Fort Hood Army Pfc. Tina Priest Died From a Non-Combat Related Incident in Iraq; Death Ruled Suicide But Family Suspects Rape & Murder (March 1, 2006)

On March 1, 2006July 1, 2026 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Cold Cases, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Non Combat Death, Scandals, Sexual Assault, Suicide, Suspicious Deaths2 Comments

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.”

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.

Under the Sabers: The Unwritten Code of Army Wives by Tanya Biank (February 7, 2006)

On February 7, 2006August 8, 2019 By AdministratorIn Accidents, Armed Forces, Army, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Non Combat Death, Scandals, Stateside Death, Suicide, USAFLeave a comment

Army Wives Lifetime — Army Wives, a Lifetime television series based on the non-fiction book written by Tanya Biank.

In Their Name:
Colette, Kimberley & Kristen MacDonald, Fort Bragg (Feb. 17, 1970)
Michael James & Jackie Burden, Fayetteville, NC (December 7, 1995)
Captain Frank ‘Marty’ Theer, U.S. Air Force (December 17, 2000)
Lt. Col. Rennie Cory, U.S. Army, Fort Bragg (April 7, 2001)
Pfc. Gary Shane Kalinofski, U.S. Army, Fort Drum (March 4, 2002)
Army Spouse Teresa Nieves, North Carolina (June 11, 2002)
Army Spouse Jennifer Wright, North Carolina (June 29, 2002)
Army Spouse Marilyn Styles-Griffin, North Carolina (July 9, 2002)
Army Spouse & Veteran Andrea Floyd, North Carolina (July 19, 2002)
Major David Shannon, U.S. Army, Fort Bragg (July 23, 2002)
Sgt. Erin Edwards, U.S. Army, Fort Hood (July 22, 2004)
Sgt. Ronna Valentine, U.S. Army, Fort Bragg (May 21, 2005)

Under the Sabers: The Unwritten Code of Army Wives or Army Wives by Tanya Biank was an excellent read. I first heard about the book when I was researching the 2002 Fort Bragg murders of Teresa Nieves, Jennifer Wright, Marilyn Griffin, Andrea Floyd and Major David Shannon. I ordered it from Amazon and threw it in a pile with all my other military crime books until I saw a Forbidden: Dying for Love episode about the murder of Army spouse Jennifer Wright. The show didn’t mention it but I knew Jennifer’s murder was one of five homicides at Fort Bragg that occurred within a two month period in 2002. I learned more about Jennifer Wright from Investigation Discovery than what’s available on-line. And at the time, the national media was quick to speculate whether war & violence, frequent deployments or anti-malaria drugs were to blame. But after the Army investigated itself, it determined that the high operational tempo after September 11, 2001 placed a great strain on already troubled marriages.

In other words, some form of domestic abuse, financial issues, and adultery in some cases were to blame for stained marriages. I researched the five murders and the motives were similar in four of the cases. Arguments were a pre-cursor to the murders and three out of four of the spouses wanted to leave the relationship. Was rejection the trigger? Domestic violence experts agree leaving the relationship is the most dangerous time. In Major Shannon’s case, it appears that the motive was greed, pure and simple, as greed is one of the most common motives for female killers. Major Shannon’s wife Joan stood to gain a large amount of money from his Serviceman’s Group Life Insurance (SGLI) if he died. This time the Army was most likely correct but unfortunately things haven’t changed to this day. There have been many more victims of domestic violence in the military since 2002 and this book inspired me to honor each and every one of them.

The author Tanya Biank grew up in a military family and covered military issues at Fort Bragg as a reporter for the Fayetteville Observer. Tanya was able to give us a realistic perspective of what was going on at Fort Bragg during the time period right before and after September 11, 2001. Tanya was the one writing about the rash of homicides for the local newspaper during the summer of 2002. As a result of Tanya’s reporting, the main stream media picked up the story and it went national and international. Fort Bragg was forced to answer to a frenzied pack of media outlets and in typical fashion, the Army investigated itself and found themselves not responsible. Although Tanya reported in the book that Congress authorized $5 million for domestic violence programs in the military that year. And on December 2, 2002, President Bush signed into law an act that makes domestic violence protective orders enforceable on military installations.

