July 30, 2008

Nicole and I have both written posts about the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of PFC LaVena Johnson, and Democracy Now! had a heartbreaking interview with her family last week. LaVena's family has worked hard to find the truth about her death and have finally had a breakthrough in the case. Unfortunately, the new details they uncovered are so disturbing that they could potentially make the Pat Tillman and Jessica Lynch stories pale in comparison. The above video from Cenk of The Young Turks captures my exact feelings about this horrific case. What you're about to read will sicken and enrage you.

The Army claims the 5’1” African-American soldier from North County died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound with a rifle on July 19, 2005. Her father, John H. Johnson, Ph.D. of Florissant, said color photos and documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act from the military suggest otherwise.

“Our worst fears were substantiated when we started going through information from the Army,” Johnson said.

He said the pictures and documents from the incident proved that his daughter had been brutalized - raped, beaten, shot and set on fire.

"Someone poured lye in her vagina to destroy evidence," her father said. "Her body was dumped in a dirty, filthy contractor's tent. Read on...

This was not a suicide. Contact your representatives in the House and Senate to demand a full scale Congressional investigation begin immediately. This crime and obvious cover up cannot go unpunished.

BREAKING: The House Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs is holding a hearing now on Sexual Assault in the Military. You can watch the live stream here.

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