Unidentified remains found in same area as body of Fort Hood soldier

AUSTIN, Texas — Investigators are working to determine whether unidentified remains discovered near a field in Killeen, where a Fort Hood soldier was found dead earlier this month, are human.

Participants in a vigil for Pvt. Gregory Morales on Saturday found the remains in the same area where his body was spotted, according to Killeen police on Tuesday.

The remains as of Tuesday had not been linked to another missing Fort Hood soldier, Pfc. Vanessa Guillen.

Morales and Guillen, who were each stationed at Fort Hood before they disappeared, are both suspected to be the victims of foul play, according to authorities. Morales was last seen alive in August 2019, and Guillen was last heard from two months ago.

Investigators, however, have said they so far do not believe the two cases are connected.

Guillen, 20, was last seen in the middle of a workday on April 22 in the parking lot of the Regimental Engineer Squadron Headquarters at Fort Hood.

The soldier’s identification card, wallet and the keys to her car and base apartment were later found in the armory room where she had been earlier in the day, Army officials have said.

Guillen’s family, who are from Houston, have blamed the soldier’s supervisors for her disappearance, saying she was being sexually harassed by at least one of them.

Authorities on June 19 found human remains in a field outside of Fort Hood. However, investigators determined that those remains belonged to Morales.

Morales, 24, an Oklahoma native who joined the Army in June 2015 as a motor transport operator, had been assigned to the 1st Sustainment Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division since November 2016, Army officials said.

He was last heard from on Aug. 20, 2019. Morales, who also used the last name Wedel before his marriage, was scheduled to be discharged from the U.S. Army within a couple of days of his disappearance, Fort Hood officials said.