Nobody thought it was particularly odd that Staff Sgt. Steven Hines went in to work on Super Bowl Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Fort Hood, Texas-based Army Criminal Investigation Command special agent sent his wife a text message at 9:35 that morning, then stopped responding. By later that night, she knew something was wrong, and contacted the military police to go check on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou and [redacted] deserve better,\u201d he had written. \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Authorities found Hines, 30, a member of the 11th Military Police Battalion, about 50 yards behind his office building, dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, with his issued M11 at his side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLosing Agent Hines is not an experience we will soon forget, but it has also empowered our command to continue to move aggressively forward on several resiliency initiatives to prevent a tragic loss like this in the future,\u201d CID spokesman Chris Grey told Army Times in a statement.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Half a dozen colleagues who spoke to investigators described Hines as quiet, and at times robotic, as they recounted the list of issues that had piled up in the three years since he\u2019d arrived at Fort Hood CID.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hines had been referred to Army behavioral health and had some coworkers who checked in with him, but in the end, it wasn\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The husband and new father had argued with his wife the morning of Feb. 5 about his reluctance to see a therapist, the investigators found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Security cameras at his office building caught him walking in at 9:10 am, then going out the back door 20 minutes later. He was found in a field behind the building, but there were no recordings of that area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After authorities discovered, secured and removed Hines\u2019 body that night, a colleague came into work the next morning to discover what he\u2019d been doing in the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hines had left behind Post-It notes with instructions for where to find things in his desk, as well as a few things on a coworker\u2019s desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI sat my coffee cup down on my desk and noticed sets of keys, a watch, and a yellow sticky note that stated \u2018I\u2019m sorry \u2013 Hines\u2019 on my desk,\u201d the agent said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Struggling to cope<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Special Agent Hines joined in the Army in 2007 and served at Fort Riley, Kansas, just before reporting to Fort Hood in 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He quickly made an impression, but not for good reasons. During a Critical Incident Peer Support course that year, he off-handedly confessed to have thought about killing himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was referred to behavioral health but didn\u2019t take it seriously, the report found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFollow-up appointment with Ms. [redacted] for the nervous breakdown I had back in November 2014,\u201d he wrote in a calendar invite that went to coworkers. \u201cGetting better about communicating and talking about my feelings involving stupid people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hines was known to avoid discussing his stress or seeking support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CID does, however, have resources for agents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn the past few years we have added Army Chaplains, a Command Forensic Psychiatrist and a Psychologist to spearhead our command\u2019s Wellness Program,\u201d Grey said. \u201cThe program will be comprised of providers with prior law enforcement experience who can relate to and understand the unique stressors that our people face.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Colleagues described Hines as generally stressed and incapable of sharing his feelings with others. He also habitually struggled to pass his PT test and weapon certifications, which numerous colleagues counseled him through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHines tried hard at being an agent, but it appeared difficult for him as he didn\u2019t appear to have any empathy or sympathy for other people\u2019s situations,\u201d one said in a statement.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSSG Hines\u2019 main issue workwise was that he did not like dealing with people, and he commented several times that he was unable to connect with victims or build rapport with subjects,\u201d a colleague said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His problems multiplied there, as three victims filed complaints against him, and his chain of command opened a dereliction of duty investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe needed constant supervision, his cases were not great, and he was not good with talking to victims,\u201d one coworker said in a statement. \u201cThe supervisors all knew these things, also.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the meantime, his problems at home mounted. Colleagues described Hines as a big video gamer who often clashed with his wife over how he spent his time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHis outlook on life seemed a bit childish at times, and he didn\u2019t have his priorities straight,\u201d one coworker said. \u201cMost of the time he would talk more about going home and doing stuff with his video games than his family.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another added that he\u2019d left his wife at the hospital with family shortly after labor to return home and game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But despite the tension, both coworkers said his wife described Hines as improving in the last months of his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Though he was moved from Special Victims Unit to economic crimes in light of the inquiry, he was promoted to staff sergeant, attended the Advanced Leader Course and seemed to be in better spirits, they said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSA Hines didn\u2019t want people involved in his life or problems, so we were trying to come up with training for the whole unit or new parents so he didn\u2019t feel singled out,\u201d a colleague said. \u201cWe all kind of kept an eye on SA Hines, and it seemed as if things were getting easier at home with the new baby because he complained less.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hines\u2019 wife told investigators that he had begun bringing her coffee in bed and paying her compliments in the weeks before his death, and that she felt like he was coming around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But ultimately Hines could not overcome his struggles, leaving his apologies behind on Post-It notes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For his fellow agents at CID, Grey has a message. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe wellness of our agents and helping to create a support system and culture for positive mental health for our special agents,\u201d Grey said, \u201cis of the utmost importance to this command\u2019s senior leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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