Only one person was charged with the murder in 2020 of Army Spc. Vanessa Guillén pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to lesser charges of helping to dismember and bury the soldier’s remains.
Cecily Aguilar (24) was accused of helping Fort Hood Army Spc. Aaron Robinson covered up the horrific killing.
Guillén was beaten to death on base in April 2020. Robinson is believed to have killed Guillen and then hired his civil girlfriend to dissect the body, set it on fire, and then put them in a 20-mile grave.
Robinson was reportedly shot to death by investigators as they approached him to arrest him.
Relatives of the victim had been to Waco Texas for the hearing.
“With so many motions that she’s filed in the past, for her to plead guilty now did take us by completely by surprise,” said sister Mayra Guillén. “We actually thought she was going to keep fighting back.
“Today’s decision has taken me by surprise. Still mixed emotions. Anger and frustration are both possible” the sister said. “We will now have to wait until the sentencing.”
A sentencing date was not announced in court. Aguilar pleaded guilty to one count of being an accessory after the fact and to three counts of making false statements to investigators. She was initially indicted on 11 charges including mutilating evidence.
She faces a maximum combined sentence of 30 years in prison.
A 95-minute documentary titled “I Am Vanessa Guillén,” directed by Christy Wegener, is currently streaming on Netflix.
It is a detailed look at the deeply disturbing case of a Texas woman who dreamed of a military career, only to experience a violent death after she complained of being sexually harassed by a superior at a military installation long plagued by accusations of harassment, missing soldiers and violence.
One long year after her killing, a U.S. Army investigation determined Guillén’s claims of being sexually harassed had been ignored by her superiors.
The soldier vanished two years ago on an April Sunday, in broad daylight, from Fort Hood, the third-largest Army base in the country. Her family would later say she spoke of being sexually harassed at the Texas installation, and of being afraid to report it.
A young girl disappeared from a large military base. It went mostly unreported until her family and attorney began to hold press conferences. They accused Army officials of being slow and intentionally misleading them. There were many demonstrations and marches that followed. Her cause was taken up by celebrities, politicians, and women’s rights advocates. They demanded her be discovered.
Two months later, in July 2020, Guillén’s body was finally found, in pieces, buried in concrete. According to authorities, she had been attacked and killed in an armory at base. Her blood was found on walls, then washed away, according to the attorney for the family.
In the months following her disappearance and death, a nationwide movement grew from a legion of women who stepped forward to offer their own experiences under the hashtag #IAmVanessaGuillén.
The battle was fought by celebrities and politicians. The public spotlight grew so bright, U.S. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy held a press conference to acknowledge Fort Hood had the highest number of sexual assaults and harassment in the entire branch of the military. He apologized to Guillén’s family.