Vanessa Guillen was an Army private, who deserved more respect than she got, her sister Lupe said at a press conference in July after Guillen was found murdered two months after she went missing. She was just 20 years old.
According to People, Guillen’s family is now calling for a congressional investigation because the Army reportedly lied to them multiple times after she vanished when they attempted to get answers around her sexual abuse claims. “They lied to our faces every single day … which is more than two months,” Lupe said during the press conference.
And although authorities have not come forward with a possible motive for Guillen’s death, her family has claimed that she talked about being sexually harassed by her sergeant but had been afraid to report it. “They didn’t respect my sister.”
“They didn’t keep my sister safe. They’re always trying to cover up for each other,” Vanessa’s sister said.
Attorney Natalie Khawam told People that she believes Guillen was sexually harassed by her alleged killer 20-year-old Army Specialist Aaron Robinson. According to Khawam, it is believed that he followed her into the shower once and the incident “creeped” her out, KHOU reports.
It wasn’t until June of this year that the Army opened up an investigation into the allegations. However, after the 20-year-old’s remains were found on June 30, Robinson committed suicide the following day on July 1.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by People, the Army private was killed in the armory room at Fort Hood. It’s where Guillen, a small arms repairer with the 3rd Cavalry Regiment, worked and where her identification, wallet, and car keys were found on April 22. Investigators believe she was beaten to death with a hammer.
The criminal complaint names 22-year-old Cecily Aguilar as suspect as well. Aguilar reported told investigators that Robinson placed Guillen’s body in a storage case after killing her. She also said that after going home that night he returned to move the body.
Both she and Robinson then reportedly took the body to a bridge near the Leon River, cut her body up, and set it on fire. “When the body didn’t burn completely, the couple put the remains in three separate holes and covered them,” People reports. Her remains weren’t found until June 30.
Aguilar has since been charged with one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence. She remains in custody. It’s unclear when she will appear before a judge.
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“My sister deserved respect,” Lupe added. “She deserves to be heard. Because, if this could happen to my sister, it could happen to anyone else.”
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