“The sizable military installation has long come under fire over allegations of coverups and abuse“
The report also pointed to a lack of experience and high turnover within the ranks of the Criminal Investigation Department, leading to problems with launching sufficient investigations.
As it stands, there are more than 1,000 deserters wanted by the U.S. Army and it remains unclear explicitly what is being done to determine their fates. Ten months before Guillen disappeared, Pvt. Gregory Morales also vanished from Fort Hood. His body was unintentionally recovered a few miles from the base in June, during the search for Guillen. He had been listed as AWOL in August 2019 and later as a deserter.
However, for his mother, Kim Wedel, her life in Oklahoma halted as she pleaded for assistance and answers from Fort Hood’s Army Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
“If any other business had this many glaring problems, leadership would be gone. Why did it take an investigation to see that the CID was understaffed and overwhelmed? There was a lack of response from CID, and they certainly didn’t know what to do with me as a mom calling all the time,” Wedel told Fox News.
The Killeen Police Department is heading the investigation into Morales’ death, in which foul play is suspected, according to local reports.
“The Army didn’t care enough to see there was a problem,” Wedel asserted. “I still haven’t really heard from anyone down there. My son will never be at the forefront, and it is shocking how many parents like us are out there. People don’t just disappear because they choose to.”
However, many soldiers and families connected to Fort Hood told Fox News that the personnel changes were merely cosmetic, and they feared “business as usual” when the spotlight faded.
Jennifer Norris, an Air Force veteran and military crime analyst who has focused on Fort Hood issues since 2016, said in order to look forward, one also must look back.
“The deaths ruled a suicide – they need to be investigated. Why did they take their lives? Were those deaths properly investigated? Was it really a suicide, or was it a murder? Everything needs to be questioned,” she added. “We can’t just pretend the last 20 years didn’t happen.”
*Submitted to the House Armed Services Committee on September 11, 2020 and received no response
Dear House Armed Services Committee:
I accidentally stumbled upon Fort Hood while conducting research on the non combat deaths of female service members overseas. Fort Hood, along with a few other big Army bases in the U.S., was the common denominator in non combat death overseas. I also learned there are countless numbers of non combat deaths of male service members as well. They shouldn’t have to face death as a way to escape their situation (whether they are a victim of crime and/or it’s a mental health emergency). This issue in and of itself is its own animal and the reason we need policy enacted immediately to create a “bug out” plan for those in danger (or mental health emergencies) in overseas locations, especially if the chain of command fails them. There is no 911 overseas. Why is it the military is not accountable to the American public with the outcome of the investigations of a U.S. service member’s death? They conveniently get to hide behind the non combat death label and because they don’t disclose why or how the service member died in most cases, we are not able to make informed consent as to whether we want to join an organization that appears to hide their misdeeds in an effort to protect the reputation of the institution. I was inspired to look into the other non combat deaths of women overseas after learning the military labeled the obvious rape and murder of LaVena Johnson as a suicide. My research found this isn’t an anomaly, this is a pattern.
After noticing the pattern of the same bases tied to the non combat deaths overseas, I decided to start researching crime in and around the bases in question. Crime knows no boundaries. I took a look at JBLM, Fort Bragg, Fort Hood, Fort Carson, Fort Campbell, JBER, Fort Wainwright, Camp Pendleton, etc. I not only discovered violent crime in and around the bases but I discovered suicide and homicide in garrison were significant issues as well. In late 2016, I noticed a large cluster of deaths at Fort Hood on the heels of learning about all the other violent crime, non combat death and suicide at Fort Hood since 9/11/2001. I was especially upset with the way Fort Hood handled the missing person case of Dakota Stump and how they treated his family. As a result of me taking an interest in the issues at Fort Hood, families of the fallen started contacting me. What I learned collectively was startling. Please keep in mind, each family didn’t know about my conversations with the other families as all this information is considered confidential unless they want to tell their loved ones story on my website: www.militaryjusticeforall.com
As a result of the intel I was getting from families of the fallen at Fort Hood, I decided I was going to start paying closer attention to what was going on at this base. It was by far the most problematic compared to any other base. But please understand Fort Hood is symbolic of the other bases; they all have these same problems. The Army is by far the worst offender concerning death and violent crime in the military. The patterns that emerged from the Fort Hood families included lack of interest in missing persons cases, mislabeling deaths, shoddy death investigations, reports and information from Army leadership that didn’t add up or make sense, evidence goes missing, computer devices and phones are erased, secretiveness, dismissiveness, misleading, and cover-up. When it comes to an untimely or dubious death, it’s hard to find a family who won’t stop fighting for their loved one until justice is served. No justice, no peace. We currently have a group of families at Fort Hood and elsewhere who want to file a class action lawsuit to get the suspicious deaths of their loved ones reopened so they can be investigated properly by independent investigators. The Army did not investigate each death as a homicide until ruled out, therefore the scene was not preserved for evidence collection; they quickly ruled the death a suicide and moved on. According to Stars and Stripes, in the last five years, we’ve lost 165 soldiers at Fort Hood and 70 of those deaths were deaths ruled suicide. I have not included all cases because a lot of families have not come forward to share their story publicly because they are heartbroken, traumatized, confused, and overwhelmed. This experience leaves the families feeling helpless. Even if the death was in fact a suicide, these families want answers, they want the truth, and they want an avenue to find the truth. I was so concerned with the number of deaths stateside at Fort Hood, I went to Washington D.C. in December 2017 to ask for help and it fell on deaf ears including the office of the chair of the House Armed Services Committee, Mac Thornberry.
