Last night’s KMOV-TV story (including video) on the case of Pfc. LaVena Johnson – an account of her body’s exhumation and autopsy – provided little progress in the attempt to clarify the cause of her death in Iraq in 2005. The autopsy team, which included St. Louis chief medical examiner Dr. Michael Graham and St. Louis County medical examiner Dr. Mary Case, reported inconclusive findings after a three-hour examination. The process will now move to include the weapon – an M-16 rifle – which may have fatally wounded LaVena. More findings will be posted as they are made available.
The KMOV report was made notable by the inclusion of a comment by Senator Claire McCaskill:
We’ve gotta find the truth about what happened to this young lady. Her family deserves that at a minimum, and we need to know in terms of keeping the armed services accountable.
McCaskill’s comment marks the first time that the freshman senator from Missouri, and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has spoken publicly on the LaVena Johnson story.
As the autopsy process moves forward, it is more important than ever that citizens continue to encourage Congress to bring its official attention to Lavena’s story, and to compel the Army to revisit the investigation of her death. You can help by signing the petition to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, then directly contacting your legislator on those committees.
I sent an email to the Oversight Committee to investigate LeVena Johnson’s death.
You should tell everyone else how to go about doing that too. I just saw this on DemocracyNow and I’m disgusted. So pls post how to do that and maybe I can help too.
Thanks,
Brad K
Brad, please consider signing the ChangeofColor petition to the chair of the Oversight Committee.
This is so typical of the Armed Forces. There is a Thin Green Line as evidenced by Abu Ghraib, Pat Tillman and any number of cases. The worse thing about it, is that the number of cases of violence against females over there is atrocious. Message to the Armed Forces: There is NO GREATER GOOD THAN DOING THE RIGHT THING! Stop protecting the so called critical personnel involved in these incidences. This young patriot and her family deserve your best efforts to make things right. Your conduct and actions in this case do you no good for attracting the quality and character of future members of the Armed Forces. You must reveal all parties involved in this cover-up and try them for the criminals that they are. Their very actions goes against ALL that you should stand for – the basic beliefs of freedom, justice and standing tall for what is right. How can the US possibly be an example to the world when we commit these atrocities against our own? Shame on you!!!
I just heard about this on the Joe Madison show and my mouth just dropped to hear the way this family has been treated by the US Army. I also served in the Army and I can truly believe there is something was purposely done to bumble this investigation.
God be with your family and I pray the person(s) responsible for the crime AND cover up are brought to justice.