Unsolved Suspicious Death: LaVena Johnson

Last Seen Alive

Studio 222

Society & Culture, True Crime

4.2 • 773 Ratings

🗓️ 17 July 2023

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When a Missouri honor student decides to follow in her father’s footsteps by joining the Army after highschool, she’s soon deployed to Iraq, where her life ends under unthinkable circumstances. After receiving contradictory information regarding his daughter’s death, her father—a doctor of behavioral psychology—attempts to piece together what really happened in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

If you have any information about the death of LaVena Johnson, please call report your tip to the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division. You can submit a tip online at: https://www.cid.army.mil/Submit-a-Tip/

Also, in light of the subjects we’ve discussed in this episode, there are two resources we want to make sure you’re aware of: The National Sexual Assault Hotline, which can be reached at 1-800-656-4673, and the Suicide and Crisis Hotline, which can be reached by dialing 988. Both of these resources are available 24/7—you’re never alone. So please, if you’re struggling with trauma related to sexual assault, or suicidal thoughts—give them a call.

See photos from this episode and check out the sources we used to research it here:

https://lastseenalivepodcast.com/2023/07/17/unsolved-suspicious-death-lavena-johnson/

Transcript

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0:00.0	When a Missouri honor student decides to follow in her father's footsteps by joining the army after high school,
0:06.6	she's soon deployed to Iraq, where her life ends under unthinkable circumstances.
0:11.7	After receiving contradictory information regarding his daughter's death,
0:15.2	her father, a doctor of behavioral psychology,
0:18.2	attempts to piece together what really happened in this episode of Last
0:22.0	Seen Alive.
0:42.5	Thanks for listening to Last Seen Alive.
0:47.7	I'm your host, Leah, crime analyst by day and true crime storyteller by night.
0:49.8	And as always, I'm your host, Scott.
0:51.4	A quick heads up.
0:55.4	Although, as usual, we won't go into any unnecessary or graphic detail,
1:00.6	this episode does contain mention of an incident of sexual assault that's central to the case,
1:06.2	as well as discussion of suicide. Plus, we'll be discussing bullet wound ballistics and a variety of physical injuries in some detail, as understanding the nature of the wounds is essential to understanding
1:11.6	this tragic case. So please listen with caution. Lavinia Johnson was last seen alive on July 18th, 2005.
1:21.5	This episode will air in July just one day before the 18th anniversary of her death.
1:27.4	Lavinia's case is a controversial one, one that many believe remains unsolved. just one day before the 18th anniversary of her death.
1:29.4	Lavinia's case is a controversial one,
1:31.6	one that many believe remains unsolved,
1:34.5	and one that many believe was poorly investigated.
1:37.4	And given the evidence, it's not hard to see why so many aren't buying the story
1:39.5	the Army delivered to Lovina's family,
1:41.8	along with her remains.
	...

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