"Our agents are working very closely with the Armed Forces Medical Examiner to expedite identification of the remains," Phelps said. Contractors discovered the remains near the Leon River on June 30, 2020, authorities said. IE 11 is not supported. Meanwhile, Cruz and Vanessa's sisters were desperately trying to spread word of her disappearance on their own. The criminal case against Aguilar is ongoing. Aguilars phone was also tracked and revealed she was near the Leon River with Robinson on April 23 and 26. U.S. army officials on Thursday would not say whether Robinson and the woman knew each other, citing an ongoing investigation. We keep demanding a congressional investigation! Follow Breitbart Newss Kristina Wong on Twitteror on Facebook. Trump said he would help her family with funeral expenses and directed the Justice Department and the FBI to investigate what happened to Guillen. Aaron David Robinson, another soldier at Fort Hood, allegedly attacked Guillen, per the Guillen family attorney. Robinsons cell phone then tracked along the Leon River in a northward direction, and remained in the area for roughly two hours. Well, Vanessa was that (perfect) person. After police issued a Be On the Lookout (BOLO) alert for Robinson in July, Robinson fled and killed himself as police approached.Police arrested his girlfriend, Cecily Aguilar, who told police that Robinson had killed Guilln with a hammer in an armory room on base and enlisted her help to bury her body in April. During a news conference, Army Criminal Investigation Command Special Agent Damon Phelps named the now-deceased soldier as Spc. 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. He joined the Army in October 2017, training as a 12B, Combat Engineer. The Guillens said that instead of mourning their loss with family and friends, they plan to grieve in front of cameras and film crews until they believe justice has been served. But Khawam publicly announced what U.S. army officials told the family after the remains were located, according to Army Times. Investigators and volunteers had searched along the Leon River without success. He was hospitable with us, very generous with his time, compassionate and empathetic with the family and me in the Oval Office of the White House.. Vanessa Guillen. Nicole Acevedo is a reporter for NBC News Digital. Authorities said three soldiers accidentally gave Robinson an alibi, leading investigators away from the real killer. Robinson shot himself in the head early Aguilar has been charged with one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence. A review of the call logs showed Robinson contacted Aguilar multiple times on the night Guillen disappeared. The post straddles Bell and Coryell counties across 340 square miles of arid scrubland. 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. Guillns family, along with Khawam, met with Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution 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. And that's what the criminal investigation is seeking answers to as well.". 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. Aaron Robinson, 20, dispose of Spc. The only sad part was that they were protecting the identities and names of the perpetrators," Khawam said. A lot of silence. She said she hoped publicizing such questions would push the Army to answer the familys pleas for transparency. She said she begged her daughter to tell her what was wrong. pic.twitter.com/mWwjiJx4ly. Lupe Guillen, the sister of Spc. Why? He remembered helping her with weightlifting and she helped him work on squats and deadlifts. Then they dismembered this beautiful U.S. soldiers body with a machete. 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.' Landy said he found out his friend's remains had been found from a news article. Aaron David Robinson, 20, died by suicide when authorities made contact with him, according to the Army. After Guillen left, Robinson finished his work and went to his off-post residence that he shared with Aguilar, he told Army CID agents during an April 28 interview. Military investigators said Guillen was bludgeoned with a hammer. How would Robinson be able to commit the perfect murder in 43 minutes? 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. The Guillen family said Vanessa told other soldiers at Fort Hood that she was being sexually harassed. "But, I guess, apparently I'm kind of funny sometimes, and she'd crack up all the time. 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. Efflandt on Thursday added that he personally invited a team to the post earlier in the week to inspect its Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention program, or SHARP. Robinson that we didn't know about? rights reserved. Cecily Aguilar, 22, helped Spc. Guillen went there to confirm serial numbers for weapons. 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.. On July 30, Khawam and the family will push for a law to allow a third-party investigative team to look into reports of sexual harassment within the military. 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. He told investigators that he and Guillen exchanged paperwork for a .50 caliber machine gun that needed to be serviced and she left the arms room. Committee votes on major defense policy bill expected in May, Military families share workout with first lady Jill Biden, US conducts first evacuation of its citizens from Sudan war, Ukrainian drones strike Crimea oil depot, Russian official says, Army identifies 3 soldiers killed in Alaska helicopter crash, Understanding the role of artificial intelligence, Mark Kitz keynote speech at the C4ISRNET conference, The latest on software, data and artificial intelligence, Army grounds helicopter fleet for force-wide safety stand down, Army fielding new tactical feedback tool with fitness program features, Former NFLer, Ranger draws comparisons between NFL, military training, Three dead after two Apache helicopters collide in Alaska. Investigators brought a cadaver dog, which signaled that a body might have been thrown in the water. She said Robinson could have lied to his girlfriend about why he killed Guillen. She disappeared in April. ", 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. 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. ", Hightower told Landy that Vanessa was missing. The Guillen family's lawyer is pushing for the evidence to be published to see if any more information could be gleaned from Robinson's final moments. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Goodnight,'" he said. Cecily Aguilar, 22, a civilian, told investigators Robinson asked her to help hide a body. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about Authorities have said that Spc. Army officials identify two suspects in case of missing Fort Hood soldier, Partial remains were found in Bell County earlier this week. The Army said Wednesday they promoted Private First Class Guillen, 20, to specialist due to her time in service. Robinson walked Aguilar over to the woods and opened up the box to show her a dead woman inside. The family does not accept the Armys explanation for a motive. Landy said that because Robinson was the last person to be seen with her, a superior asked Robinson "in front of everybody" about their last interaction. Vanessa Guillen. Cecily Aguilar, 22, of Killeen, was charged with one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence. "The way that he knew that it was Vanessa was because he described her hair to me. We were always fighting, but thats sisterhood. McCarthy first tweeted about Guilln in late June two months after her disappearance, and after Guillns murder began gathering national awareness. Aaron David Robinson, beat Guillen to death with a hammer the morning of April 22. This led investigators to search away from the actual scene of the crime. Robinson consented to a search of his cell phone the next day. I was just checking, but nothing. 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. Aguilar helped law enforcement locate Robinson in the city of Killeen. 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. So, I feel like they should've came to that conclusion way earlier than they had. But it was not so much for harassment; it was for harassment, but there is something more, she continued. "It's so important because it will bring the help my sister never obtained, it will bring the voice my sister never had.". According to court records, Robinson admitted to Aguilar that he moved Guillens body from Fort Hood to a remote site in Bell County. Vanessa Guillen, who has been missing from the Texas post since April. Immediately, Vanessas dad said, Thats not something Vanessa would do, Khawam said. But, prior to that, there's no evidence whatsoever that Spc. Robinson, 20, also allegedly enlisted Aguilar who recognized Guillen to help him get rid of her body at a remote site in Bell County, near Fort Hood. 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. Investigators discovered human remains which had been buried and covered in concrete. Phelps denied allegations that Robinson was Guillen's superior, adding he was in "no way" in Guillen's line of command. ", Time magazine unveils list of '100 Most Influential People', SF apartment residents recap ordeal with days-long power outage, CA influencer convicted of lying about kids' attempted kidnapping: DA. Investigators previously had said they suspected foul play related to her disappearance. 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. No one else is family for Vanessa! 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. "While law enforcement agencies attempted to make contact with the suspect in Killeen, Texas, Specialist Robinson reportedly displayed a weapon and took his own life," said Phelps. 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. And he was around us, too. It is unclear whether the person who harassed Guillen will be prosecuted at this time. 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.. ", He added that the Army cannot release his name "for the matter of privacy" and is "part of the investigation and the process.". 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. In 2020, he had 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.. While Guillens family and their attorney, Natalie Khawam, say the remains found near the river are likely that of the missing soldier, U.S. army officials at Fort Hood on Thursday said the remains had yet to be identified. Aaron David Robinson, 20, beat Guillen to death with a hammer on April 22, 2020 in Fort Hood, Texas. "They said the whole room was painted in red, Khawam said. Fort Hood is the largest active duty armoured unit post in the U.S. military, according to the posts website. "I was like, 'About time they said it,'" Cruz said. 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. Just why?" "We got harassed. Aaron David Robinson, who was assigned to A. 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. Pablo Saezsaid, according to CNN on Saturday. "Can you try to investigate even further as to why this was committed? Authorities on Thursday said 20-year-old Spc. Damon Phelps, the lead investigator for the military, claimed that the alleged killer, They later burned the clothes they were wearing during the process at their home. The last time she texted me was that morning, and she just sent a screenshot with the weather. More:Civilian searcher says Army overlooked evidence after Vanessa Guillen's death. At that time, I suspected something was up. Reports of suicide are The identification of the human remains recovered is still pending. Aaron David Robinson, who was assigned to A. ", Betavious "Tay" Hightower was another one of Guillen's "closest friends," he said. The remains have been sent to a forensic anthropologist for analysis, though no official confirmation on the identity of the remains has been completed. Jessica Priest is an investigative reporter for USA TODAY, reach her at [email protected]. She would be like, 'Let me carry you so I can do squats,'" said Cruz. I want an investigation into what happened.. Army officials said on Tuesday that they found partial human remains near the Leon River about 30 miles outside Fort Hood. 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. "After subsequent investigation, another allegation of verbal harassment involving the same individual was discovered. I wasnt there, they didnt tell me! When they spoke to Aguilar, investigators said she claimed he was calling that night because she couldn't find her phone. Morales had been listed as a deserter, but now the Army says foul play is suspected. However, Maj. Gen. Scott Efflandt and Phelps on Thursday said there is still no evidence linking sexual harassment to Guillens disappearance. -- Matthew Cox can be reached at [email protected]. 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. He acknowledged that agents uncovered statements on May 7 that could be considered sexual harassment. During a news conference, Army Criminal Investigation Command Special Agent Damon Phelps named the now-deceased soldier as Spc. The motive for the alleged murder was not described in the complaint. Aaron David Robinson. Cecily Aguilar, 22, was charged in connection to the disappearance of Spc. This pretty much gave an instant alibi to the suspect.