Pfc. Tina Priest, U.S. Army

Army Pfc. Tina Priest, 20, died from a non-combat related injury in Taji, Iraq on March 1st, 2006. She was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom on behalf of the 4th Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Divison at Fort Hood, Texas. The Army ruled the death an apparent suicide but Tina’s parents dispute that finding based on the evidence and believe that she was raped and murdered; Tina reported a rape two weeks prior to her death.

This case is no longer under investigation by the Army but considered an unsolved cold case because of the concerns the family has with the death investigation and cause of death ruling by the Army. Forty-one (41) female service members died of non combat related injuries while serving in Iraq; and twenty-three (23) were labeled homicide, suicide, or the cause of death is unknown.

Tina’s suspicious death was discussed in the Silent Truth Documentary and on the Crime Junkie Podcast.

Please see the MJFA Investigative Dossier for Tina Priest at the end of the article.

The Silent Truth Documentary:

Ninety-four US military women in the military have died in Iraq or during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). ‘The Silent Truth’ tells the story of one of these women, PFC LaVena Lynn Johnson, who was found dead on Balad Air Force Base in Iraq. The army claimed she shot herself with her own M16 rifle, but forensic evidence, obtained by the Johnson family through the Freedom of Information Act, brings the army’s findings into question. The Army refuses to re-open LaVena Johnson’s case, leaving the family in limbo. ‘The Silent Truth’ follows the Johnson’s pursuit of justice and truth for their daughter. -The Silent Truth Documentary (July 1, 2014)

Update: The Silent Truth is no longer available on YouTube but can be accessed at Fandango at Home.

The Silent Truth Documentary aka The LaVena Johnson Murder Cover-Up (Truthout, November 18, 2010):

“What happened to LaVena Lynn Johnson and so many others speaks to a Pentagon culture which more closely resembles a rogue government–than a legitimate branch serving under civilian control. It is highly telling that this family, along with the Tillman family each had to have a documentary film made JUST TO ALERT THE PUBLIC TO THE TRUTH OF PENTAGON COVER-UPS. I urge everyone to view this important documentary – before the local military recruiter mandated under No Child Left Behind –‘friends’ their child at school. God forbid, they could wind up coming home in a body bag – like LaVena.”  

Read more from Truthout here.

Crime Junkie Podcast:

Social Media Friendly Graphic:

Related Links:
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Army Pfc. Tina M. PriestTina Priest’s Death In Iraq Under Investigation
Did Army do enough to prevent soldier’s death? (2007)
Family disputes Army’s suicide finding in daughter’s death
U.S. Military Is Keeping Secrets About Female Soldiers’ ‘Suicides’
Pfc. Tina Priest’s rape and the Irony of the Iraq War
“Rape in the Ranks: The Enemy Within”
U.S. Military Covering Up Possible Murders of Female Service Members
Sisters in Death: The Systemic Misogyny of Militarism Leads To Deaths of U.S. Servicewomen and Iraqi Civilian Women
Is U.S. Military Covering Up Rape, Murder?
Hiding Military Sexual Trauma
A Shot Away: Personal Accounts of Military Sexual Trauma
Waging Gendered Wars: U.S. Military Women in Afghanistan and Iraq
Crime Junkie Podcast Featured the Suspicious Deaths of LaVena Johnson & Tina Priest in ‘Conspiracy: Women in the US Military’ (October 22, 2018)
Non Combat Deaths of Female Soldiers in the US Military (Iraq)
Violent Crime, Suicide, and Non Combat Death at Fort Hood, Texas (US Army)
Military Policy and Legislation Considerations for the Investigations of Non Combat Death, Homicide, and Suicide of US Service Members
Army Soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas Are Dying at Alarming Rates Stateside
Stop Killing Us!!! (YouTube)
The Silent Truth | YouTube Movies
The Silent Truth (FULL DOCUMENTARY)

Investigative Dossier

PFC Tina M. Priest, U.S. Army • Operation Iraqi Freedom

Executive Summary

On March 1, 2006, 20-year-old Army PFC Tina M. Priest was found dead in her quarters at Camp Taji, Iraq, from a gunshot wound involving her assigned M16 rifle. She served with the 4th Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas.

Approximately two weeks earlier, Priest had reported that she had been sexually assaulted by another soldier. Following an investigation, the Army concluded there was insufficient evidence to prosecute the allegation. After her death, the Army ruled the manner of death was suicide.

Her mother, Joy Priest, has consistently challenged both the sexual assault investigation and the suicide determination, arguing that important evidence and investigative questions were not adequately addressed. Tina’s case later became part of broader reporting on disputed non-combat deaths of women serving during the Iraq War and contributed to public debate about military sexual assault investigations and institutional accountability. 

