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267:"The problem is – number one – the way the notification happened. And the lack of information given to that family fast enough," McCollum said. "There was nothing about this case that we could go back to the Army to say you need to re-look at it," she said. "We didn't have anything new. We didn't have anything that suggested wrongdoing."
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on her genitals, and a gunshot wound to her mouth that seemed inconsistent with suicide. Several reporters have suspected that the chemical burns were the result of attempts to destroy DNA evidence of a sexual assault. Additionally, bloody footprints were discovered outside of her living quarters.
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was launched, closing with 37,319 supporters. This was followed by the creation of an official LaVena
Johnson website dedicated to developments in prompting a new Army investigation of her death. The petition closed on May 24, 2008, with nearly 12,000 signatures; preparations are being made for
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of the Cold Case
Investigative Research Institute calls the case "gut-wrenching." McCollum says the institute normally spends one year on a case, but spent three years on the LaVena Johnson case. In a phone interview with St. Louis Public Radio, McCollum said that she faults the Army for poor
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On July 19, 2011, the criminal justice students in the Cold Case
Investigative Research Institute (CCIRI) run as a student club by three universities, selected Johnson's case as their case for investigation. The CCIRI's crime scene reconstruction aimed to help shed light on this case that has
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Johnson's death was officially ruled a suicide by the
Department of Defense. However, her father became suspicious when he saw her body in the funeral home and decided to investigate. Initially the Army refused to release information, but did so under the
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as a leading suspect. Since then, attorney
Watkins has been released himself from federal prison, and is now working with the Johnson family on a new film about LaVena.
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who was found dead in a tent in Iraq. Her death was controversially ruled as a suicide but the evidence of rape and battery led her family to believe the
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said that the committee was looking into
Johnson's death, but they were not yet committing to a formal investigation in June 2008.
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The autopsy report and photographs revealed
Johnson had a broken nose, black eye, loose teeth, burns from a
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attracted worldwide attention. The CCIRI investigation did not agree with nor dispute the Army's findings.
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A documentary film about LaVena
Johnson's family's struggle for justice was made in 2010, directed by
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The daughter of John
Johnson, a service veteran, and Linda Johnson, Johnson was born and grew up in
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596:"10 years later, a soldier's family still grieves and questions the Army's version of her death"
326:"10 years later, a soldier's family still grieves and questions the Army's version of her death"
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delivery to the two committees. In July 2008, the online black activist group
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Johnson enlisted in the Army on
September 15, 2004, after graduating from
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440:"Documents and photos suggest foul play in death of Private Johnson"
413:"LaVena Johnson: Army Still Calls Grisly Rape and Murder 'Suicide'"
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647:
465:"Tracey Barnett: Women GIs in fear of the enemy in their army"
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communication, but she does not disagree with its conclusion.
570:"Students to seek clues into death of Florissant soldier"
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Around 2016, attorney Donald V. Watkins publicly named
123:(July 27, 1985 – July 19, 2005) was a soldier in the
386:"Who killed Private First Class LaVena L. Johnson?"
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722:American military personnel killed in the Iraq War
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359:. Special Broadcasting Service. Archived from
762:African-American United States Army personnel
656:, chicagoreader.com; accessed April 23, 2014.
508:"House panel reviewing death of area soldier"
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752:United States Army personnel of the Iraq War
650:- lavenajohnson.com; accessed July 29, 2021.
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234:launched another online petition calling on
158:. She was deployed to Iraq and stationed in
697:African-American female military personnel
498:by Kate Harding, salon.com. June 27, 2008.
217:news report on Johnson's death, an online
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742:Conspiracy theories in the United States
388:. New Pittsburgh Courier. Archived from
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594:DELACH LEONARD, MARY (19 July 2015).
324:Leonard, Mary Delach (19 July 2015).
7:
621:"Murder of Johnson to become movie"
542:Jamala Rogers (November 18, 2010).
489:The tragic story of LaVena Johnson"
129:United States Department of Defense
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568:Phillip O'Connor (July 8, 2011).
463:Barnett, Tracey (June 25, 2008).
179:raised questions about it at the
717:People from Florissant, Missouri
544:"The truth about LaVena Johnson"
384:Jordan, Sandra (June 17, 2008).
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252:LaVena Johnson: The Silent Truth
767:Sexual violence in the Iraq War
747:United States military scandals
732:Women in the United States Army
411:King, Tim (February 13, 2014).
227:Senate Armed Services Committee
223:House Armed Services Committee
204:House Armed Services Committee
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669:- coverage by Ginny Stein on
351:Stein, Ginny (May 29, 2009).
156:Hazelwood Central High School
757:21st-century American women
712:United States Army soldiers
654:Reference to LaVena Johnson
519:The St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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574:The St Louis Post-Dispatch
213:Following a February 2007
173:Freedom of Information Act
59:Balad, Saladin Governorate
16:United States Army soldier
737:Death conspiracy theories
702:Deaths by firearm in Iraq
240:House Oversight Committee
707:Deaths by person in Iraq
517:by Elizabethe Holland.
113:Army Commendation Medal
109:Army Good Conduct Medal
671:SBS Australia Dateline
648:LaVena Johnson website
632:Donald Watkins Dot Com
600:St. Louis Public Radio
469:The New Zealand Herald
451:The St. Louis American
330:St. Louis Public Radio
181:congressional hearings
177:William Lacy Clay, Jr.
727:Women in the Iraq War
673:, aired May 29, 2009.
548:The St Louis American
175:after Representative
166:Death and controversy
86:Years of service
602:. St. Louis Missouri
357:SBS Datellne Program
141:Florissant, Missouri
42:Florissant, Missouri
630:by Donald Watkins.
392:on October 15, 2008
121:LaVena Lynn Johnson
98:Private first class
665:2009-05-26 at the
634:. August 17, 2023.
626:2023-06-06 at the
513:2008-08-17 at the
494:2009-05-28 at the
449:by Sandra Jordan,
445:2014-05-08 at the
192:corrosive chemical
125:United States Army
80:United States Army
531:ColorOfChange.org
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54:(2005-07-19)
692:1985 births
687:2005 deaths
474:October 14,
300:Pat Tillman
249:and titled
185:Pat Tillman
681:Categories
579:January 4,
367:2009-05-24
311:References
187:'s death.
66:Allegiance
35:1985-07-27
202:from the
200:spokesman
135:Biography
89:2004–2005
663:Archived
624:Archived
511:Archived
492:Archived
443:Archived
278:See also
225:and the
219:petition
74:Service/
396:July 1,
336:23 June
606:29 May
105:Awards
76:branch
61:, Iraq
44:, U.S.
332:. NPR
183:over
160:Balad
147:, an
100:(PFC)
608:2018
581:2014
555:2012
476:2011
424:2015
398:2008
338:2020
215:KMOV
94:Rank
49:Died
29:Born
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