The body of missing soldier Sgt. Elder Fernandes is believed to have been found about 30 miles from the Fort Hood Army base in Texas where he was stationed, CBS News reported on Wednesday.
Fernandes was the third soldier from Fort Hood to go missing in the past year, with the two others having been found dead this summer.
He was reported missing on Aug. 19 after he was last seen two days earlier when officials said a superior dropped him off at his house. Fernandes had transferred units after reporting sexual abuse, an Army official said in a statement, according to Fort Hood.
Army police told family members that the body was found hanging in a tree, according to Natalie Khawam, an attorney representing the Fernandes family. CBS reported Fernandes' backpack was with him, and police found his driver's license inside, Khawam said.
The lawyer is urging Congress to conduct a probe of Fort Hood due to the disappearances of the soldiers over the past year, according to USA Today.
Khawam said in a statement to The Boston Globe that "We will not stop until we find out what happened to Elder. We must demand a Congressional Investigation of Ft. Hood. We must protect our soldiers!"
Spc. Vanessa Guillen went missing from Fort Hood in April, and her body was found in July, USA Today reported. Another soldier, Aaron David Robinson, suspected in her disappearance, killed himself.
Pfc. Gregory Morales was reported missing from the base Aug. 20, 2019. His remains were found June 21 in a field near Fort Hood. Foul play is suspected in his death, which remains under investigation.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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