I Am Vanessa Guillén Act brings 'historic' military reform as calls for justice persist

Calls for justice in the killing of Army Spc. Vanessa Guillén have been partly answered as relatives, lawmakers, celebrities and advocates celebrate the passage of the I Am Vanessa Guillén Act to help and protect victims of sexual violence in the military.

"The best way to honor my sister was by having history being made in her honor, in her memory," Mayra Guillén, Vanessa's older sister, said at a news conference Thursday.

Vanessa Guillén, 20, was a private first class stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. She was last seen at a parking lot at the base in April 2020. Her dismembered remains were found near the base two months later. She was promoted to specialist posthumously.

Guillén’s family said she had told relatives and colleagues at Fort Hood, which has some of the highest rates of murder, sexual assault and harassment in the Army, that she had been sexually harassed at the base.