“In the last five years, 165 soldiers assigned to Fort Hood have died, according to the Fort Hood Public Affairs Office, which regularly released information on soldiers’ death until a 2018 decision to stop the practice. The post was an outlier in this level of transparency.
In those years, seven soldiers died by homicide, while six died in a combat zone. The deaths of 70 soldiers were ruled suicides, and on- and off-base accidents resulted in the deaths of 60 soldiers.”
“Air Force veteran Jennifer Norris believes Fort Hood’s current situation has been years in the making.
For the past decade, Norris, a trained social worker with a master’s degree in public policy, has been tracking crimes committed by and against service members and advocating for reform. She posts her research on her website, Military Justice for All.
She first focused her research on several large military bases, but after noticing a trend of Fort Hood deaths, Norris narrowed her efforts to the Texas post.
‘I didn’t set up to go after Fort Hood at all. It’s a compilation of systematic issues,’ she said.
At the end of 2017, Norris used her own money to travel from her home in Maine to Washington to meet with lawmakers. By the time she got home, Norris said she thought everyone had moved on without intending to address the problems.
‘The other bases are nothing like Fort Hood is right now,’ she said. ‘I think the anomaly with Fort Hood is that its isolated and that it’s such an economic powerhouse in the community that it’s in everybody’s best interest to protect it so they can protect themselves.’”
We want to personally thank you for not only honoring Spc. Mason Webber in your publication but for also acknowledging all of the Fort Hood Fallen since January 1, 2016. It means a lot to us and to the families that their loved ones have been recognized and that our fellow Americans care about all the men and women who have lost their lives while stationed at Fort Hood. We appreciate you.
September 2016
9/10: Stacy Hardy, 20, U.S. Army (died of injuries sustained after a high-speed motorcycle crash while fleeing from the the Killeen Police Department)
9/13: Andrew Hunt, 23, U.S. Army (officer found dead at on post residence, cod unknown)
9/17: Nathan Berg, 20, U.S. Army (died of gunshot wound off post)
August 2017
8/2: Zachary Moore, 23, U.S. Army (death ruled suicide in S. Korea, an investigation revealed the Army was not able to get qualified medical help in a timely fashion)
September 2017
9/12: Sean Devoy, 28, U.S. Army (died in fall during helicopter hoist training at Fort Hood)
February 2019
2/5: Scott Weinhold, 25, U.S. Army veteran (died in an apparent boating accident at BLORA)
2/6: Caden Shunk, 21, U.S. Army (died in motorcycle crash trying to elude Killeen PD)
2/15: Cassandra Perez, 19, U.S. Army (struck & killed while standing outside her stalled vehicle in Edinburg, Texas, alleged drunk driver Edward Magallan officially charged w/ manslaughter)
2/23: James Hawley, U.S. Army (passed away according to Fort Hood Fallen, official date & cause of death unknown)
March 2019
3/12: Max Whitwell, 23, U.S. Army (found unresponsive & pronounced dead at Darnall Army Medical Center)
3/29: Erica Atkinson, 35, U.S. Army (found dead in parking lot on post, official cause of death unknown)
3/31: Nathan Ellard, 20, U.S. Army (both drivers died in a head-on vehicle crash in Hearne, Texas after Ellard crossed the center line)
May 2019
5/1: Benjamin Hunt, 35, US Army (passed away, official location & cause of death unknown)
