Army Report Indicates that Murdered Fort Hood Soldier, SPC Vanessa Guillen, was Sexually Harassed

An Army report indicates that Fort Hood Soldier, SPC Vanessa Guillen, was sexually harassed prior to her murder by a fellow Fort Hood Army Soldier.  The report further indicates that Army leaders at Fort Hood failed to take appropriate action after Guillen reported the sexual harassment.  Some twenty-one Soldiers have been reprimanded or otherwise disciplined for the mishandling of Vanessa Guillen’s case.  

Some Army leaders were punished for failing to follow the Army’s Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) program.  While some were relieved for cause from their military positions, others received a General Officer Memorandum of Reprimand (GOMOR), which was permanently filed in their Army Military Human Resource Record (AMHRR).

Based upon evidence gathered in SPC Guillen’s case by Army investigators, Army Specialist  Aaron Robinson is believed to have murdered Guillen on 22 April 2020, the day she disappeared from Fort Hood.  Robinson died by suicide on 30 June 2020, as police moved in on him after he fled his Texas base.

In response to SPC Guillen’s death, legislation has been proposed that would create an independent system where military service members could safely report instances of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, without fear of retaliation.  Called the “I Am Vanessa Guillen Act”, the legislation would also move courts-martial decisions for certain UCMJ offenses out of the hands of military commanders.