Brockton Fort Hood Soldier Elder Fernandes’ attorney demands answers from the Pentagon

BROCKTON, Mass. — It’s been close to eight months now since the body of a Brockton man was found not far from the Texas army base where he served.

The army says Sgt. Elder Fernandes died by suicide. His family is demanding answers from the Pentagon about what the army did for Fernandes.

They say whether Fernandes died by his own hand or someone else’s, the army should bear responsibility for the culture created at Fort Hood.

Only a few months before his death, Fernandes had reported a male superior for something he called inappropriate. His family claims that led to harassment.

The army says its investigation into that incident was fair and allegations unsubstantiated.

“We need closure. We don’t know what the army did. The entire country needs to know,” said Isabel Fernandes, his aunt.

There isn’t a day that goes by where Isabel Fernandes doesn’t think of her late nephew.

“It’s like living a nightmare over and over again,” said Fernandes.

That family shared cell phone video of Fernandes, that was sent to his mom when he was stationed in Germany.

On Tuesday, it would’ve been his 24th birthday.

“Sometimes it doesn’t seem real, it’s a nightmare. Then, when you wake up, you’re like, ‘Oh yeah, it’s real,’” said Fernandes.

In May, army officials said Fernandes reported that he was a victim of sexual assault, but the army said it was unfounded.

Then, on August 17, Fernandes went missing after being released from an army hospital, where he spent a few days getting help after going AWOL.

Eight days later, he was found hanging from a tree in Temple, Texas. That’s 26 miles away from where the family said an army sergeant dropped him off.

“We’ve heard nothing from the army about what they did to protect him, or to find him,” said Leonard Kesten, the family’s attorney.

Kesten is representing the family and said if something should have been done within the first 48 hours of Fernandes’ disappearance.

“If there was a real effort to find him, he would still be with his family,” Kesten said.

On Thursday, he sent this letter to the acting secretary of the army at the pentagon demanding answers. Reporter Malini Basu obtained a copy of the letter.

“Stop it. You own this family a duty to tell them what happened and what you did, good and bad,” Kesten wrote.

The family says they will not stop fighting to get answers, especially since they don’t even know if they buried their loved or not. They said they were under strict order from the army not to open the casket.

Cox Media Group