Suspect in slaying of soldier in court

Military officials Monday confirmed the human remains found last week near Fort Hood were those of soldier Vanessa Guillén, Maj. Gen. Scott Efflandt announced during a news conference.

Efflandt, the Fort Hood senior commander, said the Armed Forces medical examiner made the ruling Sunday through DNA analysis.

He and Col. Ralph Overland offered their condolences to Guillén’s Houston family, describing her as a brave soldier who went above and beyond to complete her duties.

“I spoke with soldiers who served with her … and I can see the intense sadness in their faces and hear it in their voices,” said Overland, Guillén’s regimental commander. “They miss their friend and spoke of her qualities as a person and a soldier … caring, dedicated to her profession and an expert in her craft.”

Efflandt and Overland did not release new details about the FBI’s ongoing criminal case or the Army’s probe into allegations that Spc. Guillén, who served in the 3rd Cavalry Regiment, was sexually harassed before she went missing.

Guillén, 20, grew up in southeast Houston and attended Chavez High School. U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, on Monday penned a letter with 87 members of Congress pushing for the Department of Defense inspector general to conduct an independent investigation into Fort Hood’s handling of the case.

“The United States military has a responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of the young women and men that take an oath to defend our country,” the Houston Democrat said in a statement. “In SPC Guillén’s case, the U.S. Army failed both Vanessa and her family.”

Also on Monday, a Killeen resident suspected in Guillén’s death appeared in court, federal officials

said.

Cecily Aguilar, who was charged last week with conspiracy to tamper with evidence, appeared virtually in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey C. Manske, officials said.

She has been accused of helping 20-year-old Spc. Aaron David Robinson mutilate and dispose of Guillén’s body after Robinson killed her by hitting her in the head with a hammer.

Robinson shot himself last week when authorities had confronted him during the investigation, Killeen police have said.

Aguilar was asked during Monday’s hearing if she understood the charges against her.

“Yeah, sure,” she replied, according to KCEN-TV, which covers news in Waco and Temple.

The hearing was an initial appearance. An arraignment, where Aguilar would be expected to enter a plea, has not been scheduled yet, officials said.

Guillén’s disappearance from the base on April 22 gained national attention, with her family and friends searching for her and demanding justice on her behalf for months. Her family said Guillén had been sexually harassed at Fort Hood, once when a man walked in on her while she was showering.

Army officials last week said no evidence linked sexual harassment to the soldier’s disappearance.

The criminal complaint filed by the FBI against Aguilar, previously reported in the Houston Chronicle, details the lengths to which investigators believe Robinson and Aguilar went to hide her remains.

If convicted, Aguilar faces up to 20 years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine.