Cecily Aguilar, a Texas woman, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for her role in the gruesome murder of Army soldier Vanessa Guill?©n. Aguilar admitted to aiding her boyfriend, Army Spc. Aaron Robinson, in dismembering and disposing of Guill?©n's remains. The sentencing came after hours of testimony from attorneys, experts, and Guill?©n's family, and it was the maximum punishment Aguilar could receive.

Guill?©n, 20, was killed at Fort Cavazos, near Killeen, Texas, in April 2020. Her family reported her missing when they didn't hear from her for an unusual amount of time after she was called in for a shift in the military base's armory room. Aguilar confessed that she and Robinson disposed of Guill?©n's body by mutilating it in a rural, wooded area near the base.

Robinson, 20, died by suicide on July 1, 2020, the day Guill?©n's remains were found. He was accused of bludgeoning Guill?©n to death. Aguilar pleaded guilty to one count of accessory to murder after the fact and three counts of making a false statement.

The case of Vanessa Guill?©n's murder has prompted significant attention and sparked a movement in how sexual harassment is reported in the military. Guill?©n's family claimed that she was sexually harassed and assaulted at the Texas base, which ignited a movement on social media of former and active service members who shared their experiences of abuse and harassment at military bases throughout the country using the hashtag #IAmVanessaGuillen.

In response to the outcry, state and federal lawmakers passed legislation in 2021 honoring Guill?©n that removed some authority from commanders and gave survivors more options to report abuse and harassment. Additionally, Army officials disciplined 21 commissioned and non-commissioned officers in connection with Guill?©n's death. Then-U.S. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy acknowledged that the base had high rates of murder, sexual assault, and harassment, attributing it to "leadership failures."

The sentencing of Cecily Aguilar brings a sense of closure to the Guill?©n family, who have endured immense pain throughout the past few years. However, they continue to advocate for justice and seek accountability for the sexual harassment and assault that Vanessa Guill?©n experienced during her time at the Texas military base.