EP. 189: TEXAS - The Murder of Vanessa Guillén: A Complete Failure At Ft. Hood

In 2020, a woman by the name of Vanessa Guillén went missing on the Ft. Hood military base in Killeen, TX. But as the story unfolded, people began to grow angry at just how many times military officials failed to solve the crime. - Listen to our new show, "THE CONSPIRACY FILES"!: -Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5IY9nWD2MYDzlSYP48nRPl -Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-conspiracy-files/id1752719844 -Amazon/Audible - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ab1ade99-740c-46ae-8028-b2cf41eabf58/the-conspiracy-files -Pandora - https://www.pandora.com/podcast/the-conspiracy-files/PC:1001089101 -iHeart - https://iheart.com/podcast/186907423/ -PocketCast - https://pca.st/dpdyrcca -CastBox - https://castbox.fm/channel/id6193084?country=us - Stay Connected: Join the Murder in America fam in our free Facebook Community for a behind-the-scenes look, more insights and current events in the true crime world: https://www.facebook.com/groups/4365229996855701 If you want even more Murder in America bonus content, including ad-free episodes, come join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/murderinamerica Instagram: http://instagram.com/murderinamerica/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/people/Murder-in-America-Podcast/100086268848682/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MurderInAmerica TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theparanormalfiles and https://www.tiktok.com/@courtneybrowen Feeling spooky? Follow Colin as he travels state to state (and even country to country!) investigating claims of extreme paranormal activity and visiting famous haunted locations on The Paranormal Files Official Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheParanormalFilesOfficialChannel - (c) BLOOD IN THE SINK PRODUCTIONS 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• 1:38Courtney Brown?

  The year 2020 was memorable, to say the least. There was the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, the Me Too movement, and it was an election year. There was a lot of division, death, and unrest. With everything going on in the United States, many news stories from around this time didn't get a lot of attention. But there was one that took the media by storm, and that was the story of Vanessa Guillen. Vanessa was a soldier at the Fort Hood Military Base in Colleen, Texas. She had wanted to join the army since she was a little girl, but her time at Fort Hood was not at all what she expected. For months, her family watched as Vanessa's smile slowly disappeared.

• 2:23Courtney Brown?

  And eventually, they found out why. During her time at Fort Hood, Vanessa had been sexually harassed by fellow soldiers. But then in 2020, Vanessa mysteriously disappeared while working a shift at the base. Her family immediately alerted the army of her disappearance, but for months, there was no sign of her. So with nowhere else to turn, her family started sharing her story with the media. And soon enough, the I Am Vanessa Guillen movement began. A movement that not only uncovered secrets at Fort Hood, but of the US military as a whole, and how they handle cases of sexual harassment and assault. So this is the powerful story of Vanessa Guillen. I'm Courtney Brown,

• 3:10Courtney Brown?

  and you're listening to Murder in America.

• 4:18Colin Brown?

  Vanessa Guillen was born On September 30th, 1999, at the Ben Taub Hospital in Houston, Texas. Her parents, Rogelio and Gloria, had moved here from Zacatecas State in Mexico shortly after they got married. They wanted a better life, more opportunities. So they settled down in Houston and started their family. Rogelio had been working since his childhood in Mexico, quickly found a job as a machine operator, and Gloria was a stay-at-home mom to their six children. Myra, Yovana, Batalupe, Manuel de Jesus, Roger, and Vanessa. The Guill family were Catholics, so they grew up going to church, and they were all baptized as children. Throughout their whole life, they always turned to God in their struggles, and they also turned to each other.

• 5:02Colin Brown?

  The Guians were a tight-knit bunch. Vanessa's childhood was spent running around, having fun with their siblings, and according to everyone that knew her, Vanessa loved to run. There was just something about being outside, feeling your heart rate rise as you jogged for miles and miles. Vanessa loved it, which eventually led her to another passion: soccer. Vanessa started playing soccer when she was just 11 years old, and from the start, she proved herself to be a talented athlete, but not just on the field. As Vanessa grew older, she loved any and all physical activity, and she was strong. Her brothers would later say that they would sometimes wrestle her, and even though they were much bigger, she knew how to defend herself.

• 5:43Colin Brown?

  Once she started high school at Cesare y Chavez High, Vanessa also began lifting weights. She ran track and cross-country, and she joined their soccer team, proudly wearing the number 20 on the field. One of her best friends, Frida Hernandez Lopez, said that Vanessa always tested herself physically to see how far she could go, and even after intense soccer practices, she would go lift weights in the school gym. Now, outside of athletics, Vanessa was also very sociable and well-liked by her peers. She had a really great group of friends who all said that she was friendly, confident, fun, and easy to get along with, but she never let her social life get in the way of her success. Vanessa was very smart and studious. During lunch, instead of hanging out with her friends, she would often sit alone, with

• 6:28Colin Brown?

  her headphones in, catching up on schoolwork.

• 6:31Courtney Brown?

  Vanessa worked hard in all aspects of life. She not only wanted to succeed for herself, but she also wanted to be a good role model to her siblings. And she was. Her little sister Lupe said that Vanessa was the most beautiful and confident person she had ever met. The two spent a lot of time together growing up. They went to church, they were involved in their community, and they even worked together at a local flea market to earn some extra money. But Lupe said that no matter what they were doing or where they were at, Vanessa's smile and contagious laughter always drew people in. Lupe recalled watching her sister and thinking she was the coolest person in the world.

• 7:12Courtney Brown?

  Growing up, Vanessa was also like a second mom to her younger siblings. She loved her family more than anything, and she was an essential part of their household. But like with every child, they one day grow up and move away. So in 2018, as high school graduation was approaching, Vanessa sat her parents down and told them about her plans for after school. Now for her entire life, Vanessa had always talked about becoming one of two things: an astronaut or a soldier. Starting at just 10 years old, she told her mom that she wanted to fight for our country or go to the moon. But her mom Gloria was quick to tell Vanessa that the military was no place for a woman.

• 7:55Courtney Brown?

  Not because she didn't think Vanessa was capable of being a soldier, but because she didn't think it was safe. In fact, in Gloria's mind, she felt like her daughter would be more safe going to the moon than being a soldier. But on this day, when Vanessa sat her parents down, she told them that she was going to join the military. The decision wasn't rash. Vanessa had been thinking about it for years. Raised by immigrant parents, she learned the importance of a strong work ethic, determination, and resilience, all of which are needed to be a soldier. She was also in great physical health after years of working out, and she knew deep down that she was meant for this. She even told her parents,

• 8:37Courtney Brown?

  "I've been given a mission, and I'm going to fulfill it."

• 8:42Colin Brown?

  Now, her mother Gloria would later admit that she wasn't thrilled about her daughter's decision to enlist, but she also knew that it wasn't her decision to make. Vanessa was grown up, this was her life, so she had to respect it. But the army wasn't the only plan Vanessa had for her life. Her parents said she was a big dreamer. After serving her country, she wanted to go study chemical engineering at Texas A&M. She wanted to get married, start a family. Vanessa had actually been dating a boy named Juan Cruz for several years now, and things were getting pretty serious. They even talked about getting engaged soon. But first, Vanessa wanted to graduate from high school and start her career as a soldier in the army, all of which was right around the corner.

• 9:24Courtney Brown?

  In the spring of 2018, Vanessa would graduate from Caesar E. Chavez High School in the top 15% of her class. And just days later, she was sent to Fort Jackson, South Carolina for boot camp. Now during this period, there are a number of people who realize that the army isn't for them. For 10 whole weeks, you have to wake up before the sun, you spend all day working out, doing training exercises, learning different skills, taking orders. It's not only physically draining, but it can be mentally draining as well. But to everyone's surprise, Vanessa absolutely loved it. During her time at Fort Jackson, she sent her family letters telling them how well

• 10:07Courtney Brown?

  she was doing and how she had truly found her calling. In one letter, she wrote, "I am the fastest female, I can tell you that, and I am recognized for that shit. I got 31 out of 40 shots with my M4, and I threw some grenades today, qualified like a G in both activities."

• 10:26Colin Brown?

  Her family said that during her boot camp graduation, Vanessa was glowing with happiness. Surprisingly, she was kind of sad it was over, but she was also so excited to start her career. She was even more excited when she found out that she was going to be stationed at Fort Hood in Colleen, Texas. Now, the army could have sent her anywhere, but luckily, she would be just three hours away from her family in Houston. It was the perfect situation for Vanessa, but little did she know, the Fort Hood military base would ultimately be the place where she would lose her life.

• 10:59Courtney Brown?

  When Vanessa arrived at Fort Hood, she was full of hope. This was one of the largest military installations in the world, and it would be her home for the next few years. Now Vanessa was a very friendly and likable person, so she spent the first few weeks getting acquainted with everyone around her. She was also assigned to work as a small arms and artillery repairer. Her job was to inspect, repair, and secure the weapons on base. And like with everything in her life, Vanessa took her position seriously. But every single weekend, when Vanessa wasn't working, she would make the three-hour drive back to Houston to see her family and her boyfriend Juan. Now the first few months when Vanessa would come home,

• 11:43Courtney Brown?

  her family said she was in good spirits. She seemed to have been adjusting well. In March of 2020, she and her boyfriend Juan even got engaged. It was supposed to be a very happy time in her life. But after a few months, when Vanessa would come home and walk through her family's front door, something seemed off. Little by little, her glow was dimming. During one visit home, her mom noticed that she had dark bags under her eyes, like she hadn't been sleeping. The next time she came home, she could tell that Vanessa had lost a lot of weight, and her hair was thinning. Her mom Gloria pulled her aside and asked if everything was okay, but Vanessa was quick to say she was fine. She said she had been working hard and spending a lot of time in the gym,

• 12:28Courtney Brown?

  but Gloria knew there was something deeper at play. Week after week, she wasn't telling her family exactly what was going on, but she did start dropping little hints. One weekend, she told her sister, "I don't like it at Fort Hood", but she never elaborated on why. During another weekend she came home, Vanessa ran into her room, closed the door, and just started sobbing on her bed. Now Vanessa clearly wasn't ready to talk about what was going on in her life, so her sister didn't ask what was wrong. But the crying told her everything. Vanessa wasn't happy. During another instance, she texted her older sister Myra, saying that she felt empty and that the stress of the military was causing

• 13:13Courtney Brown?

  her to lose sleep. And as you can imagine, her family was very concerned. This was a very different Vanessa than the one who was just thriving at boot camp. So finally, one weekend when she came to Houston, her mom sat her down at the kitchen table. Are you going to tell me what's going on? Gloria asked. Vanessa took a long pause. Finally, she looked up at her mom and said, yes, but I need you to be strong when I tell you this. Try not to get upset because it's hard for me to talk about. Gloria didn't know what to expect, but she was glad that Vanessa was finally opening up. Tears began running down her daughter's face. And after a few seconds, Vanessa finally told her, I'm being

• 13:58Courtney Brown?

  sexually harassed by a higher up on the base. Gloria couldn't find words. What do you mean you're being sexually harassed? What happened? Vanessa told her mom that her male superior had been making inappropriate comments towards her. And keep in mind, Vanessa is engaged. She made it clear that she was not interested in him, but he persisted. In one instance, he and another soldier even followed her into the shower and started making vulgar comments about wanting to have a threesome. Now, when Gloria heard this, she was shocked. She told Vanessa that she needed to report this immediately, but Vanessa didn't want to to report it. She'd have to go up the chain of command. And in the

• 14:41Courtney Brown?

  military, that's a big problem. Usually, when it is reported, nothing ever happens.

• 14:48Colin Brown?

  Sadly, sexual assault within the military is pretty common. According to California Democratic Representative Jackie Speier, the military has around 20,000 sexual assault cases a year, but only around 7,000 of those people report it. Then, out of those 7,000 reports, only about 250 people will get convicted. So the majority of the time, reporting this doesn't get you anywhere. But Fort Hood specifically has more sexual assaults than any other Military base in the country. In 2014 alone, a study revealed that Fort Hood had 885 sexual assault victims. The New York Times would later report that women at Fort Hood had a higher risk of sexual

• 15:32Colin Brown?

  assault than women stationed at other bases in the United States, saying, "Using gender and workplace data, researchers found that the total sexual assault risk to Army women at Fort Hood during 2018 was 8.4% compared with a 5.8% risk for all women in the Army." So Fort Hood was a hotspot for these sexual assaults. Army veteran Lucy C. Delgado even said, "Fort Hood just seems to cultivate the worst of the worst when it comes to command culture to that good old boys type of club." And before I move on, I just want you guys who are listening to this to think about that statistic. According to the representatives and the data, out of 20,000 sexual assaults that

• 16:15Colin Brown?

  occur every year on military bases, only 250 of the people who carry out those assaults are convicted. That should deeply alarm you. And that should also deeply enrage you. 250 people convicted out of 20,000 on average. Those statistics are what we need to work on in America. I know this is just a little tangent, but this is something that Courtney and I really care about raising awareness about. And yeah, that's just absolutely unacceptable. And the more awareness we bring around this issue and the more we talk about it and bring it up and voice our concerns, hopefully the more change we'll see. But anyways, let's get back to the story.

• 17:00Courtney Brown?

  Vanessa Guill knew firsthand how Fort Hood handled these kinds of cases. After telling her mom about the sexual harassment she experienced, her mother urged her to report it. Gloria even said, "Give me the name and I'll report the bastard." But still, Vanessa refused. Her sister Lupe would later say, quote, "She told my mom, 'I can't report it. I've seen other girls pass through the same situation. They ignore them. They say..." Say that they're lying, they don't listen to them, end quote. And she was right. Vanessa knew that if she came forward, life on the base would get even more difficult. So she chose not to report it, which is heartbreaking.

• 17:42Courtney Brown?

  Vanessa had dreamt of becoming a soldier since she was a little girl, but the system that she loved and respected so much had left her feeling isolated and unsupported. And it was clearly having an effect on her. Vanessa's family watched her go from a vibrant, passionate young woman to someone they didn't even recognize. Her mother even told her to rip up the army contract in front of them and come back home. But Vanessa was not one to give up. She reassured her family that she was going to be fine and that she would handle it.

• 18:15Colin Brown?

  And Vanessa's family weren't the only ones who noticed this change in her. Back at Fort Hood, Vanessa had this restaurant that she would frequent. And one of the employees said that anytime she came in, she would always smile, greet them, and ask how they were doing. But not on this day. On April 15th, the employee said that Vanessa came in and it was obvious something was on her mind. She was very despondent. She looked tired. And instead of engaging with them like she usually did, she simply paid for her food and left. The stress of Fort Hood was clearly taking a toll on her. Now, the next time she saw her family was April 17th, 2020. And luckily, Vanessa seemed to have been doing a little bit better. At the time, the entire world was shut down from COVID-19.

• 18:58Colin Brown?

  So they were all able to spend some good quality time together. Her family said that she was happy, animated, and she talked about how excited she was to marry her fiancee Juan. That weekend, Vanessa even convinced Juan to get her on her shoulders while she did some squats, showing off the strength she had gained in the army. Everyone was laughing and having a good time, which was much needed. The last few months had been really heavy. But her family was happy to see her smiling again. On the morning of April 20th, 2020, Vanessa woke up early, kissed her fiancee goodbye, told her family she loved them, and then she walked out the door to head back to Fort Hood. But unbeknownst to everybody, it was the last time they would ever see Vanessa alive. Which brings us to April 22nd, 2020.

• 19:45Courtney Brown?

  That morning wasn't your typical day at the base. There had been an increase of COVID at Fort Hood, so a lot of soldiers weren't working that day. It was supposed to be Vanessa's day off, but early that morning, she got a text to come in. Now, they told her she could wear her normal clothes, so she got up, put on a pair of purple leggings, a black t-shirt, and her fanny pack. She left her barracks and went downstairs to check in at the motor pool. It was supposed to be a pretty slow day. After checking in at 10:03 a.m., Vanessa walked to the arms room and set down her bank card, ID, and the keys to her barracks and car. Now, inside the arms room was her supervisor, and according to him, Vanessa's job for the day

• 20:30Courtney Brown?

  was to inspect a piece of broken equipment and to validate the serial number of a machine gun. Now, that machine gun was located in another arms room just down the hall. So at 10:15 a.m., Vanessa left, and several minutes later, she texted her supervisor the serial number. From there, she was supposed to come back to the arms room to finish up her duties for the day, but the clock ticked by, and Vanessa still hadn't come back. By 11:05 a.m., she had been gone for almost an hour. So her supervisor texts her and asks where she is, but no response. By now, it seemed as if Vanessa had left work, but all of her stuff was still in the arms room.

• 21:13Courtney Brown?

  At noon, her supervisor decided to put her keys, ID, and debit card away so that it was safeguarded. And from there, he and another soldier went to look for Vanessa. But when they went by that second arms room, where she had been, the door was locked.

• 21:29Colin Brown?

  The supervisor then texted Vanessa's roommate to see if she knew where she was, but she hadn't seen her since Vanessa had left that morning. Now, there weren't huge alarm bells going off at this point. Sure, it was strange that Vanessa just left in the middle of the day, but everyone assumed she would show back up. However, by 4:00 p.m., Vanessa missed another check-in on the base. She had now been gone for almost six hours, and no one had heard from her. But still, no one was really looking and it wasn't just the army who had been trying to get in touch with her she and her fiance Juan spoke on the phone every single day at noon but when he called her that day she didn't answer her family had been texting Vanessa that afternoon as

• 22:08Colin Brown?

  well but got no response and unlike the army they were very concerned Vanessa was always good about texting her loved ones back and even more concerning was that eventually their messages weren't even going through meaning that Vanessa's phone had been turned off interestingly around the time she stopped responding to people Vanessa's dad said that he was at work when he started experiencing this horrible chest pain it was so bad he actually left work early at the time he didn't understand what was happening but his family would soon find out that Vanessa was missing before even knowing it her father must have sensed that something was wrong

• 22:45Courtney Brown?

  by 8pm that night Vanessa's sister Myra had this horrible feeling Vanessa would never go all day without responding to her loved ones so it's here where Myra decided to call the base to see if Vanessa was okay but her worries only grew when she learned that no one had seen Vanessa since earlier that morning and that all of her stuff was left behind in the arms room so Myra called her family into the dining room and said I have to tell you something Vanessa isn't answering her phone Juan called her at noon and she didn't answer I've been calling her all day with no response and no one on the base knows

• 23:25Courtney Brown?

  where she is immediately her family is sick with worry and it's here where Myra decides that she's going to drive the three hours to Colleen to see what's going on she would later say that it was one of the longest car rides of her life along the way she continues to text Vanessa at 8:35pm she sent her hello Vanessa no response Myra said that something about this situation just felt wrong so much so she cried the entire car ride to Colleen and Myra was right something was terribly wrong and the journey ahead for the Guillen family was one that no one Unexpected. When Myra finally arrived at Fort Hood, it was late, after midnight.

• 24:10Courtney Brown?

  But she immediately called the staff sergeant to let him know that she was there to look for her sister. Myra would later say that it was clear her phone call woke the sergeant up, and he told her to just come by in the morning and they would go from there. Myra felt helpless. She didn't understand how they could be sleeping when one of their soldiers was missing, but without the army's help, there was nothing she could do, so she got a hotel room for the night. At 3:44 a.m., she sent Vanessa another text. It read, quote, "I'm going to find you, I promise." Back in Houston, Vanessa's entire family wasn't able to sleep that night. Her mom Gloria stayed up all night long praying with her rosaries.

• 24:54Courtney Brown?

  And by that next morning, to everyone's horror, Vanessa still hadn't shown up. So the rest of her family all got into their cars and made their way over to clean. Disturbingly, when Gloria Guillen arrived, she said that the entire town smelled like death. There was an evil presence here that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Now, they all arrived at Fort Hood at around 8 a.m., ready to look for Vanessa. It had now been almost 24 hours since she was last seen. And one of the first things they requested was for the army to look at the cameras. After all, this is one of the biggest military bases in the world. Surely, their cameras would have recorded Vanessa's last known movements.

• 25:37Courtney Brown?

  But of course, her family was quickly informed that the cameras in the area where Vanessa went missing were all inoperable. But the Guillen family was confident that Vanessa had to be somewhere on the base. They knew that she would have never left the base without her ID, debit card, and keys. So they were thinking that maybe she got hurt and was stuck somewhere, or best-case scenario, she got locked in a room or something. But that morning, both the army and local law enforcement searched Fort Hood, and there was no sign of her. Vanessa's white Jeep eerily sat in the parking lot on base, a grim reminder that she couldn't have gone far. Fellow soldiers even looked at places that Vanessa would frequent, like the nearby track

• 26:22Courtney Brown?

  she was known to run. But nothing. Vanessa Guillen had vanished without a trace.

• 26:28Colin Brown?

  And almost immediately, the Guill family knew that there was a secretive wall that army officials were putting up. They wanted to know all the details, like, who was Vanessa working with that day? What soldiers did she speak to that morning? But the investigators weren't very forthcoming with any of that information. Her family also felt like they weren't as concerned about Vanessa's disappearance as they should have been. They didn't even really start looking for Vanessa until her family arrived and started demanding answers. And as we all know, the first 24 hours of someone's disappearance is by far the most important. So they were already running behind. Now, the people in charge of this investigation were the CID, which is the United States Army's

• 27:09Colin Brown?

  Criminal Investigation Division. And unfortunately, most of the people who worked for CID at the time did not have a lot of experience. They were also understaffed, with a lot on their plates. The Guill family was not happy with how the investigation was going, so after filing a missing persons report with local law enforcement, they took matters into their own hands. They posted flyers with Vanessa's picture all over Colleen. Her sister Myra even posted the picture to social media with the caption that read, "I promise I'm gonna find you, even if it's the last thing I do. I ask you guys for prayers for my sister. If anyone has seen her, please let me know. Please Twitter, do your thing." Sadly, because this was in the middle of the pandemic, her posts didn't get a lot of attention.

• 27:53Courtney Brown?

  In the meantime, the CID started their investigation by interviewing soldiers who were working that day. Like we mentioned, they didn't have cameras to look at, so eyewitnesses were the best they could do to get answers. And they started with the people who were working in the arms room with Vanessa. Now, the supervisor who was with her that morning said that shortly after arriving, Vanessa left to go check the serial number in that second arms room. Minutes later, she texted him the serial number, and that was the last he heard from her. So next, the CID looked at the soldier who was working in that second arms room. His name was Specialist Aaron Robinson. Like Vanessa, Robinson was 20 years old.

• 28:38Courtney Brown?

  But he was one rank above her. He was also the only soldier in the arms room that day. So from what they could tell, he was the last person to see Vanessa. Now, when investigators spoke to Robinson, he was adamant that she had come in to get the serial number, and then she left. Investigators then asked him what he did for the remainder of the day. And Robinson said that after work, he went home and was with his girlfriend all night. Now, his girlfriend was named Cecily Aguilar, and when investigators spoke to her, she confirmed that story, that they were together all night long. Investigators were also able to rule Robinson out after they spoke with another soldier who said that they saw Vanessa in the parking lot that day at around 1:00 PM.

• 29:23Courtney Brown?

