Cecily Aguilar.Photo:Bell County Jail
Bell County Jail
A Texas woman was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison for her role in the murder of U.S. Army soldierVanessa Guillén.
Guillén went missing from what was then known as Fort Hood on April 22, 2020 after telling friends she had faced sexual harassment, per theThe New York Times. Two months later, Guillén’s body wasfoundmutilated along the Leon River near Belton, Texas.
On Monday the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Texas, announced in apress releasethat they sentenced the 25-year-old Aguilar to 30 years in prison for assisting Robinson in “corruptly altering, destroying, mutilating and concealing evidence” — which included Guillén’s body — to protect her boyfriend from being “prosecuted for the crime.”
Vanessa Guillén.US Army
Court documents said Aguilar “altered and destroyed information” of Robinson in a Google Account and “made four materially false statements” to federal investigators during their investigation into Guillén’s disappearance.
Aguilar pleaded guilty on Nov. 29, 2022 to one count of accessory to murder after the fact and three counts of false statement or representation.
“Our hope is that today’s sentence brings a sense of relief and justice to the Guillén family, who have endured such pain throughout these past few years,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas in the press release.
Esparza continued, “Ms. Aguilar’s actions were indefensible, and she will now face the maximum penalty for the choices she made.”
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The movement prompted several changes to how the U.S. military handles sexual harassment cases through theI Am Vanessa Guillén Act, from whichPresident Joe Bidensigned provisions into law in 2021.
source: people.com
