Vanessa Guillen was smart, dedicated, and worked hard in her school career. She would often get upset with her youngest sister when she wouldn't take her schoolwork seriously and go out of her way to make sure it was completed and corrected. Vanessa was a phenomenal friend and perfect daughter. During my research, there wasn't anything bad that was ever said about her. Her only mistake was deciding (even after her mom disagreed) to enlist in the army. She was born in Ben Taub Hospital in Houston on September30, 1999, to parents Rogelio and Gloria Guillén, who originated from Zacatecas State in Mexico. She had five siblings. Guillén attended Hartman Middle School and according to her family, graduated from César E. Chávez High School in 2018 in the top 15% of her class. She played soccer, loved to jog, and enjoyed sports and learning. Guillén joined the United States Army in June 2018 and trained as a 91F, Small Arms and Artillery Repairer. Guillén was posthumously advanced from Private First Class to the rank of Specialist on July1, 2020. She enlisted in high school before she turned 18. She was from a family of immigrants, but wanted to serve the country that she called home,
Vanessa and her family resided in Houston, Texas and was very tightknit. Her mother was super upset when Vanessa told her, after the fact, that she had already enlisted. It would turn out to be the worst decision she could have made. Unbeknownst to her or her family.
Before Vanessa disappeared, she had confided in her mother, sister and on social media that the "Army was BS", "not what she was expecting or told it would be". She also told her mother that she had been sexually harassed by not one, but TWO of her supervisors! Vanessa stated that one had said in Spanish to er " something about a threesome". Her mother was appalled (as any mother would be) and advised Vanessa that she needs to speak with a higher up and turn these men in. Vanessa confided that she was afraid to speak to anyone and had no interest in stirring the pot. She also stated that there was like a "mafia" there and the sexual harassment was rampant amongst all genders and races. Even men. No one was exempt. In 2019, Vanessa actually reported her sexual assaults. And of course, nothing was ever done.
Vanessa was last seen around 1:00 p.m. on April 22, 2020, in the parking lot of her unit, the Regimental Engineer Squadron Headquarters of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment (3CR). Her car keys, identification card, bank card, and barracks key were found inside the armory where she worked. Guillén's family felt she disappeared under suspicious circumstances. She was not answering any text messages and the messages were not even being read. When Vanessa's family called her supervisor, he claimed that he had not seen her since lunchtime and was not aware that she was missing. Seems like to me he just didn't give a shit. I will get into how terrible Ft. Hood is in a little bit. It took two weeks for the Army to even begin the search efforts for Vanessa.
Since her family was not getting any information and no return calls, Vanessa's sister and boyfriend decided to travel the distance to Kileen, Texas where the base was located. This was within 24 hours of Vanessa going missing. The Military Police, when asked, acted as if they didn't know anything and it was obvious, they didn't give a shit. Let's pause here and talk about the shit hole that is Ft. Hood.
Here are some facts that I found out in my research of this cesspool:
Ft. Hood is known as "The Career Killer". This is the place that makes what the military calls "Lifers" or someone that wants their entire career to be in the military, to either not reenlist or worse, commit suicide or acts against the rules to get the hell out. I spoke with a good friend of mine who was a military wife and stationed with her husband at Ft Hood. The number of suicides that came from that base is APALLING! No one should ever feel so scared. miserable, or disrespected in their job that they feel the need to end their own life to get out. These are men and women who offered to step into the army and put their own lives on the line for Americans to be free.
2. When the search FINALLY began for Vanessa, 27 other bodies were found on base. 27. Soldiers that were deemed AWOL, soldiers that had been suicidal, and some we have no clue how they died. Maybe murder, maybe sexual assault and violence.
3. Do you know that most women found dead or who were sexually assaulted were mostly Hispanic and African American. I have no doubt that Caucasian women were a part of this as well, but it seems to me during my research, more brown and black women were targeted.
4. When watching the documentary on Netflix, it was mentioned that a "mafia" type clique was surrounding ft Hood and helping things to " disappear, be swept under the rug, and covered up".
5. When Vanessa went missing, the CID (Criminal Investigations Division) was very short staffed and no one in the CID had more than 3 years' experience. Hmmm...wonder why? Did they like keeping their investigations department out of the know and not too smart OR could they not keep anyone due to the environment, possible blackmail, and threats? I guess we just won't know.
After Vanessa's boyfriend and sister went to the base ad realized that nothing would be done to look for her or recover her, Vanessa's mother had enough and drove to the base as well. Her mother stated in the documentary that as soon as she stepped out of the car and on the base, she stated " This town smells like death." My friend/informant that I interviewed stated that as soon as she and her husband went there, she could feel something off. Which she later described as pure evil. After not getting anywhere, the family decided to protest. Thy were not going to leave and they were not going to give up until Vanessa was home. So let us go back to what happened the day that Vanessa vanished. This event occurred right at the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic. All soldiers were sent home to stay, and they would be called if they needed to come in. That day, Vanessa received a text message asking her to come in as she was needed. She drove to the armory and from there she was never seen alive again. The man she was working with that day, "Robinson" (soldiers are often called by their last names) claims that he sent her to the motor pool, and she never returned. What a fucking lying asshole he is. The CID stated they never found proof of sexual assault but stated that "foul play" was involved.
