Suspect pleads guilty in connection with 2020 murder of Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen
Cecily Aguilar pleaded guilty on Tuesday to four charges related to the death of Army Spc. Vanessa Guillen in 2020, CNN reports. Aguilar was accused of conspiring with her boyfriend, Spc. Aaron David Robinson to dispose of Guillen's remains
Guillen's disappearance sparked national outrage, with many calling for the Army to investigate how she could go missing from Fort Hood, the third largest army base in the country. Guillen was stationed there when she went missing in April 2020. Her body was later discovered in a shallow grave on June 30, 2020. Prosecutors said she was struck on the head with a hammer by Robinson, per The New York Times. Authorities apprehended Robinson, but he escaped and committed suicide before charges against him could be announced. Aguilar was later arrested as an accomplice to the murder.
Prosecutors say Aguilar faces at least 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, and three years of supervised release, per the Times. She pleaded guilty to one count of accessory after the fact and three of making a false statement to authorities. She initially faced 11 charges and had pleaded not guilty to all of them until Tuesday.
"Cecily Aguilar's guilty plea today was another step on the long path toward justice for Vanessa, my client, and her courageous family. We knew she was guilty but her admission provides some closure for Vanessa's family & friends, which they deserve," Guillen's family attorney, Natalie Khawam, told CNN.
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