The body of Pvt. Mejhor Morta was found on July 17, authorities said.
An investigation is ongoing into the death of a 26-year-old unresponsive Fort Hood soldier in a warehouse of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, government and local officials said.
Pvt. Mejhor Morta was found on July 17 after a fisherman called 911 to report that he saw what he believed to be a body at the base of a dam, according to a statement from the Bell County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating.
Morta was not present on the morning of July 16, prompting a search of the unit’s area, the Fort Hood public affairs office said in a statement. Her unit also contacted friends and family in their search efforts before Morta was finally found dead a few hours later, shortly after midnight on July 17, authorities said.
He was not classified as AWOL at the time of his death, the office said.
Although the investigation is ongoing, preliminary autopsy results show that the cause of death is consistent with drowning, authorities said.
“The Black Knight family is truly heartbroken over the tragic loss of Private Mejhor Morta. I would like to extend my sincere condolences to his family, friends and loved ones,” Lt. Col. Neil Armstrong said in a statement. “My thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time. Private Morta was a great soldier and every member of our formation feels this loss.”
Morta, whose home of record was in Pensacola, Florida, entered the Army in September 2019 as a mechanic for the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Since May 2020, she had been assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.
Morta’s death marks the third for the base in a month.
On June 19, skeletal remains were found near Fort Hood based on an anonymous complaint and later identified as Pvt. Gregory Wedel-Morales, who had last been seen on August 19.
On July 1, human remains were discovered near Fort Hood and were later identified as Vanessa Guillén, a 20-year-old missing soldier. One suspect in the case, 20-year-old Army specialist Aaron Robinson, died of suicide when officials transferred him. Another suspect, Cecily Aguilar, 22, Robinson’s girlfriend, is accused of helping him get rid of Guillén’s body. She was charged with one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence.
Aguilar is detained in jail without bail. She pleaded not guilty.
ABC News’s Christina Carrega, Meredith Deliso, Luis Martínez, Stephanie Ramos and Alondra Valle contributed to this report.
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