Personal Information

Name: Tina Marie Priest
Age: 20
Branch: United States Army
Units

• 4th Support Battalion
• 1st Brigade Combat Team
• 4th Infantry Division

Home Station: Fort Hood, Texas
Deployment: Camp Taji, Iraq
Date of Death: March 1, 2006
Official Classification: Non-combat death

Chronological Timeline

Late 2005

Priest deploys to Iraq with the 4th Infantry Division.

February 15, 2006

According to Army records discussed in subsequent reporting:

• Priest reports that she was sexually assaulted by another soldier.
• She undergoes a forensic medical examination.
• DNA evidence reportedly confirms sexual contact occurred.
• The central investigative question becomes whether the encounter was consensual.

Mid-February 2006

Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID):

• interviews witnesses,
• investigates the assault allegation,
• gathers forensic evidence.

Behavioral health providers evaluate Priest.

Army records later cited in media reports indicate she did not meet criteria for immediate suicide intervention despite emotional distress related to the reported assault. 

February 27–28

According to Army records discussed publicly:

• Priest reportedly returns to duty.
• The sexual assault investigation remains open.

March 1, 2006

Priest is discovered dead in her room at Camp Taji.

The death scene includes:

• assigned M16 rifle
• single gunshot wound

Initial casualty reports classify the death as a non-combat injury pending investigation.

Spring 2006

CID completes the death investigation.

Official conclusion: Suicide

The sexual assault case is closed without criminal charges.

2007–2009

Joy Priest publicly challenges:

• the suicide ruling,
• the sexual assault investigation,
• Army transparency.

National media revisit the case as part of broader reporting on disputed military deaths involving women serving in Iraq. 

Official Army Findings

According to the Army investigation:

Cause of Death: Gunshot wound

Manner of Death: Suicide

Sexual Assault Investigation

Army investigators concluded:

• sexual intercourse occurred;
• however, they determined there was insufficient evidence to establish beyond the applicable legal standard that the encounter was non-consensual.

No rape charges were filed.

Behavioral Health

Army records referenced in reporting indicate:

• Priest experienced emotional distress after reporting the alleged assault.
• Evaluators did not classify her as presenting an immediate suicide risk shortly before her death. 

Family Concerns

Joy Priest has consistently disputed the Army’s conclusions.

Among the concerns she has publicly raised:

1. Timing

The death occurred roughly two weeks after the reported sexual assault.

The family questioned whether sufficient protection and support had been provided.

2. Suicide Determination

The family has stated they did not believe Tina intended to end her life.

They cited:

• future plans,
• conversations with family,
• and what they viewed as inconsistencies with suicide.

3. Firearm Questions

Joy Priest questioned whether the mechanics of firing an M16 were consistent with Tina’s physical stature and the circumstances documented at the scene.

The Army maintained that its reconstruction supported a self-inflicted gunshot.

4. Investigation Transparency

The family has described delays obtaining:

• investigative files,
• autopsy information,
• photographs,
• and other records.

These concerns became part of later media reporting. 

5. Sexual Assault Investigation

Joy Priest questioned why no charges resulted despite forensic evidence confirming sexual contact, arguing investigators did not adequately resolve whether the encounter was consensual.

Evidence Known Publicly

Public reporting identifies:

✓ Sexual assault report

✓ Medical forensic examination

✓ DNA evidence confirming sexual contact

✓ CID investigation

✓ Behavioral health evaluations

✓ Death scene investigation

The complete investigative file has not been fully released publicly.

Unanswered Questions

Among the questions raised publicly by family members and journalists:

• Was every potential witness interviewed?
• Were all forensic findings independently reviewed?
• Were suicide-risk assessments sufficient following the reported assault?
• Could additional victim advocacy or protective measures have altered the outcome?
• Should the assault investigation have remained open longer?

These questions remain subjects of public debate; the Army has not changed its official conclusions. 

Broader Context

Tina Priest’s death became part of a wider conversation concerning:

• military sexual assault,
• behavioral health,
• non-combat deaths,
• investigative transparency,
• institutional accountability.

Her case has frequently been discussed alongside other disputed deaths of women who served during the Iraq War, particularly where families challenged official findings. 

Primary Sources

• Los Angeles Times – “A Death With Two Stories: Evidence”
• Military Times – Fallen Service Member Profile for Tina M. Priest
• Congressional hearings on military sexual assault and investigative practices (110th Congress), which referenced broader concerns about military handling of sexual assault cases.
• Public statements by Joy Priest in interviews and media coverage.

Recommended Additional Records to Obtain:

• Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) Report of Investigation.
• Army Line of Duty (LOD) investigation.
• Armed Forces Medical Examiner autopsy report.
• Death scene photographs and evidence inventory (where releasable).
• Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) documentation, subject to privacy restrictions.
• Behavioral health evaluations created before March 1, 2006.
• Casualty Assistance Office records.
• FOIA responses from the Army, CID, and the Department of Defense.
• Any Inspector General correspondence related to the case.