Nov 29, 2022 - World

Woman pleads guilty for role in Vanessa Guillén's death

Sareen Habeshian

Supporters of murdered U.S. Army Private First Class Vanessa Guillén rally in Washington, D.C., on July 30, 2020. Photo: Aurora Samperio/NurPhoto via Getty Images

A woman accused of helping dismember and dispose of the body of Spc. Vanessa Guillén, a soldier who was sexually harassed and killed on a Texas military base in 2020, pleaded guilty Tuesday.

Driving the news: Cecily Aguilar, 24, pleaded guilty to four charges, including one count of accessory to murder after the fact and three counts of false statement or representation, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas.

Background: From April 22, 2020, through July 1, 2020, Aguilar assisted Spc. Aaron Robinson in "corruptly altering, destroying, mutilating and concealing evidence—that is, the body of Vanessa Guillén — in order to prevent Robinson from being charged with and prosecuted for any crime," the U.S. Attorney's Office said citing court documents.

Aguilar also altered and destroyed information contained in a Google account belonging to Robinson, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
During the investigation into Guillén's disappearance, Aguilar made four materially false statements to federal investigators, per the U.S. Attorney's Office.

What's next: A sentencing date for Aguilar has not been set.

She faces a maximum possible penalty of 30 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release and a $1 million fine.

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Woman pleads guilty for role in Vanessa Guillén's death

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