A woman who was involved in the mur*der of then-Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillén was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Monday.
After a brief recess following Guillén’s family’s testimony about their deep grief following her death, Judge Alan D. Albright announced Cecily Ann Aguilar’s sentence.
Earlier Monday, Texas Ranger Justin Duck testified about Aguilar’s role in Guillén’s disappearance. Duck stated that after Guillén was reported missing, he spoke with Aguilar several times because her boyfriend, Aaron Robinson, was the last person to see Guillén.
Aguilar didn’t confess until authorities discovered human remains near the Leon River. Aguilar admitted to assisting Aaron Robinson in dismembering and burying Vanessa Guillén’s body.
Aguilar is the only person still alive who has been charged in connection with Vanessa Guillén’s death.
Aguilar pleaded guilty to four lesser charges related to the death of US Army Specialist Vanessa Guillén. In November 2022, she appeared before Judge Jeffrey C. Manske and admitted to being an accessory after the fact and making false statements to law enforcement.
Guillén vanished in April 2020 after meeting with Specialist Aaron Robinson in a Fort Hood arms room. Guillén’s body was discovered in July of 2020. Robinson later committed suicide after authorities confronted him about Guillén’s disappearance. Aguilar was charged with eleven counts of tampering with documents and conspiracy to tamper with documents and proceedings in connection with Guillén’s mu*rder.
Investigators claim Guillén was se*xually harassed and reported it on two separate occasions, creating a hostile environment, according to a report released in April 2021. They claim Guillén’s leaders failed to take appropriate action and that the allegations were not escalated. Investigators also claim that while Robinson did not sexually harass Guillén, he did sexually harass another soldier between April and September of this year.
According to the report, the Acting Senior Commander of Fort Hood underestimated the significance of SPC Guillén’s disappearance and was overly hesitant to engage the media, underestimating how big of an event it would become.
By the time Fort Hood changed its mind, investigators say it had lost the trust of the Guillén family and had harmed the trust, confidence, and reputation of Fort Hood and the United States Army.
