Murder of Vanessa Guillén
| Murder of Vanessa Guillén | |
|---|---|
Fort Hood census-designated place | |
| Location | Fort Hood, Texas, U.S. |
| Date | April 22, 2020 |
Attack type | Murder by bludgeoning, murder-suicide |
| Weapon | Hammer |
| Deaths | 2 (including the perpetrator two months later) |
| Victim | Vanessa Guillén |
| Perpetrator | Aaron David Robinson |
| Motive | Cover-up of Robinson’s harassment and sexual assault of Guillén |
| Convicted | Cecily Anne Aguilar |
| Convictions | Aguilar: Accessory after-the-fact, making false statements (3 counts) |
| Outcome | Executive order signed by Joe Biden establishing sexual harassment as an offense in the UCMJ |
| Sentence | Aguilar: 30 years in prison |
The murder of Vanessa Guillén, a 20-year-old United States Army soldier, took place inside an armory at Fort Hood, Texas, on April 22, 2020, when she was bludgeoned to death by another soldier, Aaron David Robinson. Guillén had been missing for more than two months before some of her dismembered, burned remains were found buried along the Leon River on June 30. Robinson fled Fort Hood after learning of the discovery. When law enforcement tried to apprehend him in nearby Killeen, Texas, he fatally shot himself.
Cecily Aguilar, a local woman identified as Robinson's girlfriend, was taken into custody for assisting him in dismembering and burying Guillén's body. On July 2, 2020, Aguilar was charged with one federal count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence. On July 13, 2021, she was indicted on eleven counts by a federal grand jury. On November 29, 2022 Aguilar pleaded guilty to accessory to murder after the fact and three counts of making a false statement. On August 14, 2023, Aguilar was sentenced to the maximum of 30 years for her role in covering up the murder of Guillén.
Guillén had long had the goal of serving in the Army but, after being assigned to Fort Hood, told friends and family of being sexually harassed by a superior. She did not report it officially for fear of retaliation, as such reports were supposed to go through the chain of command.