Tanya was the perfect person to write about Fort Bragg. She had a great understanding of the various perspectives and this was revealed in the book. She talked about how September 11th changed things for both the service member and the families. I found myself feeling thankful for the education about Fort Bragg’s missions and how they fit into the big picture. They train hard for a reason. They are some of the first on the front lines and some of the families have no idea where they are going or how long they will be gone. Unexpectedly, I experienced a myriad of emotions as I read along. Emotions about 9/11, emotions about what was happening at my own squadron, and emotions around the notifications of death. My Commander and a Chaplain informed me of my father’s unexpected death. And my colleagues helped me get home safely. I realized this was standard protocol while reading this book.

I couldn’t put the book down once I started, despite the emotions and memories it triggered. Tanya Biank did a great job of enticing the reader to learn more about the individual and the family, and just when you least expected, the unexpected would happen. It reminded me of my own life and how hard it was to put mission before self year after year when all one was doing was stuffing down the pain. But like those in the book, we don’t seek counseling because it’s considered a career ender. We don’t trust the system so most of us just keep our troubles to ourselves. And for those who want to maintain a security clearance, we know they are going to ask the question about mental health treatment. I understand why the question has to be asked because it’s important to identify someone with suicidal tendencies or anger problems but it prevents the rest of us from asking for the help we need, until it’s too late.

Tanya talked about the unusually high crime rates in Fayetteville and she said its civilians who commit most of the crime. She admitted Fort Bragg was under the shadow of the the murders of Colette, Kimberley & Kristen MacDonald in 1970 because former Captain Jeffrey MacDonald, despite being found guilty, swears he’s innocent. As recently as December 2018, MacDonald was denied a new trial by a federal appeals court and he continues to be the subject of both media and true crime programming. Tanya also talked about the racially motivated murders of Michael James & Jackie Burden in 1995. Army privates James Burmeister and Malcolm Wright were found guilty of the crime. This too made national news and the Army was forced to weed out any perceived Neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and skinheads. The media speculated the Army was full of them; turns out this random attack by Fort Bragg soldiers was an isolated incident.

After researching the five Fort Bragg murders in 2002 on-line, I realized that Tanya’s book was the most comprehensive discussion of the incidents. The book gave us an inside look at the people involved and the way it unfolded real-time. Tanya shared that the military likes to keep their problems under wrap because of the way the media speculates. I can see why they would be annoyed with how scandals are reported. Once the information is out there, it’s hard to fight off the perception. But the bottom line is the acts of a few don’t represent the whole. Unfortunately, I could write book after book about clusters of domestic violence related homicides in the military since 2002. This book made me realize how long the military has known about the problems and that throwing money at the problem doesn’t fix it. We need real solutions that save lives.

Editor’s Note: Tanya Biank’s book Under the Sabers inspired the creation of Army Wives on Lifetime television. After reading the book, I can understand why the series was created in 2007. I included links to the show below if you are interested in watching the series. It was cancelled after seven seasons.

Army Reservist Joshua Omvig Died by Suicide; Parents Lobby for Change, Congress Passes Veterans Suicide Prevention Act in His Name (December 22, 2005)

On December 22, 2005September 3, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, PTSD, TBI, Mental Illness, Suicide, VeteransLeave a comment

“On December 22, 2005, Joshua Omvig, a 22-year-old reservist from Davenport, Iowa, committed suicide with a gun in his pickup truck, after returning from a tour of duty in Iraq a year earlier. He suffered [from] post traumatic stress disorder, a common problem with soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Omvig’s parents, Randy and Ellen, began lobbying for comprehensive PTSD care for all veterans.” Read more from The American Prospect here.

Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act Signed Into Law:

[Former] Rep. Bruce Braley speaks in favor. -Nancy Pelosi (October 23, 2007)

Congressman Boswell’s floor statement before the final passage of the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act. (October 23, 2007)

September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2005)

On September 30, 2005August 26, 2017 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, In Their Name, Military Policy, National Guard, Navy, Non Combat Death, Suicide, USAF, USMCLeave a comment

09/30/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Daniel Arnold, 27, George Pugliese, 39, Eric Siebodnik, 21, Lee Wiegand, 20, and Oliver Brown, 19, Iraq, Pennsylvania Army National Guard

09/29/2005: DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty: Elizabeth Jacobson, 21, Iraq, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas

09/29/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Steve Morin Jr, 34, Iraq, Texas Army National Guard

09/29/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jason Benford, 30, Iraq, Fort Benning, Georgia

