Sgt. Elder Fernandes, 23, a Fort Hood soldier who had been missing for five days, was recently transferred to another unit because he was the victim of “abused sexual contact,” U.S. Army officials said Saturday.
“We can confirm that there is an open investigation into sexual contact abuse involving so-called Fernandes,” said lt. Col. Chris Brautigam, a spokesman for the 1st Cavalry Division, in a statement to NBC News.
“The sexual assault response coordinator worked closely with so-called Fernandes, making sure he was aware of all of his reporting, care, and victimization options,” he said.
Brautigam said Fernandes was transferred “to ensure he received the proper care and to ensure there were no opportunities for reprisals.”
Army officials asked Friday for the public’s help in their search for Fernandes.
Police in Killeen, Texas, who are involved in the search, said he was reported missing Wednesday. Family members told police he was last seen or heard from Monday afternoon when his staff sergeant attacked him at his home in Killeen.
The soldier, whose family is originally from Cape Verde in West Africa, had been in hospital for four or five days before his disappearance, said his mother, Ailiana Fernandes. She said it was unclear why he was in the hospital.
Ailiana, who lives in Massachusetts, traveled to Fort Hood to find out about her son’s whereabouts.
Fernandes is a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear specialist with the 1st Cavalry Division Sustained Brigade at the installation of the Central Texas Army. He was last seen wearing black army training shorts, a T-shirt and red athletic shoes, according to police Killeen.
Fort Hood has been in the spotlight because of other missing soldiers, most notably Spc. Vanessa Guillén, 20, whose remains were found after widespread national attention.
Army officials found Guillén’s remains on July 1 at the Leon River in Bell County, about 20 miles east of Fort Hood, more than two months after she was reported missing.
Federal and state authorities said Spc. Aaron Robinson, 20, killed and dismantled Guillén and had left the remains in nearby woods. Robinson, a colleague of Fort Hood, died by suicide July 1 after the remains of Guillén were found, officials said.
Cecily Aguilar, 22, of Killeen, is accused of helping Robinson remove Guillén’s body. She is accused of three federal conspiracy counts related to Guillén’s death. Aguilar, who pleaded not guilty, is due in court Sept. 28.
The army also opened a separate investigation in search of allegations that Guillén was sexually harassed by a supervisor. Natalie Khawam, a lawyer for the Guillén family, said Guillén had reported her harassment to her family and colleagues at Fort Hood.
After reports of sexual harassment surfaced, many service members used the hashtag #IAmVanessaGuillen to share their experiences of sexual harassment and harassment on social media. Sexual assault in the U.S. military has increased over the past two years, according to a Department of Defense report.
Fernandes’ disappearance comes one year after another Fort Hood soldier, Pfc. Gregory Wedel-Morales, 24, was reported on August 20, 2019.
Wedel-Morales ‘remains were found on June 21 in a field in Killeen, just over 10 miles from Stillhouse Hollow Lake, a reservoir managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Fort Worth District. Killeen police are investigating his death.
Pvt. Mejhor Morta, 26, was found irresponsible on July 17 near Stillhouse Hollow Lake, according to Fort Hood officials.
Earlier this month, Fort Hood officials recovered Spc’s body. Francisco Gilberto Hernandez-Vargas, 24, after an August 2 incident on the lake.
Army leaders have delayed the planned transfer of Major General Scott Efflandt, the commander of Fort Hood, to a more prestigious mission in Fort Bliss, Texas, while a team of independent investigators determined if leadership failure contributed to the deaths and disappearance. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy has commented that Fort Hood has one of the highest rates of homicide, sexual assault and harassment in the military.
