The family of slain Texas soldier Vanessa Guillen, 20, is calling for a congressional investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
In an interview Friday on “America’s Newsroom” with host Alicia Acuna, attorney Natalie Khawam said that the “system” had failed Guillen and that protocols were breached when Guillen – who had been missing since April – was murdered allegedly at the hands of another soldier on the same Texas military installation where they served.
SPC. VANESSA GUILLEN, MISSING FOR HOOD SOLDIER, WAS MURDERED AND BODY HACKED TO PIECES, ATTORNEY SAYS
“The person who was sexually harassing her basically did what we were all fearing and he killed her. He murdered her while she was working on base in the armory room and he mutilated her body,” she stated. “And, we learned all [of] this a couple [of] nights ago from the CID and they told us the horrific chain of events that occurred.”
Guillen was allegedly killed on April 22, the same day she went missing, by Spc. Aaron David Robinson inside an armory room where she was working on Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas.
Guillen and Robinson, also 20, were both assigned to the 3rd Cavalry Regiment’s engineer squadron but were on different troops. Guillen was promoted from private first class to specialist on Wednesday due to her time in service.
Cecily Anne Aguilar, 22. (Bell County Sheriff’s Department)
According to the Army Criminal Investigation Command, Robinson attacked Guillen with a hammer and then dismembered her with a machete.
In addition, Robinson allegedly had his married girlfriend Cecily Anne Aguilar, 22, help bury Guillen’s body. Aguilar was arrested Wednesday and charged with second-degree felony tampering/fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair a human corpse. She also faces a federal conspiracy to tamper with evidence charge.
Robinson fled Fort Hood late Tuesday and fatally shot himself Wednesday morning as authorities closed in on him, according to Killeen police.
Partial human remains suspected to be Guillen’s were found Tuesday near the Leon River, about 26 miles east of the base. A medical examiner in Dallas still was working to identify the remains.
Mayra Guillen described her sister Vanessa as a “very sweet,” “humble,” “generous” and active person.
“She was always into running the track, playing soccer. She was always [into] anything that was physical activity,” she recalled.
“She decided to join the Army ever since right out of high school. She had the idea when she was about 10 years old. She wanted to defend the country, defend us, take care of her family,” she told Acuna.
Mayra added that her sister had spoken to their mother and her best friend about sexual misconduct prior to her death, but that she was afraid to speak out to her superiors.
“The way I see it is helping you go ask for help to the person [who was] causing the problem,” she explained.
Army CID Senior Special Agent Damon Phelps said no evidence has yet been found to substantiate the claims.
“The congressional investigation would be our way, our only avenue, to find out answers as to how the protocol was breached. How there was no evidence, any surveillance, any videos, [and] any witnesses,” Khawam added.
“For example, she was bludgeoned to death in the armory room. No one heard her screaming? No one saw the blood?” she asked.
“There [seem] to be a lot of holes in this case. How is it that there was an ability to kill someone and no one saw anything, no one knew anything? They denied the warrant, the affidavit for a warrant to detain him,” Khawam concluded.
