Vanished: What Happened to Vanessa

Podcast: Vanished: What Happened to Vanessa
Host: John Quinones (ABC News)
Episode: The Search (Episode 2)
Date: September 23, 2025

Overview

This episode chronicles the frantic early days following the disappearance of Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillén in April 2020. It details the initial search efforts by friends and family, the family's mounting frustration with the military’s response, the investigation’s challenges, and how Vanessa's case sparked a national movement addressing sexual harassment within the military. The episode also captures the growing public outcry, culminating in protests and viral social media campaigns.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Day Vanessa Disappeared

• Morning (April 22, 2020):

  • Vanessa shares hiking plans with her close friend Tay Hightower after her shift — a "half day" tagging broken weapons ([00:45]-[01:06]).
  • Tay gets a weather update from Vanessa at 8am; his last message to her is sent in the afternoon ([01:12]-[01:38]).

• Afternoon Realization:

  • By 5pm, Tay notices Vanessa hasn't replied and finds her room empty. Her Jeep is still parked at the barracks ([01:45]-[02:14]).
  • Roommate confirms she hasn't seen Vanessa since morning; Vanessa’s belongings are left behind ([02:14]).
  • Tay and another friend, CJ Landy, begin searching common areas, the motor pool, and arms rooms on base ([02:50]-[03:58]).

• Family's Growing Fears (Houston):

  • Vanessa's sister, Myra Guillen, senses something is wrong after no contact all day ([04:06]-[04:16]).
  • At 8pm, Myra calls the base and is shocked by the nonchalant response to Vanessa's unexplained absence ([04:28]).

Notable Quote

“It’s already been more than six hours. Why haven’t you done anything? Oh, we’ve been looking for her. I’m like, looking where? Here in the barracks?”
— Myra Guillen ([04:28])

2. The Frustration Mounts

• Overnight Drive to Fort Hood:

  • Myra, Vanessa’s fiancé Juan Cruz, sister Yovana, and a friend travel through harsh weather to reach the base by 3am ([05:45]-[06:24]).

• Lack of Action and Stonewalling:

  • On arrival, the staff sergeant is asleep — the family must wait to speak to anyone ([06:24]-[08:03]).
  • At 8am, officers meet the family. One officer, Aaron Robinson, behaves suspiciously—avoiding eye contact and laughing at Myra ([08:03]-[09:28]).

Notable Quote

“He looks at me and…just starts laughing, and I get really upset. I’m like, there’s nothing funny about this. Like, my sister is missing, and this guy is laughing for no reason at all.”
— Myra Guillen ([09:28])

• Lack of Transparency:
  • Army officials question Myra instead of providing answers ([10:28]), and the family is shuffled through interviews without new information ([10:46]-[11:44]).

3. Widening the Search & Investigation

• Army searches base and area, checks hospitals and jails — but finds no sign of Vanessa ([11:44]-[13:12]).
• Vanessa is officially listed as AWOL; Army CID (Criminal Investigation Division), FBI, Texas Rangers, and Bell County Sheriffs join the investigation ([13:12]-[13:44]).
• Specialist Aaron Robinson, one of the last to see Vanessa, provides an alibi, confirmed by his girlfriend ([13:44]-[14:47]).

Notable Quote

“Everyone is working collaboratively, using their resources to help us get to the…to the bottom of this.”
— Major General Donna Martin ([13:34])

4. Dead Ends and Setbacks

• Early eyewitness reports of Vanessa in the afternoon prove incorrect, wasting precious time ([17:01]-[19:35]).
• The family continues to feel ignored; the Army cites “ongoing investigation” as reason for withholding information ([20:27]-[21:41]).

Notable Quote

“The meetings were useless. There was no new information. We gave them literally every single thing that they asked for...even our stuff.”
— Myra Guillen ([20:27])

5. The Movement Grows: Social Media and Protests

• Myra’s viral social media post (“I promise I’m gonna find you, even if it’s the last thing I do”) galvanizes attention ([22:54]).
• Local TV reporter Olivia Laveda sees the post and notices widespread community concern ([23:31]).
• Media attention intensifies; the first family-organized protest outside Fort Hood brings dozens, then hundreds as weeks pass ([25:25]-[26:18]).
• Protests become weekly; the family and volunteers keep Vanessa’s face and story in public view ([26:18]-[27:47]).

