Affidavit: Lies and Deceptions in the Brutal Murder of Vanessa Guillen

 

KILLEEN, TX — As more details emerge in the murder of Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen, an affidavit released Thursday night provides a timeline of the events after her death and the lies told by her alleged killers.

According to KXXV, on April 22 a witness saw Vanessa leave the arms room at Ft. Hood where she was working to visit an arms room that was controlled by Spc. Aaron Robinson. She was headed to the arms room to confirm serial numbers for weapons and equipment. According to the witness, she left her station without taking her ID, bankcard, or car keys.

That same day Robinson confirmed he had texted Guillen to inform her he was in the arms room and said she had read serial numbers for equipment. Vanessa's phone records showed her last outgoing text message was to Robinson.

Robinson told investigators he gave Vanessa  paperwork and the serial number for a .50 caliber machine gun that needed to be serviced. He claimed Vanessa left the arms room and that he believed she was headed to the motor pool. Witnesses at the motor pool stated that Vanessa never arrived with the paperwork.

Six days after Vanessa was murdered, CID interviewed Robinson. He alleged that after he finished his work on April 22, he went to the off-post residence that he shared with the second suspect, Cecily Aguilar. Robinson claimed he only left the house around 6:30 p.m. to return to Fort Hood to sign on to a government computer to enroll in training.

Nearly a month after Vanessa disappeared two witnesses told investigators that on April 22, they saw Robinson pulling a “tough box” with wheels. The box appeared to be heavy with weight out of the arms room where Robinson worked. Robinson then loaded the box into his vehicle and drove away.

On May 19, Robinson consented to a search of his phone. Phone records indicated he called Aguilar multiple times late on April 22 and as late as 3:30 a.m. on April 23. Aguilar also called Robinson multiple times during the day.

On June 19, Aguilar told investigators she was with Robinson all night on April 22. When asked why Robinson would call her after midnight if they didn’t leave the home that night, she stated she could not find her phone.

In a second interview, Aguilar confirmed she had lied to investigators. She told authorities the couple did leave their home on April 22 because she “likes to cope with long drives.” She then claimed she took a long drive with Robinson to a park in Belton to look at the stars. The couple then headed home.

An analysis of Robinson's phone data showed his phone was in the vicinity of FM 436 and West Main Street in Belton just before 2:00 a.m.

The phone data also showed Robinson was near the Leon River and traveled in a northward direction. The phone then remained in the area for nearly two hours.

Aguilar's phone data showed she was with Robinson near the Leon River on April 23 and April 26.

This led authorities to search the area where the phones had pinged. Investigators discovered a burn site with disturbed earth. They also found what appeared to be burned remains of a plastic tote or tough box. 

According to the affidavit, the soil at the burn site was softer and "moister" than in other places and had an odor of decomposition. No human remains were found during the search.

On June 30 around 1:00 p.m., contractors working on a fence adjacent to the Leon River discovered human remains. When authorities searched the area, they found scattered remains that had been placed in a concrete-like substance and burned.

Later that night, Aguilar was re-interviewed by CID and she told authorities that Robinson told her he hit a female soldier in the head with a hammer in the arms rooms inside Fort Hood. Robinson then put her in a box and transported her to the Leon River on April 22.

That evening Robinson picked up Aguilar at the gas station where she worked and drove her to the site where he had placed the box. Robinson opened the box and showed Aguilar the dead female inside. During that interview, Aguilar did not confirm the body belonged to Vanessa Guillen.

In order to dispose of and conceal the body, the couple used an ax and a machete type knife to remove the head and limbs. They attempted to burn the body, but it would not burn completely. The couple then placed the body in several spots along the river.

Late on June 30, Robinson fled Fort Hood and committed suicide when officers attempted to make contact around 1:00 a.m. the next morning.

Aguilar was arrested on July 1 for tampering/ fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair a human corpse- a second-degree felony. If convicted Aguilar faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a maximum $250,000 fine. 

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