the FBI conducted a three-day search of the construction site Barry was working on in Salida. The site is located about 12 miles from the couple's home, next to Maysville's town. A resident on the same street claimed to have been awoken by a loud noise the night before Suzanne vanished, reported by the Daily Mail.
Despite the extensive search of the property, investigators found no clues.
In his first interview since his wife's disappearance, Barry told a reporter at Fox 21 Denver that he has continued to search for Suzanne. Barry, who described Suzanne as a person of faith, called his wife "the love of his life."
"I am afraid of what is out there," he said to the Colorado news station. "People don't know the truth, so they're gonna think what they gonna think."
Barry denied claims that he had ever been asked to give a polygraph, saying he sat for hours of interviews with the CBI and FBI, and only gave one inconsistent account to police regarding his Bobcat because he claimed he was "befuddled in the immediate aftermath of Suzanne's disappearance."
According to multiple reports, Barry theorized that his wife may have been attacked by an animal, or worse, may have encountered someone with malicious intentions. "We are just a Godly, loving, caring, family, and this thing is just a tragedy."
On Aug. 10, investigators were making a big push to distribute flyers about Suzanne, according to a report from CBS Denver.
The Chaffee County Sheriff's Department declined to comment to Inside Edition Digital on Suzanne Morphew husband's claims regarding his wife's case. However, in July, Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze said the case remains "very active," with more than a dozen investigators aggressively working on the case daily.
"My wife and I have been in love since 1988," Barry said. "I continue to search for her every day, and I will find her. I promise, and I promised my girls that."
Andy Moorman, Suzanne's brother, told Fox News, reported by The Sun today, that he would continue searching for his sister. He sent out a plea to his brother-in-law: "You need to find your wife. That should be your only goal is to find your wife, and whatever you're asked to do by the authorities is what you should."
"If you're not guilty, step up to the plate."
He added: "She has two daughters without answers right now. My father at 87 has cancer and needs answers," he said. "And I'm not going to give up. I'm coming back out there to look."
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Post by Admin on Sept 4, 2020 2:13:33 GMT
vg
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Post by Admin on Sept 4, 2020 2:15:01 GMT
9/1/20 Vanessa G
WASHINGTON — The commander of the U.S. Army's Fort Hood is being removed from his position and will no longer assume command of a division at Fort Bliss, according to a U.S. Army statement released Tuesday.
Maj. Gen. Scott Efflandt was set to take over the 1st Armored Division soon. Now the Army will announce who will take over the division in the coming days. Division commander is a critical step in an Army general’s career and losing a division can be a career-ending move.
Fort Hood has been plagued by a series of incidents. Two soldiers, including Spc. Vanessa Guillen, have gone missing only to have their bodies discovered later. Soldiers assigned to the base were arrested in a prostitution sting. A number of soldiers have recently died by suicide.
The commanding general of U.S. Forces Command, Gen. Michael Garrett, has directed Maj. Gen. John Richardson IV to assume command at Fort Hood, effective Wednesday. Efflandt will stay on at Fort Hood for the time being, serving as deputy commanding general for support.
Gen. Garrett will appoint Gen. John Murray, commanding general of U.S. Futures Command, to "lead an in-depth investigation into the chain of command actions related to Spc. Vanessa Guillen," the statement says. The Army has several open investigations at Fort Hood already, and now Gen. Murray's investigation will add those efforts into a larger look at the base leadership.
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Post by Admin on Sept 5, 2020 1:05:05 GMT
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Post by Admin on Sept 5, 2020 1:06:26 GMT
9/2/20 Vanessa G
The Army has opened a new investigation into Fort Hood leadership’s handling of the sexual harassment allegations made by Pfc. Vanessa Guillén before her April disappearance and subsequent death.
General John Murray, head of the Army’s Futures Command, will conduct the probe and is scheduled to arrive at the U.S. Army base in Killeen, Texas, about 70 miles north of Austin, Army officials told CBS News Wednesday.
The four-star general is senior to the post’s other generals and therefore has the authority to recommend disciplinary action against those senior commanders.
Maj. General Scott Efflandt, for instance, has been removed as Fort Hood’s senior commander, a week after another of the base’s soldiers was found dead. Maj. General John Richardson was already scheduled to take over Efflandt’s position, though that change is now taking place ahead of schedule.
The general’s probe is separate from the independent review of the Fort Hood command climate which Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy ordered, noting the post has one of the Army’s highest rates of murder, sexual assault and harassment.
Guillén, who was 20, was last seen at the base on April 22 and her body was discovered in early July. Her family claims she told relatives, colleagues and friends that she was sexually harassed by superiors on two separate occasions, though Army officials have denied a connection.
The family’s attorney also claims Guillén was harassed by fellow soldier U.S. Army Spec. Aaron Robinson, who is suspected of having fatally beaten the young woman with a hammer. Robinson died by suicide when authorities moved to arrest him on July 1. Robinson’s girlfriend, 22-year-old Cecily Aguilar, is accused of having helped him cut up Guillén’s body. She faces three counts of tampering with evidence.
