Missing Fort Hood Soldier Previously Deemed AWOL Reinstated

FORT HOOD, TX – Fort Hood Pvt. Gregory Wedel-Morales, who was previously declared AWOL by U.S Army officials after disappearing in August of 2019, is set to be reinstated and is entitled to a complete military funeral with benefits according to his mother after his remains were found last month during a search of a wooded field on base at Fort Hood.

Kim Wedel said Tuesday night the Army told her they recovered evidence that her son died before he was found to be AWOL, allowing for his reinstatement.

At this time Wedel says she is now waiting for the completion of paperwork in order to move forward with her son's funeral plans.

“It’s a little bit of sunshine in all of the dark,” she said on Tuesday night.

On August 19, 2019 Morales disappeared without a trace from Fort Hood.

Initially he was declared AWOL at first, but eventually his name was added to the Army’s deserters list.

Morales' whereabouts remained a mystery until skeletal remains were found on June 19 during a K-9 search of a wooded field in the 3200 block of Florence Road in Killeen as investigators were searching for recently missing soldier Vanessa Guillen.

Fort Hood’s Criminal Investigation Division contacted Killeen police in reference to a tip they received where shortly after the remains were sent off for identification.

It was later determined by Investigators the remains were in fact that of Morales', and his name was removed from the Army's deserters list last week.