Telemundo launches new podcast series, “Fort Hood -The Vanessa Guillén Case"

Noticias Telemundo and The Story Lab released announced the premiere of a new limited-series podcast  titled “Fort Hood -The Vanessa Guillén Case." “This is a consequential story that touches on critical issues in our country. It’s a revealing exposé and a necessary investigation. Noticias Telemundo, with The Story Lab, believe this important story deserved a deeper examination and this format allows us to do just that,” said Luis Fernández, president of Telemundo Network News.

Vanessa Guillén’s case drew nationwide attention with her family, public officials, lawmakers and celebrities demanding #JusticeForVanessaGuillén. The seven-part series, narrated in English and Spanish by Mexican actress Cecilia Suárez, takes a probing look at the killing of the 20-year-old Army soldier and the questions it raises. 

After disappearing from the Fort Hood Army base in April 2020, Guillén’s remains were found two months later. Investigators say she was killed by a fellow soldier who later fatally shot himself as police tried to take him into custody. The series explores the ripple effect of the #MeToo movement, sparked by the circumstances of her murder in the U.S. Army, the hardships Latino soldiers face and what some soldiers describe as a culture of abuse permeating the barracks. “‘Fort Hood’ is a great example of the range and scope of new journalistic storytelling. It shows that journalistic rigor and emotions are not incompatible,” said Toni Garrido, director at The Story Lab.

The podcast delves into the case revealing a deeper, more complex story about a renowned military base with a long record of unreported sexual abuse, and Guillén’s family, which refused to stay quiet as they pushed authorities for answers. Over seven episodes, each lasting around a half-hour, the podcast also examines another central issue underlining the Guillén case: Why do half of the women in the Army’s ranks who face sexual abuse and harassment choose not to report it?

The original podcast series is the latest addition to Noticias Telemundo’s audio content offering. “296+ Días,” the first podcast series produced by the investigative unit, Noticias Telemundo Investiga, was launched last year. The series chronicles the harrowing experience of an undocumented immigrant who was held in solitary confinement for 296 days in two ICE detention facilities in Louisiana. “El Sicario” or “The Hitman”, a five-part limited-series which told the story of how a powerful Mexican drug cartel recruits young men to work as hitmen, was also released in 2020.