Fort Hood Soldier Found Dead Near Barracks; Army Officials Say Investigation Underway

Army officials on Wednesday identified the Fort Hood soldier found dead near his barracks over the weekend.

Officials said it was 26-year-old Spc. Maxwell Hockin, who was found unresponsive behind his company barracks Saturday, Fox News reported.

Hockin's cause of death was not released. The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command is currently investigating it. But according to Lt. Col. Jennifer Bocanegra, foul play is not suspected in Hockin's death.

Hockin entered the Army in March 2017 and was assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team and had been with his unit since July 2017. He was in the unit 91st Engineer Battalion.

Lt. Col. Patrick Sullivan, commander of 91st Engineer Battalion, said, "the entire Saber family is devasted by the loss" of their teammate and friend.

Sullivan noted that Maxwell Hockin had an outstanding work ethic and was a mentor to his peers.

"He will truly be missed. Our thoughts and our prayers are with Maxwell's family during this difficult time," Sullivan said.

Maxwell Hockin is Like Vanessa Guillen, Who Also Died in Fort Hood

Maxwell Hockin's awards include the Army Good Conduct Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Medal. He also received the National Defense Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon, ABC News reported.

Hockin's case is among multiple incidents of death at the Texas base in recent years. Latina soldier Vanessa Guillen was murdered at Fort Hood in April 2020.

The case had captured the nation's attention as her death exposed an environment of sexual harassment and deaths in the military base.

She went missing for months until some of her remains were found buried in a shallow grave along the Leon River in June 2020.

Her suspected killer was fellow soldier Spc. Aaron Robinson, who allegedly beat Guillen to death with a hammer inside a Fort Hood armory room. Robinson took his own life when confronted by police after Guillen's remains were discovered.

Last week, Pfc. Jennifer Sewell was reported missing when she failed to report for duty on October 7. However, Fort Hood officials quickly updated the case and said that Sewell's family confirmed she was safe and was staying with extended family. She returned to the Army base Monday.

Vanessa Guillen's Case

Vanessa Guillen's bones, hair, and other remains were found. The New York Times reported that Robinson attempted to dismember and burn Guillen's remains with his girlfriend.

Authorities also arrested Robinson's girlfriend, Cecily Aguilar. Guillen's family lawyer, Natalie Kwaham, earlier said that Robinson needed help in disposing Guillen's body.

This was when he contacted Aguilar. Both of them allegedly used a machete to dismember the body parts of the deceased Fort Hood soldier. They then hid Guillen's body in a Pelican case and dumped it in the Leon River area.

Aguilar has been indicted on 11 counts by a federal grand jury for her involvement in Guillen's death. The indictment includes charges of accessory-after-the-fact, conspiracy to tamper with documents, issuing false statements, and destruction of records in a federal case.

Aguilar has pleaded not guilty on all charges against her. If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison with a maximum fine of $250,000.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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