FORT HOOD, Texas — Editor's note: Scroll to the bottom for a link to the "Red Table Talk" with the Guillen family.
The family of Spc. Vanessa Guillen joined Gloria Estefan on her Facebook show, "Red Table Talk: The Estefans," to talk about the case of the murdered Fort Hood soldier.
The Guillen family described their efforts to find Vanessa and how they have proceeded after learning of her tragic death. Gloria Guillen, Vanessa's mom, began by detailing Vanessa's childhood and her decision to join the Army as a teenager. In a second interview, Estefan and her co-hosts Emily Estefan and Lili Esefan, were joined by Vanessa's sisters Mayra and Lupe, who shared their perspectives on the case.
"The story you're about to hear will shake you to your core," Gloria Estefan said at the beginning of the near-34 minute episode on Facebook.
Gloria Guillen talked about how she noticed a change in Vanessa's demeanor, leading Vanessa to tell her she didn't like Fort Hood. Months later, in early 2020, Gloria said Vanessa told her she was being sexually harassed on post. She also recalled the last day she saw Vanessa alive, on April 19, three days before Vanessa went missing on Fort Hood.
Sisters Mayra and Lupe shared a similar account, saying they also noticed Vanessa's mood had changed for the worse although Vanessa didn't share any specific details with her two sisters.
After learning that her older sister was missing from Fort Hood, Mayra said she traveled to the post in search for answers. She also said she met Aaron Robinson during that initial visit, later identified as the man who killed Vanessa on post, according to a federal criminal complaint.
The Guillen family also described their attempts to search for Vanessa and find anything that might lead them to her, though they feared that something terribly wrong had happened to the young soldier while they searched for answers.
The Guillen family attorney, Natalie Khawam, also spoke with the Estafans about the conditions surrounding Guillen's death and the I Am Vanessa Guillen bill and how it would change reporting measures that are currently in place.
According to a federal criminal complaint in the case, Spc. Guillen was killed by Spc. Aaron Robinson on Fort Hood in April. Robinson then enlisted the help of his girlfriend Cecily Aguilar to dispose of the body. The two dismembered Guillen's body and disposed of it near the Leon River. The remains were found by investigators in late June, two months after Guillen went missing, and were confirmed to belong to Guillen days later.
After being put under watch on post, Robinson left Fort Hood. As Killeen police closed in on him off post, he shot himself, Fort Hood said in a release. Meanwhile, Aguilar confessed and was arrested. She was charged with conspiracy to tamper with evidence, to which she plead not guilty in July. Aguilar remains in custody as trial is set to begin Nov. 30.
The Guillen family brought international attention to the case by meeting with the press, hosting weekly protests outside Fort Hood and taking to social media to spread the word. The Guillen family grabbed the attention of numerous members of Congress, who launched their own investigation. The family and even met with President Donald Trump in August about the matter in hopes of promoting change within the military. Attorney Natalie Khawam has worked with members of Congress to develop the I Am Vanessa Guillen bill that would change reporting measures for soldiers.
Since the case has been in the spotlight, Fort Hood and the military have launched investigations, reviews and inspections into the climate on post, reporting measures and the leadership. Members of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee recently requested more time to complete their report on the command climate and culture on Fort Hood and surrounding military community. Army senior leaders approved the additional time. The final report from the review committee is now expected in early November, according to a spokesperson for Army Public Affairs.
Watch the full episode of "Red Table Talk" here.
