Its impossible.. Investigators and volunteers had searched along the Leon River without success. 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. pic.twitter.com/mWwjiJx4ly. When they spoke to Aguilar, investigators said she claimed he was calling that night because she couldn't find her phone. -- Matthew Cox can be reached at [email protected]. While there, he was allowed to talk on his cell phone to Aguilar, who was with investigators and agreed to let them record the calls. (Steve Gonzales/Houston Chronicle via AP). Army investigatorstold the family they found blood residue splattered throughout the armory room, which would have happened when Robinson killed Guillen with a hammer, Khawam said. Heather Osbourne is a reporter for the Austin American-Statesman, part of the USA TODAY Network, reach her at [email protected]. In 2020, he had She reports, writes and produces stories for NBC Latino and NBCNews.com. Slain Fort Hood soldier was sexually harassed, but not by Vanessa Guillen. Army investigators repeatedly denied detaining any other suspects. She was murdered, inside one of the Army's largest military installations. 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. Robinson and Guillen were both members of the 3rd Cavalry Regiments engineer squadron, though they were assigned to different troops. Investigators suspect a fellow soldier, Spc. Aguilar was charged later in the afternoon with one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence. That brought me a bit of peace to my heart. Aaron David Robinson. Aaron David Robinson, who was assigned to A. "She didn't talk to too many people," Landy told "20/20." Authorities on Thursday said 20-year-old Spc. Special Agent Damon Phelps with the U.S. army Criminal Investigation Command on Thursday said a second suspect also was arrested this week. Red Table Talk: Vanessa Guillen's Mother Says Her Killer Did And it's like we could have did something, but we didn't know.". Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. The Guillen family wants more answers, too. In 2007, a 25-year-old soldier was found dead of dehydration and hyperthermia four days after he disappeared during a solo training exercise testing on map-reading and navigation skills. Robinson, who was supposed to be confined to a barracks room on Fort Hood, secretly left post on the night of June 30. Just why?" Have a tip or story idea? soldiers disappearance Robinson was a suspect in Guillen's disappearance, but he "was not involved" in the separate investigation looking into the sexual harassment allegations, said Phelps. "We will release information on those remains as soon as we can and after notification is made with the next of kin.". Justice will be done.. Robinson died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound when approached by law enforcement on Tuesday, according to Killeen police. We've received your submission. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Civilian charged in plot to dismember and hide remains of Fort Hood Aaron David Robinson, a 20-year-old Army Specialist, was identified as the person of interest in the case of Vanessa Guilln, also a 20-year-old Fort Hood soldier who disappeared in April. Vanessa Guillen, said she has not heard from Governor Abbott or the Secretary of the Army following the death of her sister. The pile went 3 feet into the ground and the dirt was fresh, but investigators did not find any human remains, said Tim Miller, who helped lead the search with his organization EquuSearch. Because they are alive, and my girl is not. Guillen's loved ones say she had always been a fitness fanatic. Guilln told her family before she went missing that she had been sexually harassed by fellow soldiers, including by Spc. Lupe Guillen, the sister of Spc. On May 18, two witnesses said that on the day of Guillens disappearance, they observed Robinson pulling a large tough box,' with wheels, that appeared very heavy out of the armory where he worked. They eventually identified the remains as missing Fort Hood soldier Gregory Morales, who'd gone missing in August 2019, almost a year prior. 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. As an infant, Vanessa wasintubated,clinging to life at a hospital. Vanessa Guillens body along the Leon River, about 30 miles from Fort Hood, after she was killed on April 22, the complaint alleged. The criminal case against Aguilar is ongoing. Robinson added that he returned to Fort Hood at 6:30 p.m. on the day of Guillens disappearance to use a government computer to enroll in training. Fort Hood soldier slain, dismembered on post, family attorney says Law & Crime "They said the whole room was painted in red, Khawam said. During a news conference, Army Criminal Investigation Command Special Agent Damon Phelps named the now-deceased soldier as Spc. ", Authorities said the investigation on Guillen's disappearance remains ongoing and that they will continue to be careful about the information being shared in order to avoid "an impact on prosecution and charges.". On April 22, a witness saw Guillen leave the armory where she was working to visit a separate armory controlled by Robinson, the complaint stated. Dismembered human remains believed to be Guillen's were found in a shallow grave about 30 miles east of the Fort Hood base this week. 