Suspect pleads guilty in connection with 2020 murder of Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen


Cecily Aguilar pleaded guilty on Tuesday to four charges related to the death of Army Spc. Vanessa Guillen in 2020, CNN reports. Aguilar was accused of conspiring with her boyfriend, Spc. Aaron David Robinson to dispose of Guillen's remains
Guillen's disappearance sparked national outrage, with many calling for the Army to investigate how she could go missing from Fort Hood, the third largest army base in the country. Guillen was stationed there when she went missing in April 2020. Her body was later discovered in a shallow grave on June 30, 2020. Prosecutors said she was struck on the head with a hammer by Robinson, per The New York Times. Authorities apprehended Robinson, but he escaped and committed suicide before charges against him could be announced. Aguilar was later arrested as an accomplice to the murder.
Prosecutors say Aguilar faces at least 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, and three years of supervised release, per the Times. She pleaded guilty to one count of accessory after the fact and three of making a false statement to authorities. She initially faced 11 charges and had pleaded not guilty to all of them until Tuesday.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Cecily Aguilar's guilty plea today was another step on the long path toward justice for Vanessa, my client, and her courageous family. We knew she was guilty but her admission provides some closure for Vanessa's family & friends, which they deserve," Guillen's family attorney, Natalie Khawam, told CNN.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.
-
July 13 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include new TSA rules, FEMA cuts, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy complimenting Donald Trump's new wardrobe
-
5 weather-beaten cartoons about the Texas floods
Cartoons Artists take on funding cuts, politicizing tragedy, and more
-
What has the Dalai Lama achieved?
The Explainer Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader has just turned 90, and he has been clarifying his reincarnation plans
-
Australian woman found guilty of mushroom murders
speed read Erin Patterson murdered three of her ex-husband's relatives by serving them toxic death cap mushrooms
-
Combs convicted on 2 of 5 charges, denied bail
Speed Read Sean 'Diddy' Combs was acquitted of the more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking
-
Sniper kills 2 Idaho firefighters in ambush
Speed Read A man started a wildfire, then fired a rifle at first responders when they arrived
-
Weinstein convicted of sex crime in retrial
Speed Read The New York jury delivered a mixed and partial verdict at the disgraced Hollywood producer's retrial
-
'King of the Hill' actor shot dead outside home
speed read Jonathan Joss was fatally shot by a neighbor who was 'yelling violent homophobic slurs,' says his husband
-
DOJ, Boulder police outline attacker's confession
speed read Mohamed Sabry Soliman planned the attack for a year and 'wanted them all to die'
-
Assailant burns Jewish pedestrians in Boulder
speed read Eight people from the Jewish group were hospitalized after a man threw Molotov cocktails in a 'targeted act of violence'
-
Driver rams van into crowd at Liverpool FC parade
speed read 27 people were hospitalized following the attack