  So for the time being, it seemed as if Vanessa walked out of the arms room, went out into the parking lot, and then vanished. Investigators speculated that maybe somebody picked her up, or maybe she left on her own free will. But her family was adamant that something bad happened, because Vanessa would have shown up by now.

• 29:45Colin Brown?

  On Friday, April 24th, the Belton Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Belton Fire Department, and military investigators with the CID searched the surrounding areas of Fort Hood for any evidence of Vanessa Guillen. They also posted a news release asking the public for their help in the search for Vanessa. The news release stated that Vanessa was "last seen on April 22nd at 1:00 PM in the parking lot of her Regimental Engineers Squadron Headquarters." They also issued a "be on the lookout or BOLO" alert, and description of Vanessa that stated "5'2" tall, 126 pounds, black hair and brown eyes." That day, thousands of people searched the barracks, training areas, buildings, and the trails and lakes that surrounded Fort Hood. But their search came up empty.

• 30:30Colin Brown?

  Eventually, a whole week had passed and there was still no sign of her. By then, her loved ones were doing everything in their power to help bring attention to Vanessa's case. A Facebook page was made titled "Find Vanessa Guillen." Hundreds of her friends and family members stood on the sides of the roads in Colleen, holding up posters chanting "Where is Vanessa?" They even put up a $15,000 reward. And slowly but surely, the media started picking up on her story. Hey everybody, Courtney and I have a favor to ask of you. If you love Murder in America, you love our show, please leave us a five-star review wherever you listen to your podcasts, whether that's Apple Podcasts, Spotify. If you love our show and you want to help us grow, definitely consider leaving us a

• 31:14Colin Brown?

  five-star review. Also, it helps the show so much when people share out links to our program. So if you're listening and you're loving what we're doing here, share us on your Instagram story, shout us out on X, post one of our shows on your Facebook, and let the world, your friends, your family know that you're listening to Murder in America. It seriously helps us so much, helps us grow the show. We couldn't do this without all of you listening at home. Seriously, thank y'all, but let's get back to the story.

• 31:43Courtney Brown?

  It was incredibly frustrating for the Guillen family during this time. They wanted answers, and at the very least, they wanted to know how the investigation was going, but the army was tight-lipped, so they continued taking matters into their own hands. They even put up a billboard in Colleen with Vanessa's picture, and they continued with their protests that went on for weeks. On the Find Vanessa Guillen Facebook page, it read, quote, "Please share. There will be a third protest in front of Fort Hood Military Base. Anyone is more than welcome to come and help. Drinks, snacks, flyers, posters, decal, and shirts will be provided. We will be posting updates about the action, because unity makes strength and a difference.

• 32:28Courtney Brown?

  United for Vanessa. Raise your voices about Soldier Vanessa's case. Post about it on social media. Follow the account and use the hashtag #FindVanessaGuillen." End quote. Each Friday, the protest crowds grew larger as the family continued to demand answers from the military.

• 32:53Speaker 07

  Hundreds gathered to peacefully protest outside of Fort Hood to raise continued awareness for missing Soldier Vanessa Guillen. The 20-year-old has been missing since April 22nd, and her mother, Gloria Guillen, was present, desperately calling out for help.

• 33:10Speaker 07

  She said, "I want my daughter alive. It's my right as a mother, because she's mine. I gave birth to her, and she's mine." Vanessa's youngest sister, Lupe Guillen, speaking to the crowd with tears in her eyes.

• 33:24Speaker 07

  To have compassion. Because she's my love. And I want her back, and I want her alive.

• 33:36Speaker 01

  Those who protested holding up signs that read, "We Want Answers," marching across the street from Fort Hood. Vanessa's older sister thankful for the outpouring of support from the community.

• 33:48Speaker 07

  This just shows how much people actually do care. We're not in the fight alone. I just wish, you know, you guys keep us in your prayers first and foremost. That's the most important thing, and we hope to find Vanessa soon.

• 34:00Speaker 01

  Fiel, an organization from Houston, has been helping Vanessa's family, and they say they will continue as long as they're needed. Any of us will go through any lengths to find our family. And so this is why we're here. We're here to support them, and we're here to upload their story and make sure that they get the answers that they deserve. Others from Houston have never met Vanessa, but they made the three-hour drive to join in solidarity. You know, really, I can't even imagine how hard it goes out. It's gotta be Friday.

• 34:32Speaker 01

  Her mom at the end saying she asked God to give her the strength to continue until she finds her, and thanking everyone for their support. Maria Aguilera.

• 34:44Speaker 01

  Six News.

• 34:47Colin Brown?

  Vanessa's family wanted Fort Hood to know that they weren't going to back down until Vanessa was found, but they couldn't do it on their own. They were up against the US Army, a very powerful force. And for weeks, there hadn't been great communication between Vanessa's loved ones and investigators. The Gians felt like they had been left in the dark, so they needed people on their side with power as well. Eventually, the Gians started working with a military attorney, Natalie Kowam. Natalie was skilled when it came to military lingo and how they operated, and she agreed to work the case pro bono. The Gians also got connected with Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, and she promised to get them a meeting with the CID so that they could try and get some answers about the investigation.

• 35:31Courtney Brown?

  When Vanessa's mom finally spoke with them, she told them that something fishy was going on here, and that she was determined to get to the bottom of it. She even told the Colonel that she would get President Donald Trump involved if they continued to hide the truth. Gloria also mentioned something that had been on her mind for weeks. It was the conversation she had with Vanessa shortly before she disappeared, where she told her mom that she had been sexually harassed by a male superior at Fort Hood. Ever since Vanessa vanished, her mom couldn't shake the thought that that was somehow connected to her disappearance. But according to Vanessa's family, the CID didn't seem very interested in the sexual harassment claims.

• 36:15Courtney Brown?

  They also didn't provide any more answers on where they were in the investigation. It almost seemed like they agreed to meet with Gloria just so they could check it off their list. But her family was not going to give up. And luckily for them, Vanessa's story was about to take the media by storm.

• 36:33Colin Brown?

  Soon enough, the hashtag #FindVanessaGhian started trending on social media. Vanessa's case was gaining national attention. Celebrity Salma Hayek even used her platform to post a photograph of Vanessa and wrote, "Vanessa and Gloria, I believe you and I pledge to put Vanessa's photo on my stories every day until she is found." Houston rapper Baby Bash also raised awareness on his social media pages.

• 36:58Courtney Brown?

  Vanessa's family also decided to tell the world that she had been sexually harassed at Fort Hood shortly before her disappearance. On the Find the Vanessa Ghian Facebook and Twitter pages, they wrote, "How can someone go missing on a base and a sergeant sexually harassing a soldier? Justice needs to be served." Another post read, "Why are these soldiers not speaking up? Why sexually harass a soldier? No soldier, male or female, should be disrespected." Now Vanessa's sister Myra admitted that she was a little hesitant to share this part of her sister's story. But almost immediately, a movement was started.

• 37:40Courtney Brown?

  Her other sister Lupe had been monitoring the Facebook page, and she said that hundreds of servicewomen from around the country began sharing their own experiences of sexual assault and harassment within the military, especially when it came to superiors. Many of these women said that they didn't feel comfortable coming forward out of fear of retaliation, or that when they did come forward, their claims were completely ignored. Soon enough, the hashtag #IAMVANESSAGIEN started spreading like wildfire on social media, as so many men and women around the world felt like they had been in Vanessa's exact same situation. And this also happened to be right around the same time as the Me Too movement,

• 38:25Courtney Brown?

  a movement where millions of people had come forward and said that they were survivors of sexual assault and harassment. For the Guill family, the response was shocking. Before they knew it, protests were being held in Houston, Austin, California, and all over the United States. Murals of Vanessa were being painted everywhere. People were outraged at how the military was handling these cases, and they were demanding change. Here is Vanessa's sister Lupe during these protests.

• 38:57Speaker 07

  Two to three soldiers, female soldiers get raped, abused, harassed in this base. They have racial equality. How can they not like...

• 39:09Speaker 07

  How can they not find my sister? They closed a base for just looking for the most precious valuable object. My sister's a human being. She's more than that. The money's not the problem. How can you not close a base to find someone? How can you not see someone's personality change, their face change? How can I see someone changing after my sister disappeared? There's not only one person, it's various people that are... that cannot my sister. They took it too long. I don't know what makes them think they have the right to harass my sister. They all have a grandma, a sister, a mom.

• 39:50Speaker 07

  A mother, a daughter, would you like the Chinese actually harass? No, I don't even, I don't like my sister Chinese, it's bad for me. I don't like this, so what makes you think they have an opportunity to do that? And it's not my fault they did that, cuz they have a, they have a brain to think. So if they have a brain to think, think about what you're doing. You, you see me crying, you see my mother crying, no mother deserves this. And I want my sister back and I want her alive, because that base is called the great place. You think that base deserves that name, where they murder? They testify suicide soldiers? They abuse mentally and physically from them?

• 40:35Speaker 07

  They abuse, harass, rape women?

• 40:40Speaker 07

  My sister came into this base to serve and protect the country. She came here for us, and that's why they returned it? Not even trying to find her?

• 40:50Courtney Brown?

  And now, with the national spotlight on Fort Hood, disturbing stories about the military base started to hit the media. It would soon be revealed that Vanessa was just one of many victims at Fort Hood. In fact, years prior to this, in 2013, three female privates at Fort Hood came forward, saying that a sergeant on base named Gregory McQueen had sexually assaulted them. Disturbingly, Sergeant McQueen was actually a sexual assault prevention officer at the base, the person in charge of making sure these things don't happen. In addition to this, McQueen was also running a prostitution ring at Fort Hood.

• 41:32Courtney Brown?

  Two girls would later come forward and say that they had talked to McQueen about money issues they were having. And in response, he took some naked photos of them and then showed them to all of these high-ranking officers, who would eventually pay the girls for sex. And keep in mind, this is the man that Fort Hood hired for sexual assault prevention on the base.

• 41:55Colin Brown?

  Now, McQueen was sentenced to two years in prison for this, but there are many soldiers who served at Fort Hood whose sexual assault was completely swept under the rug. Just recently, in 2022, 21-year-old private Ana Basaldua made two sexual harassment complaints against two soldiers at Fort Hood, but instead of taking action, they simply transferred her to another platoon, and one of the men who sexually assaulted her was promoted in rank. There were absolutely no consequences. Sadly, the following year, private Ana Basaldua was found dead in a supposed suicide. This week on our Patreon, the bonus episode is diving deep into all of the deaths, all

• 42:37Colin Brown?

  of the suicides, all of the mysterious, you know, murders and events that have occurred on Fort Hood's campus over the years, and you're going to be absolutely shocked at what you hear. Fort Hood has the most suicides of any American base. There have been so many mysterious deaths at Fort Hood, so many things that have happened that people don't talk about enough, and some of these deaths are just outright bizarre. Soldiers that supposedly committed suicide that were found with 32 stab wounds and no knife near their body. I mean, it's really, really bizarre. But interestingly, after all of the protests, Fort Hood officials stayed quiet. The entire world was looking at them to respond, and finally, on June 22nd, they would.

• 43:20Colin Brown?

  Scott Efland, the commander at the base, spoke publicly for the first time.

• 43:24Speaker 07

  Hey, Hunter Davis, just wanting to ask, you know, this whole case has really stirred up a lot of questions about sexual assault and the way that Fort Hood is handling those kinds of cases. What do you have to say to the public about that? Each allegation of sexual assault or sexual harassment is fully investigated, regardless of the source or what it's related to, whether it's tied to Specialist Gia's disappearance or not. Because our credibility on this area is so important, is why-

• 43:55Colin Brown?

