Vanessa Guillén’s family entitled to her military death benefits, Army rules
Army Spc. Vanessa Guillen
Twenty-year-old Spc. Vanessa Guillén went missing on April 22 from the Army base at Fort Hood, Texas.
Her dismembered remains, previously buried under concrete, weren’t found hidden by the Leon River until June 30.
The day after, another soldier, Spc. Aaron David Robinson, shot himself in the head as police officers approached him. A federal affidavit later alleged he had beaten Guillén with a hammer in an armory room on base, put her remains in a “tough box” and later burned and dismembered her body to more easily dispose of it.
As evidence in this chilling case continues to unravel, there are still many unanswered questions for Guillén’s family.
But in late October the Army did conclude that Guillén’s death was in the “line of duty,” thereby giving her designated next of kin her full military death benefits, the Army wrote in a press release.
This means the solider is entitled to a funeral with full military honors, and her family will receive a death gratuity, life insurance compensation, final pay and allowances, and financial counseling services, according to Military.com.
The Army unit remains "contact with the Guillén family to keep them informed of actions being taken at Fort Hood" as well as what policies are being revised to "ensure Army culture continues to put people first and honors Vanessa's life,” Military.com reported.
Before her death, Guillén allegedly told family she was being sexually harassed at work, but that she would take matters into her own hands instead of reporting it.
After her death, a groundswell of cries for ending military sexual harassment and assaults took social media by storm.
The I am Vanessa Guillén Act was introduced in Congress in September to change the way the military handles sexual assault reports, including creating a confidential reporting system.
“I Am Vanessa Guillén has become a rallying cry across the country for survivors speaking out against the toxic rot in the military around harassment and sexual assault,” Speier, a Democrat from California, said during a September press conference on Capitol Hill.
In Episode 47 of The Spouse Angle podcast, “#IAmVanessaGuillen: How a Movement Could Transform Military Sexual Assault,” a retired Air Force JAG breaks down the legislation for listeners, and a Navy veteran and military spouse shares her story of survival and healing after being sexually assaulted.
The Army is investigating Guillen’s family’s sexual harassment claims, but has not found evidence of it, ABC reported.