Support for inquiry into US army soldier's death

Texas Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) said Friday that the U.S. Army supports a call for the Department of Defense's Inspector General to conduct a full and independent investigation into the murder of soldier Vanessa Guillén at Fort Hood.

At a news conference, Rep. Garcia and the LULAC leadership said that Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy was directing the review and that it will be conducted by an independent panel of congressional representatives selected in collaboration with League of United Latin American Citizens. The panel will examine claims and historical data of discrimination, harassment and assault

"I'm pleased to report that the Secretary is going to recommend to the Department of Defense to do this investigation, Garcia said. "It will be up to the Secretary (Mark Esper) to make that decision and to make sure that the Department of Defense does its job."

Secretary McCarthy confirmed the news in a post on Twitter.

An Army commander confirmed Monday that dismembered remains found last week buried near Fort Hood belonged to 20-year-old Guillén who vanished more than two months ago from the Texas base.

Guillén, who had been missing since April, was killed and dismembered by U.S. Army Specialist Aaron Robinson, a 20-year-old soldier from Calumet City, Illinois, took his own life last week, federal and military investigators have said.

Guillen's family has said Robinson, the soldier accused of killing her, sexually harassed Guillen at Fort Hood, but they have not given specifics of what they were told.

Guillen was assigned to work in an armoury room at Fort Hood on April 22, when she was last seen walking to a parking lot, according to the Army. On April 23, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Division learned of her disappearance and began investigating.

(Representative Image)