  I've asked for an external review to come in and do it. What matters most to the command here at Fort Hood is we have the best environment for soldiers to train and perform their duties. We take those allegations and all allegations seriously, and we're going to pursue them to our fullest extent. It's not acceptable. At this press conference, reporters confront officials about Vanessa's sexual harassment claims, asking if they had taken any action against the superiors who followed her into the shower. And surprisingly, Army officials claimed there wasn't even evidence those sexual harassment claims were true.

• 44:30Speaker 07

  There has been no information, and we've interviewed hundreds of people, to include all acquaintances and coworkers of Meskian. So there's no allegation whatsoever that she's been sexually assaulted or harassed. And any hint of information that was sexual harassment was completely looked at without any credible information.

• 44:52Courtney Brown?

  Now, he claimed that they interviewed everyone connected to Vanessa, and they found no evidence that these sexual harassment claims were true. But Vanessa's good friend on the base, named CJ Landy, confirmed that these claims were indeed true. And CJ said that Vanessa had reported it, but she was scared of the consequences she would face. Now, when this news conference hit the media, everyone was furious. Not only did Fort Hood not want to admit to their toxic work environment, but they also completely invalidated Vanessa's sexual harassment claims, claims that many people believed were in direct connection to her disappearance. So with all the mystery surrounding this case, people were suspicious.

• 45:37Courtney Brown?

  Then you add in the fact that none of the cameras were working on the day of Vanessa's disappearance, the way the Army was refusing to talk about what happened. Something clearly wasn't adding up here. So the Gheen family, alongside their attorney, and Texas U.S. Representative Sylvia Garcia, spoke with the media, demanding that Fort Hood be investigated.

• 46:00Speaker 07

  To answer your question, I'd like to see a congressional investigation. Here, I think there was a few agencies that were involved here, including the CID. I think somebody dropped the ball, and there was a breach of protocol. We're talking about security, no cameras, using a cellphone to put in a serial number of a federal information of a military property. The check-ins... Where's the safety precautions? How did this happen? And why wasn't the family informed immediately? There's so many gaps and holes in what we learned today that I am going to demand a congressional investigation for this family.

• 46:41Speaker 07

  We want to know what happened and who is covering up for who and why are they covering up? You know, this can't happen to one of our soldiers. It should never have happened. And if we have to do that, we have to ask Congress to have a congressional investigation, to subpoena everything, to have everybody testify before Congress? That's going to be necessary. It's going to be necessary because unfortunately, I don't feel like at the local level, it's happening. I really feel like we're not going to resolve this down here. We need the higher-ups now.

• 47:14Colin Brown?

  Vanessa's mother Gloria also spoke with the media. And in a heartfelt plea, she stated that she wanted the base shut down and she wanted a full investigation into the disappearance of her daughter. She stated that she wanted every room, every barrack, every office of Fort Hood searched. She compared the Fort Hood news conference to a show that they were putting on to appease the people, but that no one had respected her or Vanessa to conduct a fair and thorough investigation. Vanessa, she continued, "joined the Army to defend her country and protect United States citizens." It had been her dream since she was 10 years old, despite the wishes of her family. She demanded justice for Vanessa and wanted the people involved to be caught and punished, including all the higher-ups.

• 47:56Colin Brown?

  She continued by saying that Vanessa went to the armory that morning alive, and if she wasn't found alive, then she believed that the entire base should be shut down because of its corruption. Fort Hood was known as "the great place," and Gloria asked, "What? A great place to be kidnapped, raped, or killed?"

• 48:13Courtney Brown?

  It was disturbing to know that Vanessa Guillen was just one of many who had been sexually harassed at Fort Hood, and now she's vanished. And something that was also disturbing is the fact that one of the last people to see Vanessa alive also had a history of sexually harassing women at Fort Hood, and that was Specialist Aaron Robinson. If you remember, he was the soldier in that second arms room Vanessa went into to get that serial number. It was confirmed that in 2019, Aaron Robinson sexually harassed a different female soldier at Fort Hood. The investigation included a "clear progression of events," cellphone text solicitations,

• 48:57Courtney Brown?

  in-person encroachments, and potential stalking. End quote. But surprise, surprise, there was no formal action taken against him. And soon enough, he would actually be the main suspect in Vanessa's disappearance. But how could that be? Robinson told investigators that he was with his girlfriend all night. And his girlfriend confirmed that alibi. Well, as it turns out, about a month into Vanessa's disappearance, two different soldiers would come forward, sharing a very dark story. They told investigators that on the day of Vanessa's disappearance, they saw Aaron Robinson leaving the arms room, but he wasn't empty-handed.

• 49:38Courtney Brown?

  He was pulling this large, black, plastic container known as a tough box. Now, the box had wheels, but the soldiers who saw him said that it was clear that whatever was inside that box was heavy. And they watched him as he wheeled the box over to his vehicle and put it in his trunk. Now, why these soldiers waited this long to come forward, we don't know. But when investigators hear this, they bring Robinson in for a second interview. However, he sticks to his story. He even allows investigators to search his phone. Now, it would take some time to go through it all, but in the meantime, investigators started looking at Specialist Aaron Robinson.

• 50:21Colin Brown?

  There isn't a ton of information out there about him. Courtney and I have found in our line of work that looking up the background of soldiers in the military is a lot harder than finding information about everyday civilians. But what we do know about Robinson is that he was born and raised in Calumet City, Illinois. He went to Thornton Fractional North High School, where he played football, and after graduation, he decided to join the Army in October of 2017, Robinson was actually deployed to Iraq for seven months and he trained as a 12B combat engineer. Now, at the time of our story, he was 20 years old and he was back in the United States working at Fort Hood as an E4 specialist. He and Vanessa worked in the same field as military engineers, but he was one rank higher than her.

• 51:06Colin Brown?

  And like we mentioned, he had that girlfriend named Cecily Aguilar, but their love story was pretty controversial.

• 51:13Courtney Brown?

  Aaron Robinson actually met Cecily through his friend, Keon Aguilar. If you notice, Cecily and Keon have the same last name, and that's because they are married. Interestingly, about a year earlier, Aaron actually moved in with Keon and Cecily. So the three of them were all living under the same roof. Then, after a while, Cecily and Keon started having problems in their marriage, and she started a secret relationship with her husband's friend and roommate, Aaron Robinson. Eventually, Cecily moved out of their home, and Aaron moved out with her. Then from there, the two started dating. So at the time of our story, Cecily was still technically married to Keon, but they were estranged.

• 51:59Colin Brown?

  Now, like Aaron Robinson, there isn't a ton of information out there about Cecily. We do know that she grew up in Jackson, Michigan, and that she had a pretty tough life. At just 12 years old, Cecily was put into foster care, and by 16, she had run away and was living on her own. Eventually, she would move to Texas, meet Keon Aguilar, and get married. But like we mentioned, they separated and she started dating her husband's friend, Aaron Robinson.

• 52:26Courtney Brown?

  So how does Cecily come into this story? Well, after finding out that Robinson was last seen pulling that large black tough box on the day that Vanessa went missing, investigators were thinking one thing. Either Aaron Robinson had something to do with Vanessa's disappearance, and Cecily was covering for him, or it was all one big suspicious coincidence. Now, keep in mind, during this time, there are still search parties going on to help find Vanessa.

• 52:55Courtney Brown?

  from the Texas EquiSearch even offered up his resources to find her. And he's the best of the best. But for months, there was nothing. However, in June of 2020, a search party was out in Colleen once again. This time focusing on a field near the 3200 block of Florence Road. And as they walked through, looking for any clues, they began to smell the unmistakable smell of death. The searchers began following the smell. And with every step, it got stronger until they eventually found the source. Deep in that field, searchers would locate a set of human remains. Everyone's hearts sink. Was the search for Vanessa finally over?

• 53:38Courtney Brown?

  Now, as we know, they would first have to identify the body, but everyone was pretty sure it was her. Well, that is until the professionals arrived. After looking at the body, something seemed off. This set of human remains was extremely decomposed. And Vanessa had been missing for several months now. So if she had died on the day of her disappearance, she too would be fairly decomposed by now. But not nearly as decomposed as this body. As investigators looked at the scene, they realized that this couldn't have been Vanessa. It was the body of someone else.

• 54:17Colin Brown?

  Soon enough, word was spreading quickly around Colleen that a set of human remains had been found. But before the news could get to Vanessa's family, investigators called them to let them know that it likely wasn't Vanessa. And they were right. After taking the body to the medical examiner, they learned that the remains belonged to 23 year old private Gregory Wedle Morales. Now Gregory was originally from Oklahoma. He was described as carefree, fun and loving. Here's his mother talking about him. Oh Greg, he really is just a what people would call a good old boy. Um, big trucks, goes muddin', likes motorcycles. Greg Weedle grew up in. Oklahoma, the oldest of three boys. Always wanted to join the military.

• 55:02Colin Brown?

  His dad and uncle and grandfather and many, many people in the family have been in the military. Now, right after Greg graduated from high school, he enlisted. At 21 years old, Greg got married to a woman named Penny Morales, and he actually took her last name. He also took on the role of becoming a father. Penny already had two children of her own when the two got married, and Gregory treated her kids as if they were his own. But at that time, he was stationed in Fort Hood, working as a motor transport operator with the 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade. However, he was working towards leaving the Army. In fact, Gregory was just days away from being discharged when he suddenly vanished.

• 55:44Colin Brown?

  He was last seen driving his 2018 black Kia Rio around Colleen, and the last person he spoke to was his wife on August 20th, 2019. But after that, no one heard from him again.

• 55:56Courtney Brown?

  After not showing up to work for several days, the Army called his mother in Oklahoma, but she too hadn't heard from him. And then finally, the Army listed him as AWOL, absent without leave. Sadly, no one even went looking for Gregory. The Army told everyone that he just got up and left on his own free will. But like we just mentioned, Gregory was just days away from being discharged, so it wouldn't have made sense for him to just leave. But nonetheless, he was listed as a deserter. His mother said that for the next 10 months after his disappearance, she was completely heartbroken. She was a teacher, and she would often just break down in tears right in front of her students.

• 56:40Courtney Brown?

  Going months and months without information on her son's disappearance was heartbreaking. But now, 10 months later, his mother learned that Gregory didn't go AWOL. He was dead. She also learned that he didn't die by natural causes. In fact, Gregory had been murdered. Now, after this information came out, the Army was able to give him back his rank and his benefits. He also received a Proper military funeral. But sadly, to this day, Gregory's murder has never been solved. His mother was incredibly disappointed with how the army handled his case. Not only did they fail to protect him, but they never even went looking for him.

• 57:23Courtney Brown?

  His mom also never got a call from the army or anything to try and make things right. And the sad reality is that Gregory would have likely never been found if people hadn't been out there searching for Vanessa Guillen. When Vanessa's family learned about Gregory's murder, their hearts broke for him and his family. It also left them with this sinking feeling. If Gregory had been missing this whole time, what did that mean for Vanessa? Would they ever find her?

• 57:51Colin Brown?

  And surprisingly, Gregory and Vanessa's cases weren't the only ones that the CID had been dealing with at the time. In fact, the day after Vanessa was reported missing, 21-year-old Private Gavin Chambers passed away on base. A few days later, on April 29th, 19-year-old Private Joshua Barnwell also passed away. Then, on May 16th, 37-year-old Sergeant Brad Reynolds died by suicide. And on May 18th, Private First Class Brandon Rosecran was found shot to death nearly three miles away from his burning Jeep in a suburb of Fort Hood. There were four deaths at Fort Hood in a matter of weeks, and in the months that followed, there would be two more suicides.

• 58:34Colin Brown?

  Then they found Gregory's body, who had also been murdered. So, as you can see, Fort Hood was an extremely dark place at the time. A place filled with death, assaults, suicides, and mysteries. And as you're gonna hear in the bonus episode if you're with us on Patreon, this pattern of darkness. Fort Hood already had a legacy of darkness. There are so many things wrong with the history of Fort Hood that we're gonna explore. There just seemed to be a dark energy about the place.

