Preview: Growing up, Eric Witte’s father taught him to protect his family. But when his father became increasingly violent, Eric realised that his father was the evil his family needed protection from. -She Made Me Do It, Evil Lives Here (S2, E2)
As a boy, Eric Witte’s father taught him to protect his family. But as his father grows increasingly violent, Eric realizes that he is the evil his family needs protection from. -She Made Me Do It, Evil Lives Here (S2, E2)
Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $3.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict. Download the ID Go app or purchase ID True Crime Files & binge away.
About the Film: When feminist filmmaker Cassie Jaye sets out to document the mysterious and polarizing world of the Men’s Rights Movement, she begins to question her own beliefs. Jaye had only heard about the Men’s Rights Movement as being a misogynist hate-group aiming to turn back the clock on women’s rights, but when she spends a year filming the leaders and followers within the movement, she learns the various ways men are disadvantaged and discriminated against. The Red Pill challenges the audience to pull back the veil, question societal norms, and expose themselves to an alternate perspective on gender equality, power and privilege.
Learn more about Cassie Jaye & The Red Pill Moviehere.
US Army Veteran Tomas Young (photo by Danny Clinch)
“I write this letter on behalf of those veterans whose trauma and self-revulsion for what they have witnessed, endured and done in Iraq have led to suicide and on behalf of the active-duty soldiers and Marines who commit, on average, a suicide a day. I write this letter on behalf of the some 1 million Iraqi dead and on behalf of the countless Iraqi wounded. I write this letter on behalf of us all — the human detritus your war has left behind, those who will spend their lives in unending pain and grief.” -Tomas Young, Disabled Army Veteran
Read the rest of The Last Letter to Bush and Cheney here.
Tomas Young, who joined the Army in the days after 9/11, was deployed to Iraq where he was shot and paralyzed just five days into his tour of duty. He spent ten years battling his injuries and speaking out against war and injustice before his death on the eve of Veterans’ Day, 2014. “Tomas told me that one of the reasons he joined the Army was to obtain GI Bill funding so he could go to college,” said [Mark] Wilkerson (author of Tomas Young’s War). “He wanted to study creative writing or journalism. After his passing, we felt a scholarship would be a perfect way to honor his legacy.” –Pearl Jam
Body of War, a film by Ellen Spiro and Phil Donahue. It is an intimate and transformational feature documentary about the true face of war today. -The Real News
The United States military is arguably the most powerful force in the world. But according to the FBI 15,000 men and women in uniform have ties to notorious American gangs such as MS-13, the Crips, the Bloods, and the Gangster Disciples — that’s a population that’s bigger than that of any military installation. -Part 1, RT America (December 23, 2010)
Gangs in the Military: Armed & Dangerous Forces -Part 2, RT America (December 23, 2010)
Sworn to protect us from every enemy, foreign and domestic, and every day the majority of soldiers do just that ! yet some units are being compromised and turn into street gangs. An FBI report recently showed an increased gang activity within US soldiers. -Gangs in the U.S. Army Documentary
Body of War, a film by Ellen Spiro and Phil Donahue. It is an intimate and transformational feature documentary about the true face of war today. -The Real News
Overview: “Tomas Young is another casualty of the war in Iraq. After less than a week on duty, a bullet wound to the back left him paralyzed. This emotional documentary follows the veteran as he returns home and undergoes a transformation, becoming one of the many voices protesting the war. Directed by Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro, BODY OF WAR features two original songs performed by Eddie Vedder.” –Booksamillion.com
We are not exactly sure when Army Pfc. LaVena Johnson’s CID Report was dumped on-line by the government but it appears to have shown up after the death of Vanessa Guillen. (Source: US Army CID)
Dr. John Johnson clarified in an interview on the Donny Walker Morning Show that wound statin was found on LaVena’s genitals. Listen to the full interview here.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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)
When some brides vowed to love and honor their husbands, they lied. These Deadly Women made a mockery of marital commitment. They only promised “To Have and To Kill”. -To Have and To Kill, Deadly Women (S8, E14)
Tyshee Prokop and her childhood friends from Killeen, Texas murdered Gary Prokop, an Army soldier stationed at Fort Hood in 1998. Tyshee married Gary shortly after meeting him and they had a child together. But Tyshee wasn’t ready for family life. About a year and a half after they were married, they filed for divorce. Gary was going to get out of the Army and move back home. Tyshee conspired with her friends to have Gary murdered before he got out of the Army so she could collect medical benefits and the $100,000 dollar life insurance policy. He was murdered on June 25th with a single gunshot wound to the head while he was sleeping. One of the co-conspirators, Rodney Barfield, felt remorse about his involvement with the crime. He confessed his full involvement in the murder and detailed everyone’s roles. In 2002, Tyshee Prokop and her friends were arrested and charged with the murder of Gary Prokop. They were sentenced as follows:
Tyshee Manik Prokop – pled guilty, sentenced to life in prison
Charles Edward Turnbull III – convicted, sentenced to life in prison
Rodney Barfield – pled guilty, sentenced to 25 years
Reuben James Salgado – pled guilty (tampering with evidence charge)
Jacob Luther Harris – pled guilty (to a conspiracy charge)
Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $3.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict. Download the ID Go app or purchase ID True Crime Files & binge away.
Judy Buenoano was executed by the State of Florida on March 30, 1998.
Air Force Sergeant James Goodyear, 37, died on September 16, 1971 in Orlando, Florida. Sergeant Goodyear died just three months after completing a year long tour of duty in Vietnam. He left behind his wife Judy Buenoano Goodyear and her son Michael Buenoano. Judy received $28,000 in military life insurance benefits and military death benefits to help support the family. When her son Michael turned eighteen, he joined the US Army. On his way to his post in Georgia, he stopped in to visit his mother Judy, she fed him, and afterwards he became ill. The illness led to a crippling condition that left him paralyzed in his lower extremities and he was subsequently discharged from the Army as a Private. Michael was disabled and Judy was taking care of him. On May 13, 1980 Judy took Michael for a canoe ride. Judy reported to local authorities that her canoe capsized and her son Michael had drowned. She collected $125,000 in military life insurance benefits for her son’s death.
In June 1983, Judy was suspected in the car bombing of her fiancé John Gentry of Pensacola, Florida. She stood to gain $500,000 in life insurance money for this death. Judy Buenoano was first convicted of the attempted murder of John Gentry. As a result of her involvement in the attempted murder of John, investigators looked into the ‘accidental deaths’ of her husband James Goodyear and her son Michael. They exhumed John’s body a decade later and an autopsy revealed he had been poisoned with arsenic. Testimony revealed long-term arsenic poisoning had actually caused her son Michael’s disability. And when Judy drowned him, he was wearing an extra 15 pounds of weighted braces. Judy reportedly admitted to being involved in the 1978 death of her boyfriend Bobby Joe Morris as well. She received $50,000 in life insurance benefits for his death. Judy Buenoano was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to death. She was executed by the electric chair in Florida on March 30, 1998. Judy Buenoano was motivated by money, profit, and greed.
MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL 