Three Soldiers Found Dead Near Fort Hood in 1 Month

A soldier was found dead outside of Ford Hood in Texas on Wednesday, marking the third time a soldier’s remains were discovered near the A...

A soldier was found dead outside of Ford Hood in Texas on Wednesday, marking the third time a soldier’s remains were discovered near the Army base in a month, according to officials.

Pvt. Mejhor Morta, 26, was found dead on Friday outside the base in the vicinity of Stillhouse Hollow Lake, a reservoir that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates, according to a Fort Hood news release.

Officials haven’t suggested that foul play was involved and the Bell County Sheriff’s Department is currently investigating the incident, the news release said.

“The Black Knight family is truly heartbroken by the tragic loss of Private Mejhor Morta,” Lt. Col. Neil Armstrong said in the release.

“Private Morta was a great Trooper and this loss is felt by every member within our formation.”

Morta entered the Army in Sept. 2019, working as a vehicle mechanic.

His commendations include the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.

Morta’s death comes after the bodies of two fellow soldiers, Gregory Morales and Vanessa Guillen, both stationed at Fort Hood, were found near the base in the past 30 days.

Morales went missing in Sept. 2019 and was formally listed as AWOL. His remains were found and identified using dental records on June 19 in a field in Killeen, Texas.

The Killeen Police Department is investigating foul play and offered a $25,000 reward to anyone with credible information about Morales’ death, according to a Fort Hood news release.

Vanessa Guillen went missing in April, and her dismembered body was discovered and positively identified using DNA samples near the Leon River in Bell County, Texas, on June 30.

Guillen had allegedly been sexually harassed, and officials currently suspect that a fellow Fort Hood soldier was involved in her death.

Her death sparked national outrage and has led to calls for a formal congressional investigation into the incident.