09/28/2005: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: Robert Macrum, 22, NCD, Arabian Gulf, USS Princeton

09/28/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Robert White, 34, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/28/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Tulsa Tuliau, 33, and Casey Howe, 32, Iraq, Fort Drum, New York

09/27/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Andrew Wallace, 25, and Michael Wendling, 20, Iraq, Wisconsin Army National Guard

09/27/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Andrew Derrick, 25, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/27/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Mike Sonoda Jr, 34, Iraq, California Army National Guard

09/27/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Howard Allen, 31, Iraq, Arizona Army National Guard

09/27/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Shawn Graham, 34, Iraq, Texas Army National Guard

09/27/2005: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Elijah Ortega, 19, Iraq, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/27/2005: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Steven Valdez, 20, Afghanistan, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii

09/26/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: John Flynn, 36, and Patrick Stewart, 35, NCD, Afghanistan, Nevada Army National Guard

09/26/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Adrian Stump, 22, and Tane Baum, 30, NCD, Afghanistan, Oregon Army National Guard

09/26/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Kenneth Ross, 24, NCD, Afghanistan, Giebelstadt, Germany

09/26/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Daniel Scheile, 37, and Paul Neubauer, 40, Iraq, California Army National Guard

09/26/2005: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Brian Dunlap, 34, Iraq, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward)

09/26/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Kevin Jones, 21, Iraq, Mannheim, Germany

09/23/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Pierre Raymond, 28, Iraq, Pennsylvania Army Reserve

09/23/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Travis Arndt, 23, NCD, Iraq, Montana Army National Guard

09/23/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Scott McLaughlin, 29, Iraq, Vermont Army National Guard

09/22/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Lawrence Morrison, 45, Iraq, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/22/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: William Allers III, 28, Iraq, Kentucky Army National Guard

09/21/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: William Evans, 22, Iraq, Pennsylvania Army National Guard

09/21/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Michael Egan, 36, and William Fernandez, 37, Iraq, Pennsylvania Army National Guard

09/21/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Mark Dooley, 27, Iraq, Vermont Army National Guard

09/20/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Alan Gifford, 39, and David Ford IV, 20, Iraq, Fort Stewart, Georgia

09/20/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Regilio Nelom, 45, Iraq, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/20/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Matthew Deckard, 29, Iraq, Fort Stewart, Georgia

09/16/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Alfredo Silva, 35, Iraq, California Army National Guard

09/16/2005: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Shane Swanberg, 24, Iraq, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward)

09/14/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Kurtis Arcala, 22, Iraq, Fort Stewart, Georgia

09/13/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jeremy Campbell, 21, Iraq, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/13/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Christopher Everett, 23, NCD, Iraq, Texas Army National Guard

09/08/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jeffrey Williams, 20, Iraq, Fort Carson, Colorado

09/08/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Jude Jonaus, 27, and Franklin Vilorio, 26, Iraq, Fort Stewart, Georgia

09/07/2005: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: Robert Martens, 20, NCD, Iraq, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/07/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Matthew Bohling, 22, Iraq, Fort Benning, Georgia

09/06/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Luke Williams, 35, NCD, Iraq, Fort Stewart, Georgia

09/06/2005: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Ryan Nass, 21, NCD, Afghanistan, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii

09/05/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Lonnie Parson, 39, Iraq, Fort Stewart, Georgia

09/05/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: George Draughn Jr, 29, and Robert Hollar Jr, 35, Iraq, Fort Stewart, Georgia

09/03/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Derek Hines, 25, Afghanistan, Vicenza, Italy

09/02/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Lowell Miller II, 35, Iraq, Mississippi Army National Guard

09/02/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jason Ames, 21, NCD, Iraq, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/02/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Monta Ruth, 26, Iraq, Fort Benning, Georgia

09/01/2005: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Gregory Fester, 41, Iraq, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

Fort Campbell Army Pfc. LaVena Johnson Died of Non Combat Related Injuries in Iraq; Death Ruled Suicide But Independent Investigation Revealed Rape and Murder (July 19, 2005)

On July 19, 2005August 29, 2020 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Cold Cases, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Non Combat Death, Scandals, Sexual Assault, Suicide, Suspicious Deaths4 Comments

Editors Note: Need to get up to speed quick with the unsolved case of Fort Campbell Army Pfc. Lavena Johnson, please check out Episode 40 on the Military Murder Podcast.

