Mural Of Fort Hood Solider Vanessa Guillen Raises Money For Her Family As They Continue Fight For Investigation
PASADENA, Texas (CBSDFW.COM/CNN) — It's more than 200 miles southeast from where her daughter was last seen alive, but the mother of murdered Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen was on hand when a mural honoring the late Army specialist was created.
The mural of Pfc. Guillen now graces a street in Pasadena, Texas. Children helped fill in the spaces. Student Landon Murphy said, "It's an honor. It's hard to express. I'm just really happy that I get to be a part of this."
The mural was painted as part of a fundraiser for Guillen's family, who is now fighting to find out how the young soldier could have been murdered on base and then be missing for months before her body was found.
Gloria Guillen, Vanessa's mother, says she wants justice for her daughter. The family wants an independent congressional investigation into Guillen's murder and other missing soldiers whose bodies were found near Fort Hood.
The latest of those -- Sergeant Elder Fernandes -- had filed a sexual harassment complaint. Local law enforcement said no foul play appeared to be involved, but the Texas Senate Hispanic Caucus, like the Guillen family, also wants a congressional investigation.
"Even though I acknowledge the army is taking steps to examine the base, I believe that these reviews have been led and conducted by the army, and I think there needs to be an independent investigation," said Caucus chair Sen. Jose Menendez.
The Guillen family will be back in Washington, D.C. in the next few weeks to hold a press conference asking for that independent probe.
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