Cecily Aguilar; and Vanessa Guillen. (Mugshot of Aguilar via Bell County Jail; image of Guillen via U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command)
A woman who helped her boyfriend dismember and hide the remains of U.S. Army soldier Vanessa Guillen has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the crime.
Cecily Ann Aguilar pleaded guilty back in November to one count of accessory to murder after the fact and three counts of false statement or representation.
“Justice has prevailed for my clients, Vanessa Guillen’s family, Vanessa’s friends and our country!” attorney Natalie Khawam, a lawyer for Guillen’s family, told Law&Crime in a statement. “Judge Albright sentenced Cecily Aguilar to 30 years- so we finally have closure in this case. I want to thank the US Attorney’s office, the Texas Rangers and all the law enforcement that gave their all to prosecuting this case. We are grateful for everyone that supported us over the last 3 years. It was long tough road, but we can finally celebrate Justice for Vanessa!”
From Vanessa’s sister, Mayra Guillen:
You received Justice today. @vguillen_30 rest easy sister. Today was such a hard day, I learned so many details regarding your death after the fact of it’s been 3 YEARS. My heart hurts. Cecily Ann Aguilar has received the Maximum sentence of 30 years. pic.twitter.com/2DlyKf5Jsg
— Mayra Guillen (@mguilen_) August 14, 2023
“Our hope is that today’s sentence brings a sense of relief and justice to the Guillen family, who have endured such pain throughout these past few years,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Ms. Aguilar’s actions were indefensible, and she will now face the maximum penalty for the choices she made. I’m grateful for our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly on this case, as their dedication was essential in bringing this defendant to justice.”
Guillen, a private who received a posthumous promotion to specialist, was last seen alive on April 22, 2020, in Fort Hood, Texas.
There was initially no public sign of her whereabouts. That changed on June 30, 2020, when contractors working on a fence found human remains by the Leon River in Belton, according to federal investigators.
U.S. Army and federal investigators said that Specialist Aaron David Robinson, 20, had killed her. They confined him to his barracks, but he fled past his escort and left Fort Hood for the city of Killeen. He fatally shot himself in the head when confronted by law enforcement, officials said.
“So how does a guy disappear like that?” Khawam said after the suspect’s death. “Run off base. No one can see him on foot. And then how does he find a gun? The questions I have just will never end.”
Guillen’s family criticized the military, arguing officials did not initially take her disappearance or allegations of facing sexual harassment seriously. The Army promised reform.
Robinson’s death left Aguilar the sole defendant in the case — the only person to face punishment for Guillen’s tragic, violent death. Aguilar confessed to her role in the crime and to Robinson committing the murder.
From court documents:
During that inquiry about Aaron Robinson, the Defendant voluntarily revealed her participation in the disposal of the body of V.G. after Aaron Robinson had killed her. The Defendant voluntarily assisted the agents in attempting to reach Aaron Robinson via her telephone to determine his location and to arrange a meeting with him. An agent later informed her that she was no longer free to leave and was under arrest. At that point, she was given her legal warnings pursuant to Miranda, which she indicated she understood. She continued to voluntarily cooperate with law enforcement, making additional statements and attempting to locate and persuade Aaron Robinson to surrender.
Officials are not just citing her word for it. Evidence includes suspicious phone data and a conversation the couple allegedly had after Guillen’s remains were found. Evidence indicates that Robinson warned Aguilar that authorities found the body. From court documents:
SPC Robinson texted Aguilar pictures of the news articles advising of recovered human remains. In a later controlled telephone call, SPC Robinson advised, “baby they found pieces, they found pieces”. This was referring to the human remains recovered near the Leon River.
Note: We added a statement from Khawam.
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