Army Pfc. LaVena Johnson, 19, died of non combat related injuries in Balad, Iraq on July 19, 2005. Pfc. Johnson was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom on behalf of the Army’s 129th Corps Support Battalion in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Unlike most, the Department of Defense did not announce that LaVena’s death was under investigation in their press release. The Army Criminal Investigation Division later determined that Pfc. Johnson’s cause of death was suicide by self inflicted gunshot wound. The Army tried telling the family that LaVena used her own M-16 to commit the suicide. The family immediately suspected foul play and ordered an independent autopsy for LaVena. LaVena was not depressed and showed no signs of suicidal ideation. As a matter of fact, she was happy and bubbly and looking forward to going home for Christmas. After the family saw LaVena’s body and obtained investigative documents from the Army, they quickly realized that LaVena did not die by suicide, she was raped and murdered.

According to the family, the Army never investigated LaVena’s death as a homicide nor did they do a rape kit test or autopsy. The family gleaned from the paperwork that Army investigators first considered LaVena’s death a homicide and recorded that in their paperwork, but within a short window of opportunity were suddenly ordered to cease their investigation and reclassify her death as a suicide. Ten years later, LaVena’s father, Dr. John Johnson, continues to fight for justice for his daughter. And, although he has had struggles getting media coverage, he has forged out on his own to speak the truth for LaVena. Dr. Johnson is featured in a documentary called The Silent Truth which presents the heartbreaking story of his daughter LaVena. Pfc. LaVena Johnson was betrayed by the very people she depended on for her life, and the military industrial complex who would rather silence the truth then harm their reputation.

Petition: Reopen the investigation of LaVena Johnson’s death

In the News:

Nineteen year-old Army PFC LaVena Johnson, was found dead on a military base in Balad, Iraq in 2005. The U.S. Army ruled Lavena’s death a suicide, but an autopsy report and photographs revealed Johnson had a broken nose, black eye, loose teeth, burns from a corrosive chemical on her genitals, and a gunshot wound that seemed inconsistent with suicide. LaVena’s father, John Johnson, shares his family’s fight to get answers from the military about his daughter’s death. -Protect Our Defenders (July 14, 2012)

Pfc. LaVena Johnson died in Iraq on July 19th, 2005 and her family needs your help. -Unsolved Mysteries (September 26, 2014)

Many have heard about the efforts for justice in the case of Army PFC LaVena Johnson. In 2005 after only 6 weeks of her deployment in Iraq, PFC LaVena Johnson was found dead. The Army says suicide, but after close evaluation and discovering a plethora of discrepancies in the Army’s report, LaVena’s father Dr. John H. Johnson began the fight for justice for his daughter. On this episode of The Rock Newman Show our special guest are LaVena’s father, Dr. John H. Johnson and attorney Donald V. Watkins. We warn our viewers that this episode of The Rock Newman Show goes into deep detail concerning the evidence and death of PFC LaVena Johnson. Dr. John H. Johnson and Donald V. Watkins contend that by no means is this case a suicide, and say they even know the name of the culprit. -The Rock Newman Show (February 11, 2016)

Learn more here: ACT Now! Stand for PFC LaVena Lynn Johnson

Fort Bragg Army Sgt. Ronna Valentine Found Fatally Shot by Army Spouse James Valentine in Murder-Suicide at North Carolina Home (May 21, 2005)

On May 21, 2005August 8, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Stateside Death, SuicideLeave a comment

Army Sgt. Ronna R. Valentine, 28, was found shot to death in her Fayetteville, North Carolina home hours after she returned stateside from Iraq on May 21, 2005. The Fayetteville Police Department said Sgt. Ronna Valentine was shot by her Army spouse, James Valentine, 42, who then turned the gun on himself. Reports indicate police received a call from a man who said he just shot his wife and was about to turn the gun on himself. When officers arrived at the apartment, they found the couple dead inside. Sgt. Ronna Valentine’s home of record was listed as Brandenburg, Kentucky and she was an equipment records and parts specialist for the 327th Signal Battalion of the 35th Signal Brigade at Fort Bragg. Sgt. Ronna Valentine enlisted in the Army in 1997 and deployed to Iraq in November 2004; she was home on leave when the murder-suicide occurred.

September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2004)

On September 30, 2004August 23, 2017 By AdministratorIn Accidents, Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, Non Combat Death, Suicide, USAF, USMCLeave a comment

09/30/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Joshua Titcomb, 20, Iraq, Camp Casey, Korea

09/30/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Tyler Prewitt, 22, Iraq, Vilseck, Germany

09/29/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Gregory Cox, 21, NCD, Iraq, Schweinfurt, Germany

09/29/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Kenneth Sickels, 20, NCD, Iraq, Twentynine Palms, California

09/28/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Joselito Villanueva, 36, Iraq, Schweinfurt, Germany

09/28/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Eric Allton, 34, Iraq, Camp Hovey, Korea

09/27/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Robert Oliver Unruh, 25, Iraq, Camp Howze, Korea

09/27/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Clifford Moxley Jr, 51, NCD, Iraq, Pennsylvania Army National Guard

09/27/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: David Johnson, 37, Iraq, Oregon Army National Guard

09/25/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualties: Aaron Boyles, 24, and Ramon Mateo, 20, Iraq, Twentynine Palms, California

09/25/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Timothy Folmar, 21, Iraq, Camp Pendleton, California

09/25/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Ryan Leduc, 28, NCD, Iraq, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/24/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Skipper Soram, 23, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/24/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Lance Koenig, 33, Iraq, North Dakota Army National Guard

09/23/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Adam Harris, 21, Iraq, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/23/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Nathan Stahl, 20, Iraq, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/23/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Benjamin Smith, 24, Iraq, Twentynine Palms, California

09/23/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Brandon Adams, 22, Iraq, Fort Drum, New York

09/22/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Wesley Wells, 21, Iraq, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

09/22/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Robert Goodwin, 35, and Tony Olaes, 30, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/22/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Foster Harrington, 31, Iraq, Marine Forces Reserve, Alabama

09/22/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Joshua Henry, 21, Iraq, Schweinfurt, Germany

09/22/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Steven Cates, 22, Iraq, Twentynine Palms, California

09/21/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Thomas Rosenbaum, 25, and James Price, 22, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/20/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Gregory Howman, 28, Iraq, Camp Pendleton, California

09/18/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Christopher Ebert, 21, Iraq, Camp Pendleton, California

09/18/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Steven Rintamaki, 21, Iraq, Camp Pendleton, California

09/17/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Andrew Stern, 24, Iraq, Twentynine Palms, California

09/17/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Jaygee Meluat, 24, Iraq, Camp Pendleton, California

09/16/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Drew Uhles, 20, Iraq, Twentynine Palms, California

09/16/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Adrian Soltau, 21, Iraq, Camp Pendleton, California

09/16/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Tyler Brown, 26, Iraq, Camp Hovey, Tongduchon City, Korea

09/15/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: David Weisenburg, 26, and Benjamin Isenberg, 27, Iraq, Oregon Army National Guard

09/15/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Lauro DeLeon Jr, 20, Iraq, Texas Army Reserve

09/15/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Mathew Puckett, 19, Iraq, Camp Pendleton, California

09/15/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Kevin Shea, 38, Iraq, Camp Pendleton, California

09/15/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jacob Demand, 29, Iraq, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

09/15/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Carl Thomas, 29, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/15/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Guy Hagy Jr, 31, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/15/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Dominic Brown, 19, NCD, Iraq, Camp Pendleton, California

09/15/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Michael Halal, 22, NCD, Iraq, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/15/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Edgar Daclan Jr, 24, Iraq, Schweinfurt, Germany

09/14/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Martinez, 29, Iraq, Bamberg, Germany

09/14/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jason Sparks, 19, Iraq, Camp Casey, Korea

09/14/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Cesar Machado-Olmos, 20, NCD, Iraq, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

09/14/2004: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: David Cedergren, 25, NCD, Iraq, 2^nd Marine Division Fleet, Marine Forces Atlantic

09/13/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Jason Poindexter, 20, Iraq, Camp Pendleton, California

09/13/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Alexander Wetherbee, 27, Iraq, Camp Pendleton, California

09/10/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Brandon Read, 21, Iraq, Kentucky Army Reserve

09/10/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Yoe Aneiros, 20, Iraq, Fort Riley, Kansas

09/10/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: James Faulkner, 23, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/10/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Elvis Bourdon, 36, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/10/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Ryan McCauley, 20, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/09/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Chad Drake, 23, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/09/2004: Remains of American MIAs Found in North Korea