• 59:04Courtney Brown?

  But with everything going on, the CID was still looking into Specialist Aaron Robinson. Like we last mentioned, they had looked through his phone after that second interview, and what they found on it was incriminating. Remember how Robinson said that he had been home that entire night after Vanessa's disappearance? Well, that couldn't have been true, because his cellphone data placed him in Belton, Texas, at 1:59 a.m. by a bridge near the Leon River, which is approximately 20 miles east of Colleen. So Robinson wasn't home, he was out in the wilderness. But what was he doing out there? So from here, search teams decided to put their focus there.

• 59:47Courtney Brown?

  Soon enough, the FBI, local police, Texas Rangers, the CID, and Texas Equacert all descended upon the Leon River with canines, divers, helicopters, and ATVs. There were many hands on deck that day, and after a few hours, they would find something. Deep within the woods, where Robinson's cellphone pinged, searchers located a burn pile, and right in the middle of that pile was this melted, black plastic. Immediately, they recognized it as a black toughbox, the same kind of toughbox that witnesses saw Aaron loading into his vehicle on the day that Vanessa disappeared.

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• 1:01:13Colin Brown?

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• 1:02:42Courtney Brown?

  Peered.

• 1:02:44Colin Brown?

  Now, they searched this burn pile extensively, but they didn't find any remains. So they continued looking in the surrounding area. Interestingly, about 300 feet away, a canine alerted to the scent of human remains near the water. But once again, they didn't find anything. By this point, the reward for information in Vanessa's disappearance had reached $50,000. It was offered up by the League of United Latin American Citizens, who had heard the Guian families please and wanted to help. But surprisingly, despite their searches around the Leon River, they still hadn't found her. However, Tim Miller with the Texas EquiSearch was certain that she was out there, and he was right.

• 1:03:23Courtney Brown?

  On June 30th, 2020, at around 11:00 a.m., a group of contractors were working on a fence near the Lyon River, when they suddenly smelled something. Knowing what decomp smelled like, they quickly called 911. But strangely enough, searchers had already searched the area where the smell was coming from, but nonetheless, they decided to come back. And after a few hours, they found what looked like a disturbance in the ground, so they dug it up. And after a few seconds, they knew that they had found human remains. Sadly, the remains were completely unrecognizable. But there was one characteristic that led everyone to believe that it was indeed Vanessa, and that was the hair.

• 1:04:08Courtney Brown?

  Vanessa had this beautiful, long, thick, black hair. And immediately when they saw it, they knew it was her. But disturbingly, they didn't find all of her. Vanessa had been dismembered. Her partial remains were buried within a shallow grave. And whoever put her there tried to conceal her body by pouring concrete over it. Not far from this set of partial remains, investigators found another set buried in the ground, covered in concrete. Then they found another. The search crews couldn't believe that they had missed this. Earlier that week, they had walked right over her body without even realizing. But finally, after two long months,

• 1:04:52Courtney Brown?

  the search for Vanessa Giann had come to an end.

• 1:04:55Colin Brown?

  As word spread around Colleen that human remains had been discovered, reporters rushed to the scene. And this time, everyone knew deep down that it was her. Vanessa's family had no idea what was going on at the time. But her sister Myra said that she suddenly received a call from her aunt, asking if she had seen the news. Seconds later, she said she received a call from Tim Miller. Now, although forensic testing had not been conducted, Tim was positive the body belonged to Vanessa. He told her, "We found her." From there, the phone went silent. Myra would later say that she wanted to scream, but she didn't. She didn't want her mother to see her react that way. So she kept her composure, thanked him for his phone call and hung up.

• 1:05:38Colin Brown?

  From there, she had the grueling task of telling her parents that their worst fears had come true. Her mother Gloria would later say, "I went crazy at that moment. I went crazy because of the pain." She did not want to believe that her daughter's murdered body had been found. Throughout the entire time, they had always held on to hope that she would be found alive. And although there was a sort of peace knowing that she was no longer missing, the idea that someone had hurt her, had dismembered her, was unbearable.

• 1:06:08Speaker 03

  Hello, I'm Lynn Cannon. We have breaking news tonight. Human remains have been found during the search for a missing Fort Hood soldier, Vanessa Guill. Shernman Chow, following these new developments tonight. Shernman?

• 1:06:20Speaker 07

  Yeah, EquiSearch telling us that the search is over, pending positive identification. Founder Tim Miller saying, "I believe it is her." Vanessa Guill's family here in Houston has been notified. And this just in, this is new video from the scene where the discovery took place. The remains were found about 30 miles east of Fort Hood, near the Leon River and the Little River Academy, a town there. Private First Class Vanessa Guill vanished April the 22nd from Fort Hood. Her keys, wallet, and ID were found where she had been working on base. Her phone, though, remains missing. Her family tells us that the 20-year-old Houstonian had been sexually harassed by military superiors. That, along with her disappearance, is being investigated.

• 1:07:04Speaker 07

  Today, the Army Criminal Investigation Division, or CID, confirming finding human remains. This was the same area they had searched back on June 22nd. CID, with several other agencies, returned there today with new information. And for those of you following this case, you know that another Fort Hood soldier went missing back in August. Gregory Waddell Morales's skeleton was found 11 days ago in Colleen. But EquiSearch founder Tim Miller says he doesn't- Does not believe that the two cases are connected. Vanessa's family, the army, and the rest of us now waiting on a positive identification of the remains found today. Len?

• 1:07:41Courtney Brown?

  And now that Vanessa's body was found, everyone could now focus on getting her justice. And they all knew exactly who was responsible. Specialist Erin Robinson. The evidence against him was damning. Not only was he seen pulling that black tough box that was later found in a burn pile near her remains, but his cellphone records also placed him there on the night of Vanessa's disappearance. However, there was still one big question mark to this story, and it had to do with Robinson's girlfriend, Cecily Aguilar. Like we mentioned in the beginning of the investigation, she had given Robinson an alibi that night. They both said that they had been together at his house all night long on the day that

• 1:08:25Courtney Brown?

  Vanessa went missing. And clearly, that couldn't have been true. So what exactly did Cecily know? What was her part in all of this? Well, investigators were about to find out. After finding Vanessa's remains, they brought her in for an interview. And one of the first things they brought up was the fact that Cecily said she and Robinson had been together that entire night. Sitting across from investigators, she once again confirmed this. But in response, the detectives asked, well, if that was the case, then why did Robinson call you over and over that night? Cecily had been caught in a lie. Phone records show that Robinson called her several times.

• 1:09:07Courtney Brown?

  But if they were together that whole time, then why was he calling her? Cecily was nervous. Thinking quickly, she told investigators, well, I couldn't find my phone. It was lost somewhere in his house, so he was calling me so we could find it. Now, in theory, this would make sense. But then investigators bring up the fact that their cell phone showed they weren't at home. How do you explain that? They ask. Cecily gets even more nervous, and she quickly changes her story. This time, she says, well, we weren't actually at home. We were driving. My phone got lost somewhere in his car while we were driving down the road, and once again, he called me so we could find it. Investigators then asked, "So,

• 1:09:50Courtney Brown?

  why were you driving around at 5:00 in the morning?" Cecily said that she and Robinson had gotten into an argument, so they decided to clear their heads and take a drive. Now, obviously, investigators didn't believe a word coming out of her mouth, and they started turning up the heat. At one point, the detective turned to Cecily and said, "Do you smell that? The smell of decomposition in this room? That's the smell of Vanessa's body. We've been out there all day working this crime scene. So how about you start the story over and tell the truth this time?" Cecily knew she was backed into a corner. She couldn't keep up with this lie anymore. So finally, she uttered the sentence, quote, "Robinson

• 1:10:32Courtney Brown?

  killed the girl." From here, Cecily told investigators that on the night of April 22nd, she was working a shift at the gas station when Robinson walked in and picked her up. She said that after they left, he just started driving towards the Leon Bridge, and along the way, he told her why. According to Robinson, he said that during his shift that day within the arms room, he grabbed a hammer and he bludgeoned Vanessa to death. After killing her, he shoved her into that black tough box, and he brought her out to the Leon River. Now as for why he bludgeoned her, Cecily told investigators that when Vanessa

• 1:11:12Courtney Brown?

  walked into the room that day, she looked over and saw a picture of Cecily as the background on Robinson's phone. And because Cecily was technically married to another soldier on base, Robinson didn't want to get in trouble. Cecily said that Robinson thought Vanessa was going to tell the higher-ups that he was having an affair with another soldier's wife. So to avoid that, he killed her. Now I will say, I haven't seen anyone that actually believes this. Who bludgeoned someone to death over seeing a photo? Even further, people on the base already knew that Robinson and Cecily were together, so the fact- that he would murder Vanessa after seeing a picture on his phone is pretty hard to believe.

• 1:11:56Courtney Brown?

  Cecily was adamant that that's why he killed her. Later that night, she said that Robinson drove her out to the Leon River. After parking, they got out of the car and walked into the woods where he had put the tough box. Cecily said that he even opened it for her and showed her Vanessa's body. Disturbingly, also admits to investigators that she helped him dismember Vanessa that night. Interestingly, she said that Robinson didn't want to remove Vanessa from the box, so she was the one who did it. From there, they removed her clothes and started the dismemberment using machetes.

• 1:12:35Courtney Brown?

  Both she and Robinson went to work, packing her body into pieces so it would be easier for them to conceal. They cut off her head, arms, and legs. Once the dismemberment was over, they tried burning her remains, but it wasn't working. So instead, they dug three different holes, putting pieces of Vanessa in each one. That night, when they got back home, they burned Vanessa's clothing. The two were out until about 5:00 a.m., so it was a long night. And over the next few days, they anxiously waited as the searches for Vanessa began. As you can imagine, they were terrified of her being found.

• 1:13:16Courtney Brown?

  So much so, on April 26th, they decided to go back out to the dump site. But this time, they came with hairnets, gloves, and concrete. Cecily actually bought the supplies from someone on Facebook Marketplace. And once out there, they dug up Vanessa's dismembered remains and poured concrete over them.

• 1:13:37Colin Brown?

  If you love murder in America, you love mysteries, you love true crime, you love murder stories and the unknown. Then I have a new show for you. It's called The Conspiracy Files, and it's hosted by me, Colin Brown, from Murder in America and the Paranormal Files. On The Conspiracy Files, we explore everything from bizarre deaths to freak paranormal events, pedophile rings.

• 1:14:00Colin Brown?

  Government corruption, rituals, sacrifice, no topic is untouched on this show. Everything that we talk about on The Conspiracy Files is backed up with fact. I release reference sheets with every single episode that we do, so you guys know. Everything we're talking about is confirmed to have happened and be real. It's a completely different type of show than anything else you've ever seen about conspiracy theories. Instead of a bunch of conjecture and theories, we're presenting you people with facts, telling you the story, walking you through the story, just as detailed as we do with Murder in America, and then letting the listener decide what they think. Anyways, you should definitely give it a listen. It's called The Conspiracy Files.

• 1:14:44Colin Brown?

  The links are in the description of this show, and you can find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And now, let's get back to our story. Interestingly, Cecily also tried to claim that she had to help get rid of Vanessa's body. She even said that on the way over to the Leon River, Robinson held a gun to her head and threatened her if she didn't help him, which again, is a story that no one believes. Cecily also told investigators that Robinson was never once violent with her before this, but he was prone to bad moods. Now, clearly detectives do not believe this story, that she was forced to help dismember Vanessa's body. In reality, she loved Robinson, and she likely didn't want him to get in trouble.