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Post by Admin on Sept 7, 2020 19:37:51 GMT
Affidavit in file of Henry Smith.
Jones served as private militia soldier under Capt. Henry Smith to Savannah River, SC, and Battle of Briar Creek. Resided Stokes Co., NC, 1833. Declaration of Benjamin Jones - Stokes Co., NC - 12 Dec. 1832 - Benjamin, resident of Stokes, aged 79 on March 28. He entered the service in the Virginia Militia as a volunteer under Capt. Edward Booker in 1776, probably in the spring. He guarded British prisoners at Amelia Court House and marched from there to Fredericksburg to Dumfries and was there discharged. Having moved from Virginia, he next enlisted as a volunteer in the North Carolina Militia for a tour of five months under Capt. James Sheperd in Col. Brevard's Regiment from Surry County (now Stokes) in November 1778. He marched through Salisbury to Camden, SC, and then to Gen. Rutherford´s Camp, SC, and then to [Parisburg], to the Two Sisters, to Turkey Hill, then to Augusta, GA, and then to Briar Creek, where he was in the engagement, and then returned to Turkey Hill, SC, where he was discharged. About October 1, 1780, he entered service as a volunteer in the North Carolina Militia and served a tour of three months under Capt. Minor Smith. He rendezvoused at Old Richmond, then Surry Court House, and marched from there to Wilkes Co., NC to Criders Fort, NC, and then to the Cherokee Towns on Broad River and then to Kings Mountain and was in that engagement, and returned by way of Baties Ford on the Catawba and the Shallow Ford on the Yadkin and the Moravian Town in Surry (now Stokes) County and then to Guilford Courthouse. He was commanded principally by Major Joseph Winston but the chief command on the day of the Battle was given to Col. Campbell. Jones expects to prove this service by affidavit of Lewis Wolff. In late summer or early fall of 1781 he entered service as an Ensign in the North Carolina Militia under Capt. William Bostick in Col. Francis Locks Regiment and served three months. He was called out under Col. Armstrong of Surry County and was transferred to Cl. Lock. He rendezvoused at Salisbury and marched by Charlotte to Camden, SC, where Col. Malmady, a French officer, took command (Col. Lock being sick) and then to Gen. Green's headquarters. He then marched with Gen. Green to the Eutaw Springs and was in that engagement and marched back nearly the same route. He was discharged by Col. Lock at Salisbury.
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Post by Admin on Sept 10, 2020 22:44:22 GMT
9/19/20 Vanessa Two congressional subcommittees on Tuesday announced an investigation into the chain of command at Fort Hood following a recent spate of deaths at the Central Texas Army base.
The House Oversight and Reform Committee’s Subcommittee on National Security and the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel said they are seeking documents and information about how Fort Hood’s leadership has responded to a series of deaths and instances of sexual harassment and abuse.
“Where appropriate, we intend to seek justice on behalf of those in uniform, and their families, who may have been failed by a military system and culture that was ultimately responsible for their care and protection,” the committee chairs, U.S. Reps. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., and Jackie Speier, D-Calif., wrote in a letter to Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy.
Spc. Vanessa Guillen went missing in April and her body was found near the Leon River in July. The soldier suspected of killing Guillen, Spc. Aaron Robinson, killed himself as police tried to arrest him.
Guillen was the victim of sexual harassment, her sister said, but she didn’t report the sexual harassment out of fear of retaliation. The Army in June opened an independent review of base leadership’s handling of her case.
Lynch and Speier also mentioned Pvt. Gregory Wedel-Morales, a private at Fort Hood whose body was found in June, nearly a year after he went missing in August 2019.
Investigations into two additional deaths, of Pvt. Mejhor Morta and Sgt. Elder Fernandes, are ongoing. Authorities are also probing the deaths of Pfc. Brandon Scott Rosecrans, Spc. Freddy Delacruz Jr. and Spc. Shelby Tyler Jones.
Both Guillen and Fernandes were allegedly sexually abused or harassed prior to their deaths.
“While the Army has directed an independent review of Fort Hood, Congressional oversight is necessary to determine whether base leadership — by omission or commission — has allowed or enabled a culture to exist that undermines the values and traditions of the U.S. Army,” the committee chairs wrote.
Between 2014 and 2019, an average of 129 felonies were committed annually at Fort Hood, including murder, kidnapping and sexual assault, according to the letter. McCarthy acknowledged during a press briefing in August that the base had “the most cases for sexual assault and harassment and murders for our entire formation of the U.S. Army.”
The Army has until Oct. 1 to turn over requested information to Congress.
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at www.texastribune.org/2020/09/08/fort-hood-congress-investigate/. The Texas Tribune is proud to celebrate 10 years of exceptional journalism for an exceptional state.
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