McLENNAN COUNTY, Texas (FOX 44) – Cecily Ann Aguilar, the last surviving person charged in connection with the death of Vanessa Guillen, was scheduled to appear for sentencing in U.S. District Court in Waco on Monda before Judge Alan D. Albright.
She had been scheduled to be sentenced on charges of Tampering with Evidence back in March, but that was delayed after a motion for a continuance of the sentencing was filed.
Aguilar entered a guilty plea to four lesser charges connected to the murder of U.S. Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen. She appeared before Judge Jeffrey C. Manske in November 2022 where she admitted to being an accessory after the fact and making false statements to law enforcement.
Guillen disappeared in April 2020 after meeting with Specialist Aaron Robinson in an arms room on Fort Hood. Guilen’s body was found in July 2020. Robinson later killed himself when confronted by authorities about Guill
en’s disappearance. Aguilar was facing eleven counts connected to Guillen`s murder including Tampering with Documents and Conspiracy to Tamper with Documents and Proceedings.
According to a report released in April 2021, investigators say Guillen was sexually harassed and reported it on two separate occasions creating a hostile environment. They say Guillen`s leaders failed to take appropriate action, and that the allegations were not moved up the chain of command. Investigators also say Robinson did not harass Guillen but that he did sexually harass another soldier between April 2019 to September 2019.
According to the report, the Acting Senior Commander of Fort Hood misjudged the significance of Spc. Guillen`s disappearance, and he was overly reluctant to engage the media misjudging how big of an event it would become.
By the time Fort Hood reversed course, the investigators say the post lost the trust of the Guillen Family and damaged the trust, confidence, and reputation of Fort Hood and the U.S. Army.