Lavena Johnson

About Lavena Johnson

LaVena Johnson (July 27, 1985 - July 19, 2005) was a Private First Class in the United States Army whose death, officially ruled a suicide, has attracted international attention amid claims she was raped and murdered. She was the first female soldier to die from Missouri.

Johnson was born and grew up in Florissant, Missouri. The 5'1 African American honor student enrolled in the Army immediately after graduating from high school. She was sent to Iraq and stationed in Balad. She had been there for 8 weeks before her death on July 19th, 2005.

Johnson's death was officially ruled a suicide by the army. However, her father became suspicious when he saw her body in the funeral home and decided to investigate. The army initially refused to release information, but did so under the Freedom of Information Act after Representative William Lacy Clay, Jr. raised questions about it at the congressional hearings over Pat Tillman's death.