170. LaVena Lynn Johnson: The Soldier Who Never Came Home

170. LaVena Lynn Johnson: The Soldier Who Never Came Home

Author: Paige Elmore March 11, 2025 Duration: 17:38
Nineteen-year-old PFC LaVena Johnson was found dead on a military base in Iraq, with the Army ruling it a suicide. But the evidence—broken teeth, burns, a dislocated shoulder, and signs of sexual assault—tells a different story. Her father, a psychologist and military veteran, refused to accept the official explanation and uncovered disturbing details suggesting a cover-up. Was LaVena murdered? And if so, why has the truth been buried for nearly two decades? Let’s explore this case, the fight for justice, and the questions that still demand answers.



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Written by: Chelsea Perry
Intro and Outro by: Jahred Gomes


Resources:
Department of Defense. US Army FOIA Request. Requested 15 October, 2021.
Dowler, Lorraine, and Jenna Christian. “Landscapes of Impunity and the Deaths of
Americans LaVena Johnson and Sandra Bland.” 
Gender, Place and Culture: A Journal of Feminist Geography, vol. 26, no. 6, June 2019, pp. 813–29. 
EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1080/0966369X.2018.1553863.
Greenburg, Jennifer, and Mimi Healy. “Deserted: The U.S. Military’s Sexual Assault Crisis as a Cost of War.” 
Costs of War, Brown University, 14 Aug. 2024, watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/papers/2024/sexualassault.
The Silent Truth. Directed by Joan Brooker-Marks, Midtown Films, 2010. 
Fandango, https://athome.fandango.com/content/movies/play/811418/ADVERT_CONTENT?return
Url=%2Fcontent%2Fbrowse%2Fdetails%2FThe-Silent-Truth%2F811418.
Wright, Ann. “Is There an Army Cover Up of Rape and Murder of Women Soldiers?”
Common Dreams, 21 Dec. 2022, www.commondreams.org/views/2008/04/28/there-army-cover-
Rape-and-murder-women-soldiers



Background Music: Documentary by Alexander Nakarada | https://creatorchords.com | Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

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Intro & Outro by Jahred Gomes: https://www.instagram.com/jahredgomes_official 

Hosted by Paige Elmore, Reverie True Crime explores the unsettling space between quiet thought and grim reality. The title itself is a deliberate contrast-a reverie is often a peaceful daydream, but our minds don't always wander to safe places. This podcast delves into those shadowy corners of curiosity about the darkest human acts. Each episode is built on a foundation of thorough research, examining not just the facts of a case but the profound cultural and societal ripples that follow. You’ll hear detailed narratives of long-forgotten mysteries and contemporary injustices, always with an ear for the human stories at their core. Paige guides listeners through these complex tales with a measured and thoughtful approach, focusing on the lasting impacts on victims, families, and communities. The show sits at the intersection of several genres, offering news-worthy updates, cultural analysis, and deep societal reflection, all through the lens of true crime. It’s for anyone who has ever wondered about the how and why behind the headlines, seeking understanding rather than sensationalism. In this podcast, the aim is to satisfy that haunting curiosity with respect and depth, transforming a simple daydream into a meaningful examination of the world's harder truths.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

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