• 1:15:27Colin Brown?

  But now that Vanessa's body was found, Cecily is in trouble. And detectives actually convinced her to help them get a confession out of Aaron Robinson. So while she was at the police station, they asked her to call him. Now, Robinson had no idea that Cecily was being questioned by the police at the time, so when he saw her phone call, he answered and immediately said, Baby, they found pieces. Over the next few minutes, Cecily tried to talk about the crime, thinking that maybe Robinson would say something incriminating. But unfortunately, he didn't. He also didn't deny anything she was saying. However, it was very obvious that he was very worried that they had found Vanessa's body. During the phone call, he even sends her links to the new footage of the body being found.

• 1:16:11Courtney Brown?

  Aaron Robinson was on edge, especially because at the time Cecily was being interviewed, he had been ordered into a conference room at Fort Hood. Now, they didn't have enough to arrest him at the moment, but officials there were keeping an eye on him, because they knew it was only a matter of time until that arrest warrant came through. So earlier that day, they told him he had to wait in the conference room. When Robinson asked why, they told him it was for violating quarantine, so he did what he was told. Over the next few hours, he lounged in the room and played video games. But as he was sitting there, he suddenly saw on his phone that a body had been located near the Leon River. And soon after that,

• 1:16:55Courtney Brown?

  Cecily called him from the police station and started talking about the crime. Robinson quickly started feeling anxious. He knew the walls were closing in, and that's when he decided that he was going to make a run for it. Unfortunately, the officials that were supposed to be watching him weren't keeping a close enough eye, because when no one was looking, Robinson somehow slipped out of the conference room, ran out of the building, and hopped into his car. Security guards chased him down, but they weren't quick enough. And before they knew it, Aaron Robinson was gone. For the next few hours, investigators and Colleen looked everywhere for him. And eventually, they spot him.

• 1:17:38Courtney Brown?

  He was found walking on the side of the road roughly six miles away from Fort Hood. Quickly, the police surround him. But unbeknownst to them, Robinson had a gun. And before they were able to apprehend him, he pulled it out, aimed it at his head, and pulled the trigger. In that very instant, Vanessa Guillen's killer had taken his own life.

• 1:18:01Colin Brown?

  As you can imagine, when word got out that Robinson had killed himself, the Guillen family was devastated. His death meant that they couldn't have their day in court with their daughter's killer. They couldn't learn the truth as to why he killed Vanessa that day. Now, all they could rely on was Cecily's confession, which clearly wasn't 100% truthful. The day after- Aaron Robinson ended his life. Cecily Aguilar was placed under arrest and charged with 11 counts, including: One count of conspiracy to tamper with documents or proceedings. Two counts of tampering with documents or proceedings. Three counts of accessory after the fact. One count of destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in a federal investigation. And four counts of false statement or representation.

• 1:18:45Colin Brown?

  Her arrest was huge news in Colleen, Texas. And soon enough, more information about her started to come to light. Especially from her social media accounts. On Cecily's Instagram, she often posted about selling feet pictures for money. And how she was desperate for a sugar daddy. On March 11th, about a month before Vanessa's disappearance, she wrote: "Looking for a real hashtag sugar daddy. One who doesn't expect me to spend my money on him in any way. I use hashtag cash app, only DM me if interested. #SugarDaddy needed, #SugarDaddy wanted." Cecily also posted an odd quote on Instagram one month after Vanessa's disappearance that said: "People who fight fire with fire end up with the ashes of their own integrity."

• 1:19:28Colin Brown?

  Which is eerie considering she helped burn Vanessa's body. In other posts, she wrote: "He showed her the darkest part of him. She said black is my favorite color and I loved her, the dark side of her. Any girl can play innocent, but her demons are what drove me wild. Her secrets, her pain she masked by laughter. Her darkness she tries so hard to hide. That's what made me fall for her." Now Cecily tried to convince investigators that she was the innocent victim who was forced to help dispose of Vanessa's body. But no one was believing that.

• 1:20:00Courtney Brown?

  Upon learning that Cecily had been arrested. The Guiants were grateful that someone would be held responsible. But there were still so many unanswered questions. Mostly revolving around Aaron Robinson. Like how did Fort Hood let him escape that day? He was supposed to be supervised in the conference room. So why weren't they watching him? Another question was, why was he allowed to have his phone in the conference room that day? Clearly, the news of Vanessa's body being found was all over. learning of it was surely going to spook him. Everyone also wanted to know how he was able to get a gun when he was being investigated for Vanessa's murder.

• 1:20:41Courtney Brown?

  For months, CID investigators had known that Aaron Robinson was somehow involved in Vanessa's disappearance. And yet, they allowed him to continue working at the armory. They gave him access to weapons. It was clearly a massive failure on all levels. Eventually, the army reported that there had been a miscommunication between the sergeant guarding the conference room and CID investigators. And because of this, Vanessa's killer escaped. And he didn't just escape Fort Hood that day, but he also escaped justice.

• 1:21:17Colin Brown?

  The Guillen family, as well as the entire nation, was appalled. Especially when they found out that it took the CID seventy-two days to even search the arms room where Vanessa had been murdered. Now, we knew from the very beginning that the room was where she was last seen alive. So why on earth wouldn't they have treated it like a crime scene? If they would have, they likely would have seen blood spatter or something that indicated Vanessa had been killed in there. But they didn't. Here's her sister Lupe speaking to the media.

• 1:21:47Speaker 07

  The human remains have yet not been confirmed, but I still don't lose hope.

• 1:21:53Speaker 07

  My mother's on bed right now with impales. Why? Because they lie to our faces every single day that passed. Every single day, which is two months, more than two months. My sister Vanessa Guillen was sexually harassed, yet nothing was done to it. For her lack of responsibility, safety, and respect, because they didn't respect my sister.

• 1:22:20Speaker 07

  They didn't keep my sister safe. They always try to cover up for each other. Why? My sister's a human too. She deserves respect. She deserves to be heard. Because if this can happen to my sister, it can happen to anyone else.

• 1:22:38Speaker 07

  My sister was also sexually harassed and this led to this. They don't protect our service women and men. They don't want to put in their life at risk every day for the nation and for us. Just like my sister. How can this happen on military base? How can this happen while she was on duty? How can this just happen and they let it go under the rug like it was nothing?

• 1:23:07Speaker 07

  They take sexual harassment. Sexual assault as a joke. Just see the hashtag I am Vanessa Guillen. All those men and women in our service suffering from sexual harassment. Suffering for sexual assault because they report it yet. They take it as a joke. My sister's no joke. My sister's a human being. And I want justice and I want answers.

• 1:23:40Speaker 07

  Because my sister did not do this to herself, someone did it. And they not want someone, it's various people.

• 1:23:50Speaker 07

  And if this can happen to my sister, what makes you think it can happen to other service women and men? They don't care about us. My sister's example of it.

• 1:24:04Speaker 07

  My sister did not serve to suffer. My sister did not deserve this. But yet I do not lose hope on God because God has the last word.

• 1:24:17Speaker 07

  My sister deserves justice. That's why we demand a congressional investigation to be done. Because for her, the great place hasn't done anything at all. And this is the proof, they have lied to us. They don't work for anything. They lied to us every single time. My mother's in bed with pills.

• 1:24:42Speaker 07

  My mothers does not deserve this. I don't deserve this. My family does not deserve this. Vanessa Guillen did not deserve this.

• 1:24:52Colin Brown?

  On Friday, July 3rd, Vanessa's family was informed that the human remains found did indeed belong to Vanessa. Family attorney Natalie Kawam said, "We're at a loss for words. Our country has lost a beautiful young soldier because the system is broken." On August 14th, the Guillen family held a day-long public memorial for Vanessa in Houston. Her casket, adorned with white roses and the image of the Virgin Mary, was taken by a horse-drawn carriage to the Cesare Chávez High School, where she graduated only a few years prior. While everyone arrived, Spanish gospel music was played, as well as Selena's "Dreaming of You." On August 15th, Vanessa Guillen was laid to rest at a private funeral service at the

• 1:25:35Colin Brown?

  Holy Name Catholic Church. Veterans from Texas saluted her along the street that was lined with the American flag as Vanessa's casket arrived. Her family shared heartfelt tributes to her life, and afterwards, she was taken to the Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery.

• 1:25:51Speaker 03

  Almost four months after our Houstonian went missing at Fort Hood, Vanessa Guillen is finally home. This involved an exhaustive search with constant prayers for a miracle, before ending in heartbreak. Today, we witnessed Vanessa's remains be brought here to Holy Name Catholic Church for a funeral mass.

• 1:26:16Speaker 03

  When you think of what this family's been going through. She went missing April 22nd. Today is August 15th. That's many, many months. Vanessa's father and siblings carried the green casket adorned with the Virgin Mary and American and Mexican flags, from a hearse to the steps of this Catholic church. Father Anil Thomas blessed the remains with holy water before they led the casket inside. It's just very hard to see such a beautiful life taken away unnecessarily. She is Houston's own, and this Van family is very special. As dignitaries like Mayor Sylvester Turner talked about Vanessa Guillen's impact... Her living and her death will never...

• 1:26:57Speaker 03

  not be in vain because she's already making a huge difference for other women serving in the military and quite frankly in organizations all over.

• 1:27:12Speaker 03

  We learned a heartbreaking detail.

• 1:27:19Speaker 03

  From Police Chief Art Acevedo. homicide division actually got the DNA of the family, got a sample, got DNA from the remains. He revealed the Guill family's mistrust of the army runs so deep, they asked the Houston Police Department to confirm the remains belonged to Vanessa. Acevedo told Gloria Guill the news himself. As a mother, I think you always hold on a little bit of hope, but there was great relief knowing that an independent lab had confirmed that it was Vanessa's remains.

• 1:27:52Speaker 03

  Today, as the red, white, and blue wave to welcome the soldier home, the prayer is she's finally at peace.

• 1:28:04Speaker 03

  The important thing is the day is for the family, for the grief, and we all

• 1:28:11Courtney Brown?

  join them in their prayers.

• 1:28:17Courtney Brown?

  Although Vanessa Guill was now laid to rest, her family was not going to remain silent on advocating for change within the US military. Now, there was still some confusion on whether or not Aaron Robinson was the one who sexually harassed Vanessa shortly before her death. And her family couldn't help but wonder if that's why he killed her. Did he come on to Vanessa that day? Did she reject his advances? One thing they knew for sure was that Vanessa had been sexually harassed by a superior at Fort Hood. She had also been murdered by a superior. So whether or not Robinson was responsible for the sexual harassment, there was clearly

• 1:28:58Courtney Brown?

  a huge problem going on at Fort Hood, a problem where superiors were taking advantage of people. So in the thick of their grief. The Ghiens decided to channel it into activism. And this was only the beginning. In the months after Vanessa's funeral, they continued to make their voices heard. And specifically, they wanted to know what Fort Hood was doing about the sexual harassments and assaults that plagued their base and how they were going to make changes going forward. They also wanted answers on what went wrong in the murder investigation. How were their failures on so many levels?

• 1:29:38Colin Brown?

  Over the next few months, the Ghien family would continue to pray for justice. They also wanted to make sure that no other soldier would have to go through what Vanessa went through. Now, military law works very differently than civilian law. So they knew that if they wanted to make real change, they would have to go all the way to the top. And luckily for them, in August of 2020, the Ghiens got the opportunity to go to the White House and speak with President Donald Trump. During the meeting, they shared their disappointment with how Fort Hood handled the case and how they wanted to make a change going forward. Specifically, they wanted to pass the I.M. Vanessa Ghien Act, a powerful piece of legislation that would change how the United States military handles sexual assault and sexual harassment cases.