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", 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. permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. Robinsons cell phone then tracked along the Leon River in a northward direction, and remained in the area for roughly two hours. "Three separate soldiers had indicated that they had seen Specialist Vanessa Guillen departing the arms room and moving towards a motor pool area where vehicles are maintained." According to court records, Robinson admitted to Aguilar that he moved Guillens body from Fort Hood to a remote site in Bell County. The soldier worked in an adjacent building from where Specialist Guillen worked, said Army Criminal Investigation Command Special Agent Damon Phelps. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. He remembered helping her with weightlifting and she helped him work on squats and deadlifts. 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. Check out Bay Area safety tracker, Bay Area Life; Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7, Allie Yang, Denise Martinez-Ramundo, Natalie Cardenas, and Chris Kilmer. "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. When Gloria Guillen spoke publicly to the media about her daughter's sexual harassment, the case exploded onto the national news scene. I am not nervous to talk with him because this needs to stop, she said. "They just told me, 'We did find the partial human remains.' Daryl Fields, spokesman for the U.S. attorneys office,said he could not provide answers to the list of questions: Thank you for your latest inquiry, but our office is not commenting on this investigation beyond the information provided in the federal criminal complaint., She didnt have to go to war to die, she had to die here at the hands of those wretches, Gloria Guillen said. Robinson, who had been in the Army since 2017, worked in the same Regimental Engineer Squadron as Guillen. Investigators spoke to Robinson again and he let them search his phone. This is the lawsuit. Gloria Guillen, along with her daughters, drove to Killeen the night of April 22 because Vanessa had not returned phone calls or text messages the entire day. His death is still under investigation. Every minute that passes is killing me inside, slowly.". Authorities accused Robinsons girlfriend, Cecily Aguilar, 22, of Killeen, Texas, of helping him dismember, burn and bury Guillens body about 20 miles away from the post. Aguilar has been charged with one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence. Phelps said investigators are aware Guillen's family members made statements early on to the media concerning sexual harassment allegations. "It's one of the biggest military reforms in history," Vanessa Guillen's other sister, Lupe Guillen, said. Hightower said that at around 10 p.m., he found out that the last person she'd worked with in the arms room was Spc. Earlier Thursday, Phelps said that Robinson died by suicide early Wednesday after fleeing Fort Hood the night before. "We are still investigating their interactions, but at this point, there is no credible information of reports that Spc. Aguilar helped authorities pinpoint his location so that he could be arrested. "As close of friends as we were, she came to us about a lot of different stuff. The team also is charged with identifying any potentially systemic issues with the SHARP program at Fort Hood, as well as any resource constraints.. Later that night, Army investigators questioned Aguilar, they say she admitted that Robinson had told her he killed Vanessa Guillen and that she saw her remains in the tough box that he had carted out of the arms room, where he told her he killed Guillen. Contractors discovered the remains near the Leon River on June 30, 2020, authorities said. Guillns family, along with Khawam, met with Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday. Khawam said the family told her that Guillen had planned to file a harassment complaint against Robinson the day after she was killed, and HOUSTON -- Vanessa Guillen will forever be 20 years old, engaged but will never be married. WebAaron David Robinson, 20, is a victim of a massive sex trafficking scandal in Killeen, Texas, beyond the borders. If convicted, Aguilar faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Authorities said three soldiers accidentally gave Robinson an alibi, leading investigators away from the real killer. "There was one time they brought me in and they were asking questions: have I ever found her attractive, and have I ever tried her? Robinson texted Aguilar pictures of news articles that reported about how law enforcement had found human remains near the Leon River, later saying over the phone, baby they found pieces, they found pieces, the complaint reads. A box with wheels and handles was already there when she arrived. Sheconfided to her family that it was Robinson. "However, all sexual harassment allegations are being investigated, as they are in every other instance.". Guillen went there to confirm serial numbers for weapons. Bell County Jail records online show Aguilar was charged Wednesday with tampering or fabricating physical evidence with the intent to impair a human corpse, a second degree felony. On June 18, two months after Vanessa Guillen vanished, authorities found skeletal remains close to the base in Killeen. 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. Vanessa Guillen, 20, also say that authorities failed to properly address her claims of facing sexual abuse. 