Before I begin by telling you what happened to Vanessa, please note that there is only assumptions and the testimony of Robinson's then girlfriend Cecily Aguilar, which is not reliable considering after all was said and done, she tried to recant her story. According to Aguilar and the CID, it is believed that while Vanessa and Robinson were working that day, she saw his phone and the background photo was of Cecily Aguilar. Note that both Robinson and Aguilar were married. It is believed that Vanessa saw the photo and she threatened to tell on them both. Robinson then picked up a hammer and began to bash her head with it. Now, let me tell you why I REALLY do not believe this theory. Vanessa was not that type of person by any account I have seen or heard about her. She wasn't a tattle-tell type. Why would she even care what was going on behind closed doors if it didn't involve her??? My theory is that Robinson was coming on to her. He was attempting to sexually assault her, and she was fighting him back. He then decided enough is enough and bludgeoned her to death with the hammer. What we do know is that somehow, he managed to clean up the scene, and we know due to the weapon and where she was hit, there must have been a large amount of blood. Did Aguilar help him clean it up? Or did the base help me clean and cover it up? I guess we will never know.
He then put Vanessa's body in a truck located inside the armory and drove it out of the base. What we do know is that Robinson confessed to Aguilar that he had killed a woman at Ft Hood and needed help disposing of the body. According to Aguilar, they chopped Vanessa's body up into pieces, burned it, and then they buried her on the side of a road. I have never understood why someone chooses to burn body parts or bodies. It is sick and gross abuse of a corpse.
The authorities said that more than 300 interviews and over 10,000 hours were spent investigating Guillén's disappearance. Whoever believes this shit, Raise your hand. I'll wait.....no one? Yea, I don't believe it either.
On the evening of June 30, Robinson escaped the custody of an unarmed guard from his unit and fled Fort Hood after hearing the news of the discovery of remains. He had been detained by his unit at the request of a CID agent under the pretense of violating COVID-19 quarantine rules. In the early hours of July 1, Killeen police located and attempted to make contact with Robinson, who produced a handgun and killed himself before he could be taken into custody. What a little bitch.
Aguilar was arrested by Texas Rangers and held at the Bell County Jail. On July 2, Bell County officials stated Aguilar would be transferred to federal custody due to being charged with one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence by the United States Attorney's Office Western District of Texas. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Frazier and Greg Gloff are prosecuting the case on behalf of the federal government.
Timeline of events:
April 22, 2020: According to law enforcement, Guillén is murdered with a hammer inside an armory by Robinson, who then uses a trunk to remove her body from Fort Hood and gets help from Aguilar in dismembering the remains before burying them along the Leon River.[2]
April 23: CID was notified by a commissioned officer in the 3CR Provost Marshal that then-PFC Guillén was reported missing.
April 24: CID issues a missing soldier letter for Guillen.[28] Fort Hood Military Police issue a Be on the Lookout (BOLO) advisory to surrounding law enforcement agencies. Military personnel along with civilian and military police began a search.
April 26: According to law enforcement tracking of cellphone data, Robinson and Aguilar return to the Leon River site and further break down Guillén's remains.
April 28: CID interviews Robinson for the first time.
April 30: Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy makes the following statement in a COVID-19 press briefing: "I'd like to start out this morning by talking about a missing soldier, Private First-Class Vanessa Guillen, in hopes of increasing the public's awareness and assistance in finding her. Private First Class Guillen went missing on April 22 from Fort Hood, Texas. In concert with local law enforcement efforts, the Army will continue aggressively searching for her. Our hearts go out to her family, and we will not stop looking for her until we find her."[29]
May 18: Two witnesses are interviewed who observed Robinson struggling with a "tough box" outside of the armory.
May 19: Robinson consents to a search of his cell phone by law enforcement using a Universal Forensic Extraction Device product.
June 19: Aguilar is interviewed for the first time.
June 21: Cell phone data from both Robinson and Aguilar lead law enforcement officials to an area near the Leon River. Law enforcement officials locate the burned lid of a Pelican transport case but fail to find a body.
Jackie Speier and other Members of Congress calling for justice for Vanessa Guillén in July 2020.
June 30: At about 1:00 p.m., contractors working on a fence near the Leon River discover partial human remains (that would later be confirmed to be Guillen) and notify law enforcement. CID and partner agencies discover human remains. At about 8:30 p.m., Aguilar was interviewed again and told law enforcement officials about the killing. Robinson fled Fort Hood.
July 1: In the early hours, shortly after midnight Robinson killed himself when approached by law enforcement in Killeen, Texas.
July 2: FBI formally submits a criminal complaint for Aguilar. Fort Hood and CID hold a press briefing.
July 5: Remains are confirmed to be Vanessa Guillén
July 10: U.S. Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy announced that he would order a "full independent review" of the case.
July 13: Cecily Aguilar is indicted on 11 counts relating to the death of Vanessa Guillen by a federal grand jury.
December 8: Following the independent review, McCarthy announced in a Pentagon press briefing, that 14 "senior officers" from corps to squad level were disciplined for "leadership failures".[32]
November 29, 2022: Cecily Aguilar, 24, pleaded guilty in a federal court in Waco, Texas, to one count of accessory to murder after the fact and three counts of making a false statement, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Legislation has been passed by The Biden Administration. On January 26, 2022, President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order that established sexual harassment as a specific offense under the UCMJ. While this is a great start, we need more. Please go to Change.Org and type in Vanessa Guillen. Sign any petitions you can. Talk to your congressman or Senators! No one should ever have to experience this again in the military!
Rest in Paradise, sweet Vanessa. Please know that we love you and we will fight for you and justice for all others that have been hurt by the Army and Ft. Hood in particular. ##IAMVANESSAGUILLEN
Sources:
I am Vanessa Guillen-Netflix Documentary
Murder of Vanessa Guillen- Wikipedia
Interview with Emily Lauziere- Former Military wife and resident of Ft. Hood
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