After pleading guilty to her role in the murder of US soldier Vanessa Guillén at an Army post in Texas last year, the woman received a sentence of 30 years in jail. Prosecutors announced on Monday that 25-year-old Cecily Aguilar was given the maximum term for her role in helping 20-year-old Army Specialist Aaron Robinson hide Guillen’s body in the woods.
In the year 2020, 20-year-old Guillén was slain at Fort Cavazos, previously Fort Hood, in the vicinity of Killeen, Texas. US Attorney for the Western District of Texas Jaime Esparza released a statement in which he expressed his hope that the Guillen family will feel “a sense of relief and justice” after today’s punishment.
To paraphrase the judge, “Ms. Aguilar’s actions were indefensible, and she will now face the maximum penalty for the choices she made.” Robinson was charged with murder in the death of Guillén.
The tweet below verifies the news:
Texas woman gets 30 years in prison for role in US soldier Vanessa Guillén’s slaying https://t.co/JCertLSj38 pic.twitter.com/zoehJHaCgi
— New York Post (@nypost) August 15, 2023
On July 1, 2020, one day after Guillén’s body was discovered, he took his own life by shooting himself. On November 29, 2022, Aguilar pled guilty to three charges of making false statements and one count of being an accessory after the fact to murder.
Prosecutors claim that Aguilar lied to federal investigators four times and tampered with Robinson’s Google account in addition to hiding the corpse. “We finally have closure in this case,” said Natalie Khawam, the attorney who represents Guillén’s family.
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In April of the year 2020, Guillén was reported missing. The armory at the military post required her presence for a shift. Last year, Army officials reported that before to Guillén’s murder, another soldier had sexually harassed her.
After a scandal-fueled base investigation initiated by Guillén’s death, 21 commissioned and non-commissioned officers were penalized by the Army.
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