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.. At 6 p.m, Hightower says he went looking for her. "There was a lot of silence after that one. Guilln told her family before she went missing that she had been sexually harassed by fellow soldiers, including by Spc. / CBS Chicago. "We were interviewing other people in the unit as well to find out, was there a relationship between Vanessa and Spc. She never deployed overseas but was awarded the Army Commendation Medal (posthumously), the National Defense Service Ribbonand the Army Service Ribbon. Cecily Aguilar, 22, helped Spc. Robinson sexually harassed Spc. That brought me a bit of peace to my heart. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto They seek $10 million for wrongful death and $25 million for personal injury. "This gruesome murder should never have happened.". We need to know exactly why it happened. It is unclear whether the person who harassed Guillen will be prosecuted at this time. 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. HOUSTON Gloria Guillens fingers clenched her Rosary as she painfully described one of her last memories of her daughter the moment the proud mother learned Army Spc. On the other hand, murals aren't made for just anyone. The family has maintained that Guillen was sexually harassed by superiors at Fort Hood. 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. 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. The Guillen family said Vanessa told other soldiers at Fort Hood that she was being sexually harassed. Guillen received a posthumous promotion from Private First Class to Specialist. Netflix's I Am Vanessa Guillen: Who is Aaron David Robinson? Law & Crime You know how they say no one is perfect? Lupe asked. Investigators spoke with Robinson, who said that Vanessa Guillen had left his arms room after completing a task. Robinsons cell phone then tracked along the Leon River in a northward direction, and remained in the area for roughly two hours. The witnesses watched him load the box into his vehicle and drive away. 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. 'I Am Vanessa Guillen': Who Was Aaron Robinson and What That's below him? About two hours later, In the middle of a street, authorities converged on Robinson, who pulled out a gun and shot himself dead. Earlier Thursday, Phelps said that Robinson died by suicide early Wednesday after fleeing Fort Hood the night before. Why? The family called the movement the #MeToo of the military. The slain soldiers family has criticized higher ups for the months-long pace of the investigation. 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. 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. The team also is charged with identifying any potentially systemic issues with the SHARP program at Fort Hood, as well as any resource constraints.. Robinson shot himself in the head early Khawam said Robinson hid Guillens body in a Pelican case a hard-sided, watertight storage in common use in the military stored in the armoury room before later dumping her body near the Leon River. ", Chris Swecker, a former leader in the FBI who helped lead the independent review panel at Fort Hood, said that even though the command investigation found "no evidence that Spc. (Steve Gonzales/Houston Chronicle via AP). Khawam said the family revealed those allegations to investigators late last month. I would truly wish to have her here than any of this, but this is where we are today.. Meanwhile, Cruz and Vanessa's sisters were desperately trying to spread word of her disappearance on their own. She was being held without bail. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. She attended her first Army training in June 2018 and was later stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, making the three hour drive back to Houston every weekend to see her family. 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. 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. 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. All 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. 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. Emailus. That's [what] we want to have that answered as well. On June 15, the Army raised the reward to $25,000 for anyone with information leading up to Guillen's whereabouts. Guillen's Army friends weren't the only ones worried about her disappearance. Suspect in Vanessa Guillen disappearance identified He later picked Aguilar up at a gas station where she worked and brought her to the bridge along the Leon River. Robinson, who had been in the Army since 2017, worked in the same Regimental Engineer Squadron as Guillen. The family deserves these answers.". 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. 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. rights reserved. Investigators discovered human remains which had been buried and covered in concrete. 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. Agents once again searched the area and found scattered remains that appeared to have been placed into concrete and buried. How would Robinson be able to commit the perfect murder in 43 minutes? 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. Although he has always been open to meet with the Guilln family. Vanessa Guillen Investigators kept Robinson under watch in a conference room for hours at Fort Hood but didn't tell him why. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. "I said, 'Vanessa's been found,'" he remembered. Army officials identify two suspects in case of missing Fort Hood soldier, Partial remains were found in Bell County earlier this week. What did Aaron David Robinson do? 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. Guillen, 20, was stationed at Fort Hood when she went missing on April 22. Aaron Robinson. Robinson who fled his post Tuesday, fatally shot himself early Wednesday when police in Killeen saw him walking on the road and attempted to make LaBoeuf said he was "in Specialist Guillen's chain of command somebody that-- that had responsibility, a leadership role over Specialist Guillen. The Armymaintained that it found no substantial evidence that Robinson was sexually harassing Guillen. 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. According to investigators, he even texted her links to news articles about the remains discovered near the Leon River. Before entering journalism, Kyle served in U.S. Air Force Special Tactics and deployed in 2014 to Paktika Province, Afghanistan, and Baghdad, Iraq. 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. Immediately, Vanessas dad said, Thats not something Vanessa would do, Khawam said. Fort Hood Soldier Vanessa Guillen's family obtains State documents reveal potential motive for Vanessa Guillen murder family For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. "The way that he knew that it was Vanessa was because he described her hair to me. "We got harassed. I wasnt there, they didnt tell me! Cruz saw the woman he planned to marry for the last time on April 19, 2020, three days before she went missing. The repeated calls from Robinson were because she could not find her phone and he was calling to help her locate the device, she told investigators. Robinson fatally shot himself July 1 when authorities confronted him off post, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. "The murderer sexually harassed her and then killed her," the Whistleblower Law Firm attorney, told Military.com in a statement. "She didn't deserve any of that. Complaint: Calumet City Man Believed Connected Guillen went there to confirm serial numbers for weapons. Hightower planned to go hiking with Guillen on Wednesday, April 22, 2020, the day she went missing. U.S. Army officials at Fort Hood today said that there is no evidence that a male soldier who killed himself this week to avoid police capture sexually assaulted 20-year-old Spc. Aguilar helped authorities pinpoint his location so that he could be arrested. The #IAmVanessaGuillen hashtag made its way to lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Aaron David Robinson, 20, who had allegedly walked in on Guillen while she was showering in a locker room and watched. 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 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. They Refused to Fight for Russia. Aguilar's lawyers have filed a motion to throw out the entire case and another motion to suppress the statements officers say she made. They arrived after midnight and Mayra says they were told by the staff sergeant to come back in the morning. Aaron David Robinson. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. In 2020, he had Spc. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 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. 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. She said Army investigators rarely contacted the family before releasing information. Investigators previously had said they suspected foul play related to her disappearance. This statement, however, is inconsistent with the lengths of the calls, the complaint reads. Where is Vanessa Guillens Family Now? - The Cinemaholic Hightower said that at around 10 p.m., he found out that the last person she'd worked with in the arms room was Spc. "It's one of the biggest military reforms in history," Vanessa Guillen's other sister, Lupe Guillen, said. 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? The slain soldiers family has criticized higher ups for the months-long pace of the investigation. 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. Robinson walked Aguilar over to the woods and opened up the box to show her a dead woman inside. Vanessa enlisted in June 2018 andworked as a small-arms/artillery repairer with the 3rd Cavalry Regiment at Fort Hood. 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. Read Next: Military COVID-19 Cases Spike 41% in June, With Upticks in Hotspot States. She told investigators that she and Robinson were together the entire night on April 22. He didnt leave for the rest of the night, except to use a government computer to enroll in training, according to this account. What are cy pres awards and how do they work. Phelps said that at this time there is no credible information that Robinson sexually harassed Guillen, despite claims by the Guillen family lawyer. The post straddles Bell and Coryell counties across 340 square miles of arid scrubland. Investigators later learned Robinson's phone pinged in Belton, Texas, by a bridge near the Leon River, about a 30 minutes away from base in the early morning hours after Vanessa vanished. I was still asleep but I remember she gave me a kiss and she left.". Gen. Gene LeBoeuf told "20/20" in an exclusive interview that there were several factors that threw off the investigation in its early stages. Khawam said Guillen reported her harassment to her family and fellow soldiers at the base. It said it was gonna rain.". But it wasn't too much I can do.". However, U.S. army officials on Thursday would still not release a timeline of the events before and following her disappearance, citing an active investigation. believe that the remains found in Bell County are Guillen's. Authorities on Thursday said 20-year-old Spc. 