How A Cell Phone Lock Screen Allegedly Led To Vanessa Guillen's Brutal Murder
In 2020, Pfc. Vanessa Guillen, the subject of the Netflix true-crime documentary "I Am Vanessa Guillen," disappeared during her shift at Fort Hood army base near Killeen, Texas, according to The New York Times. Guillen's dismembered and burnt remains were later found, buried and encased in concrete, based on reporting from WJAX-TV, a Jacksonville, Florida news outlet. Also stationed at Fort Hood was U.S. Army Specialist Aaron David Robinson. Shortly after Guillen's remains were recovered, Robinson was under suspicion for Guillen's disappearance, along with his then-girlfriend, Cecily Aguilar, a Killeen resident.
Not long after, Aguilar was arrested as an accomplice for Guillen's death, but Robinson died by suicide before charges were brought against him. What reportedly motivated Robinson to kill Guillen — and allegedly sexually assault her dead body, according to an unconfirmed report from Aguilar — was what Guillen may have inadvertently seen on Robinson's cell phone lock screen as the two army arms specialists worked side-by-side, as WJAX-TV explains. The image revealed a scandalous aspect of Aguilar's private life that Robinson reportedly killed to keep secret.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Robinson was seen carrying a heavy box at Fort Hood
Early on in the Vanessa Guillen investigation, Aaron David Robinson had an alibi for his whereabouts the night Guillen vanished, though witnesses reportedly saw Robinson load a large, army-issue heavy box called a Pelican case into the back of his car, parked on the grounds of Fort Hood, as WJAX-TV reports. Simultaneously, a large missing persons investigation for Guillen ensued on Fort Hood and in the surrounding area as soon as she was reported missing. In a matter of months, Guillen's dismembered and burned remains were found in separate locations along the nearby Leon River. Traces of what contained Guillen's body matched the Pelican case witnesses saw Robinson with on the grounds of Fort Hood.
Much of what's known about what happened the night Guillen disappeared comes from Cecily Aguilar's confession, which her lawyers are now attempting to throw out. Aguilar also said Robinson admitted he sexually assaulted Guillen after she died, though no physical evidence from Guillen's autopsy backs up that claim. According to Aguilar, Robinson, whom she lived with at the time, picked her up from work on the night that Guillen was killed. She then admitted she helped Robinson cut up Guillen's remains and burn and bury them along the river, as The New York Times reports. Among other charges, Aguilar is accused of tampering with evidence and of being an accessory to murder after the fact.
Aguilar was married
As WJAX-TV goes on to note, according to Cecily Aguilar's disputed confession, Vanessa Guillen noticed a picture of Aguilar on Aaron David Robinson's cell phone lock screen, and since Aguilar was married, Robinson worried their relationship could violate army policy. As a result, Robinson reportedly struck Guillen repeatedly in the head with a hammer before he and Aguilar disposed of her body. Guillen's remains displayed evidence of dismemberment and blunt force trauma to the skull, among other signs consistent with Aguilar's accounting of what happened the night she disappeared, according to what Robinson allegedly told her. In addition to confessing to authorities, Aguilar's allegedly confessed to another inmate at Bell County Jail. Aguilar's estranged husband Keon, who reportedly witnessed Robinson moving the large box containing Guillen's dead body on the grounds of Fort Hood, said that Aguilar also told him about her involvement in Guillen's murder (per KHOU).
Robinson's suicide while under observation from the authorities on the ground of Fort Hood is under investigation, according to ABC7 Chicago. Aguilar has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and Guillen's death has sparked controversy surrounding sexual abuse and harassment in the U.S. military.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255).