aaron david robinson family speaks out

[Image via Army Criminal Investigative Command], Have a tip we should know? More:Civilian searcher says Army overlooked evidence after Vanessa Guillen's death Investigators suspect a fellow soldier, Spc. To order Two months after Vanessa Guillen's disappearance, leadership at Fort Hood held a press conference where they announced that investigators believed that foul play was involved in her disappearance. The League of United Latin American Citizens, the nation's oldest Latino civil rights organization that has been helping the Guillen family, added an additional $25,000 to the reward the following day. The calls went as late as 3:30 a.m. the next morning and continued the next day. Slain Fort Hood soldier was sexually harassed, but not by Officials did not identify a civilian woman they arrested Tuesday in connection with Guillen's disappearance, described earlier as the estranged wife of a former soldier. U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., will introduce legislation on the House floor next week. You know how frustrating it was for me to not be there? He said that person, along with 20 others, are in the process of "being held accountable." Phelps on Thursday said, as reported previously, that Guillens identification card, wallet and the keys to her car and post apartment were later found in the armoury room where she had been earlier in the day. At Efflandt's request, Army Forces Command ordered a seven-member inspector general team to Fort Hood to review the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention Program, (SHARP). "[Robinson] was like, 'Oh, I kept it professional; didn't say too much to her.' Aguilar was charged with conspiracy to hide and destroy evidence in connection to Vanessa Guillen's death and was denied bond on July 14, 2020. A Fort Hood soldier who authorities identified earlier Thursday as another suspect in Guillen's disappearance, E-4 Specialist Aaron David Robinson, allegedly told Aguilar that he killed a female soldier after hitting her in the head with a hammer, according to officials. "As close of friends as we were, she came to us about a lot of different stuff. The inspections goal is to examine how the program runs and whether leadership is supportive of soldiers reporting sexual harassment and assault, officials said in a statement Wednesday. Hightower planned to go hiking with Guillen on Wednesday, April 22, 2020, the day she went missing. So I went back outside and I walked to the parking lot, and I saw her Jeep there. "But, I guess, apparently I'm kind of funny sometimes, and she'd crack up all the time. He later picked Aguilar up at a gas station where she worked and brought her to the bridge along the Leon River. No attorney for Aguilar was listed on the court filings. At around 10 p.m., he was heard talking on the phone, apparently to his mother, saying "don't believe what you hear about me." Spc. She was being held without bail. Copyright 2023 ABC News Internet Ventures. Robinson, who was supposed to be confined to a barracks room on Fort Hood, secretly left post on the night of June 30. Efflandt on Thursday added that he personally invited a team to the post earlier in the week to inspect its Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention program, or SHARP. The soldier worked in an adjacent building from where Specialist Guillen worked, said Army Criminal Investigation Command Special Agent Damon Phelps. She hadn't been responding to texts or calls from family, either, and as day turned to night, Cruz and Vanessa's sister, Mayra Guillen, drove to Fort Hood. This statement, however, is inconsistent with the lengths of the calls, the complaint reads. Watch the full story on "20/20" TONIGHT at 9 p.m. "I went to her room and her roommate answered the door," he said. Aaron Robinson ", Chris Swecker, a former leader in the FBI who helped lead the independent review panel at Fort Hood, said that even though the command investigation found "no evidence that Spc. So, I feel like they should've came to that conclusion way earlier than they had. A guard gave chase but Robinson was able to get into a car and leave the base. Meanwhile, she said, The President of the United States of America found the time in his very busy schedule to not only call the Guilln family but also invited this beautiful family to his home. Investigators said Aguilar backed up his alibi. Officials said that her car keys, barracks room key, identification card and wallet were found in the armory room where she was working on the day she disappeared. Khawam earlier this week said a man at Fort Hood had walked in on Guillen while she was showering naked. "We been knowing since when it first happened because nothing makes sense. KILLEEN, TEXASU.S. She said she hoped publicizing such questions would push the Army to answer the familys pleas for transparency. Vanessa Guillen, said she has not heard from Governor Abbott or the Secretary of the Army following the death of her sister. Some of the soldiers who were around gave investigators bad information, he said. Company, 3rd Cavalry Regiment at the time Guillen, a fellow 3rd Cavalry soldier, disappeared April 22. She is currently in custody awaiting her first court appearance. The family of a slain U.S. Army soldier is suing the Department of the Army, saying authorities failed to protect her from her killer. She didn't die because God had a purpose for her. The motive for the alleged murder was not described in the complaint. Every minute that passes is killing me inside, slowly.". This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. HOUSTON -- Vanessa Guillen will forever be 20 years old, engaged but will never be married. On the eve of the one-year anniversary of Vanessa Guillen's murder, the Army dedicated