09/09/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Timothy Price, 25, Iraq, Hanau, Germany

09/08/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Shawna Morrison, 26, Iraq, Illinois Army National Guard

09/08/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Charles Lamb, 23, Iraq, Illinois Army National Guard

09/08/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Clarence Adams III, 28, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/08/2004: DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty: John Boria, 29, NCD, Qatar, Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota

09/08/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Tomas Garces, 19, Iraq, Texas Army National Guard

09/08/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Devin Grella, 21, Iraq, Ohio Army Reserve

09/08/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualties: Michael Allred, 22, David Burridge, 19, Derek Gardner, 20, Quinn Keith, 21, Joseph McCarthy, 21, Mick Nygardbekowsky, 21, and Lamont Wilson, 20, Iraq, Camp Pendleton, California

09/07/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Gary Vaillant, 41, Iraq, Camp Casey, Korea

09/07/2004: DoD Identifies Navy Casualty: Eric Knott, 21, Iraq, Port Hueneme, California

09/05/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Nicholas Wilt, 23, Iraq, Twentynine Palms, California

09/05/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualty: Ronald Winchester, 25, Iraq, Twentynine Palms, California

09/04/2004: DoD Identifies Marine Casualties: Nicholas Perez, 19, and Alan Rowe, 35, Iraq, Twentynine Palms, California

09/03/2004: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Joseph Thibodeaux, 24, Iraq, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

Fort Hood Army Sgt. William Edwards Killed Estranged Wife Sgt. Erin Edwards at Killeen, Texas Home; Killed Self in Parking Lot Across Street (July 22, 2004)

On July 22, 2004July 22, 2020 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Stateside Death, SuicideLeave a comment

Police found the body of Army Sgt. Erin Edwards, 24, on the front porch of her home in a military community near Fort Hood on July 22, 2004. Erin was shot in the head. A short time later in an apartment complex parking lot across the street, the body of Erin’s estranged husband, Sgt. William Edwards, 24, was found. He suffered what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound and a gun was recovered at the scene. The couple left behind a 4 year old son and 20 month old daughter who were not home at the time of the shootings. Media reports indicate that the couple had a violent domestic history and neighbors shared that the police were constantly at the residence because of domestic problems. Both Erin and William Edwards served with the 4th Infantry Division in Iraq before returning to Fort Hood in early 2004. The Killeen Police Department investigated the shooting deaths of these two Fort Hood, Texas soldiers as a murder-suicide.

MJFA Links:
Violent Crime, Suicide, and Non Combat Death at Fort Hood, Texas
Army Soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas Are Dying at Alarming Rates Stateside (January 1, 2016 to Present)

MJFA on Social:
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Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/@military_crime
Email: militaryjusticeforall@gmail.com

Chicago Tribune Published ‘In War Without Front Lines, Women GIs Caught in Chaos’ (March 11, 2004)

On March 11, 2004March 6, 2019 By AdministratorIn Accidents, Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, Navy, Non Combat Death, Suicide, USAF, USCG, USMCLeave a comment

Xatavia Hughes, an Iraqi war vet is looking for a safer neighborhood for herself and two sons. She is in her current home in the Englewood neighborhood on Nov. 6, 2013. -Chicago Tribune (December 2, 2013)

“One woman saw the military as a stop along the path of higher education. The other saw service as a road out of poverty. They enlisted in what’s typically thought of as a man’s world, and they both died in it. When Pfc. Nichole Frye’s convoy was attacked with a roadside bomb in Baqouba, Iraq, in February, she became the 15th servicewoman to die in the Iraq war, equaling the official number of female soldiers killed in the 1991 Persian Gulf war. When Capt. Gussie Jones, 41, died Sunday of a heart attack in the Baghdad hospital where she served as an Army surgical nurse, that gulf war total was officially surpassed. The conflict in Iraq now has the designation of claiming the lives of more U.S. servicewomen than any hostile theater since World War II, according to Department of Defense statistics. The stories of women like Frye and Jones–what drew them to the military and how they died in that service–reveal much about the role of American military women in Iraq.” -Chicago Tribune (March 11, 2004)

Read more ‘In War Without Front Lines, Women GIs Caught in Chaos’ from the Chicago Tribune here.

