The tragic death and legacy of 20-year-old soldier Vanessa Guillén is explored in Netflix's latest documentary, I Am Vanessa Guillen.
The film, directed by Christy Wegener, follows the incredible work by Vanessa Guillén's sisters, Lupe and Mayra, alongside their lawyer Natalie Khawam to pass provisions of the I Am Vanessa Guillen bill in the National Defense Authorization Act in 2021.
The documentary also explores the death of their sister, Vanessa Guillén, who was killed at Fort Hood, the Texas base where she was stationed. Her killer is suspected to be fellow solider Aaron Robinson, who took his own life before he could be arrested on July 1, 2020.
Speaking to Newsweek, Mayra shared it was "very sad" their accomplishment stemmed from tragedy with the death of their sister.
Mayra shared: "The fact that we were able to make something positive out of the tragedy is something that I still find hard to believe. Usually, the military covers most of the injustices that would make them look bad, and, in this case, we weren't taking no for an answer.
"I'm excited that the film is going to be released, but also, it can be very sad to think my sister had to be the catalyst for this."
Although Robinson could never be tried for Guillén's murder, his girlfriend at the time, Cecily Aguilar, has been charged with 11 counts, including tampering with evidence, being an accessory after the fact, and making false statements to law enforcement.
Newsweek has everything you need to know about Cecily Aguilar and where she is now.
Where Is Cecily Aguilar Now?
Today, Cecily Aguilar is currently awaiting trial on 11 charges, 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
- Four counts of false statement or representation
Her trial is scheduled to begin on January 23, 2023, and if found guilty, she could serve up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
When Vanessa Guillén's dismembered remains were found buried in three separate locations along the Leon River on June 30, 2020, Aguilar's alleged boyfriend Robinson was being held at his unit for violating COVID-19 quarantine rules.
As heard in I Am Vanessa Guillen, after he heard Guillén's remains had been discovered, he texted Aguilar, "Baby, they found pieces." Investigators had been led to the location where remains were discovered as a result of Robinson's cell phone records.
On the day Guillén's remains were discovered, Aguilar was interviewed again by the authorities. In her confession, she told police Robinson had told her he had killed a female soldier with a hammer inside the armory at Fort Hood on April 22, 2020, the day Guillén went missing.
Robinson then allegedly placed Guillén's body inside a box and wheeled her to his car. Aguilar told officials that sometime between the evening of April 22 and the early morning of April 23, Robinson picked her up at a gas station where she worked and took her to Leon River, where she saw a box with a body inside.
Aguilar later told investigators she "recognized the deceased whom she helped Robinson mutilate and dispose of" as Guillén, reported ABC 7 Chicago.
Aguilar is also suspected of helping Robinson dispose of Guillén's body and was subsequently charged with one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence. She was later indicted on 11 counts by a federal grand jury on July 13, 2021.
In June 2022, a Texas Department of Public Safety report revealed a possible motive for Robinson's crime, given by Aguilar. The document was filed after Aguilar filed a "Section Motion to Suppress," meant to exclude evidence obtained in the case.
The report read: "Aguilar later explained why Robinson killed Guillén, saying Guillén saw Robinson's cellphone lock screen, which contained a picture of Aguilar," the document states. "He told her he was worried about getting in trouble for violating the Army's fraternization rules since Aguilar was still married to another soldier, and he hit Guillén in the head with a hammer."
The Army said Aguilar was the estranged wife of a former soldier who was stationed at Fort Hood, reported ABC 7 Chicago.
The report also detailed how Aguilar and Robinson dismembered and buried Guillén, with Aguilar telling authorities their hope was Guillén would not be found for several years.
Ultimately, Aguilar sought to have her confession thrown out, arguing she did not see a judge in a timely fashion when first charged, reports ABC13 News.
As heard in I Am Vanessa Guillen, Aguilar also alleged Robinson held a gun to her head and forced her to help him dispose of Guillén's body.
A federal judge on January 24, 2022, denied a motion to dismiss the 11-count indictment against Aguilar.
Speaking to ABC13 News, Guillén's sister Mayra said: "Cecily Aguilar will try everything in her power to walk freely as we are being denied the truth at this very moment.
"My sister was a very responsible person, that would not meddle in Robinson's and Aguilar's alleged 'relationship.'
"We truly hope Vanessa receives justice, no family deserves to go through this. Vanessa should be here today, defending her loved ones and her country."
Natalie Khawam, the Guillén family lawyer, said: "The American people deserve to know the truth. Cecily Aguilar will continue to do anything she can to get away with that the heinous crime she committed. Vanessa Guillen was brutally murdered while honorably serving our country.
"Cecily's self-serving statements will be disproven at trial, and we will all learn the truth, and find out who the cowards were that knew what happened but sat back and did nothing when we were looking for Vanessa. We pray Cecily gets the maximum sentencing so that justice is served to Vanessa's family and everyone who supports Justice for Vanessa."
I Am Vanessa Guillen is streaming on Netflix now.
About the writer
Molli Mitchell is a Senior SEO TV and Film Newsweek Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on ... Read more
