In an interview with KXXV, a local television station in Killeen, Cruz said, "She was just gone, so she just disappeared. ET on ABC. Vanessa enlisted in June 2018 andworked as a small-arms/artillery repairer with the 3rd Cavalry Regiment at Fort Hood. 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. Mayra Guillen said. I am not nervous to talk with him because this needs to stop, she said. "We were interviewing other people in the unit as well to find out, was there a relationship between Vanessa and Spc. Robinson attacked Guillen with a hammer, Khawam alleges, citing information she says was provided to her by Army Criminal Investigation Command officials. WebAaron David Robinson, 20, is a victim of a massive sex trafficking scandal in Killeen, Texas, beyond the borders. 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. Related: Army Investigating Fort Hood Sexual Assault Program After Soldier's Disappearance, Military COVID-19 Cases Spike 41% in June, With Upticks in Hotspot States, Army Investigating Fort Hood Sexual Assault Program After Soldier's Disappearance. We drove the route she [would] usually run up the road on base which was 2 miles away from the barracks. Killeen Police have body camera video and dashcam video from the incident but none of it has been released. He acknowledged that agents uncovered statements on May 7 that could be considered sexual harassment. However subsequent interviews have failed to [confirm] this allegation," Phelps said. All Gloria Guillen said she saw her daughters health progressively deteriorate over the months leading up to her disappearance, saying her normally muscular and vibrant daughter became thin and reserved. 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. An Army investigation into her disappearance has led to the recent discovery of human remains in Belton, Texas, but officials say that they have not yet been positively identified. Army officials identify two suspects in case of missing Fort Hood soldier, Partial remains were found in Bell County earlier this week. Vanessa Guillen of Fort Hood was going to be a bride. 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. . Guillen was last seen at a parking lot in Fort Hood, where she was stationed, on April 22. 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. Khawam said Guillen reported her harassment to her family and fellow soldiers at the base. Robinson fatally shot himself July 1 when authorities confronted him off post,Killeen policesaid. The soldier worked in an adjacent building from where Specialist Guillen worked, said Army Criminal Investigation Command Special Agent Damon Phelps. And she said no. Investigators discovered human remains which had been buried and covered in concrete. Aguilar's lawyers have filed a motion to throw out the entire case and another motion to suppress the statements officers say she made. Khawam said the family revealed those allegations to investigators late last month. In an April 28 interview, Robinson allegedly claimed that he went home after work on the 22nd to the residence he shared with Aguilar, his girlfriend. 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. 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. Unidentifed remains believed by family members to be those of Guillen were recovered this week along the Leon River and are undergoing forensic testing. After two days, the Army officially marked Vanessa Guillen as AWOL, or absent without official leave. Landy said it was frustrating that investigators were seemingly not suspicious of Robinson. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto She's no longer here.' So, I feel like they should've came to that conclusion way earlier than they had. How would Robinson be able to commit the perfect murder in 43 minutes? 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 remains of Spc. Later, the world learned that she had told her mother she was sexually harassed on the base. KILLEEN, Texas (CBS) -- A Calumet City soldier was the main suspect in the murder of fellow soldier Vanessa Guillen, CBS 2 has learned. Khawam earlier this week said a man at Fort Hood had walked in on Guillen while she was showering naked. Khawam said she contacted McCarthys office in June, but has not received a call back yet. At the time, there was not a missing soldier protocol in place. He later picked Aguilar up at a gas station where she worked and brought her to the bridge along the Leon River. Aaron David Robinson. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, an Iraq War veteran, is the Democratic lead sponsor. The motive for the alleged murder was not described in the complaint. Robinson that we didn't know about? McCarthy first tweeted about Guilln in late June two months after her disappearance, and after Guillns murder began gathering national awareness. Authorities said three soldiers accidentally gave Robinson an alibi, leading investigators away from the real killer. Guillen's family says she had dreamed of serving her country in the military since she was a child. Well, Vanessa was that (perfect) person. Follow Breitbart Newss Kristina Wong on Twitteror on Facebook. Robinsons cell phone then tracked along the Leon River in a northward direction, and remained in the area for roughly two hours. The press conference is to discuss the Armys efforts to address the recent events at Fort Hood, according to a press release. On April 22, a witness saw Guillen leave the armory where she was working to visit a separate armory controlled by Robinson, the complaint stated. 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. The Guillen family wants more answers, too. Khawam said the family told her that Guillen had planned to file a harassment complaint against Robinson the day after she was killed, and She was supposed to next go to the motor pool, but witnesses there said she never arrived. But it was not so much for harassment; it was for harassment, but there is something more, she continued. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free), Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. Aaron Robinson. Two days later, the military opened up a separate inquiry looking into allegations that Guillen was sexually harassed by a supervisor. After the sexual harassment reports surfaced, many service members have used the hashtag #IAmVanessaGuillen to share their experiences with sexual assault and harassment on social media. 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. She says she has only heard from President Trump.#JusticeForVanessaGuillen pic.twitter.com/rEr9XFA2mB. 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. Jessica Priest is an investigative reporter for USA TODAY, reach her at [email protected]. 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. Investigators said Aguilar backed up his alibi. We were kind of aware [of] what was going on," Landy said. He said that person, along with 20 others, are in the process of "being held accountable." "It's one of the biggest military reforms in history," Vanessa Guillen's other sister, Lupe Guillen, said. The Guillens said they struggle to believe what Army investigators say. "Memories never die," he said. Aaron David Robinson, a 20-year-old Army Specialist, was identified as the person of interest in Guillen's case. 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. Its impossible.. To order And he was around us, too. Together, they dismembered the body using a hatchet and a machete-type knife, the complained alleged. She said Army investigators rarely contacted the family before releasing information. Aaron David Robinson, another soldier at Fort Hood, allegedly attacked Guillen, per the Guillen family attorney. Robinson was one of the last people to see Guilln alive at Fort Hood and he had been interviewed by investigators when Guilln's initial disappearance was reported but She was reported missing in April but her remains were not found until July. 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. "This gruesome murder should never have happened.". Robinson allegedly killed Guillen with a hammer in the army base's armory in April 2020. Why? She was murdered, inside one of the Army's largest military installations. The Guillen family sought help from attorney Natalie Khawam, who has experience with cases involving the military. During a news conference, Army Criminal Investigation Command Special Agent Damon Phelps named the now-deceased soldier as Spc. LupeGuilln, 16, slammed McCarthy at a press conference last week for not inviting her to the July 10 meeting. 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.. You know how they say no one is perfect? Lupe asked. "I went to her room and her roommate answered the door," he said. Guillen received a posthumous promotion from Private First Class to Specialist. This led investigators to search away from the actual scene of the crime. Officials did not identify a civilian woman they arrested Tuesday in connection with Guillen's disappearance, described earlier as the estranged wife of a former soldier. Special Agent Damon Phelps with the U.S. army Criminal Investigation Command on Thursday said a second suspect also was arrested this week. "It's so important because it will bring the help my sister never obtained, it will bring the voice my sister never had.". ", Betavious "Tay" Hightower was another one of Guillen's "closest friends," he said. Khawam said she was told a third suspect was detained. 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. Phelps said that at this time there is no credible information that Robinson sexually harassed Guillen, despite claims by the Guillen family lawyer. 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. But Khawam publicly announced what U.S. army officials told the family after the remains were located, according to Army Times. The inspection will assess whether the command climate at Hood is supportive of soldiers reporting sexual harassment and seek to identify any potential systemic issues within the program at Hood, Efflandt said. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Then they dismembered this beautiful U.S. soldiers body with a machete. Aguilar helped law enforcement locate Robinson in the city of Killeen. At first they tried to set her on fire, but she wouldnt burn, Khawam told Army Times. You know how frustrating it was for me to not be there? The Secretary of the Army has not even called this family, and its been well over three months since Vanessa went missing,said the familys attorney Natalie Khawam. Trump said he would help her family with funeral expenses and directed the Justice Department and the FBI to investigate what happened to Guillen. Vanessa Guillen, said she has not heard from Governor Abbott or the Secretary of the Army following the death of her sister. The Army's Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army Forces Command.Maj. "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? He said he then went to spend the night with his girlfriend, Cecily Aguilar, off the base. She said Robinson could have lied to his girlfriend about why he killed Guillen. Robinson consented to a search of his cell phone the next day. 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. 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. 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. believe that the remains found in Bell County are Guillen's. Because they are alive, and my girl is not. It's a nightmare," Cruz said. Robinson harassed Spc. Now, the Guillen family is planning for a funeral this month. Born and raised in Houston to immigrants from Mexico, Guillen was one of six children. She would be like, 'Let me carry you so I can do squats,'" said Cruz. 