You all should know the sad story of SPC Vanessa Guillen. She was the 20 year old Ft. Hood soldier who disappeared in April, only to be found dead in late June.
Hers is a horrific story. Guillen is believed to have been beaten to death and then dismembered. The main suspect, Spc. Aaron Robinson shot and killed himself as authorities moved in on him. His girlfriend, 22-year-old Cecily Ann Aguilar was charged with conspiracy charges alleging she helped discard the body and hide evidence.
Guillen had privately complained about being sexually harrased, but didn’t go to the Army with her complaint out of fear of retaliation.
In an emotional meeting with Vanessa’s family at the White House, the President reiterated his support for a bill that would remove sexual harassment claims from the chain of command. “You have our support and we’re working on it already, as you know,” Trump said announcing his backing of the #IamVanessaGuillen Bill.
“We won’t stop, and hopefully something very positive will come out in honor of your sister and your daughter,” Trump said to Guillen’s family.
During that meeting the President offered to pay for the funeral costs.
“I don’t even know if you need help, maybe you don’t need help from a financial standpoint. I have no idea. I just think it’s a horrific thing that happened and if you did need help, I’ll be there to help you,” Trump said.
In response to a reporter’s question, Trump said he’s paid for other soldiers’ funerals. “I have, I have. I have to do it personally, I can’t do it through government,” Trump said. “I have because some families need help. They need help.”
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Also Thursday, the Army named an independent panel of five experts to investigate whether personnel at Fort Hood have allowed a climate of sexual harassment and discrimination to flourish. The independent review will be led by Chris Swecker, the former assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.
The Army has been under fire for its investigation into the disappearance and death of Guillen, 20. Days after she went missing, investigators had focused on Spc. Aaron Robinson as the primary suspect. It took two months to develop evidence to lock him up, and he fled before he could be detained and died by suicide.