• 1:30:23Speaker 07

  President Trump, first of all, thank you very much for hosting this family. It's a beautiful family that I represent. I'm attorney Natalie Kowam. I'm doing this case pro bono because I believe in it and I believe in our military and I believe in justice. Good. And like you, you love the military. You love our veterans. And you've proven that today by just bringing us into your home to begin with. Secondly, we have formed together to figure out what happened and how it happened. And just to give background, Vanessa was having issues internally with some of the surgeons and such hitting on her, sexually harassing her. We don't know how far it went because a lot of women don't always speak up. They just are afraid. Other people, other than the one who... In question, right? Okay.

• 1:31:06Speaker 07

  So, it's a systemic problem there, you know, and, you know, you have young kids, boys, girls, eighteen, twenty, twenty-one, you know it. But there isn't enough protections in place because they get nervous about retaliation. And I learned, I knew about the problem, but I didn't know how severe it was. Like I said, I thought I was picking a scab and here I saw it was septic. It's terrible. The hashtag, I am Vanessa G, and if you go to that, you will read all these stories of these young women that serve our country, how broken they are. Like when they report it, what happens in a chain of command, and then they get retaliated against, and they got clean toilets and stuff like that. So, I understand why Vanessa wouldn't want to go report it, formally report it.

• 1:31:49Speaker 07

  So she did tell her family, she told her friends, she told some of the soldiers with her how they were, especially this guy, Aaron. In particular, yeah, right? Aaron Robinson, that's correct. Others also? That's correct. So, I understand that she was in a locker room, the girls locker room, taking a shower, and he walked in and sat there and stared at her showering, like, just creepy. And unfortunately, I believe that she was going to report him because he was with her in the room that day, her day off, they asked her to come in. Makes no sense, right? We're not getting all the answers, by the way. And he supposedly took a hammer and killed her in the, in the room, plunged her to death.

• 1:32:34Speaker 07

  If you go into this room, the room is probably like a quarter the size of this room, and it's open, so people can hear and see things. So how no one heard her screaming, how no one saw the blood, those are like questions we still have. But when he did that to her, he carried her body out and he buried it in the, in the river nearby.

• 1:32:57Speaker 07

  He used a machete. And nobody saw this? Nobody saw it? Nobody saw this, right? And he used a machete to cut her up with his girlfriend. And he tried to burn her body, wanted to burn. I mean, this, the horribleness. I said, it reminded me of ISIS, what they do to our soldiers. And when I heard about this story, they contacted me, said, can you help us? And I said, absolutely, can I help you? You know, these are immigrants. You know, my family's immigrants. You know, you come to this country, you want to serve it, you want to do the best you can. And I didn't want them getting railroaded. I know that it's hard to navigate through the military, I know it's hard to navigate through Congress. And I knew that we needed to do something.

• 1:33:41Speaker 07

  We need a congressional investigation because there's so many, how's that happen? How did this happen? A lot of cover-ups. When I tried to work with the CID, I said, what subpoenas have you issued? Because I'll issue some subpoenas with you, like, to help you out. You know, they wanted to tell me what subpoenas they issued, they wanted to tell me anything. So I found that it was very difficult to communicate, there was no transparency. So what we could do collectively to get justice for Vanessa is, we need reform. We need a bill. And, you know, I drafted a bill, the hashtag I'mVanessaGian. Mark Wayne Mullen from Oklahoma. Good guy. Great guy, love him.

• 1:34:25Speaker 07

  He, well, he, it's right now in ledge counsel. But what it does is, it says, the way we have the EEOC, which is the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, how someone can report something, you go to the EEOC, we're looking for something that's going to allow our military, our soldiers, to have the same rights and protections. So that way, they're not going to their chain of command or internally. What they're doing is they're going outside the command and reporting something. So suppose this kind of situation would have been in place, if we had this kind of bill in place, Vanessa could have reported this, and they would have said, wait a second, this guy, Aaron Robinson, has a few of these problems, like, look at this guy. So did she report anything at all? She reported it to her family and friends and some of the soldiers. She didn't do a formal report. Not to the fort, not to the people?

• 1:35:10Speaker 07

  Right, not to the command, her bosses, who are also above her, who she's saying that were sexually harassing her. So it's hard to go to the boss that's giving you problems to report him. You know, it's like the fox over the hen house.

• 1:35:25Speaker 07

  My sister Vanessa Guillen, she's making history. Whole nation, almost international. And she wants you to be a part of it because we hope to have your support. And she said, "My sister, she had a whole life ahead of her and her life was taken away the most disgusting way in one could take a human's life. She wanted to be a mother."

• 1:35:45Speaker 04

  It's true.

• 1:35:46Speaker 07

  And everyone has a family, so everyone could feel that small pain. And she's, she just dreams of her. And how she wants to save children, but everyone has heart. So we expect people's compassion, we expect people to help us, and we hope to have your support in this bill. It will be something historical, it's history. You will be making history within Vanessa. Because we need a change and the change is now and we need something positive. So the soldiers feel safe to be recruited, feel safe while serving the nation, feel honored to serve the nation, but to feel respected and safe and that's how the bill will help them.

• 1:36:29Speaker 07

  Because not only women, it's also men. I have heard many stories. And hopefully we have your support. And he will be with my daughter in the history of this wonderful boy. He will be in the history of my daughter for all her life. Yeah, because this bill will work a whole lifetime and that you will be in it, that you will be making history within Vanessa. And people will be so thankful and blessed for having your support.

• 1:36:52Speaker 04

  Well, you have our support and we're working on it already as you know. And we won't stop and hopefully something very positive will come out in honor of your sister, okay, and your daughter.

• 1:37:05Courtney Brown?

  After Vanessa's death, the Guillen family would never be able to go back to their normal lives. Not only were they constantly fighting to advocate for her, but they were also still struggling with their grief of how Vanessa's life ended. Her mother Gloria was forever changed by Vanessa's death. It not only affected her mentally, but physically as well. Because of this, Vanessa's sister Myra had to step in to care for her younger siblings. Her other sister Lupe, who had been in 10th grade when Vanessa disappeared could no longer focus on schoolwork, athletics, or a social life. How can you when your sister's disappearance and death completely consumed their lives for so long?

• 1:37:49Courtney Brown?

  Instead of being the carefree teenager she once was, Lupe had to grow up and fight for justice. But the Guillen family also discovered a newfound purpose for their lives, a powerful mission for justice and reform. That year, the Guillen started traveling to Washington DC with their attorney to advocate for systematic change within the military. They had hundreds of supporters who all participated in peaceful protests, demanding justice, and the passage of the I Am Vanessa Guillen Act. The act would ensure that anyone who had been sexually assaulted or harassed within the military wouldn't have to go through their chain of command to report it.

• 1:38:32Courtney Brown?

  Instead, it would allow a third party to come in, making soldiers feel safe and comfortable coming forward.

• 1:38:40Colin Brown?

  One person who sponsored the I Am Vanessa Guillen Act was California Congresswoman Jackie Spire. Jackie had been advocating for change in the military since 2010. She has stated that these sexual assaults and harassments have been happening in the military from as early as the 1950s, and for decades after, these cases continued to be swept under the rug. In 2011, Jackie introduced the first piece of legislation that would hold the military accountable for these cases, but of course, there was pushback. So in 2020, when she heard of the I Am Vanessa Guillen Act, she was more than happy to help bring it to light. Jackie, along with one of House members, introduced the I Am Vanessa Guillen Act to Congress.

• 1:39:22Colin Brown?

  It stated, "This bill is in honor of the late SPC Vanessa Guillen and the many survivors of military sexual violence who have bravely come forward in the wake of her disappearance and brutal murder. The legislation responds to these resounding calls for change by offering provisions that would revolutionize the military's response to missing service members and reports of sexual harassment and sexual assault by making sexual harassment." harassment a crime within the Uniform Code of Military Justice moving prosecution decisions of sexual assault and sexual harassment cases out of the chain of command. Specifically, the I Am Vanessa Guillen Act would move prosecution decisions on sexual assault and sexual harassment cases outside of the chain of command to an office of the chief prosecutor within each military service.

• 1:40:07Colin Brown?

  Create a standalone military offense for sexual harassment. Establish trained sexual harassment investigators who are outside of the chain of command of the complainant and the accused. Create a confidential reporting process for sexual harassment that is integrated with DOD's Catch a Serial Offender database. Require the Government Accountability Office to investigate the military's procedures for finding missing service members and compare with procedures used by civilian law enforcement and best practices. Require both DOD and GAO to conduct separate evaluations of the military services' sexual harassment assault response and prevention programs. And establish a process by which service members can make claims for negligence

• 1:40:48Colin Brown?

  and seek compensatory damages against DOD in the case of sexual assault or sexual harassment.

• 1:40:54Courtney Brown?

  But sadly, even after meeting with President Trump, the Guillenes learned that the bill never even made it to the floor for a vote. It was yet another setback in their quest for justice. But everyone knew that Vanessa's family, along with all of her supporters, would not give up. There was no way that this case would be swept under the rug, like all those before her. Many even went to social media to vent their frustrations, saying, quote, "This is a slap in the face to Vanessa, her family, and all sexually harassed and assaulted victims. I will be ready in 2021. It needs to pass." Another one read, quote, "The bill needs to be passed to protect our military soldiers.

• 1:41:38Courtney Brown?

  My military soldier, my son," end quote. But the Guillenes still had a long road ahead of them, not only with passing the bill, but also with Cecily Aguilar, who is currently in jail for her part in the crime.

• 1:41:54Colin Brown?

  On March 25th, 2021, Cecily Aguilar actually tried to have her confession thrown out. At this point, she had pleaded not guilty to all the charges, and if her confession was thrown out, it would really affect the trial. Her defense attorney filed a motion that stated Cecily was never read her Miranda rights on the evening of June 30th, 2020, until three hours into her interrogation. Her attorney stated, "Instead, they encouraged her to tell them about the alleged crime in order to help herself, without ever informing her that what she said could be used against her in court." Now Cecily's confession was a huge part of getting justice, so at this hearing, the Vanessa's family, along with protesters, stood outside of the courthouse in the cold and chanted, "Lock her up."

• 1:42:39Colin Brown?

  Yeah, guys, we had protesters out here. They were on the curb over here. They went all the way around the building chanting. They went back to the stairs right behind me here, just feet away from the entrance, protesting for justice for Vanessa Guillen. While most of Guillen's family were inside during the hearing, the family, Sister Lupe Guillen, was outside, leading about a dozen protesters in front of the federal courthouse in Waco. They chanted, they marched, they demanded justice, and they weren't just from central Texas. We had protesters out here that were from San Antonio, Arlington, and even Kansas. Vanessa Guillen's story has gone so far and wide, one woman even decided to drive nine

• 1:43:23Colin Brown?

  hours to be here. The trial of Cecily Aguilar may have not started yet, but the protesters wanted to let everyone in the courthouse know. They believe they know where it should end.

• 1:43:40Colin Brown?

  Now, on recording on the day of her confession, Cecily admitted that she was willingly giving that confession, and that she thought it would help her in the end. But clearly, she was wrong. And luckily, the judge decided to not throw out her confession, which was a huge win for the Guillen family. And while they waited for Cecily's federal trial to come around, they continued in their fight towards reform.

• 1:44:03Courtney Brown?

  Now from the very beginning, officials at Fort Hood said that they never had any evidence that Vanessa reported any instances of sexual harassment. But after her death, an investigation was conducted. And in April of 2021, the report was released to the public. Disturbingly, despite what Fort Hood initially said, the investigation proved that Vanessa actually had reported sexual harassment on two separate occasions. On both of those occasions, she told her higher-ups. But sadly, her superiors failed to move the report up the chain of command. So in the end, nothing ended up happening.