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. Partial remains were found in Bell County earlier this week but have not been formally identified as Guillen, prosecutors said. Guillens sister, Mayra, previously told NBC's "Dateline" that Guillen never identified the person who allegedly harassed her and never reported the incidents to the Armys sexual harassment and prevention program. I want an investigation into what happened.. Robinson was approached by law enforcement; however, he brandished a pistol and fired into his head, killing himself. Nearly 40,000 infantrymen, cavalrymen, tankers, engineers, mechanics and health care professionals work at Fort Hood, which is nicknamed Great Place.. Secretary of the Army where is it? she said. Tracking CA's reservoir levels, snowpack map, drought status, How safe is your neighborhood? The family of a slain U.S. Army soldier is suing the Department of the Army, saying authorities failed to protect her from her killer. She taught me many things because she was always tender, she was loving to me and we always loved each other. 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.. 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. Investigators spoke with Robinson, who said that Vanessa Guillen had left his arms room after completing a task. We went to the motor pool [to] see if maybe she got locked in.". I wasnt there, they didnt tell me! They called local sheriffs out to the area; the Texas Rangers and Fort Hood CID soon followed. Im troubled by his lack of compassion to the family and sincerity about meeting with the family, she said. The family of #VanessaGuillen filed a lawsuit yesterday, seeking $35M from the U.S. government. They said Robinson killed himself as officers moved in to arrest him late Tuesday night. However, no remain were located.. 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). "Three separate soldiers had indicated that they had seen Specialist Vanessa Guillen departing the arms room and moving towards a motor pool area where vehicles are maintained." Authorities said three soldiers accidentally gave Robinson an alibi, leading investigators away from the real killer. The family was aware of the sexual harassment that Vanessa faced at Fort Hood. This statement, however, is inconsistent with the lengths of the calls, the complaint reads. But, prior to that, there's no evidence whatsoever that Spc. His death is still under investigation. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 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. 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. Then they dismembered this beautiful US soldiers body with a machete, Khawan claimed, adding that She needs to be brought to justice., 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Fort Hood soldier died by suicide after being sexually harassed, family says, Female soldier, 21, found dead at Fort Hood -- 3 years after Vanessa Guillen's brutal slaying, The Army is scrapping Fort Hood name here's who it will be renamed for, Family of slain Texas soldier seeking $35 million in damages, missing Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen. "It just seems like a nightmare when I drive through Houston. A Fort Hood soldier who authorities identified earlier Thursday as another suspect in Guillen's disappearance, E-4 Specialist Aaron David Robinson, allegedly told Aguilar that he killed a female soldier after hitting her in the head with a hammer, according to officials. 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. Why? Authorities on Thursday said 20-year-old Spc. Vanessa Guillen And she would always beat me.". Army investigators told the family they were doing everything they could to search for Guillen on and off the post in the weeks after her disappearance, but they provided no details or updates, the family said. Cecily Aguilar, 22, helped Spc. Khawam said that if Guillendenied Robinsons advances in the armory room April 22, it could have led to her death. Spc. "We believe he murdered her because he was going to report him. Once Guillen was dead, Robinson then allegedly contacted his married girlfriend to help him bury her bloody body, Khawam said, according to the outlet. This is the lawsuit. 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. The "I Am Vanessa Guillen" bill, would explicitly list sexual harassment as a crime in military law, require the secretary of defense to establish a process for servicemembers to lodge a complaint confidentially and move the decision of whether to prosecute a sexual offense to an special prosecutor outside the chain of command. So I went back outside and I walked to the parking lot, and I saw her Jeep there. "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. Robinson then placed the deceased soldier in a box and brought her to the Leon River, according to the complaint. Burned remains of a plastic tote or tough box were found in an area where Robinsons phone pinged. "Can you try to investigate even further as to why this was committed? Robinson went missing June 30. The identification of the human remains recovered is still pending. Because Im family! Robinson, who fled his post at Fort Hood Tuesday, shot and killed himself as officers moved in to arrest him late Tuesday night in Killeen, Texas, according to officials. On the other hand, murals aren't made for just anyone. 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.. He was questioned within two days of the criminal investigationHe was questioned very early on in this process.". Aaron David Robinson. She was reported missing in April but her remains were not found until July. On April 30, 2021, the Army announced that it had found Guillen had been sexually harassed by a superior, but that superior was not Robinson. Guilln told her family before she went missing that she had been sexually harassed by fellow soldiers, including by Spc. The Guillen sisters in unison agreed that the investigators explanation was wrong. She never deployed overseas but was awarded the Army Commendation Medal (posthumously), the National Defense Service Ribbonand the Army Service Ribbon. SEE RELATED STORY: Army officials reveal new details in Vanessa Mayra Guillen said last week that much of what the family learned about her younger sisters disappearance was through media reports and news conferences.
