Remains of missing soldier Vanessa Guillén likely found, family says, as suspect kills himself

The family of missing Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillén said Wednesday that her remains were likely found in a shallow grave near the Army installation in Texas, possibly bringing a months-long search for her to a tragic end.

Guillén, 20, was last seen on the morning of April 22 in the parking lot outside her regiment headquarters on the sprawling base outside Killeen.

Her disappearance, punctuated by allegations that she had been sexually harassed by a superior, sparked sadness and rage within her family and the Latino community, who said the Army’s investigative efforts after her disappearance moved too slowly.

“We lost a beautiful young soldier,” family attorney Natalie Khawam said at a news conference with Guillén’s family outside the Navy Memorial in Washington.

Killeen police encountered a suspect tied to Guillén’s disappearance early Wednesday. The fellow soldier “reportedly displayed a weapon and took his own life,” Army investigators said.

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Author: Dian Welle