WCVB-TV
By Jennifer Eagan
BOSTON —
A Massachusetts congressman is working to help the families of soldiers stationed at Fort Hood who went missing and died, including the family of a soldier from Massachusetts.
U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, of the 8th District, traveled to Texas along with two fellow members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation — Rep. Katherine Clark and Rep. Ayanna Pressley — to get a first-hand account of what is going on at the U.S. Army base, which is home to 65,000 soldiers and their families.
Fort Hood has seen a growing list of homicides, suicides and disappearances: 150 over the past five years.
One of the most recent cases was that of Sgt. Elder Fernandes, a Brockton native, who was found dead on Aug. 23, approximately 30 miles away from Fort Hood.
“There are plenty of indicators that tell us that there’s a major problem there,” Lynch said. “Even among army standards, there’s more crime. There are more disappearances, homicides, suicides at this base than any other Army post in the world. So there is definitely reason for concern.”
he medical examiner ruled Fernandes’ death a suicide, but his family has demanded an investigation because they say he was bullied after reporting sexual harassment from a superior.
The Fernandes family says the cause of death for the 23-year-old, who planned to spend his career in the military, is not clear — and so does Lynch.
“There are some circumstances here that just don’t fit the allegations, and so we’re trying our best to get those answers for the family,” the congressman said. “We’re trying to do justice to his memory and hold people accountable, and make sure that this does not happen to any other soldier and any other soldier’s family.”
Lynch said soldiers at Fort Hood told him that there is a lack of discipline at the base, and some told him that they did not feel safe there.
A new general has been assigned to lead Fort Hood within the past two weeks.
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