QUANTICO, Va. — A suspect in the disappearance of Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen killed himself early Wednesday morning in Killeen, Fort Hood confirmed in a press release. The release said the ex-wife of a former soldier was also arrested in connection to the case.
Killeen Police Chief Charles Kimble said as officers approached the suspect just after 1 a.m. he took out a gun and shot himself. The suspect was not named pending notification of his family.
Guillen was last seen April 22 on Fort Hood. Human remains were found Tuesday near the Leon River. The remains have not been officially identified but Guillen's attorney said in a press conference from Washington, D.C. she believed the remains were those of Vanessa.
Texas Rangers and the Army Criminal Investigation Division were still at the site of where the remains were found.
Fort Hood said Armed Forces Medical Examiner Services will assist with dental x-rays and DNA for identification by the Southwest Institute of Forensic Science in Dallas.
“We have made significant progress in this tragic situation and are doing everything possible to get to the truth and bring answers to the family of Pfc. Vanessa Guillen,” said Chris Grey, the spokesman for Army CID.
According to CID officials, this is still an open and ongoing criminal investigation.
“There is still a lot of investigative work to be done and we ask for the public and media’s patience,” Grey said. “There are obviously pieces of information and evidence that cannot be shared with the public during an active criminal investigation. Doing so can seriously jeopardize the charging and successful prosecution of individuals. When important investigative information is prematurely released, criminals can and will destroy evidence, conspire to change their stories, build false alibis, etc.”
Anyone with information about the case can call Army CID Special Agents at (254) 287-2722 or the Military Police Desk at (254) 288-1170. They can also anonymously submit information here.