10 Intriguing Facts About Fort Hood Murders


 

Located in the US state of Texas, Fort Hood which is currently known as Fort Cavazos is an Army post located near Killeen. It was named after General Richard E. Cavazos, the post is the headquarters of III Armored Corps and First Army Division West. There are more than 34,500 soldiers who live in Fort Hood.

This is supposed to be a secure location, but Fort Hood has not been spared from various tragedies. There have been numerous homicides, deaths, and suicide incidents in Fort Hood with some being unexplainable. The most tragic of all is the murder of 20-year-old soldier Vanessa Guillen in 2020 which prompted more investigations.

However, the review and investigations of the murder of Vanessa Guillen did not go as planned. In 2009, there was another gruesome murder that sent chilling waves. An army psychiatrist murdered thirteen people including an unborn child and also injured 32 others in a shooting rampage.

Another veteran also got involved in the murder of three people, injured 16 others, and then took his life. Special investigations crews have been formed to investigate all these incidents without getting results due to various reasons. Here are the 10 Intriguing Facts About Fort Hood Murders:

1. Iraq Vet Joined the Army and suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury During Deployment

Ivan Lopez, an Iraq veteran enlisted in the Army in April 2010 as an infantry soldier. After getting into the army, he became a truck driver in Iraq in 2011 for four months. Ivan got involved in a shocking shooting incident that killed three people and injured several.

As the Army Secretary was investigating the case of Ivan Lopez, several details were revealed about him. It was found out that he was not involved in any specific traumatic events in Iraq, had no wounds received in action, and had no contact with the enemy or anything else specific. However, it was found out that Lopez had reported that he suffered a traumatic brain injury during his deployment in Iraq.

2. Lopez was Undergoing Mental Health Related Issues and Treatment

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Investigations revealed a major concern about the well-being of the Iraq veteran. It was revealed that Lopez was undergoing treatment for several mental health issues. He had conditions including depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances.

Ivan Lopez was on prescribed medication including Ambien which aided in giving him sleep. Medics were looking into the possibility that he had had post-traumatic stress disorder.

鈥淲e have very strong evidence that he had a medical history that indicates an unstable psychiatric or psychological condition. (We鈥檙e) going through all records to ensure that is, in fact, correct. But we believe that to be the fundamental underlying causal factor,鈥 Lt. Gen. Mark Milley told reporters.

3. Ivan Lopez Shot & Killed Three People, Injured 16 and Took His Life

Before committing the murders in 2014, Ivan Lopez purchased a .45 caliber Smith & Wesson semiautomatic pistol. He had passed all background checks required when purchasing a gun at Guns Galore near Killeen, Texas. On that unfortunate day, it is believed that he had a heated argument with one of the soldiers.

Using the firearm he had purchased, Lopez shot at three soldiers and killed them on the scene. He then wounded 16 more people during the incident. However, he did not spare himself as he took his life leaving investigators piecing together what might have been his motive.

4. Army Psychiatrist Shot & Killed 13 People and an Unborn Child

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On 5th November 2009, the residents of Fort Hood were shocked by the turn of events there. It started as a normal day not until the worst thing happened. 39-year-old Army psychiatrist, Major Nidal Malik Hasan went on a rampant shooting spree at Fort Hood.

He shot and killed thirteen people and an unborn child. The major also injured thirty-two more people during his shooting rampage. His case ran on with a jury panel recommending for Hassan to be sentenced to death.

5. Vanessa Guillen went Missing for Two Months

20-year-old US Army soldier Vanessa Guillen was stationed at Ford Hood. She was a well-known figure among her ranks before the tragic thing happened to her. At around 1:00 p.m. on 22nd April 2020, Vanessa was last seen in the parking lot of her unit.

Her unit was at the Regimental Engineer Squadron Headquarters of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment. She went missing for two months after she was last seen. It鈥檚 only her car keys, bank card, barracks key, and identification card were found in the armory she used to work in. Her family felt that her disappearance was under suspicious circumstances.

6. Multiple Fort Hood Units Helped in Searching for Vanessa

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During this period when Vanessa Guillen was missing, several jurisdictions became concerned. Multiple units at Fort Hood joined arms and started searching for Vanessa. Investigations were carried out under the jurisdictions of the US Army Criminal Investigation Command and the FBI.

Local law enforcement agencies from Bell County, Killeen, and Belton also helped in this joint mission. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; the United States Marshals Service; and the Texas Ranger Division were also in support of this search mission. The 3CR also helped in the search within the two weeks that she had disappeared.

7. Guillen had Complained about Sexual Harassment by an Unnamed Sergeant

Vanessa Guillen might have undergone several uncertain things before she went missing. She had earlier reported to her family that she was being sexually assaulted by an unnamed Sergeant at Fort Hood. However, her complaints were never heard by anyone.

She had also revealed that other female soldiers had made such allegations against the sergeant but they were dismissed. Vanessa was advised to report the sergeant, but she was not ready because she wanted to solve it on her own.

8. Contractors Found Remains of a Human Buried along a River

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Army investigators were contacted on 30th June 2020, when contractors in Belton found some partial human remains along the Leon River. On June 20th, a burning mound was discovered nearby, prompting Texas Rangers, detectives, and cadaver dogs to explore the area.

Investigators proposed the hypothesis that wildlife had excavated the remains, which had previously been covered beneath concrete. It was the most advanced burial site that Tim Miller, Director of Texas EquuSearch, had ever seen.

9. A Specialist-ranked Soldier Murdered Himself after the Remains were Found

Over this period, there were several interrogations done to some of the soldiers. Cecily Anne Aguilar was among those who had seen Vanessa Guillen before she went missing. She was the girlfriend of specialist-ranked enlisted soldier Aaron David Robinson.

During the re-interviewing of Anne, she revealed that Aaron had confessed to having murdered Vanessa. On the 30th of June evening, David was detained for breaking Covid-19 quarantine protocols, but he managed to escape custody. However, he did not go on for long. On 1st July in the early hours, police had cornered David but he used a handgun that he had to take his life.

10. Vanessa was Murdered due to Fear of Violating the Army鈥檚 Fraternization Standards

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

It was found out that Anne had helped Robinson to dispose of the remains of Vanessa. The motive behind her murder was that Robinson was afraid of violating the Army鈥檚 fraternization standards. He was married to Cecily Anne Aguilar and was still in love with Vanessa.

On that fateful day, Vanessa had seen the picture of Anne on her mobile lock screen of Robinson. He took a hammer and hit Vanessa on her head before dismembering and disposing of the body.

 

There have been more murders at Fort Hood which have never been revealed to the public for a very long time. However, the army personnel are working hard to ensure that these cases are managed.

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