WACO, Texas – A 22-year-old woman has been identified as the second suspect in connection with the disappearance of U.S. Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen, federal officials said Thursday.
Federal authorities charged Cecily Aguilar with one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence.
Officials said 20-year-old Army Specialist Aaron Robinson had told Aguilar that he killed a female soldier by striking her in the head with a hammer at Fort Hood on April 22.
Robinson also admitted to transferring the body off the base to a remote site in Bell County, federal officials said. They said he sought help from Aguilar to mutilate and dispose of the body.
Officials said after the pair dismembered the body, they set it on fire, but the remains did not burn completely.
The pair then buried the remains in three separate holes, officials said.
Vanessa Guillen: A timeline of events and everything we know about her disappearance
Federal documents state Aguilar recognized Guillen at a time after helping Robinson with the body.
Authorities have not yet positively identified the remains as those of Guillen.
Officials said Robinson shot and killed himself this week when he was confronted by police earlier this week.
Aguilar faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of up to $250,000 if convicted, according to federal officials. She is currently in custody and awaiting her initial court hearing in Waco, which is scheduled for early next week.