• 1:44:45Colin Brown?

  SPC Guillen was sexually harassed by a supervisor. This supervisor created an intimidating, hostile environment. One of her supervisors made an inappropriate sexual comment in Spanish in which SPC Guillen translated as a solicitation for her to participate in a threesome. This same supervisor encountered SPC Guillen while she performed personal hygiene in the wood line, and SPC Guillen reported that this made her uncomfortable. SPC Guillen's leadership failed to hold SPC Guillen's supervisor accountable.

• 1:45:17Courtney Brown?

  And believe it or not, the names of the superiors were never released. There's been speculation that it was Aaron Robinson, but we don't know. However, we do know that Aaron Robinson had sexually harassed a girl on the base before, so it wouldn't be that far-fetched. And because of his disturbing past of sexual harassment, some people have theorized that Vanessa was murdered by Robinson, not because of the lock screen picture on his phone, but while he was in the act of sexually assaulting her. However, due to Fort Hood's poor investigation, we may never know the answer as to why she was murdered. But one thing we do know is that there was a huge problem at Fort Hood, where leaders

• 1:46:00Courtney Brown?

  were sexually harassing, sexually assaulting, and in Vanessa's case, murdering soldiers on base. After the 2021 report was released that proved Vanessa had

• 1:46:13Courtney Brown?

  reported the sexual harassment. Fort Hood faced a lot of scrutiny. Not only did they fail to take action after her reports, but they also failed to protect Vanessa. And then they lied about it, telling the public that Vanessa never reported the sexual harassment. So why did they lie? Did they know that Vanessa's sexual harassment claims would expose the giant problem they had on base? A problem that they clearly weren't interested in fixing?

• 1:46:40Colin Brown?

  This report proved that Fort Hood clearly had corruption and toxic leadership. In fact, on July 10th, 2020, Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy ordered an investigation into the chain of command at Fort Hood due to the numerous deaths, suicides, and complaints of sexual assault and harassment. On December 8th, it was reported that the investigation found major flaws and that the climate was permissive of sexual harassment and sexual assault. The findings were alarming. Not to mention, the Defense Department conducted a survey that found in 2018, there were 2,500 instances of unwanted sexual contact of females, a number that had increased by 38% from 2016. Higher ups at Fort Hood failed to intervene

• 1:47:25Colin Brown?

  or investigate reports of sexual assault or sexual harassment. Ultimately, after the Guillen Report was released, 14 officials at Fort Hood were relieved of their duties or suspended, including Major General Scott Effen and the senior commander at Fort Hood in charge of the 3rd Corps, and Major General Jeffrey Broadwater, the commander of the 1st Cavalry Division. But for Vanessa's mother, the punishment was not brutal enough for the 14 relieved of their duties at Fort Hood. In an article in the New York Times, Gloria stated, "Today I told the Secretary of the Army, yes, it's fine, they relieved them. They took a few out. But no, I want prison and to discover the truth of what really happened. What really happened to my daughter? Why that horrible murder? She was not a cockroach.

• 1:48:09Colin Brown?

  She was an innocent human being."

• 1:48:12Courtney Brown?

  Now for months, Vanessa's family spoke to Congress about the I Am Vanessa Guillen Act. Traveling to Washington DC was both physically and emotionally exhausting for Vanessa's sisters. However, they were determined to fight, so that no other servicemember would have to go through what Vanessa did.

• 1:48:31Colin Brown?

  In June of 2021, they actually changed the name to the Vanessa Guillen Military Justice Improvement Act to reflect a broader focus on both justice and prevention measures within the military. Like the original I Am Vanessa Guillen Act, the new bill would remove authority of sexual assault and sexual harassment cases outside the chain of command and give them to independent military prosecutors.

• 1:48:54Courtney Brown?

  Today, we announce the bicameral, bipartisan Vanessa Guillen Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act. Today, we are announcing that the time has come. We're here today because each year, 20,000 servicemembers are sexually assaulted and another 100,000 are sexually harassed. We're here today because only 1/3 of those sexually assaulted feel comfortable reporting it for fear of retaliation, and only 1% of those sexually harassed feel comfortable reporting.

• 1:49:37Courtney Brown?

  We're here today for the servicemembers who have spoken out or who have suffered in silence because the message and culture in the military has been clear.

• 1:49:49Courtney Brown?

  Shut up, suck it up, and don't rock the boat. The UCMJ is a creation of Congress. We have the right and the responsibility to amend it when it fails to deliver justice, and that's why we are here today. Senator Gillibrand and I have dedicated the better part of 10 years to right this wrong. I first authored legislation on this topic on November 11, 2011, 10 years ago. The proposal was Dismissed and attacked, as was I. But the voices of the victims and the survivors could no longer be silenced.

• 1:50:34Courtney Brown?

  The heinous murder of Vanessa Guillen, Specialist Vanessa Guillen, was the tipping point. Senator Gillibrand and I and our co-leads come together today with one voice and one plan to save service members from the fates of Specialist Guillen, Private First Class Asia Graham, Airman First Class Natasha Apashian, and so many others like them. Now, like we mentioned, the Trump administration had not been successful in passing or even voting on the act. But luckily, the Biden administration would be. On December 27, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the bill, and it went into effect on

• 1:51:18Courtney Brown?

  January 1, 2022. The passing of this bill was not only a huge achievement for Vanessa's family, but for service members as a whole. Their family attorney stated, quote, "We literally moved the mountain here," end quote.

• 1:51:33Colin Brown?

  On the one-year anniversary of Vanessa's death, Fort Hood dedicated a gate in Vanessa's memory. The gate led up to the 3rd Cavalry Regiment, the same regiment where Vanessa worked. Lupe said, "That's the regiment Vanessa used to work, and everyone that passes through that gate will see my sister's name, my sister's picture, and remind themselves about how sexual harassment and assault has to be taken seriously, and about the way she was murdered, because no one deserves that." But Vanessa's memory was not only honored in the place where she lost her life. Throughout Houston, Austin, College Station, and other military installations around the globe, murals of Vanessa were made to honor her legacy. Vanessa Guillen was not only a member of the military, but she was also a sister, a

• 1:52:17Colin Brown?

  daughter, a friend, and a hero who will always be remembered as the girl who helped give a voice to soldiers who were silenced by fear, shame, and retaliation. In August 2022, the Guillen family sued the United States government for negligence and wrongful death in the amount of $35,000,000. Five million dollars. They argued that the army failed to protect Vanessa from sexual harassment, and that they created a hostile environment that contributed to her being harassed and murdered. The lawsuit stated Vanessa Guillen suffered mental anguish, fear, emotional distress, physical injury, and death as a result of sexual harassment, rape, sodomy, and physical assault.

• 1:52:56Courtney Brown?

  But the last missing piece to this horrible story is the fate of Cecily Aguilar. Like we mentioned before, she claimed that she had been taken to the Leon River that night without knowing what was going on. She said that Robinson placed a gun to her head and told her to get rid of the body. Following her arrest, Cecily pleaded not guilty. Now, her trial finally came around in August of 2023. Interestingly, her estranged husband, Keon Aguilar, had actually been shot to death just a few months before her trial. Yet another tragic and unsolved homicide in this story. But during Cecily's trial, there were many disturbing details that came to light.

• 1:53:39Courtney Brown?

  According to Cecily, after Aaron Robinson murdered Vanessa, he came up with the idea to dismember, burn, and pour concrete over the body, all from an episode of Criminal Minds. Cecily also admitted that it took them seven whole hours to dismember Vanessa that night. Some of the details that came out at trial were so difficult to hear, some people in the courtroom became sick. Now, like we mentioned, Cecily originally said that Robinson killed Vanessa because she saw that picture of her on his phone. But in jail, she actually told an inmate, quote, "He had an image in his head. He saw himself kill Vanessa, and he wanted to do it," end quote.

• 1:54:22Courtney Brown?

  Now, some people close to Robinson have since come forward, saying he was an unstable individual who supposedly had a hit list. But because he took his own life, all of those answers died with him. Now, as for Cecily Aguilar, she had a lot of behavioral issues while in jail. She also showed no remorse for her actions. But before her trial, she did change her plea to guilty, likely because it was in her best interest. And in the end, the judge would sentence her to the maximum 30 years in federal prison.

• 1:54:58Colin Brown?

  After her sentencing, United States Attorney Jamie Esparsa said, "Our hope is that today's sentence brings a sense of relief and justice to the Guillen family, who have endured such pain throughout these past few years. Ms. Aguilar's actions were indefensible, and she will now face the maximum penalty for the choices she made. I'm grateful for our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly on this case, as their dedication was essential in bringing this defendant to justice." Vanessa's sister, Ira Guillen, also said, "I'm happy to say that we can, in a sense, close this chapter and keep moving forward with, whether it's legislation or whatever it is of Vanessa's legacy. What's next is that we keep pushing forward." And they would.

• 1:55:39Colin Brown?

  In the years after Vanessa's death, our country has kept her memory alive, in more ways than one. Near Vanessa's high school, at 5302 Galveston Road in Houston, the post office was renamed in her honor as the Vanessa Guillen Post Office Building. On the four-year anniversary of her death, Texas lawmakers also passed a bill that September 30th, Vanessa's birthday, would become Vanessa Guillen Day.

• 1:56:04Courtney Brown?

  But Vanessa's story is one that we will never forget. It came at a time when the entire world was putting a spotlight on corruption and injustice. Vanessa was a woman who wanted to fight for our country ever since she was a little girl, and she put in the work to get there. But sadly, the system that she honored and respected so much did not show her that same respect. But her sacrifice made more of a difference than she could have ever known. It shed a light on the systemic problems of sexual abuse, harassment, and assault within the military. It exposed corruption, and because of her, servicemen and women are now protected in the ways that Vanessa wasn't.

• 1:56:48Courtney Brown?

  So today, we honor her life, her service to our country, her bravery, and her sacrifice.

• 1:56:56Colin Brown?

  We will also be making a donation to the I Am Vanessa Guillen Foundation, a nonprofit for survivors of military sexual assault, harassment, and violence. And don't forget to subscribe to our Patreon, because we'll be doing an entire full-length episode, investigating all the deaths, suicides, sexual assaults, murder, and corruption that's taken place at the Fort Hood Military Base.

• 1:57:21Colin Brown?

  Hey everybody. Thank you so much for listening to this week's episode of Murder in America. This is the end of our kind of Fort Hood mini-series and Fort Hood is just such a perplexing place. It's like a magnet that has drawn in the past couple decades so many negative events. So many of these suicides and murders are just so horrible. And it's very bizarre. There seems to be an institutional problem there. And actually, they renamed Fort Hood to a new name a few years ago because Fort Hood was linked to some unsavory history of the name itself. But I think that secretly, they wanted to rename Fort Hood just to escape the stigma that the place had attracted over the years with all of these deaths. Obviously, living in Houston,

• 1:58:04Colin Brown?

  this story has hit close to home. And yeah, this one is just, just crazy to go through the details. If you want to join us on Patreon, you can get access to all of our episodes early and ad-free. There are also bonus episodes available on Patreon. So if you love the show and you want to help support what we're doing here, please consider signing up for our Patreon. If you aren't a patron already, you can get access to over 100 full-length bonus episodes of the show that are already on there. And yeah, if you are going to sign up for one bonus episode, this week's episode will be the one. It is an incredible bonus episode and there's so much information that we're going to be sharing about Fort Hood. But anyways, as always, don't forget to leave us a five-star review wherever you're listening to this podcast. That really

• 1:58:48Colin Brown?

  helps us a lot. Follow us on Instagram at Murder in America. And yeah, Courtney and I both cannot thank you all enough for listening. Thank y'all for tuning in and I'll catch you on the next one.

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