Candles and flowers adorn a mural of Vanessa Guillen, a soldier based at nearby Fort Hood on July 6, 2020 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Sergio Flores/Getty Images)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 12:12 PM PT – Wednesday, November 30, 2022

The woman charged in soldier Vanessa Guillen’s murder has waived her right to a trial.

On Tuesday, 24-year-old Cecily Aguilar chose to plead guilty for her role in the Fort Hood murder of Guillen.

By pleading guilty to a single count of accessory after the fact and three counts of making a false statement, Aguilar waived her right to a trial. She is currently facing 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, and an additional 12-year supervised leave.

Guillen was an Army Specialist who was killed, dismembered, and burned by a fellow soldier, Army Spc. Aaron Robinson in April 2020.

Guillen’s family filed a $35 million lawsuit against the U.S. government based on sexual harassment, abuse, assault, rape, sodomy, and wrongful death.

Aguilar was charged as an accomplice for helping her boyfriend cover up the crime. Authorities say that she had allegedly altered and destroyed information in Robinson’s Google account and lied to federal investigators on several occasions.

Guillen’s family appeared at the court hearing to witness Aguilar come forward.

“I’m very taken back by her decision,” Mayra Guillen, Vanessa’s sister, said. “There’s still a lot of mixed emotions. Both angry, and frustration. Now, we have to wait for the actual sentencing. I’m glad that we’re going to have the opportunity to speak in front of the judge, and in front of her. Of course, and hear what she has to say.”

While Aguilar will be sentenced later, Guillen’s family have expressed their wishes for a maximum sentence.

Guillen’s death prompted widespread calls for the military to address sexual harassment and violence.

Workers walk over empty tracks of the Austrian railway operator OeBB at the Westbahnhof railway station in Vienna on November 28, 2022, during a warning strike of the railway workers over a wage dispute. (Photo by JOE KLAMAR/AFP via Getty Images)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 10:48 AM PT – Wednesday, November 30, 2022

The House of Representatives has passed a legislation that will force rail unions to accept the terms offered to help them by the Biden administration.

On Wednesday, in a 290-137 vote, House lawmakers voted to pass the legislation. 

Those in favor of the legislation say that Congress had to act in order to prevent a strike and give workers what they are asking for. Those against the bill argued that it is not Congress’ place and that they were only voting on it because Joe Biden failed at the negotiation table.

The lower chamber weighed the resolution after top congressional leaders met with Joe Biden on Tuesday. Biden asked Congress to adopt the tentative agreement between railroad workers and operators after he failed to reach terms with all 12 unions. Despite calling himself the most pro-union president, Biden begged Congress to step in to prevent a strike, as a shutdown would be detrimental to the economy.

The September deal allowed for raises and bonuses retroactive to 2020. However, workers are stunned at the lack of paid sick time.

Democrats, such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who claim to be pro-union, are now backing the move to force the agreement on the rail workers.

“It’s not everything I would like to see. I think that we should have paid sick leave,” Pelosi said. “Every country, every developed country in the world has it. We don’t. But nonetheless, we we have an improved situation. And again, I don’t like going against the ability of the unions to strike, but weighing the equities, we must avoid a strike.”

The legislation will now move to the Senate. Senators will have little time to act as rail workers are vowing to strike on December 9th.