5/11: Tyler Groves, 21, U.S. Army (died in a single vehicle accident near Nolan Creek in Nolanville)
5/18: Ryan Brandon, 24, U.S. Army (died after motorcycle collided into the rear of a parked pickup truck in Harker Heights)
June 2019
6/25: James Johnston, 24, U.S. Army (died of wounds sustained from small arms fire while engaged in combat operations, Afghanistan)
April 2020
4/22: Vanessa Guillen, 20, U.S. Army (homicide, murdered at work on post by co-worker, motive: she had knowledge that now deceased Aaron Robinson was having an affair with a married woman Cecily Aguilar, he killed her to silence her and protect his career)
1LT Katie Blanchard, Fort Leavenworth, U.S. Army (2016)
On Tuesday, the man responsible for setting a U.S. Army lieutenant on fire last year was found guilty in federal court.The scars on Army Lt. Katie Blanchards face, neck, and hands are still visible. -41 Action News (August 8, 2017)
Spc. Kamisha Block, Fort Hood, Iraq, U.S. Army (2007)
The family learned Kamisha Block was shot and killed while serving in Iraq. The Department of Defense told the Block family Kamisha was shot in the chest by friendly fire. -12 News Now (February 12, 2019)
AEAN Brandon Caserta, Naval Station Norfolk, U.S. Navy (2018)
As Teri Caserta entered her son’s bedroom in their Peoria home, she broke down. It’s an emotion that Teri and her husband Patrick Caserta will always carry with them. Their son Brandon was in the United States Navy from 2015 to 2018. However, at just 21, Brandon would take his own life. -ABC15 Arizona (June 14, 2019)
Major Christian Martin, Fort Campbell, U.S. Army Veteran (2019)
Attorney General Andy Beshear on American Airlines pilot arrested in Louisville for 2015 triple murder in Christian County. -WLKY News Louisville (May 11, 2019)
From my heart to yours. One of the most difficult situations I have ever faced in my life. Please share this video with everyone and anyone you can. -Devin Schuette (February 16, 2015)
LCpl Riley Schultz, Camp Pendleton, U.S. Marine Corps (2019)
The Marine from Colorado found dead at a Southern California base earlier this month died by suicide, according to 1st Lt. Cameron Edinburgh, a Marine Corps spokesperson. -FOX31 Denver (March 27, 2019)
Col. Michael Stahlman, Twentynine Palms, Iraq, U.S. Marine Corps (2008)
A Marine colonel is found shot in his bunk. Authorities say it was a suicide, his wife says it was murder — and she is determined to prove it. -48 Hours (March 28, 2019)
Is the Army botching its investigations into noncombatant deaths?
I. The Gun Tower
“On the morning of May 11, 2008, a U.S. Army private second class named Matthew Warren Brown died of a single gunshot wound to the head while manning a watchtower at a forward operating base in Afghanistan. Brown was 20 years old. He was a skinny, all-American kid, a bit aimless but affable and unassuming. He was a good guy. You could see it in his face. At his funeral back home in Pennsylvania, some 200 people showed up. In the aftermath of Brown’s death, army investigators created files about the circumstances. The bullet that killed him was fired from his own weapon, an M4 carbine. He was working the six A.M. shift, alone in the watchtower by the fortified main gate to the base. The tower was known as the Gun Tower. It was made of concrete, and looked medieval when viewed from the outside. It was three stories tall. On the second and third floors it had openings covered with two-piece Plexiglas windows, some of which had broken off and been left lying in shards on the floors.” Read more from Vanity Fairhere.
