Robinson and Aguilar uncovered the remains, removed them and burned them again along with their gloves and hairnets. Vanessa Guilln, a 20-year-old soldier murdered in April at Fort Hood, the familys lawyer told Breitbart News on Wednesday. Family Guillen's family says she had dreamed of serving her country in the military since she was a child. He acknowledged that agents uncovered statements on May 7 that could be considered sexual harassment. Army investigators believe Guillen, a Texas soldier missing since April, was killed by another soldier on the Texas base where they served, the attorney for the missing soldier's family said Thursday. "Memories never die," he said. Later that night, Army investigators questioned Aguilar, they say she admitted that Robinson had told her he killed Vanessa Guillen and that she saw her remains in the tough box that he had carted out of the arms room, where he told her he killed Guillen. She never did anything to anybody to deserve what happened to her at all.". Family The soil beneath the burn site was remarkably softer and moister than the soil found at similar depths merely feet away and had an odor of decomposition, the complaint reads. A lot of silence. Gloria Guillen said that after learning of her daughters death, she was brought back to her prayer to God when Vanessa was just 15 days old. Aaron David Robinson "This gruesome murder should never have happened.". The family called the movement the #MeToo of the military. Military investigators said Guillen was bludgeoned with a hammer. The family has called repeatedly for a congressional investigation, not an Army-directed investigation, however. Soldiers were tasked with watching Robinson in shifts. In addition to finding remains at the Leon River, officials also recovered the remains of another Fort Hood soldier, Pvt. After two days, the Army officially marked Vanessa Guillen as AWOL, or absent without official leave. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. ", He added that the Army cannot release his name "for the matter of privacy" and is "part of the investigation and the process.". Secretary of the Army where is it? she said. While the remains had been mostly obscured, there was a lock of hair that was sticking out. Vanessa Guillen, who has been missing from the Texas post since April. A Killeen, Texas, woman assisted her soldier boyfriend in disposing of a missing soldiers body after he killed her with a hammer inside an armory on Fort Hood, according to a criminal complaint filed in the Western District Court of Texas. I am not nervous to talk with him because this needs to stop, she said. Heather Osbourne is a reporter for the Austin American-Statesman, part of the USA TODAY Network, reach her at hosbourne@statesman.com. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. The team also is charged with identifying any potentially systemic issues with the SHARP program at Fort Hood, as well as any resource constraints.. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Aaron Robinson | The Conspiracy Wiki | Fandom The family deserves these answers.". Robinson fatally shot himself July 1 when authorities confronted him off post, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. [emailprotected]. Investigators brought a cadaver dog, which signaled that a body might have been thrown in the water. "Nevertheless, we are still investigating.". ET on ABC. At 10:23 a.m., Guillen sent a text message confirming the serial number of a machine gun. "While law enforcement agencies attempted to make contact with the suspect in Killeen, Texas, Specialist Robinson reportedly displayed a weapon and took his own life," said Phelps. Phelps on Thursday said, as reported previously, that Guillens identification card, wallet and the keys to her car and post apartment were later found in the armoury room where she had been earlier in the day. "I said, 'Vanessa's been found,'" he remembered. Like, her laugh was very, very contagious. But it wasn't too much I can do.". Meanwhile, she said, The President of the United States of America found the time in his very busy schedule to not only call the Guilln family but also invited this beautiful family to his home. Her family is still looking for answers as to why she was killed, and how her murderer escaped justice. Nearly 40,000 infantrymen, cavalrymen, tankers, engineers, mechanics and health care professionals work at Fort Hood, which is nicknamed Great Place.. She was being held without bail. She is currently in custody awaiting her first court appearance. This week the 9th Circuit held that sexual assault is not incident to service, and therefore the Feres Doctrine should not apply to service members who are sexually assaulted.. The Chief of Staff of the Army recently met with the Guilln