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.' Cruz saw the woman he planned to marry for the last time on April 19, 2020, three days before she went missing. Soldiers were tasked with watching Robinson in shifts. "[The] first error was with respect to eye witness reports," LeBoeuf said. Robinson and his girlfriend allegedly tried to destroy and conceal Guillens body, according to the attorney. Aaron Robinson, 20, dispose of Spc. Cecily Aguilar, 22, of Killeen, was charged with one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence. We need to know exactly why it happened. The Army said Wednesday they promoted Private First Class Guillen, 20, to specialist due to her time in service. 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. Kyle Rempfer was an editor and reporter who has covered combat operations, criminal cases, foreign military assistance and training accidents. Robinson was confined to his barracks around the time of the discovery, but he fled and died by suicide, authorities said. Vanessa's mother Gloria Guillen said that her daughter had confided in her that she was being sexually harassed at Fort Hood but that she didn't report it due to fear of retribution and retaliation. After a search began, police obtained Guillens phone records and saw that the last outgoing text message from her phone was to Robinsons cell phone. KILLEEN, TEXASU.S. rights reserved. Khawam said she was told Robinson and his unnamed girlfriend were having an affair and that he called the woman to confess he had killed Guillen with a hammer. Authorities argued Robinson wheeled Guillens body out of an arms room with a large tough box, and got the help of his girlfriend Cecily Ann Aguilar, 24, in burning the body. However, officials did say the woman was a civilian and the estranged wife of a former Fort Hood soldier. You know how frustrating it was for me to not be there? They Refused to Fight for Russia. The Guillen sisters in unison agreed that the investigators explanation was wrong. 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. The Austin American-Statesman and USA TODAY attempted over a two-week period to speak with investigators from the Army, the FBI and Killeen police to verify Khawam and the Guillen familys accounts of what took placebut did not receive a response or were told no comment.. Suspect in Fort Hood soldier case kills self, 2nd suspect jailed after A guard gave chase but Robinson was able to get into a car and leave the base. U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., will introduce legislation on the House floor next week. It is claimed that he did so after she found out he was having an affair with a married woman, Cecily Aguilar, when she saw a picture of the woman on his phone. SEE RELATED STORY: Army officials reveal new details in Vanessa I wasnt there, they didnt tell me! 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. Together, they dismembered the body using a hatchet and a machete-type knife, the complained alleged. 'I Am Vanessa Guillen': Who Was Aaron Robinson and What The Law Did Not Treat Them Kindly. Im troubled by his lack of compassion to the family and sincerity about meeting with the family, she said. Vanessa Guillen also spoke about it with her friends. "I was like, 'About time they said it,'" Cruz said. All At 10:23 a.m., Guillen sent a text message confirming the serial number of a machine gun. 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.. Martin said she went to the arms room, where she left her bank card, her ID card and the keys to her barracks room and car. We drove the route she [would] usually run up the road on base which was 2 miles away from the barracks. Vanessa Guillen suffered mental anguish, fear, emotional distress, physical injury, and death as a result of sexual harassment, rape, sodomy, and physical assault., Nothing is going to bring her back, Vanessas sisterMayra Guillen said, according to KHOU. Morales had been listed as a deserter, but now the Army says foul play is suspected. ", He added that the Army cannot release his name "for the matter of privacy" and is "part of the investigation and the process.". 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. Morales, a 24-year-old who also used the last name Wedel before his marriage, was last heard from on Aug. 20, 2019. Goodnight,'" he said. Did my girl have to die? Two months after Vanessa Guillen's disappearance, leadership at Fort Hood held a press conference where they announced that investigators believed that foul play was involved in her disappearance. "We believe he murdered her because he was going to report him. ", Maj. Gen. Gene LeBoeuf, Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army Forces Command, however, insisted that "Specialist Robinson was a person of interest early on in the investigation. Aguilar helped law enforcement locate Robinson in the city of Killeen. Investigators discovered human remains which had been buried and covered in concrete. 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. Fort Hood Soldier Vanessa Guillen's family obtains Army officials also stressed repeatedly at the news conference that there is "no credible information" that Guillen was the victim of sexual harassment or assault.
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