1. Army SSG Devin Schuette Found Dead in Vehicle at Recreation Area Near Fort Hood; CID Ruled Suicide, Spouse Requests Independent Investigation (January 3, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5pY
2. Fort Hood Army Major Troy Wayman Found Dead at Nolanville, Texas Residence; Death Ruled Suicide by Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound (January 16, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-6Nv
3. Fort Hood Army Sgt. Sean Van Der Wal Died in a Traffic Crash on I-35 in Texas; Driver Spc. Timothy Corder Found Guilty of Felony, Received Probation (March 6, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5qp
4. Fort Hood Army Soldier Staff Sgt. Brian Reed Found Dead of Gunshot Wound at Off-Post Residence in Copperas Cove, Texas (March 14, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5tp
5. Fort Hood Army Soldier SSG Steven Lewis Died of Self Inflicted Wound at Off-Post Residence in Killeen, Texas (March 22, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5qg
6. Fort Hood Army Soldier Sgt. John Stobbe Found Dead at Off-Post Residence in Killeen, Texas (May 1, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5qE
7. Fort Hood Army Staff Sergeant Ellsworth Allen Raup III Died After Motorcycle Crashed Into the Back of a Van on U.S. 190 in Killeen, Texas (May 9, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-8Pn
8. Fort Hood Army Sgt. Marcus Nelson Sr. Died While in Custody at Bell County Jail in Belton, Texas; Nelson Held on Charges Stemming from 1st Cavalry Division (May 23, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-8Py
9. Army Spc. Christine Armstrong Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-7iH
10. Army Pfc. Brandon Banner Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-7iY
11. Army Staff Sgt. Miguel Colonvazquez Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-7j8
12. Army Pvt. Isaac Deleon Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-7jp
13. Army Pfc. Zachery Fuller Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-7jz
14. Army Pvt. Eddy Gates Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-7jJ
15. Army Pvt. Tysheena James Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-7jQ
16. Army Specialist Yingming Sun Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-7B3
17. West Point Cadet Mitchell Winey Died in a Flash Flood Training Accident at Fort Hood in Texas (June 2, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-7Bf
18. Army SFC Antino Glass Died in a Fatal Motorcycle Accident After Hitting Livestock on Fort Hood in Texas (June 5, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-8PZ
19. Army Spc. Bernardino Guevara, Jr. Found Dead from Gunshot Wound in Parking Lot Near the Sportsmen’s Center at Fort Hood, Texas (June 6, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-8PO
20. Fort Hood Army Sgt. Duane Shaw III Found Unresponsive in Off-Post Killeen, Texas Home; 12th Reported Fatality in One Month (June 8, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-8Qb
21. Fort Hood Army Sgt. Dougal Mitchell Died From Injuries Suffered in an Automobile Accident in Georgetown, Texas; Accident Claimed Two Lives (June 11, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-8Qt
22. Fort Hood Army Spc. Alexander Johnson Found Dead Near Belton Lake Outdoor Recreation Area Paintball Court in Texas (July 12, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5qJ
23. Fort Hood Army Spc. Logan Rainwater Died From Injuries Sustained in a Fatal Motorcycle Crash in Killeen, Texas; Other Driver Failed to Yield Right of Way (August 1, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-apo
24. Fort Hood Army Sgt. Calvin Aguilar Found Dead in Copperas Cove, Texas (August 4, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5qU
25. Army Spc. Dion Servant Found Dead in Barracks at Fort Hood, Texas (August 19, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5qO
26. Fort Hood Army Pfc. Stacy Hardy Died From Injuries Sustained After Motorcycle Crash at the Conclusion of a Pursuit with Killeen PD (September 10, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-apR
27. Army 2nd Lt. Andrew Hunt Found Unresponsive at Fort Hood, Texas Residence (September 13, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5rD
28. Fort Hood Army Pvt. Nathan Berg Died of a Gunshot Wound in Killeen, Texas (September 17, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5qY
29. Fort Hood Army Spc. Bradley Acker Found Dead at Off-Post Residence in Copperas Cove; CCPD Reported Cause of Death Self-Inflicted (October 7, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5ru
30. Fort Hood Army Soldier Douglas Bailey Found Dead at On Post Home; Official Cause of Death Unknown (October 15, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-aqe
31. Fort Hood Army Sgt. Douglas Riney Shot and Killed by a Suspected Taliban Infiltrator in Kabul, Afghanistan (October 19, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-aqp
32. Fort Hood Army Pvt. Dakota Stump Found Dead on Post Three Weeks After Vehicle Accident; Family Wants Missing ‘Warrior Alert’ Law (Nov 3, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5eU
34. Army Pfc. Tyler Iubelt Died of Injuries Sustained from Suicide Bomber at Post-Veterans Day Fun Run on Secure Base in Bagram, Afghanistan (Nov 12, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5eZ
35. Army Sgt. John Perry Died of Injuries Sustained from Suicide Bomber at Post-Veterans Day Fun Run on Secure Base in Bagram, Afghanistan (Nov 12, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5fa
36. Fort Hood Army Infantryman Pvt. Kevin Paulino Died of Gunshot Wound in Peru, Indiana; Civilian Police Confirm Suicide Cause of Death (Nov 16, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5eN
38. Pvt. Wanya Bruns Died by Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound Nine Months After Joining Army; One of Many in 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas (November 26, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-6Xl
39. Fort Hood Army SFC Allan Brown Died at Walter Reed of Injuries Sustained From an Improvised Explosive Device in Afghanistan on November 12th (December 6, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-aZe
40. Army Pvt. Paige Fontenot Briles Found Unresponsive in Vehicle at Fort Hood Housing in Texas; Despite Suicide Ruling, Family Requests Homicide Investigation (Dec 24, 2016): https://wp.me/p3XTUi-5kn
Pvt. Matthew Brown, U.S. Army (photo: Vanity Fair)
Army Pvt. Matthew W. Brown, 20, of Zelienople, Pennsylvania, died May 11, 2008 in Asadabad, Afghanistan from injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident. Pvt. Brown was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom on behalf of the 3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment, 18th Fires Brigade (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. At the time of the incident, the Department of Defense announced Pvt. Brown’s death was under investigation. On January 8, 2019, the family alleged Matthew was murdered in a Vanity Fair publication titled “Leave No Soldier Behind”: The Unsolved Mystery of the Soldier Who Died in the Watchtower.