family.. "I didn't wanna think the worst, but [I was experiencing] a lotta panic.". Morales, a 24-year-old who also used the last name Wedel before his marriage, was last heard from on Aug. 20, 2019. Martin said Fort Hood authorities contacted the military police, who got in touch with local police, then brought in the U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Division (CID). Hes going to tell her, Honey, I killed her for you because she was going to report us. Hes not going to say, Honey, I was sexually harassing Vanessa again and killed her. . Well, Vanessa was that (perfect) person. No one else is family for Vanessa! Robinson went missing June 30. Jessica Priest is an investigative reporter for USA TODAY, reach her at jpriest@gatehousemedia.com. At a news conference Thursday, the Army identified the soldier suspected in Guillens disappearance as Aaron David Robinson. She questioned the Army's conclusion that Robinson did not harass Vanessa Guillen. The familyquestioned how Robinson could have killed the soldier, stashed her ina case, cleaned up the blood and toted her body off base without being found out. Vanessa Guillen. Aaron David Robinson, a suspect in the disappearance of Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen, died by suicide on Wednesday By People Staff Published on July 2, 2020 When they spoke to Aguilar, investigators said she claimed he was calling that night because she couldn't find her phone. We were kind of aware [of] what was going on," Landy said. Investigators said Aguilar helped mutilate and dispose of Guillens body and recognized the remains as Guillen. "There was a lot of silence after that one. Cecily Aguilar, 22, a civilian, told investigators Robinson asked her to help hide a body. They seek $10 million for wrongful death and $25 million for personal injury. She remains in custody in the Bell County Jail awaiting charges by civilian authorities. Pablo Saezsaid, according to CNN on Saturday. LaBoeuf said he was "in Specialist Guillen's chain of command somebody that-- that had responsibility, a leadership role over Specialist Guillen. This statement, however, is inconsistent with the lengths of the calls, the complaint reads. Hightower planned to go hiking with Guillen on Wednesday, April 22, 2020, the day she went missing. When Gloria Guillen spoke publicly to the media about her daughter's sexual harassment, the case exploded onto the national news scene. She has pleaded not guilty to charges including tampering and being an accessory after the fact. The two suspects returned to the site with hairnets and gloves on April 26, according to cell phone records. Those efforts gained national and even some international attention in the past months. The Law Did Not Treat Them Kindly. We tried to tell them that it was this person, and he was just walking around like nothing happened. "We were interviewing other people in the unit as well to find out, was there a relationship between Vanessa and Spc. Phelps denied allegations that Robinson was Guillen's superior, adding he was in "no way" in Guillen's line of command. During a news conference, Army Criminal Investigation Command Special Agent Damon Phelps named the now-deceased soldier as Spc. Fort Hood soldier slain, dismembered on post, family attorney Mayra Guillen said last week that much of what the family learned about her younger sisters disappearance was through media reports and news conferences. Guillen never returned and the witness recalled locking up the armory for the day with her ID card, bank card, car keys and barracks key still left inside. She was murdered, inside one of the Army's largest military installations. "We been knowing since when it first happened because nothing makes sense. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Last year, Army Maj. Gen. Donna Martin told "20/20" that investigators had found that Guillen had reported to her work station in the motor pool that morning. More:Civilian searcher says Army overlooked evidence after Vanessa Guillen's death Investigators suspect a fellow soldier, Spc. Tim Stelloh is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. Suspect in Fort Hood soldier case kills self, 2nd suspect jailed after Officials would also not say whether Guillens supervisors tried to check in with her at any point during the day after she was suspected to have been abducted. Robinson shot himself in the head early At around 10 p.m., he was heard talking on the phone, apparently to his mother, saying "don't believe what you hear about me." Gloria said she believes her prayers healed Vanessa. "She told me, 'I love you. They just kept trying to pin it on me or Landy," Hightower said. Aaron David Robinson of Illinois, who was assigned to a building adjacent to where Guillen worked, first ran away from Fort Hood on Tuesday night after officials said they found partial human remains near the Leon River in Bell County. At Efflandt's request, Army Forces Command ordered a seven-member inspector general team to Fort Hood to review the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention Program, (SHARP). According to a criminal complaint that details what investigators believe happened to Guillen, Aguilar said she drove with Robinson to the Leon River where they tried to dispose of the body. Khawam earlier this week said a man at Fort Hood had walked in on Guillen while she was showering naked. He was originally from Calumet City, Illinois. On the other hand, murals aren't made for just anyone. Aguilars phone was also tracked and revealed she was near the Leon River with Robinson on April 23 and 26. Authorities said that 20-year old Aaron David Robinson of Calumet City pulled a gun and shot himself as police were trying to make contact with him on Wednesday. However, officials did say the woman was a civilian and the estranged wife of a former Fort Hood soldier. The slain soldiers family has criticized higher ups for the months-long pace of the investigation. Authorities have said that Spc. Damon Phelps of the CID, the Army's primary criminal investigative organization, told reporters that Aguilar is the estranged wife of a former Fort Hood soldier. "They just told me, 'We did find the partial human remains.' Aaron David Robinson, beat Guillen to death with a hammer the morning of April 22. While Guillens family and their attorney, Natalie Khawam, say the remains found near the river are likely that of the missing soldier, U.S. army officials at Fort Hood on Thursday said the remains had yet to be identified. "It was so many rumors, we didn't know what to believe," Hightower said. The calls went as late as 3:30 a.m. the next morning and continued the next day. With the 115th pick, the Chicago Bears selected Texas running back Roschon Johnson, a player who at Texas might've been "the star'' had Bijan Robinson (who went No. "It's one of the biggest military reforms in history," Vanessa Guillen's other sister, Lupe Guillen, said. ", Authorities said the investigation on Guillen's disappearance remains ongoing and that they will continue to be careful about the information being shared in order to avoid "an impact on prosecution and charges.". In 2020, he had Officials said that her car keys, barracks room key, identification card and wallet were found in the armory room where she was working on the day she disappeared. A criminal complaint filed against Aguilar accuses her of tampering with evidence, including Guillens body, on April 23 and 26 to impair its integrity and availability for use in an official proceeding., Though the family believes Robinson killed Guillenand the allegations that Aguilar helped bury her remains, Khawam said, the story of how Robinson killed Guillen, moved her body and cleaned up the crime scene all while on a military post without an accomplice or being found out sooner does not make sense.. Soldier Suspected in Vanessa Guillen's Disappearance Identified If convicted, Aguilar faces up to 20 years in federal prison. What did Aaron David Robinson do? Army investigatorstold the family they found blood residue splattered throughout the armory room, which would have happened when Robinson killed Guillen with a hammer, Khawam said. The family of #VanessaGuillen filed a lawsuit yesterday, seeking $35M from the U.S. government. Investigators kept Robinson under watch in a conference room for hours at Fort Hood but didn't tell him why. army officials at Fort Hood on Thursday identified the soldier who killed himself this week after he was questioned about his possible involvement in the disappearance of Spc. Those wretches took her life away. She was reported missing in April but her remains were not found until July. Robinson was a suspect in Guillen's disappearance, but he "was not involved" in the separate investigation looking into the sexual harassment allegations, said Phelps. The inspections goal is to examine how the program runs and whether leadership is supportive of soldiers reporting sexual harassment and assault, officials said in a statement Wednesday. She taught me many things because she was always tender, she was loving to me and we always loved each other. And that's what the criminal investigation is seeking answers to as well.". You know how frustrating it was for me to not be there? Aaron David Robinson was a 20-year-old soldier from Calumet City, Illinois. They reported her missing to her superiors that night, Guillen said, though investigatorssaid the Army told the family. Guillen, a 20-year-old Houston native who received her rank of specialist on Wednesday, was last seen between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on April 22 in the parking lot of the Regimental Engineer Squadron Headquarters where she worked at Fort Hood, officials said. And she said no. Loved ones of Spc. Local law enforcement later found Robinson on East Rancier Avenue, east of Fort Hood near North Twin Creek Drive, where he pulled a gun and shot himself when confronted by Killeen police early Wednesday. LaBoeuf revealed in an interview with "20/20" that she was "sexually harassed on two separate occasions by the same soldier" -- someone who was her superior. This heinous act caused her blood to be splashed all over the armory room, Khawam said in a statement to the Army Times. Robinson allegedly killed Guillen with a hammer in the army base's armory in April 2020. Vanessa Guillen: Netflix Documentary Spotlights Soldier's Earlier Thursday, Phelps said that Robinson died by suicide early Wednesday after fleeing Fort Hood the night before. The findings of the committee identified major flaws with the sexual harassment and assault response prevention (SHARP) program at the base, fundamental issues with Fort Hood Criminal Investigation Command field office activities, and a command climate at Fort Hood that was permissive of sexual harassment and sexual assault. "Nothing really can bring her back at all but as long as we know how to honor her name and how to make this change, I feel like that would be some closure for us," Mayra Guillen said. This pretty much gave an instant alibi to the suspect. Due to the ongoing legal proceedings by the United States attorney's office, Western District of Texas, it would be inappropriate for us to comment at this time, said Christopher Grey, spokesman for the Armys Criminal Investigation Command. [Image via Army Criminal Investigative Command], Have a tip we should know? Woman charged with helping get rid of body of Vanessa Guillen, Lupe Guilllen, 16, Vanessas sister, said the fight is not over until the Army stops telling lies and gives the family answers. The Army said leadership failed to take appropriate action. Aaron David Robinson of Illinois, who was assigned to a building adjacent to where Guillen worked, first ran away from Fort Hood on Tuesday night after officials said State documents reveal potential motive for Vanessa Guillen murder Aaron David Robinson, 20, who had allegedly walked in on Guillen while she was showering in a locker room and watched. Meanwhile, Cruz and Vanessa's sisters were desperately trying to spread word of her disappearance on their own. "She didn't deserve any of that. Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting. President Trump even found time to meet and speak with this family and yet McCarthy is still doing press conferences without a single call to this poor family whose daughter they sent to serve in his Army, Khawam added. Robinson harassed Spc. On June 15, the Army raised the reward to $25,000 for anyone with information leading up to Guillen's whereabouts. After the Army found her remains and confirmed her death on July 6, McCarthy still did not call Guillns family, but tweeted that his thoughts and prayers were with them. Aaron Robinson, 20, dispose of Spc. Butdid my daughter have to die for all those girls to come out? Fort Hood is the largest active duty armoured unit post in the U.S. military, according to the posts website. Tracking CA's reservoir levels, snowpack map, drought status, How safe is your neighborhood? Reports of suicide are Also, at 4 p.m. that day, she "was mistakenly marked present," he said. The Army said Wednesday they promoted Private First Class Guillen, 20, to specialist due to her time in service. On June 30, contractors working on a fence near the Leon River alerted Army CID that they had discovered what appeared to be human remains. Before the event, Natalie Khawam, an attorney representing Guillen's family, announced that CID officials told her that Robinson had murdered her in the unit armory on the day of her disappearance. She's no longer here.' Im her family! Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. Fort Hood officials said that the human remains discovered recently have not been identified. I would truly wish to have her here than any of this, but this is where we are today.. Suspect in Vanessa Guillen disappearance identified Phelps said investigators are aware Guillen's family members made statements early on to the media concerning sexual harassment allegations. Sitting in her Houston home last week beside her youngest daughter, Lupe, who translated for the interview, Gloria Guillen said in Spanish that Vanessa gleamed with excitement as she planned for a wedding in November 2021. Republication or distribution of this content is Vanessa enlisted in June 2018 andworked as a