a gate to her memory at Fort Hood. suspected foul play related to her disappearance, Lawyer of missing Texas soldier's family: 'We believe her remains were found', was last seen at a parking lot in Fort Hood, her car keys, barracks room key, identification card and wallet, added an additional $25,000 to the reward, inquiry looking into allegations that Guillen was sexually harassed, Sister of missing Texas solider speaks about meeting military suspect, Sexual assault in the U.S. military has increased. "There was a lot of silence after that one. Aaron David Robinson, another soldier at Fort Hood, allegedly attacked Guillen, per the Guillen family attorney. Suspect in Vanessa Guillen disappearance identified "We were interviewing other people in the unit as well to find out, was there a relationship between Vanessa and Spc. She is expected to make an initial appearance in federal court in Waco early next week. Landy said he grabbed his keys and the two went out searching "almost around the whole base. A criminal complaint filed against Aguilar accuses her of tampering with evidence, including Guillens body, on April 23 and 26 to impair its integrity and availability for use in an official proceeding., Though the family believes Robinson killed Guillenand the allegations that Aguilar helped bury her remains, Khawam said, the story of how Robinson killed Guillen, moved her body and cleaned up the crime scene all while on a military post without an accomplice or being found out sooner does not make sense.. Once Guillen was dead, Robinson then allegedly contacted his married girlfriend to help him bury her bloody body, Khawam said, according to the outlet. Aaron David Robinson, a 20-year-old Army Specialist, was identified as the person of interest in Guillen's case. "When Houston went on lockdown [for COVID-19], she was really frustrated because the gyms were closed. Check out Bay Area safety tracker, Bay Area Life; Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7, Allie Yang, Denise Martinez-Ramundo, Natalie Cardenas, and Chris Kilmer. "I got a call from CID on June 30th," Mayra Guillen said. Secretary of the Army where is it? she said. Robinson called Aguilar several times throughout the night and the calls after midnight were for lengths greater than one minute., Aguilar later said in a second interview that she did leave her home and took a drive to a park in Belton, Texas to look at the stars.. Robinson was approached by law enforcement; however, he brandished a pistol and fired into his head, killing himself. But, prior to that, there's no evidence whatsoever that Spc. After two days, the Army officially marked Vanessa Guillen as AWOL, or absent without official leave. This pretty much gave an instant alibi to the suspect. Mayra Guillen said last week that much of what the family learned about her younger sisters disappearance was through media reports and news conferences. She questioned the Army's conclusion that Robinson did not harass Vanessa Guillen. She says she has only heard from President Trump.#JusticeForVanessaGuillen pic.twitter.com/rEr9XFA2mB. WebAaron David Robinson, 20, is a victim of a massive sex trafficking scandal in Killeen, Texas, beyond the borders. Ryan "Cj" Landy, a fellow soldier in her unit, told "20/20" that he and Guillen became friends "immediately" after she arrived. The suspect was identified as Specialist Aaron David Robinson, 20, of Illinois who joined the Army in October 2017 as a combat engineer, officials said at a press conference. Please enter valid email address to continue. Law enforcement officials attempted to make contact with Robinson, 20, on Tuesday in Killeen, Texas, but he displayed a weapon and took his own life, Phelps said during the news conference. While the remains had been mostly obscured, there was a lock of hair that was sticking out. But justice will be done in the name of Jesus and Holy Mary. The criminal case against Aguilar is ongoing. Robinson sexually harassed Spc. "Can you try to investigate even further as to why this was committed? Damon Phelps of the CID, the Army's primary criminal investigative organization, told reporters that Aguilar is the estranged wife of a former Fort Hood soldier. Aaron David Robinson They arrived after midnight and Mayra says they were told by the staff sergeant to come back in the morning. "We believe he murdered her because he was going to report him. Nicole Acevedo is a reporter for NBC News Digital. Officials would also not say whether Guillens supervisors tried to check in with her at any point during the day after she was suspected to have been abducted. It said it was gonna rain.". Khawam said Guillen reported her harassment to her family and fellow soldiers at the base. Investigators said she told them she and Robinson dismembered the body and dug three separate graves, then came back two days later to cover them with concrete. 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The family held protests outside the post in Killeen and inHouston and Washington, demanding answers because they said they were consistently left in the dark. She had told me since she was 10 years old that she was going to the Army, since she was 10 years old.. The Guillens said they struggle to believe what Army investigators say. U.S. army officials on Thursday would not say whether Robinson and the woman knew each other, citing an ongoing investigation. Aguilar, at the request of law enforcement, placed a controlled telephone call to Robinson wherein he never denied anything they did to Guillen and her body, the complaint reads. Aaron David Robinson, of Calumet City, Ill., admitted early last week during a phone call to Aguilar, as an investigator listened in, that he killed Guillen. Phelps would not comment on the allegations made by Khawam that Robinson murdered