Texas Woman in Vanessa Guillen Case Gets 30 Years

 A Texas woman was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Monday for her involvement in disposing of the body of a U.S. soldier, whose murder in 2020 triggered a movement of women speaking up about sexual abuse in the military and led to changes in the reporting process.

Cecily Aguilar, the sole suspect arrested in the killing of Vanessa Guillén, received the maximum penalty after pleading guilty in November at a federal court in Waco, Texas. She admitted to one count of being an accessory to murder after the fact and three counts of making false statements.

The sentencing followed hours of testimony from lawyers, experts, and Guillén's family. Jaime Esparza, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas, stated that this was the maximum punishment Aguilar could receive.

Esparza expressed, "Our hope is that today’s sentence brings a sense of relief and justice to the Guillén family, who have endured such pain throughout these past few years."

Aguilar assisted her boyfriend, Army Spc. Aaron Robinson, in dismembering and disposing of Guillén's body in a wooded area near the base. Robinson died by suicide on July 1, 2020, the same day Guillén's remains were discovered.

Attorney Natalie Khawam, who represents Guillén's family, stated, "We finally have closure in this case."

During the trial, a psychologist testified that Aguilar had reactive attachment disorder, which affects emotional bonding with parents or caregivers. The psychologist clarified that this condition would not absolve Aguilar from understanding right from wrong.

Aguilar's attorney, Lewis Gainor, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Guillén went missing in April 2020, prompting her family to raise concerns when they didn't hear from her after a military base armory shift.

According to a criminal complaint, Aguilar confessed to helping Robinson dispose of Guillén's body by mutilating it and hiding the remains in nearby woods. Although Aguilar initially pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges, a judge rejected her legal team's attempt to dismiss her confession, citing her Miranda rights.

Guillén's family believed she faced sexual harassment during her time at the Texas military base. While Army officials denied Robinson's harassment of Guillén, they later acknowledged in a report that another soldier at the base had harassed her.

Following Guillén's death, her family's claims of harassment and assault at the Texas base spurred a social media movement among former and active service members, using the hashtag #IAmVanessaGuillen, to share their experiences at military bases across the nation.

Then-U.S. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy visited the Texas base and revealed it had high rates of murder, sexual assault, and harassment. He attributed these patterns of violence to leadership failures.

In 2021, state and federal lawmakers passed legislation in honor of Guillén, which curtailed some commanders' authority and provided survivors with more avenues to report abuse and harassment. Additionally, 21 commissioned and non-commissioned officers faced disciplinary action in connection with Guillén's death.