Family asks Army to reopen pfc. suicide case

[unhappycamper]

John Johnson speaks during a news conference about the circumstances surrounding the death of his daughter, Army Pfc. LaVena Lynn Johnson. Pfc. Johnson was found dead July 19, 2005, in a small contractor's tent in Balad, Iraq. Army investigators and coroners ruled she had shot herself in the mouth with an M-16 rifle.


Family asks Army to reopen pfc. suicide case
By Cheryl Wittenauer - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Jun 3, 2008 20:33:27 EDT

ST. LOUIS — The father of the first female soldier from Missouri to die in Iraq wants Congress to force the Army to reopen its investigation into her death.

John Johnson, father of LaVena Johnson, said Tuesday that he met in April with Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, as well as others.

~snip~

“I could let it go, but then, someone will get away with murder,” John Johnson of Florissant told reporters Tuesday.

Army Pfc. LaVena Johnson was found dead July 19, 2005, in a small contractor’s tent in Balad, Iraq, after only eight weeks in the country. Army investigators and coroners ruled she had shot herself in the mouth with an M-16 rifle.

Johnson contends his daughter was attacked, raped and had her body dumped in the tent, where a fire was started in hopes of destroying her remains.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/06/ap_lavena_johnson_060308/