A 24-year-old Texas woman who pleaded guilty for her involvement in the murder of Army soldier Vanessa Guillen has been sentenced to 30 years in prison, according to reports.
Cecily Aguilar pleaded guilty in November 2022 to one count of accessory to murder after the fact and three counts of false statement or representation.
According to court documents, from April 22, 2020, through July 1, 2020, Aguilar assisted Army Specialist Aaron Robinson in corruptly altering, destroying, mutilating and concealing evidence—that is, the body of Vanessa Guillen—in order to prevent Robinson from being charged with and prosecuted for any crime.
Aguilar also altered and destroyed information contained in a Google account of Robinson.
Guillen, a 20-year-old Fort Hood Army Specialist from Houston, disappeared in April of that year. Her remains were found two months later. Robinson died by suicide before Guillen’s body was found.
During the investigation into the disappearance of Vanessa Guillen, Aguilar made four materially false statements to federal investigators.
“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,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “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.”
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