MUS-2026-0521
Archive card
MUS-2026-0521
Suspicious death
- Incident
- 2005
- Indexed
- Oct 28, 2026, by MuseUnsolved
- Agency
- U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command
- Location
- Balad Iraq
Public record. Index entry.
Index entry. Case details compiled from public reporting; our researchers have not verified this file yet.
Summary
What happened, as the record shows.
PFC LaVena Johnson, 19, of Florissant, Missouri, was found dead in a tent in Balad, Iraq, on July 19, 2005, eight weeks after deploying. The Army ruled her death a suicide. Her family disputes that ruling, pointing to injuries documented in the autopsy report and photographs, and has called for the case to be reopened. No one has been arrested.
Timeline
What the record establishes.
- 2004
On September 15, 2004, Johnson enlists in the U.S. Army.
- 2005
On July 19, 2005, she is found dead in Balad, eight days before her 20th birthday.
Key people
The people in the file.
19, U.S. Army private first class from Florissant, Missouri. Found dead in Balad, Iraq, on July 19, 2005.
Contact details change over time; confirm the current assignee before publishing.
Investigating agency
Where tips go.
This case is with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. If you know something, say something to them. For public-record leads for our researchers, use the tip line on any open file.
Coverage
Coverage and further reading.
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