what happened to vanessa guillen

Vanessa Guillen was a 20-year-old U.S. Army specialist who went missing on April 22, 2020, from Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos) in Texas. She was last seen in the parking lot of her unit's headquarters. After an extensive search, partial human remains were found on June 30, 2020, near the Leon River, which were later confirmed to be hers. Vanessa had reported being sexually harassed but feared reporting it formally. Her murder was committed by another soldier, Aaron David Robinson, who bludgeoned her to death in an armory room on the base. Robinson then dismembered and buried her remains. He killed himself when law enforcement attempted to arrest him. Cecily Aguilar, who was Robinson's girlfriend and helped hide Vanessa's body, pleaded guilty to accessory charges and false statements, and in August 2023, she was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Vanessa Guillen's tragic death brought significant attention to issues of sexual harassment and assault in the U.S. military, prompting reforms in how such cases are handled on military bases.