We are not exactly sure when Army Pfc. LaVena Johnson’s CID Report was dumped on-line by the government but it appears to have shown up after the death of Vanessa Guillen. (Source: US Army CID)
Dr. John Johnson clarified in an interview on the Donny Walker Morning Show that wound statin was found on LaVena’s genitals. Listen to the full interview here.
Editors Note: Need to get up to speed quick with the unsolved case of Fort Campbell Army Pfc. Lavena Johnson, please check out Episode 40 on the Military Murder Podcast.
Army Pfc. LaVena Johnson, 19, died of non combat related injuries in Balad, Iraq on July 19, 2005. Pfc. Johnson was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom on behalf of the Army’s 129th Corps Support Battalion in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Unlike most, the Department of Defense did not announce that LaVena’s death was under investigation in their press release. The Army Criminal Investigation Division later determined that Pfc. Johnson’s cause of death was suicide by self inflicted gunshot wound. The Army tried telling the family that LaVena used her own M-16 to commit the suicide. The family immediately suspected foul play and ordered an independent autopsy for LaVena. LaVena was not depressed and showed no signs of suicidal ideation. As a matter of fact, she was happy and bubbly and looking forward to going home for Christmas. After the family saw LaVena’s body and obtained investigative documents from the Army, they quickly realized that LaVena did not die by suicide, she was raped and murdered.
According to the family, the Army never investigated LaVena’s death as a homicide nor did they do a rape kit test or autopsy. The family gleaned from the paperwork that Army investigators first considered LaVena’s death a homicide and recorded that in their paperwork, but within a short window of opportunity were suddenly ordered to cease their investigation and reclassify her death as a suicide. Ten years later, LaVena’s father, Dr. John Johnson, continues to fight for justice for his daughter. And, although he has had struggles getting media coverage, he has forged out on his own to speak the truth for LaVena. Dr. Johnson is featured in a documentary called The Silent Truth which presents the heartbreaking story of his daughter LaVena. Pfc. LaVena Johnson was betrayed by the very people she depended on for her life, and the military industrial complex who would rather silence the truth then harm their reputation.
Nineteen year-old Army PFC LaVena Johnson, was found dead on a military base in Balad, Iraq in 2005. The U.S. Army ruled Lavena’s death a suicide, but an autopsy report and photographs revealed Johnson had a broken nose, black eye, loose teeth, burns from a corrosive chemical on her genitals, and a gunshot wound that seemed inconsistent with suicide. LaVena’s father, John Johnson, shares his family’s fight to get answers from the military about his daughter’s death. -Protect Our Defenders (July 14, 2012)
Pfc. LaVena Johnson died in Iraq on July 19th, 2005 and her family needs your help. -Unsolved Mysteries (September 26, 2014)
Many have heard about the efforts for justice in the case of Army PFC LaVena Johnson. In 2005 after only 6 weeks of her deployment in Iraq, PFC LaVena Johnson was found dead. The Army says suicide, but after close evaluation and discovering a plethora of discrepancies in the Army’s report, LaVena’s father Dr. John H. Johnson began the fight for justice for his daughter. On this episode of The Rock Newman Show our special guest are LaVena’s father, Dr. John H. Johnson and attorney Donald V. Watkins. We warn our viewers that this episode of The Rock Newman Show goes into deep detail concerning the evidence and death of PFC LaVena Johnson. Dr. John H. Johnson and Donald V. Watkins contend that by no means is this case a suicide, and say they even know the name of the culprit. -The Rock Newman Show (February 11, 2016)
MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL 