She never deployed overseas but was awarded the Army Commendation Medal (posthumously), the National Defense Service Ribbonand the Army Service Ribbon. They then placed the remains back in the three holes with the concrete, the complaint alleged. She got a second call from Miller, who helped in the search. The witnesses watched him load the box into his vehicle and drive away. Authorities accused Robinsons girlfriend, Cecily Aguilar, 22, of Killeen, Texas, of helping him dismember, burn and bury Guillens body about 20 miles away from the post. 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. Aguilar was again interviewed on the night of June 30 and admitted that Robinson told her on April 22 that he struck a female soldier in the head with a hammer multiple times inside the armory. Butdid my daughter have to die for all those girls to come out? Guillns family, along with Khawam, met with Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday. Robinson, who was supposed to be confined to a barracks room on Fort Hood, secretly left post on the night of June 30. rights reserved. Guillens family, joined by friends and strangers in the Killeen community, worked tirelessly to demand justice and a thorough search for the missing soldier. At that time, I suspected something was up. Goodnight,'" he said. 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. 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. "Our agents are working very closely with the Armed Forces Medical Examiner to expedite identification of the remains," Phelps said. Army investigators provided the family with time stamps of when Robinson checked in and out of the armory roomApril 22, the day Guillen was last seen, and when Guillen texted Robinson to let him know she was outside and needed to be let into the building. KILLEEN, Texas (CBS) -- A Calumet City soldier was the main suspect in the murder of fellow soldier Vanessa Guillen, CBS 2 has learned. Aaron David Robinson, 20, died by suicide Wednesday morning as investigators were closing in. The Calumet City native entered the Army in October 2017 and was a combat engineer. Sheconfided to her family that it was Robinson. As a matter of policy, the Army does not comment on ongoing litigation, U.S. Army spokesman Sgt. She hadn't been responding to texts or calls from family, either, and as day turned to night, Cruz and Vanessa's sister, Mayra Guillen, drove to Fort Hood. ET on ABC. Historically you couldnt sue the DOD if youre a victim of sexual harassment/assault due to the DODs broad misapplication of the Feres Doctrine, a 1950s Supreme Court decision that never included or addressed sexual assault, yet the DOD continued to use that case to evade accountability, Guillen family attorney Natalie Khawam told CNN. "There was one time they brought me in and they were asking questions: have I ever found her attractive, and have I ever tried her? Loved ones of Spc. Guillen," Phelps said. Gloria Guillen, along with her daughters, drove to Killeen the night of April 22 because Vanessa had not returned phone calls or text messages the entire day. Several media outlets on Thursday, however, identified the woman as Cecily Anne Aguilar, a 22-year-old Killeen resident. Investigators went to the location and found a burn pile, which included a tough box that had not burned completely. ", Hightower told Landy that Vanessa was missing. And that's what the criminal investigation is seeking answers to as well.". She is expected to make an initial appearance in federal court in Waco early next week. Robinson shot himself in the head early Landy said he knew word had gotten out about Vanessa Guillen's disappearance when he saw the military police at Fort Hood the next morning. Republication or distribution of this content is "As close of friends as we were, she came to us about a lot of different stuff. Then, he raced out of the room. Aguilar was charged with conspiracy to hide and destroy evidence in connection to Vanessa Guillen's death and was denied bond on July 14, 2020. ", Maj. Gen. Gene LeBoeuf, Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army Forces Command, however, insisted that "Specialist Robinson was a person of interest early on in the investigation. They arrived after midnight and Mayra says they were told by the staff sergeant to come back in the morning. The last time she texted me was that morning, and she just sent a screenshot with the weather. On May 18, nearly a month after Vanessa Guillen's disappearance, investigators spoke to two witnesses who said they saw Robinson exiting the arms room on April 22 with a large case called a tough box, which they say he loaded into his car before driving away. Check out Bay Area safety tracker, Bay Area Life; Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7, Allie Yang, Denise Martinez-Ramundo, Natalie Cardenas, and Chris Kilmer. In addition to finding remains at the Leon River, officials also recovered the remains of another Fort Hood soldier, Pvt. "[I was] angry and sad at the same time, because he was in our face the whole time," Hightower said. Authorities said three soldiers accidentally gave Robinson an alibi, leading investigators away from the real killer. Dawn Gomez holds her 3-year-old granddaughter, Saryia Greer, who waves at Vanessa Guillen's mural painted by Alejandro "Donkeeboy" Roman Jr. on the side of Taqueria Del Sol, Thursday, July 2, 2020, in Houston. Unidentifed remains believed by family members to be those of Guillen were recovered this week along the Leon River and are undergoing forensic testing. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution Investigators suspect a fellow soldier, Spc. The Secretary of the Army at the time of Vanessa Guillen's disappearance, Ryan McCarthy, created an independent review panel, including investigators, lawyers and retired FBI agents, to look at the command climate at Fort Hood. Pablo Saezsaid, according to CNN on Saturday. Khawam said Guillen reported her harassment to her family and fellow soldiers at the base. Vanessa Guillen, who has been missing from the Texas post since April. Investigators and volunteers had searched along the Leon River without success. 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. Aguilar helped authorities pinpoint his location so that he could be arrested. She has pleaded not guilty to charges including tampering and being an accessory after the fact. Authorities said three soldiers accidentally gave Robinson an alibi, leading investigators away from the real killer. The remains have been sent to a forensic anthropologist for analysis, though no official confirmation on the identity of the remains has been completed. The criminal case against Aguilar is ongoing. And the full story is here: https://t.co/LWqdPnIAQn pic.twitter.com/6VDFl3iOLG, KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) August 13, 2022, From October 1, 2019, to April 22, 2020, SPC, documents said. suspected foul play related to her disappearance, Lawyer of missing Texas soldier's family: 'We believe her remains were found', was last seen at a parking lot in Fort Hood, her car keys, barracks room key, identification card and wallet, added an additional $25,000 to the reward, inquiry looking into allegations that Guillen was sexually harassed, Sister of missing Texas solider speaks about meeting military suspect, Sexual assault in the U.S. military has increased. Officials also said Thursday that there is a second suspect in connection to the case and that suspect is the estranged wife of a former Fort Hood soldier who is currently in custody at Bell county Jail awaiting charges by civil authorities.. And she would always beat me.". She says she has only heard from President Trump.#JusticeForVanessaGuillen pic.twitter.com/rEr9XFA2mB. Because they are alive, and my girl is not. Looking at his phone records, investigators also found that Robinson had called Aguilar multiple times during the night after Vanessa Guillen went missing. The family held protests outside the post in Killeen and inHouston and Washington, demanding answers because they said they were consistently left in the dark. After police issued a Be On the Lookout (BOLO) alert for Robinson in July, Robinson fled and killed himself as police approached. Watch the Guillen familys news conference below, courtesy of CBS Dallas-Fort Worth. Nothing. Although he has always been open to meet with the Guilln family. Robinson that we didn't know about? The two suspects returned to the site with hairnets and gloves on April 26, according to cell phone records. Aaron David Robinson, 20, who had allegedly walked in on Guillen while she was showering in a locker room and watched. 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. Robinson called Aguilar several times throughout the night and the calls after midnight were for lengths greater than one minute., Aguilar later said in a second interview that she did leave her home and took a drive to a park in Belton, Texas to look at the stars.. Robinsons fatal shooting took place in the 4700 block of East Rancier Avenue in "But, I guess, apparently I'm kind of funny sometimes, and she'd crack up all the time. Aaron David Robinson was a 20-year-old U.S. Army soldier who trained as a 12B, Combat Engineer. Secretary of the Army where is it? she said. I see her murals and I say to myself, 'Damn, this is reality. 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. Aaron David Robinson, 20, beat Guillen to death with a hammer on April 22, 2020 in Fort Hood, Texas. If convicted, Aguilar faces up to 20 years in federal prison. "It just seems like a nightmare when I drive through Houston. Cecily Aguilar, 22, a civilian, told investigators Robinson asked her to help hide a body. The team also is charged with identifying any potentially systemic issues with the SHARP program at Fort Hood, as well as any resource constraints.. 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. ", Time magazine unveils list of '100 Most Influential People', SF apartment residents recap ordeal with days-long power outage, CA influencer convicted of lying about kids' attempted kidnapping: DA. Instead of Governor [of Texas Greg] Abbott, instead of the secretary of the Army, it is the president who is talking to me. Nearly 40,000 infantrymen, cavalrymen, tankers, engineers, mechanics and health care professionals work at Fort Hood, which is nicknamed Great Place.. "The plan was to go hiking whenever she got off work," he said. Guillen, 20, was stationed at Fort Hood when she went missing on April 22. US Army officials on Thursday identified a suspect in the disappearance of missing Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen as an attorney for the victims family claimed that the same perpetrator attacked Guillen with a hammer and dismembered her body with a machete. Cecily Aguilar, 22, of Killeen, was charged with one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence. 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. "We were interviewing other people in the unit as well to find out, was there a relationship between Vanessa and Spc. Watch the full story on "20/20" TONIGHT at 9 p.m. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the, The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star She taught me many things because she was always tender, she was loving to me and we always loved each other. On June 18, two months after Vanessa Guillen vanished, authorities found skeletal remains close to the base in Killeen. Guillen's Army friends weren't the only ones worried about her disappearance. Aaron David Robinson, 20, died by suicide Wednesday morning as investigators were closing in. African American combat engineer, Aaron Robinson, went missing from his Fort Hood post on June 30. US Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) reported that Robinson commited suicide "As officers attempted to make contact with the suspect, the suspect displayed a weapon and discharged it toward himself. We drove the route she [would] usually run up the road on base which was 2 miles away from the barracks. As an infant, Vanessa wasintubated,clinging to life at a hospital. "Nevertheless, we are still investigating.". We need to know exactly why it happened. "She told me, 'I love you. To order 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. "Can you try to investigate even further as to why this was committed? The Armys account of how Guillen died remains riddled with holes that investigators refuse to clarify, said the familys attorney Natalie Khawam. Aaron David Robinson, who was assigned to A. ", "We were in my car at the time," Landy said, "and we went to the track that she usually would be at, just in case she didn't really wanna talk to anybody and wanted to get stuff off her mind. We went to the motor pool [to] see if maybe she got locked in.". A Fort Hood soldier who authorities identified earlier Thursday as another suspect in Guillen's disappearance, E-4 Specialist Aaron David Robinson, allegedly told The Army said Wednesday they promoted Private First Class Guillen, 20, to specialist due to her time in service. She said Army investigators rarely contacted the family before releasing information. "We are still investigating their interactions, but at this point, there is no credible information of reports that Spc. LaBoeuf said he was "in Specialist Guillen's chain of command somebody that-- that had responsibility, a leadership role over Specialist Guillen. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about 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. She had told me since she was 10 years old that she was going to the Army, since she was 10 years old.. Immediately, Vanessas dad said, Thats not something Vanessa would do, Khawam said. Robinson texted Aguilar pictures of news articles that reported about how law enforcement had found human remains near the Leon River, later saying over the phone, baby they found pieces, they found pieces, the complaint reads. They seek $10 million for wrongful death and $25 million for personal injury. "We been knowing since when it first happened because nothing makes sense. 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. More:Civilian searcher says Army overlooked evidence after Vanessa Guillen's death. Those claims even sparked a viral hashtag called #IamVanessaGuillen on social media, which many soldiers have used to share their stories of sexual harassment and assault on military installations. Every minute that passes is killing me inside, slowly.". Robinson attacked Guillen with a hammer, Khawam alleges, citing information she says was provided to her by Army Criminal Investigation Command officials. But like I said, the night before, he had told us that he didn't say anything to her at all," Landy said. I Am Vanessa Guillen: Everything You Need to Know - Netflix Khawam said the family revealed those allegations to investigators late last month. 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. A Texas woman accused of helping mutilate and dispose of the body of a Fort Hood soldier who vanished this spring was charged Thursday, authorities said. Aaron Robinson of bludgeoning Guillen to death with a hammer on April 22, 2020, at Fort Hood. The Guillen sisters in unison agreed that the investigators explanation was wrong. ", Landy said Robinson acted "upset" that everybody kept "blowing up his phone.". Guillen's loved ones say she had always been a fitness fanatic. Tim Stelloh is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. Guillen, 20, were found near the Leon River in Bell County in late June,nearly three months after she was last heard from while working inside an armory room at Fort Hood. "She didn't deserve any of that. She is currently in custody awaiting her first court appearance. Military investigators said Guillen was bludgeoned with a hammer. 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