The autopsy of a 101st Airborne Division soldier found murdered in her home revealed that she was stabbed 68 times, a local newspaper reported.
Pfc. Katia Dueñas Aguilar, 23, was found in her Clarksville, Tennessee, home outside of Fort Campbell, Kentucky on May 18. Her family announced a $55,000 reward for information on the case.
The Army had not officially confirmed that Aguilar was murdered prior to the autopsy release and as of Friday Army investigators did not have new information on the case. Clarksville Police Department declined to comment on an ongoing investigation.
The autopsy showed that Dueñas Aguilar had at least 55 stab wounds and 13 incised wounds, predominately on her neck. The Montgomery county medical examiner ruled the cause of death homicide, according to the autopsy, first reported by the Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle, a local outlet that was able to obtain an official copy.
The autopsy also found that Duenas Aguilar had gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, or GHB, in her system and a blood alcohol content of 0.161.
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, GHB is the trade name of a prescription medication used to treat daytime sleepiness and muscle weakness with narcolepsy. However, the drug has been misused because of its “euphoric and calming effects” and even by some for weight loss and muscle building. GHB was popular during the 90’s rave scene and gained notoriety as a date rape drug.
“GHB and its analogues are also misused for their ability to increase libido, suggestibility, passivity, and to cause amnesia (no memory of events while under the influence of the substance) — traits that make victims vulnerable to sexual assault and other criminal acts,” according to the DEA.
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Originally from Mesquite, Texas, Dueñas Aguilar was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade and enlisted into the Army in 2018 as an information technology specialist.
Duenas-Aguilar’s mother, Carmen Aguilar, committed $30,000 to the reward along with League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, in Dallas adding $25,000, according to a press release from the organization.
In a press conference held with LULAC, Carmen Aguilar — speaking in Spanish — told reporters that she believes her daughter’s killer was a member of the military. She also compared Duenas-Aguilar’s death to the 2020 murder of Vanessa Guillen by a fellow soldier at Ft. Cavazos. LULAC played a key role in highlighting the Guillen family’s story to the public after her death.
“She’s not the first one. The problem is inside. It’s inside. Not outside. Everything is inside. They know and you know too,” Carmen Aguilar said.
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