CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — A U.S. Army soldier was found dead in a home near Fort Campbell, Kentucky and police are seeking help from the public as investigators follow leads.
The funeral for Pfc. Katia Dueñas-Aguilar will take place Friday in Dallas, with soldiers expected to attend from her unit, the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, the Associated Press reported.
Dueñas-Aguilar, 23, was found dead at a residence in Clarkesville, Tennessee on May 18. The Clarksville Police Department said it has ruled her death a homicide.
On Tuesday, the department said it is working with the Army Criminal Investigation Division and is “actively following leads.” However, police have not provided any further details about the case, citing the ongoing investigation as they search for a killer.
Clarksville is about 14 miles southeast of Fort Campbell across the state line.
On Thursday, the 101st Airborne Division said in a statement that it was offering support to Dueñas-Aguilar’s family and urged anyone with information to reach out to police.
“We will continue to prioritize our support and resources to Pfc. Dueñas-Aguilar’s family during this difficult time,” the statement said. “Honoring the fallen is one of our most sacred responsibilities. Those rendering honors and attending the funeral include Pfc. Dueñas Aguilar’s friends, fellow soldiers, and commanders from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, where she served as an information technology specialist.”
Dueñas-Aguilar’s family, who reside in Mesquite, Texas, and The League of United Latin American Citizens have offered a reward of $55,000 total for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case, Stars and Stripes reported.
During the Saturday press conference in Texas when the reward money was announced, Cecilia Ruiz-Aguilar, the soldier’s sister, expressed sorrow.
“We’re not all good. We want to believe that it’s a nightmare, that we can wake up and she will still be there,” she said.
According to the soldier’s family, Dueñas-Aguilar enlisted in the Army in 2018 and has been assigned at Fort Campbell since 2019. She also has a 4-year-old son.
