Tragedy Strikes Again: Latina Soldier Found Dead in Tennessee
Four years after the murder of Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen at Fort Hood, another Latina soldier has turned up dead.
Pvt. Katia Dueñas-Aguilar, 23, was found dead in her off-base residence in the 900 block of Tiny Town Road in Clarksville, Tenn., on May 18.
According to the Clarksville Police Department, they are investigating the case as a homicide.
Another Latina life cut short
Katia Dueñas-Aguilar was an information technology specialist. A native of Mesquite, Texas, Dueñas-Aguilar was stationed at Fort Campbell since 2019. She was the mother of a 4-year-old son, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) explained.
The soldier’s family, who spoke to the media last weekend, claimed that Dueñas-Aguilar had recently told them she planned to leave the Army.
“She would already tell me that she’s not happy over there. And I wanted her to come back so we could make more memories,” said Cecilia Ruiz-Aguilar, Dueñas-Aguilar’s sister.
But on May 18, Clarksville police found the Latina soldier dead inside her apartment in Clarksville, Tenn. Police ruled her death a homicide.
The Latina soldier’s family is desperately seeking answers
“We want to know what happened and who did it. We want to make sure that person or persons are brought to justice,” her family said.
The Latina soldier’s mother told a news conference Saturday that she is adding $30,000 to the $25,000 reward offered by LULAC for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for her daughter’s death.
Speaking through translators, the woman said that Dueñas-Aguilar did not plan to reenlist. However, earlier this month, after meeting with an advisor, the Latina soldier suddenly changed her mind.
‘We must bring justice,’ Domingo Garcia, president of the organization, stated in a press release
He added the mother has the “unequivocal support” of the organization. “LULAC urges anyone with information to come forward and talk to law enforcement to help identify, arrest, and convict the person responsible.”
“Since the murder of Guillen, a U.S. Army specialist, LULAC has been working with the military and the Pentagon to pass and enforce legislation to protect Latino service members and others from military sexual trauma,” Garcia said in the statement. “While we do not yet know the circumstances surrounding Katia’s death, we call for a thorough and transparent investigation to bring all the facts about her murder to light. Only then can the trust of our communities be fully restored for our families to support sending their sons and daughters and loved ones to our armed forces.”
Anyone with information about the Dueñas-Aguilar case can contact Clarksville police at 931-648-0656.
