KILLEEN, Texas – It’s been nearly two months since a Fort Hood soldier went missing and now the reward for information about the 20-year-old’s disappearance has been doubled to $50,000.
Private First Class Vanessa Guillen was last seen on April 22 between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in the parking lot of her Regimental Engineer Squadron Headquarters at the U.S. Army base in Killeen, Texas, according to a press release from the Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID).
She hasn’t been seen or heard from since.
The Army says Guillen’s car and room key, identification car, and wallet were later found in the armory room where she was working earlier in the day.
Officials say Guillen was last seen wearing a black t-shirt and purple fitness-type pants. She’s described as being 5 feet 2 inches tall, about 126 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
Investigators say they have no credible information or report at this time that Guillen was sexually assaulted or that the case is in any way connected to the disappearance of Private Second Class Gregory Wedel-Morales, who was last seen on Aug. 19, 2019 while driving his car in Killeen. Both allegations have been circulated online.
More than 150 people have been interviewed in the investigation and the Army says its working closely with multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, to help bring Guillen home.
The Army and Fort Hood are still seeking the public’s help to solve the case. Anyone with information about Guillen’s whereabouts is asked to contact Army CID Special Agents at 254-287-2722 or the Military Police Desk at 254-288-1170. Anonymous tips can also be submitted here.
“We are completely committed to finding Vanessa and aggressively going after every single piece of credible information and every lead in this investigation,” said Chris Grey, spokesman for Army CID. “We will not stop until we find Vanessa.”
Guillen’s mother, Gloria, told NBC News that she wants someone from outside the base to investigate her daughter’s disappearance.
“I can’t bear anymore, not one day more because I’m not sleeping and I’m in bad health,” Gloria said to NBC.
The Army CID said Monday that it was offering a reward of up to $25,000 for credible information leading to the whereabouts of Guillen. And then on Tuesday, the president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) announced that the group would match the $25,000, bringing the reward to $50,000, KXXV reports.