#Vanessa Guillen’s death considered ‘in line of duty’

Army Spc. Vanessa Guillén is considered to have died “in the line of duty” – allowing her family to receive certain military benefits, Fort Hood said in a statement.

“This determination establishes that the Guillén family is entitled to a variety of Army benefits for Vanessa’s service to our nation. Typically these benefits include compensation to immediately help the family with expenses, funeral with full military honors, the Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance, and final pay and allowances,” it said Tuesday.

“The Army conducts a line of duty determination for all Soldier deaths,” officials said in the statement announcing that Guillén’s family had been briefed about the results of the probe.

The Army recently announced changes in the leadership at Fort Hood amid the probe into the killing of Guillén, who was allegedly bludgeoned by a fellow soldier after coming forward about being sexually harassed.

The 20-year-old was found dead on July 1 in a shallow grave near Leon River in Bell County, about 20 miles east of the base.

Authorities say another soldier, Spc. Aaron David Robinson, bludgeoned her to death before killing himself.

Robinson’s civilian girlfriend, Cecily Aguilar, has admitted to investigators that he told her he’d bludgeoned Guillén to death with a hammer in the arms room on Aug. 22. He then enlisted Aguilar to help dismember the young soldier’s body and bury her remains.

Aguilar, 20, has been charged with three counts of conspiracy. She’s pleaded not guilty.