Mother of Erika Gaytan shows ‘solidarity’ with Vanessa Guillen’s family at El Paso vigil

EL PASO, Texas -- El Pasoans gathered Thursday night for a candlelight vigil at Tobin Park to honor missing Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen, who is presumed dead.

While she was a Texas native, Guillen had no apparent El Paso connection. But her disappearance made national headlines as people demanded an investigation.

The case resonated with one El Paso mother in particular who attended the vigil.

"We're in solidarity with Guillen's family. When we heard Vanessa's mother asking for help to find her daughter it brought everything back, remembering when we were looking for Erika still wanting to find her alive," said Guadalupe Gaytan.

She's the mother of Erika Gaytan, who went missing on July 13, 2019 from a concert at the El Paso County Coliseum.

While Erika's body has never been found, police arrested the man she was last seen with and charged him with murder in December; Ricardo Marquez is still awaiting trial.

Authorities said those charges were based on evidence found at the home of Marquez and in the car it's believed he used to transport her body.

Meantime, Guillen was last seen April 22 in a parking lot at Fort Hood.

Army investigators told her family Thursday that they believe she was killed by another soldier on the base where they served; that soldier took his own life as authorities prepared to confront him.

Remains found earlier this week are believed to be those of Guillen, but positive confirmation by medical officials has not yet been completed.