her because it is still an ongoing investigation. Guillns murder has become a rallying cry for women veterans and service members who have faced sexual assault and harassment in their military careers. Aaron David Robinson, of Calumet City, Ill., beat Guillen, with a hammer and that her body was later dismembered and burned. "We got harassed. LupeGuilln, 16, slammed McCarthy at a press conference last week for not inviting her to the July 10 meeting. Two days later, the military opened up a separate inquiry looking into allegations that Guillen was sexually harassed by a supervisor. This week the 9th Circuit held that sexual assault is not incident to service, and therefore the Feres Doctrine should not apply to service members who are sexually assaulted.. Partial remains were found in Bell County earlier this week but have not been formally identified as Guillen, prosecutors said. Maj. Gen. Scott Efflandt, III Corps deputy commanding general, announced during the press conference that the Inspector General's Office will examine the implementation of Fort Hood's sexual harassment and prevention program, assess whether the "command climate" is supportive of soldiers reporting sexual assault or harassment and "identify any potential systemic issues. Robinson, who fled his post at Fort Hood Tuesday, shot and killed himself as officers moved in to arrest him late Tuesday night in Killeen, Texas, according to officials. However, no remain were located.. Investigators spoke to over 300 soldiers in Vanessa Guillen's unit, including Hightower. "I was like, 'Man, I hopefully [will] see a tweet or something. "He said he didn't talk to her while he was in there. Burned remains of a plastic tote or tough box were found in an area where Robinsons phone pinged. We drove the route she [would] usually run up the road on base which was 2 miles away from the barracks. Phelps said the Army has no credible information or reports that Guillen was sexually assaulted. Im troubled by his lack of compassion to the family and sincerity about meeting with the family, she said. An Army investigation into her disappearance has led to the recent discovery of human remains in Belton, Texas, but officials say that they have not yet been positively identified. They said Robinson killed himself as officers moved in to arrest him late Tuesday night. Slain Fort Hood soldier was sexually harassed, but not by Special Agent Damon Phelps with the U.S. army Criminal Investigation Command on Thursday said a second suspect also was arrested this week. However subsequent interviews have failed to [confirm] this allegation," Phelps said. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. She would be like, 'Let me carry you so I can do squats,'" said Cruz. Robinson harassed her.". She remains in custody in the Bell County Jail awaiting charges by civilian authorities. Aaron Robinson of bludgeoning Guillen to death with a hammer on April 22, 2020, at Fort Hood. Robinson walked Aguilar over to the woods and opened up the box to show her a dead woman inside. The family deserves these answers.". I know that this is not going to bring back my daughter, Gloria said between tears. She never deployed overseas but was awarded the Army Commendation Medal (posthumously), the National Defense Service Ribbonand the Army Service Ribbon. HELP US FIND VANESSA GUILLENhttps://t.co/hbCWZzZ8RS, We are doing everything in our power to get her back and will not stop until we do. Read Next: Military COVID-19 Cases Spike 41% in June, With Upticks in Hotspot States. Nearly 40,000 infantrymen, cavalrymen, tankers, engineers, mechanics and health care professionals work at Fort Hood, which is nicknamed Great Place.. Aaron David Robinson, who was assigned to A. Lupe Guilllen, 16, Vanessas sister, said the fight is not over until the Army stops telling lies and gives the family answers. Martin said Fort Hood authorities contacted the military police, who got in touch with local police, then brought in the U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Division (CID). I Am Vanessa Guillen: Everything You Need to Know - Netflix In 2007, a 25-year-old soldier was found dead of dehydration and hyperthermia four days after he disappeared during a solo training exercise testing on map-reading and navigation skills. Landy said it was frustrating that investigators were seemingly not suspicious of Robinson. The announcement comes a day after Natalie Khawam, attorney for the Guillen family, said they believe that the remains found in Bell County are Guillen's. Phelps said that because she is a civilian and is in the custody of local authorities the Army will not release any further information regarding her status. Aaron David Robinson, 20, who had allegedly walked in on Guillen while she was showering in a locker room and watched. "This gruesome murder should never have happened.". "[I was] angry and sad at the same time, because he was in our face the whole time," Hightower said. Aguilar was interviewed on June 19. They were like, 'Maybe you did go hiking with her, and maybe you did actually rape her and leave her out there. He remembered helping her with weightlifting and she helped him work on squats and deadlifts. When they spoke to Aguilar, investigators said she claimed he was calling that night because she couldn't find her phone. While there, he was allowed to talk on his cell phone to Aguilar, who was with investigators and agreed to let them record the calls. Gloria said she believes her prayers healed Vanessa. Investigators spoke with Robinson, who said that Vanessa Guillen had left his arms room after completing a task. This heinous act caused her blood to be splashed all over the armory room, Khawam said in a statement to the Army Times. State documents reveal potential motive for Vanessa Guillen murder