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." Aaron David Robinson, of Calumet City, Ill., beat Guillen, with a hammer and that her body was later dismembered and burned. Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting. I prayed to God so much, Gloria said. The Calumet City native entered the Army in October 2017 and was a combat engineer. 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. However, they were coworkers, he said. Nothing. I want an investigation into what happened.. 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. "When Houston went on lockdown [for COVID-19], she was really frustrated because the gyms were closed. "Nevertheless, we are still investigating.". ", 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. Robinson allegedly killed Guillen with a hammer in the army base's armory in April 2020. A spokesperson for McCarthy confirmed to Breitbart News that he had not contacted the family: Yes thats correct. "She had suspected it was gonna be a half-day. "He said he didn't talk to her while he was in there. Well, Vanessa was that (perfect) person. Mayra Guillen said last week that much of what the family learned about her younger sisters disappearance was through media reports and news conferences. 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. [Image via Army Criminal Investigative Command], Have a tip we should know? 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. Fort Hood soldier slain, dismembered on post, family attorney The remains have been sent to a forensic anthropologist for analysis, though no official confirmation on the identity of the remains has been completed. We keep demanding a congressional investigation! Robinson and Aguilar uncovered the remains, removed them and burned them again along with their gloves and hairnets. On June 18, two months after Vanessa Guillen vanished, authorities found skeletal remains close to the base in Killeen. ", WATCH: Vanessa Guillen: Remember Her Name. 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. Aaron David Robinson. Every single step!. A box with wheels and handles was already there when she arrived. Heather Osbourne is a reporter for the Austin American-Statesman, part of the USA TODAY Network, reach her at hosbourne@statesman.com. And that's exactly what the criminal investigation is about," LaBoeuf said. "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. McCarthy first tweeted about Guilln in late June two months after her disappearance, and after Guillns murder began gathering national awareness. "We been knowing since when it first happened because nothing makes sense. Aguilar, at the request of law enforcement, placed a controlled telephone call to Robinson wherein he never denied anything they did to Guillen and her body, the complaint reads. Investigators brought a cadaver dog, which signaled that a body might have been thrown in the water. LupeGuilln, 16, slammed McCarthy at a press conference last week for not inviting her to the July 10 meeting. Slain Fort Hood soldier was sexually harassed, but not by The criminal case against Aguilar is ongoing. 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. Im troubled by his lack of compassion to the family and sincerity about meeting with the family, she said. The remains of Spc. We are going to love each other all our lives. They later burned the clothes they were wearing during the process at their home. 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.' Aguilar has been charged with one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence. Phelps would not comment on the allegations made by Khawam that Robinson murdered her because it is still an ongoing investigation. And they were just trying to see my reaction.". It's a nightmare," Cruz said. Aaron Robinson Secretary of the Army where is it? she said. Robinson went missing June 30. U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., will introduce legislation on the House floor next week. 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Sheconfided to her family that it was Robinson. Aaron David Robinson, 20, beat Guillen to death with a hammer on April 22, 2020 in Fort Hood, Texas. Slain Fort Hood soldier was sexually harassed, but not by "As close of friends as we were, she came to us about a lot of different stuff. Lupe Guillen, the sister of Spc. She didn't die because God had a purpose for her. Authorities on Thursday said 20-year-old Spc. She had told me since she was 10 years old that she was going to the Army, since she was 10 years old.. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, an Iraq War veteran, is the Democratic lead sponsor. Partial remains were found in Bell County earlier this week but have not been formally identified as Guillen, prosecutors said. In the last year, her name has become a rallying cry for women's safety and military reform. Authorities have said that Spc. She was supposed to next go to the motor pool, but witnesses there said she never arrived. 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.