Notable Quote

“They had a pretty good turnout…But as the time dragged on, Vanessa’s still missing. That’s when people started to take this personal.”
— Olivia Laveda ([25:25])

6. Allegation of Sexual Harassment

• Myra and her mother Gloria reveal Vanessa had previously confided about being sexually harassed by a sergeant ([29:16]-[30:40]).
• When the Army appears to dismiss this lead, Gloria publicly claims on Telemundo that Vanessa was a victim of harassment ([31:41]).
• The hashtag #IAmVanessaGuillen trends, with national media and celebrities amplifying the story and survivors sharing their own experiences ([31:51]-[34:26]).

Notable Quote

“Women should not be afraid to come forth about sexual harassment. They should not fear reporting sexual harassment. It’s unacceptable. It’s 2020. What’s happening?”
— Natalie Kawam, attorney ([37:00])

7. National Reckoning and Legal Action

• National protests (including those for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor) intensify around the same time, framing Vanessa’s case within a wider call against institutional injustice ([34:26]-[35:23]).
• Attorney Natalie Kawam joins the Guillen family, increasing pressure and media scrutiny ([35:23]-[36:54]).
• The Army finally opens an official sexual harassment investigation on June 18, nearly two months after Vanessa’s disappearance ([37:14]).

8. A Break in the Case

• Two witnesses report seeing Aaron Robinson moving a heavy black “tough box” into his car the day Vanessa disappeared ([38:36]-[39:00]).
• Moments before the episode ends, breaking news: skeletal remains are found in a field near Killeen ([39:09]).

Notable Quote

“We have some breaking news. Fort Hood criminal investigation division have found skeletal remains in a field in Killeen.”
— Natalie Kawam ([39:09])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Myra’s heartbreak and determination:
  “I have to talk to you. …Vanessa confessed to her that she was being sexually harassed by one of her sergeants.”
  — Myra Guillen ([29:16])

• National attention explodes:
  “After Vanessa’s family came out and said not only is she missing, she was also being sexually harassed, that’s when it started trending online with the hashtag, I am Vanessa Guillen. And when I say trending, I mean even with celebrities.”
  — Olivia Laveda ([31:51])

• Army’s frustrating opacity:
  “I can certainly sympathize with not having all the information you want…we have to balance information sharing with due process.”
  — Major General Donna Martin ([21:20])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Vanessa’s Disappearance & Search — [00:45]-[06:24]
• Family Arrives at Fort Hood & Early Army Response — [06:24]-[11:44]
• Search Efforts and Investigative Challenges — [11:44]-[19:35]
• Family Organizes Public Search, Posters, Social Media — [21:41]-[23:02]
• Media Amplifies Search & Community Protests Begin — [23:02]-[27:47]
• Sexual Harassment Allegations Surface — [29:16]-[34:26]
• National Movement and Attorney Involvement — [35:23]-[37:14]
• Break in the Case: Robinson’s “Tough Box” — [38:36]-[39:13]
• Breaking News: Remains Found — [39:09]

Episode Tone and Language

The episode is urgent, emotional, and resolute, reflecting the desperation and tenacity of Vanessa’s loved ones. John Quinones lays out details with empathy and clarity; Myra’s voice is tinged with grief and insistence, while attorney Natalie Kawam channels righteous indignation. The language throughout balances cold procedural facts with raw, human storytelling.

Conclusion

“The Search” reveals how Vanessa Guillén’s disappearance transcended her family’s private anguish, exposing institutional failures and sparking a nationwide reckoning with military secrecy and sexual harassment. Carefully piecing together the timeline and early investigation, this episode ends on the precipice of a major discovery—a turning point both in the case and in public consciousness.