September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2003)

On September 30, 2003August 22, 2017 By AdministratorIn Accidents, Armed Forces, Army, In Their Name, Military Policy, Non Combat Death, SuicideLeave a comment

09/30/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Christopher Cutchall, 30, Iraq, Fort Riley, Kansas

09/30/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Evan O’Neill, 19, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

09/29/2003: Vietnam War MIA’s Identified

09/28/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Robert Lucero, 34, Iraq, Wyoming Army National Guard

09/27/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Lisa Andrews, 24, NCD, Overland Park, Kansas (on-leave), Kansas Army Reserve

09/27/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Kyle Thomas, 23, Iraq, Caserma Ederle, Italy

09/26/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Robert Rooney, 43, NCD, Shuabai Port, Kuwait, Massachusetts Army National Guard

09/25/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Michael Andrade, 28, NCD, Iraq, Rhode Island Army National Guard

09/24/2003: Remains of U.S. Servicemen Recovered in North Korea

09/23/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Brian Faunce, 28, NCD, Iraq, Fort Carson, Colorado

09/23/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Lunsford Brown II, 27, Iraq, Patton Barracks, Germany

09/23/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: David Friedrich, 26, Iraq, Connecticut Army Reserve

09/23/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Paul Sturino, 21, Iraq, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

09/22/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Anthony Thompson, 26, Richard Arriaga, 20, and James Wright, 27, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/22/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Frederick Miller Jr, 27, Iraq, Fort Carson, Colorado

09/17/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Craig Ivory, 26, NCD, Kuwait, Vicenza, Italy

09/17/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Alyssa Peterson, 27, NCD, Iraq, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

09/16/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Kevin Kimmerly, 31, Iraq, Baumholder, Germany

09/15/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Kevin Morehead, 33, and William Bennett, 35, Iraq, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

09/15/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Trevor Blumberg, 22, Iraq, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/12/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Henry Ybarra III, 32, NCD, Iraq, Illesheim, Germany

09/11/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Joseph Robsky Jr, 31, NCD, Iraq, Fort Irwin, California

09/11/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Ryan Carlock, 25, Iraq, Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia

09/10/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Jarrett Thompson, 27, NCD, Iraq, Delaware Army Reserve

09/04/2003: DOD Identifies Army Casualty: Cameron Sarno, 43, NCD, Kuwait, Nevada Army Reserve

09/03/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Sean Cataudella, 28, NCD, Iraq, Fort Hood, Texas

09/03/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Charles Caldwell, 38, Iraq, Rhode Island Army National Guard

09/03/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Christopher Sisson, 20, NCD, Iraq, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/03/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualties: Chad Fuller, 24, and Adam Thomas, 21, Afghanistan, Fort Drum, New York

09/02/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Mitchell Lane, 34, NCD, Afghanistan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

09/02/2003: DoD Identifies Army Casualty: Joseph Camara, 40, Iraq, Rhode Island Army National Guard

MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL

Category: Suicide

Under the Sabers: The Unwritten Code of Army Wives by Tanya Biank (February 7, 2006)

Army Reservist Joshua Omvig Died by Suicide; Parents Lobby for Change, Congress Passes Veterans Suicide Prevention Act in His Name (December 22, 2005)

September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2005)

Fort Bragg Army Sgt. Ronna Valentine Found Fatally Shot by Army Spouse James Valentine in Murder-Suicide at North Carolina Home (May 21, 2005)

September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2004)

Fort Hood Army Sgt. William Edwards Killed Estranged Wife Sgt. Erin Edwards at Killeen, Texas Home; Killed Self in Parking Lot Across Street (July 22, 2004)

Chicago Tribune Published ‘In War Without Front Lines, Women GIs Caught in Chaos’ (March 11, 2004)

September: U.S. Department of Defense Casualties Report (2003)

Investigative Dossier

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

Executive Summary

Personal Information

Chronological Timeline

Late 2005

February 15, 2006

Mid-February 2006

February 27–28

March 1, 2006

Spring 2006

2007–2009

Official Army Findings

Cause of Death: Gunshot wound

Manner of Death: Suicide

Sexual Assault Investigation

Behavioral Health

Family Concerns

1. Timing

2. Suicide Determination

3. Firearm Questions

4. Investigation Transparency

5. Sexual Assault Investigation

Evidence Known Publicly

Unanswered Questions

Broader Context

Primary Sources

Recommended Additional Records to Obtain:

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