small-arms/artillery repairer with the 3rd Cavalry Regiment at Fort Hood. While there, he was allowed to talk on his cell phone to Aguilar, who was with investigators and agreed to let them record the calls. Army CID, Texas Rangers and Bell County sheriffs first searched the Leon River site on June 21. Then they dismembered this beautiful U.S. soldiers body with a machete. However, Maj. Gen. Scott Efflandt and Phelps on Thursday said there is still no evidence linking sexual harassment to Guillens disappearance. To order copies of Vanessa Guillen suffered mental anguish, fear, emotional distress, physical injury, and death as a result of sexual harassment, rape, sodomy, and physical assault., Nothing is going to bring her back, Vanessas sisterMayra Guillen said, according to KHOU. And it's like we could have did something, but we didn't know.". Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. Follow Breitbart Newss Kristina Wong on Twitteror on Facebook. Sexual assault in the U.S. military has increased over the past two years, according to a report from the Defense Department. Then, he raced out of the room. Vanessa's mother Gloria Guillen said that her daughter had confided in her that she was being sexually harassed at Fort Hood but that she didn't report it due to fear of retribution and retaliation. After police issued a Be On the Lookout (BOLO) alert for Robinson in July, Robinson fled and killed himself as police approached. Vanessa Guillen Authorities argued Robinson wheeled Guillens body out of an arms room with a large tough box, and got the help of his girlfriend Cecily Ann Aguilar, 24, in burning the body. "He said he didn't talk to her while he was in there. Vanessa Guillen was killed April 22, the day of her disappearance, by Spc. The Guillen sisters in unison agreed that the investigators explanation was wrong. Spc. That's [what] we want to have that answered as well. KILLEEN, TEXASU.S. Guillns murder has become a rallying cry for women veterans and service members who have faced sexual assault and harassment in their military careers. July 2, 2020 / 10:25 PM / CBS Chicago KILLEEN, Texas (CBS) -- A Calumet City soldier was the main suspect in the murder of fellow soldier Vanessa Guillen, CBS 2 has We are going to love each other all our lives. pic.twitter.com/mWwjiJx4ly. On May 18, two witnesses said that on the day of Guillens disappearance, they observed Robinson pulling a large tough box,' with wheels, that appeared very heavy out of the armory where he worked. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy has yet to personally call and offer condolences to the family of Spc. Aaron David Robinson, a 20-year-old Army Specialist, was identified as the person of interest in the case of Vanessa Guilln, also a 20-year-old Fort Hood soldier who disappeared in April. Her fianc Juan Cruz, who proposed to her in March 2020, said that she had remarkable strength -- so much so that she could carry him on her shoulders. Ryan "Cj" Landy, a fellow soldier in her unit, told "20/20" that he and Guillen became friends "immediately" after she arrived. The pile went 3 feet into the ground and the dirt was fresh, but investigators did not find any human remains, said Tim Miller, who helped lead the search with his organization EquuSearch. Trump said he would help her family with funeral expenses and directed the Justice Department and the FBI to investigate what happened to Guillen. Investigators spoke with Robinson, who said that Vanessa Guillen had left his arms room after completing a task. Soldiers can and have gone missing, and it can take a while to find them, even when foul play is not suspected. Guillen's Army friends weren't the only ones worried about her disappearance. McCarthy on July 10 announced after meeting with Democrat Rep. Sylvia Garcia (TX) and the activist group League of United Latin American Citizens that he has directed an independent, comprehensive reviewof the command climate and culture at Fort Hood, as well as the surrounding military community.. Several media outlets on Thursday, however, identified the woman as Cecily Anne Aguilar, a 22-year-old Killeen resident. The Guillen family sought help from attorney Natalie Khawam, who has experience with cases involving the military. Landy said it was frustrating that investigators were seemingly not suspicious of Robinson. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. When asked about why it took two hours to track him down, and how Robinson got a gun, LaBoeuf said "We want answers to that too. Killeen Police have body camera video and dashcam video from the incident but none of it has been released. Burned remains of a plastic tote or tough box were found in an area where Robinsons phone pinged. 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