Elder Fernandes Wiki – Biography
Elder Fernandes is a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear specialist with the 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade, according to CBS DFW. He has been in the military since at least 2016, as his mother, Ailina Neves, has posted Facebook photos of Fernandes in uniform as early as November 2016.
The U.S. Army and Killeen, Texas, police department are seeking the public’s help in locating Elder Fernandes, a Fort Hood soldier who was last seen on Monday afternoon. The missing soldier was dropped off at his home in Killeen by his staff sergeant and has not been heard from since. Killeen PD said that his family reported him missing on Wednesday.
Fernandes’ mother flew down to Fort Hood to push officials in the search. Isabel, Fernandes’ aunt, wrote that Fernandes’ mother is “in agony right now in Texas, she is in an unknown city and can’t find her baby boy, she does not know where to start looking, she needs the Public and law enforcement to step up and help.” She also wrote that Fernandes’ father is in Cape Verde waiting to hear the news.
Texas Equusearch, a non-profit search and rescue organization founded in 2000 and based in Dickinson, Texas, just outside Houston, has joined the search for Fernandes. Their Facebook post about the disappearance adds that he had a full sleeve tattoo on his left arm. According to KCENTV, Fort Hood officials have already searched the entire division area including headquarter buildings, parking lots, and motor pools.
Help me find a friend…
Elder Fernandes last seen at Fort Hood after being discharged from Darnell Hospital on Monday at 3:30 PM. He has a right arm sleeve tat and wears glasses. He wears hats with the bill forward. If anyone knows anything please reach out to me. Please share. pic.twitter.com/R7NhYkfmWw
— Seth Borchardt (@Sethanardo) August 21, 2020
Elder Fernandes Age
Elder Fernandes is 23 years old.
Missing
Thank you to those who continue to help us care for our teammate.
SGT Elder Fernandes was last seen at his off post residence located in Killeen this past Monday, Aug 17 2020. We continue to search with CID, his Family members, and local police departments. pic.twitter.com/njbrN8ICl1— 1st Cavalry Division (@1stCavalryDiv) August 21, 2020
The Killeen Police Department published a news release about Fernandes’ disappearance asking for help from the public. It wrote that Fernandes hasn’t been seen or heard from since Monday, August 17. The 23-year-old’s family members told officers on Wednesday, August 19, that he was last seen when he was dropped off by his staff sergeant at his home in the 2700 block of Woodlands Drive.
The U.S. Army 1st Cavalry Division also posted on its Twitter page: “We are seeking your help in locating Sgt. Elder Fernandes. Please contact the Fort Hood Military Police at 254-288-1170 or US Army CID at 254-287-2722, if you have any information on his whereabouts.” The post was accompanied by a missing soldier alert:
We are seeking your help in locating Sgt. Elder Fernandes.
Please contact the Fort Hood Military Police at 254-288-1170 or US Army CID at 254-287-2722, if you have any information on his whereabouts. pic.twitter.com/81I1SEx9hl— 1st Cavalry Division (@1stCavalryDiv) August 20, 2020
The Fort Hood Twitter account also posted a call for information on missing soldier Fernandes, writing that he is “5’4″, 135lbs and last seen wearing black #Army PT shorts, T-shirt and red shoes” alongside a series of photos of Fernandes:
INFORMATION SOUGHT ON #MISSING SOLDIER
If you have seen ELDER FERNANDES or have info as to his whereabouts, call #FortHood MPs @ 254-288-1170 or US Army CID @ 254-287-2722. He is 5'4", 135lbs and last seen wearing black #Army PT shorts, T-shirt and red shoes.#Missing #BOLO pic.twitter.com/u7DdMru92n
— III Armored Corps (@iiiarmoredcorps) August 21, 2020
Family
Fernandes is originally from Brockton, Massachusetts. According to his aunt, Isabel Fernandes, he had just signed a new lease but hadn’t yet picked up the keys to the apartment. She told ABC13 that Fernandes’ car with his belongings was found at the base. She told the outlet:
“This is very, very unusual. He has been in touch with us since last week. I personally spoke to him Friday morning. He spoke with his mom this past Sunday and he promised he would call on Monday. Monday came and went and he didn’t call, and he didn’t answer calls from anyone else. Tuesday, no calls, and my sister ended up flying down there yesterday, and still, we haven’t heard from him.”
Read More: Who is Adam Haner? Wiki, Biography, Age, Family, Attack, Video, Brother, Investigation Report
His aunt continued, “We are here all worried. He has a big family and we need to find him and we need to find him alive.” She also posted about her nephew’s disappearance on Facebook, writing that he is “more than my nephew, he is more like my son, someone I saw born and grow into a wonderful young man, someone that has a heart of gold, his heart is so big that he joined the Army to protect and serve.”
Health Condition
https://www.facebook.com/isabel.neves.3781995/posts/1474777696042813
KCENTV spoke to Fernandes’ mother, who said he had just been released from the hospital. She told the outlet, “We’ve been talking since last Tuesday. He’s been in the hospital since Tuesday. We’ve been talking every day, two-three times a day, and for him to get out of the hospital and nowhere to be found. it’s so much concern, worry. Its a nightmare right now.”
There is no confirmed information available at this time about his reason for hospitalization. According to a press release by the 1st Cavalry Division shared by Massachusetts State Representative Liz Miranda, Fernandes is described as a “missing high risk soldier.”
Cause of Death
A body believed to be Fernandes’ was found, as authorities reported, although the official forensic confirmation is pending. Officials said a body was found near railroad tracks roughly 25 miles from Fort Hood, in a press release from the Temple Police Department.
Before he disappeared, Fernandes had reported “abusive sexual contact” on base and an investigation was ongoing.
Police in Texas discovered a body on Tuesday that they believe is Sgt. Elder Fernandes, a Fort Hood soldier who has been missing for nine days. https://t.co/HSfbzxzQV3
— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 26, 2020
Investigation Report
We join the Guillen family today in grief and mourning as we come to terms with the loss of one of our own, Spc Vanessa Guillen. To us, Vanessa was an example of all that is best in our Nation. We are all proud to have had the privilege of serving with such a Soldier as Vanessa. pic.twitter.com/p55kKslBJc
— III Armored Corps (@iiiarmoredcorps) August 14, 2020
Fernandes’ disappearance comes after a string of publicized deaths in the past year at the army base, 11 in total with foul play suspected in five of them. The most high-profile case is that of Vanessa Guillen, 20, who federal and military investigators say was killed and dismembered by another soldier, Aaron David Robinson, the New York Post reported. Guillen went missing on April 22 and her remains were found in early July, shortly after Robinson took his own life.
Officials found the remains of 24-year-old Fort Hood soldier Gregory Wedel-Morales in a Killeen field on June 19. Wedel-Morales had been missing since last August. Fox News reported that U.S. Army officials suspect foul play in his death. In May 2020, another Fort Hood soldier, 27-year-old Pfc. Brandon Scott Rosecrans was found dead of a gunshot wound about 13 miles from the post, Army Times reported. His body was found near his Jeep, which had been set ablaze. A Killeen-area couple was recently arrested and charged in connection with Rosecrans’ death.
Most recently, two Fort Hood soldiers died in separate incidents near the base. Sgt. Bradley Moore, a 36-year-old Texas Army National Guard soldier, died on August 13 during a training accident at the base. On August 12, 22-year-old Spc. Cole Jakob Aton was hit by a vehicle when he was attempting to direct traffic around a minor accident. He died of his injuries at the scene, KCENTV reported.