Serviceman linked to disappearance of Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillén shoots himself dead and the estranged wife of another soldier is taken into custody, as Guillen’s family claims cover-up
Serviceman linked to disappearance of Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen shoots himself dead as cops from Killeen PD tried to contact him
Second suspect, the wife of another former soldier is taken into custody, in the death of Private Vanessa Guillén at Fort Hood, Texas
Family of Vanessa Guillén said they believe remains found Tuesday are hers while claiming there has been a cover up by authorities at Fort Hood
The family held press conference in DC Wednesday morning, demanding a congressional investigation into the 20-year-old soldier’s disappearance
Pfc Vanessa Guillén, 20, was last seen on base April 22, searchers found remains Tuesday believed to be hers
Medical examiner has yet to confirm if remains found Tuesday belong to Guillén, but Guillen family said they believe the soldier who killed himself Wednesday morning is the same man who sexually harassed Guillen before she vanished
Killeen police said when they tried to make contact with suspect in the 4700 block of East Rancier Avenue around 1.29am Wednesday morning the serviceman ‘displayed weapon and discharged it’
He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene and police have not released identity of the suspect
US Army Criminal Investigation Command said a female suspect is in custody – a civilian who is the estranged wife of a former Fort Hood based soldier
The remains found on Tuesday were discovered near the area where the skeletal remains of Pvt Gregory Scott Morales, 24, were found on June 19
Lupe Guillén [center], leads the emotional press conference in Washington DC, Wednesday where along with other family members she stated their belief that her sister, Pfc Vanessa Guillén who’s been missing from Fort Hood for two months is dead. The killer they said man is the same man who shot himself when police tried to contact him
Guillén family lawyer Natalie Kahwam is now seeking congressional oversight of the military’s investigation into the disappearance of Vanessa Guillén in April and the subsequent finding of remains that the family believe belong to her, two months later.
During an emotional press conference in Washington, DC, on Wednesday morning, the family stated their belief that Private First Class Vanessa Guillén who has been missing from her base Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas is dead and that the killer her is the servicemn who killed himself when police tried to make contact with him early Wednesday morning.
Although the medical examiner has yet to confirm if the remains found on Tuesday belong to Guillén, her family said Wednesday that they believe they belong to her.
‘It’s not confirmed yet whether it’s my sister or not but everything points to it,’ Guillen’s sister, Mayra, told reporters in DC.The US Army Criminal Investigation Command said that another suspect is in custody. That individual is a civilian and the estranged wife of a former Fort Hood soldier.
Authorities have not said what the nature of the relationship was between the serviceman who committed suicide Wednesday and the woman in custody.
The surviving Guillén’s sisters and their attorney all said that the second suspect tied to Pfc Guillén’s apparent death is the man who killed himself early Wednesday morning as police tried to make contact with him.
Mayra Guillén, Vanessa’s older sister said her sibling’s sudden disappearance makes no sense, adding that she actually met the man who her sister accused of sexual harassment and walking in on her while she was showering before she disappeared.
‘It’s not confirmed yet whether it’s my sister or not but everything points to it,’ Mayra Guillén [photo, right], told reporters in DC. on Wednesday. Mayra also said she met the suspect who killed himself when she went to the Fort Hood base
Guillén n family attorney Natalie Kahwam [center], said at the start of the press conference,’We have a dead person because of sexual harassment’. She then demanded a congressional investigation into Guillen’s case
‘When I first when up to that base that subject I met him not knowing that he had something to do with it. I felt something was telling me that he did something. He still had the nerve that same day to laugh in my face and apparently now he kills himself why I don’t know,’ Mayra said.
According to a statement from the Killeen Police Department, authorities located the now deceased suspect in the 4700 block of East Rancier Avenue around 1.29am Wednesday morning.
‘As officers attempted to make contact with the suspect, the suspect displayed a weapon and discharged it towards himself,’ police said in the statement.
Authorities said the suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene.
The identity of the suspect has not been released and no other information about the man was revealed.
According to the US Army Criminal Investigation Command, the soldier ‘fled the post late yesterday’.
‘The name of the soldier will not be released at this time pending the notification of next of kin,’ the command confirmed.
The family says Pfc Vanessa Guillén [L-R] had accused an unnamed sergeant of sexually harassing her. She mentioned that she felt unsafe before she disappeared
According to a statement from the Killeen Police Department, authorities located the suspect in the area around the 4700 block of East Rancier Ave. [photo], at about 1.29am Wednesday morning
The civilian suspect was arrested by Texas Rangers. She is currently being held at the Bell County Jail awaiting charges by civilian authorities.
‘We have made significant progress in this tragic situation and are doing everything possible to get to the truth and bring answers to the family of Pfc. Vanessa Guillen,’ said Chris Grey, the spokesman for Army CID.
‘We stand here for justice. We stand here for Vanessa,’ Kahwam said during the press conference as she slammed the Fort Hood base for the way Guillen’s case has been handled.
‘We stand here for every service member who suffered harassment and didn’t feel safe reporting it.’
Kahwam also demanded legislation that would protect women.
‘If she could get killed, anyone could get killed. This could happen to our mothers, sisters, daughters. We want a bill in her name.’
Vanessa Guillén [photo], was last seen at the Fort Hood Army Base in Killeen, Texas, on April 22 wearing a black t-shirt, light purple leggings and black Nike sneakers
Lupe Guillén has accused brass at Fort Hood of covering up the case and lying to their family since her older sister Vanessa [L-R], disappeared from the base two months ago
According to her family Vanessa Guillén had accused an unnamed sergeant of sexually harassing her and claimed she felt unsafe before she disappeared.
Khawam said Guillén once claimed that a superior walked in on her showering and another verbally assaulted her with vulgar remarks in Spanish.
Last week the Fort Hood Army base launched an investigation into Guillén’s allegations that a sergeant sexually harassed her.
Guillén’s younger sister, Lupe, accused Fort Hood officials of covering up the case and lying to their family since the soldier disappeared.
‘They lied to our faces every single day,’ Lupe said. ‘How can this happen on a military base while she was on duty?’
‘They take it as a joke! My sister’s no joke; my sister’s a human being and I want justice and I want answers because my sister did not do this to herself.
‘If this could happen to my sister, it could happen to other service women and men.’
Pfc Vanessa Guillén was last seen at the Fort Hood Army Base in Killeen, Texas, on April 22 wearing a black t-shirt, light purple leggings and black Nike sneakers.
The body of Private Gregory Scott Morales, 24, of Oklahoma, was found on June 19 in a field near the 3200 block of Florence Road near Killeen, Texas after officials at the nearby Fort Hood base received a tip.
The dead soldiers – Morales and Guillén who disappeared only for their remain to be found in the same area months later – both were stationed at the Fort Hood Army Base [photo], in Killeen, Texas
Foul play is also suspected in Wedel-Morales’ death, and the Army is offering a $25,000 reward for information.
The Army, League of United Latin American Citizens and Houston rapper Baby Bash have posted a $55,000 reward for information on Guillen’s disappearance.
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