At first they tried to set her on fire, but she wouldnt burn, Khawam told Army Times. ", He added that the Army cannot release his name "for the matter of privacy" and is "part of the investigation and the process.". 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.. We need to know exactly why it happened. Robinson fatally shot himself July 1 when authorities confronted him off post,Killeen policesaid. Aaron Robinson. A box with wheels and handles was already there when she arrived. But justice will be done in the name of Jesus and Holy Mary. Guillen's family says she had dreamed of serving her country in the military since she was a child. Spc. We went to the motor pool [to] see if maybe she got locked in.". Aaron David Robinson, who was assigned to A. Guillns family, along with Khawam, met with Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday. 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. In 2007, a 25-year-old soldier was found dead of dehydration and hyperthermia four days after he disappeared during a solo training exercise testing on map-reading and navigation skills. Location data from Robinsons phone showed that at nearly 2 a.m. on April 23, the device was in the vicinity of a bridge along the Leon River. Kyle Rempfer was an editor and reporter who has covered combat operations, criminal cases, foreign military assistance and training accidents. In addition to finding remains at the Leon River, officials also recovered the remains of another Fort Hood soldier, Pvt. Aguilar helped authorities pinpoint his location so that he could be arrested. ", Hightower told Landy that Vanessa was missing. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution Robinson that we didn't know about? Khawam said the family told her that Guillen had planned to file a harassment complaint against Robinson the day after she was killed, and Vanessa Guillen 20/20: Fiance Juan Cruz speaks out in 1st national I want an investigation into what happened.. That's below him? Where is Vanessa Guillens Family Now? - The Cinemaholic Vanessa Guillen. Vanessa Guillen was killed April 22, the day of her disappearance, by Spc. She has pleaded not guilty to charges. We keep demanding a congressional investigation! Red Table Talk: Vanessa Guillen's Mother Says Her Killer Did The Armymaintained that it found no substantial evidence that Robinson was sexually harassing Guillen. Nicole Acevedo is a reporter for NBC News Digital. Guillens family, joined by friends and strangers in the Killeen community, worked tirelessly to demand justice and a thorough search for the missing soldier. Investigators said Aguilar backed up his alibi. Family Loved ones of Spc. This pretty much gave an instant alibi to the suspect. 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 Armys account of how Guillen died remains riddled with holes that investigators refuse to clarify, said the familys attorney Natalie Khawam. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. As an infant, Vanessa wasintubated,clinging to life at a hospital. The press conference is to discuss the Armys efforts to address the recent events at Fort Hood, according to a press release. And if he did not sexually harass her, let's just play that part, well then why the heck would he bludgeon her to death? Special Agent Damon Phelps with the U.S. army Criminal Investigation Command on Thursday said a second suspect also was arrested this week. Cecily Aguilar, 22, of Killeen, faces one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence in the April 22 disappearance of Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen, federal prosecutors in Texas' western district said in a statement. "I asked, 'Have you seen Guillen?' 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. Robinson, who was supposed to be confined to a barracks room on Fort Hood, secretly left post on the night of June 30. Vanessa enlisted in June 2018 andworked as a small-arms/artillery repairer with the 3rd Cavalry Regiment at Fort Hood. Just why?" She was being held without bail. 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. Because they are alive, and my girl is not. Phelps said hundreds of acquaintances and friends were interviewed and there is no allegation whatsoever that shes been sexually assaulted or harassed and any hint of information that was sexual harassment was completely looked at without any credible information.. ", "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. Robinson fatally shot himself July 1 when authorities confronted him off post, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. ET on ABC. Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. He was originally from Calumet City, Illinois. Khawam said the family revealed those allegations to investigators late last month. You know how they say no one is perfect? Lupe asked. ", Betavious "Tay" Hightower was another one of Guillen's "closest friends," he said. Robinson consented to a search of his cell phone the next day. They seek $10 million for wrongful death and $25 million for personal injury. I Am Vanessa Guillen: Everything You Need to Know - Netflix Khawam said she was told Robinson and his unnamed girlfriend were having an affair and that he called the woman to confess he had killed Guillen with a hammer. It's her last known communication. Cowboys Miss On Kicker; Sign Gould? Jerry Reveals Plan Guillen, that's not to say on the morning of her murder that he wasn't in the in the act of assaulting or harassing her. Fort Hood officials suspected foul play in the disappearances of both Morales and Guillen, but said they did not believe they were linked. The slain soldiers family has criticized higher ups for the months-long pace of the investigation. The Army said leadership failed to take appropriate action. Her disappearance happened at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, while "everybody's sheltering," he said, so "we had very few soldiers moving about.". You know how frustrating it was for me to not be there? Memorial honors slain Fort Hood soldier as family seeks The Guillens said they struggle to believe what Army investigators say. 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.. Aguilar was charged in federal court with conspiracy to tamper with evidence. Guillen's family said she planned to file a harassment complaint against Robinson, said Robinson became enraged when she told him and killed her a day before she planned to do it. Vanessa Guillen bludgeoned to death on Fort Hood base, family Authorities said three soldiers accidentally gave Robinson an alibi, leading investigators away from the real killer. Investigators suspect a fellow soldier, Spc. "The plan was to go hiking whenever she got off work," he said. I just suggested to her, I was like, 'I can talk to this individual for you, or, you know, see what route we can take about this.' It's a nightmare," Cruz said. Have I ever liked her? She added that McCarthy has scheduled a press conference for Thursday with media at Fort Hood, Texas, but has not even contacted the Guilln family to let them know it was happening. We believe Robinson could have made up that story to Aguilar because he needed help burying her body, Khawam said. Aguilar's lawyers have filed a motion to throw out the entire case and another motion to suppress the statements officers say she made. Sexual assault in the U.S. military has increased over the past two years, according to a report from the Defense Department. Im her family! "We are still investigating their interactions, but at this point, there is no credible information of reports that Spc. Jessica Priest is an investigative reporter for USA TODAY, reach her at jpriest@gatehousemedia.com. Company, 3rd Cavalry Regiment at the time Guillen, a fellow 3rd Cavalry soldier, disappeared April 22. "When Houston went on lockdown [for COVID-19], she was really frustrated because the gyms were closed. 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. 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. HOUSTON -- Vanessa Guillen will forever be 20 years old, engaged but will never be married. Spc. Landy said it was frustrating that investigators were seemingly not suspicious of Robinson. After two days, the Army officially marked Vanessa Guillen as AWOL, or absent without official leave. 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 The criminal case against Aguilar is ongoing. She was supposed to next go to the motor pool, but witnesses there said she never arrived.
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