[3][4][5] Cecily Aguilar, a local woman identified as Robinson's girlfriend, was taken into custody for assisting him in dismembering and burying Guillén's body.

Guillén had long had the goal of serving in the Army but, after being assigned to Fort Hood, told friends and family of being sexually harassed by a superior.

Her attorney, Natalie Khawam,[17] said she believed the family was "being kept in the dark";[16] the Army had released few details regarding the young soldier's disappearance.

[18] On June 13, 2020, hundreds of people assembled at the gates of Fort Hood to protest what the family and supporters believed was a lack of information on the case.

[15] On June 23, Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, in whose district Guillén's family lived, met with Fort Hood officials to discuss the ongoing search.

[22] On June 30, 2020, Army investigators were called in when private contractors discovered partial human remains along the Leon River in Belton.

[5][23] The area had previously been searched by Texas Rangers, detectives, and cadaver dogs on June 20 after a burn mound was discovered nearby.

Aguilar was reported to be the girlfriend of Aaron David Robinson, a specialist-ranked enlisted soldier who was one of the last people known to have seen Guillén on the day of her disappearance.

Mejhor Morta, 26, of Pensacola, Florida, was pronounced dead shortly after the discovery of his body near Stillhouse Hollow Lake on July 17.

[27][3] Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Frazier and Greg Gloff prosecuted the case on behalf of the federal government.

(Robinson) told her he was worried about getting in trouble for violating the Army's fraternization rules since Aguilar was still married to another soldier (so) he hit Guillén in the head with a hammer.

[8] On July 6, 2020, at city hall in Richmond, California, a memorial of candles, along with tea lights spelling out “Vanessa,” were displayed in front of a makeshift altar.

[42] On July 10, 2020, the Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy announced that he would order a "full independent review" of Guillén's case.

[31] On December 8, 2020, McCarthy announced the results of the investigation, and disciplined 14 U.S. commanders and other leaders at Fort Hood, citing multiple "leadership failures".

[46] During the December 8 Pentagon press conference, McCarthy said that Guillén's murder "shocked our conscience and brought attention to deeper problems" at Fort Hood and across the Army more widely.

[48] In August 2022, the Guillén family filed a civil lawsuit against the United States Army seeking $35 million in damages for the sexual harassment, assault and wrongful death of their daughter Vanessa while serving in the military.

[49] Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of The Atlantic, alleged in an October 2024 article that former President Donald Trump had committed to paying for Guillén's funeral, only to oppose it later.

"[54] Guillén family lawyer Natalie Khawam, who was not present at the meeting in question, confirmed that a bill had been sent to the White House but that no money had ever been received.

Khawam stated that Goldberg "used and exploited" her clients "for cheap political gain," and that the timing of the article, two weeks before a pivotal presidential election and four years after the alleged events, was "quite suspicious".