The unsettling demise of 23-year-old Private First Class Katia Dueñas Aguilar, a soldier posted at Fort Campbell, has spurred calls for justice within the community. Aguilar, a young mother, was found deceased in her home, bearing almost 70 stab wounds, a finding that has accentuated the need for immediate answers.
Aguilar’s dead body was found on May 18, 2024, at her home located on Tiny Town Road, Clarksville, Tennessee, near the border of Tennessee and Kentucky. The autopsy report published in early July 2024 by the Montgomery County Medical Examiner’s Office disclosed that she had sustained 68 stab wounds on her neck and upper body. The death was ruled as a homicide caused by sharp force injuries to the neck. Toxicology reports indicated a 0.161 alcohol level and traces of GBH, a common date rape drug, in her system.
The horrifying circumstances surrounding Aguilar’s death have spurred action from both local and federal law enforcement agencies. The Clarksville Police Department is working in tandem with military criminal investigators on the case, but no arrests have been made to date. The stalled progress of the investigation has been especially difficult for Aguilar’s loved ones.
During a press conference in Texas, the victim’s mother, Carmen Aguilar, expressed her grief and disbelief, stating, “She was always happy. That’s why I don’t understand. What happened?”
Aguilar, a Mesquite, Texas native, enlisted in the army in 2018 and was posted at Fort Campbell a year later. She was an Information Technology Specialist and a member of the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division.
During her military service, Aguilar earned several recognitions, including two Army Achievement Medals, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon.
With a four-year-old son left behind, Aguilar’s untimely death has deeply affected not just her immediate family, but also her fellow soldiers and the wider military community.
Aguilar was buried in her hometown of Mesquite on May 31, 2024. Her funeral, held at a cemetery near Dallas, was attended by friends, fellow soldiers, and commanders from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade. The ceremony included military honors such as a three-gun salute and a U.S. flag draped over her casket carried by seven military members. A female mariachi singer performed “Amor Eterno,” a ballad expressing love and sorrow, during the service. Those in attendance were given small cards featuring a Spanish prayer, an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on one side, and a photo of Aguilar in her military uniform on the other.
Despite Aguilar’s life being tragically cut short, her family continues to seek justice and closure, hoping that someone with information leading to an arrest will come forward. The unsolved murder case continues to cast a pall over the community.
The family, together with The League of United Latin American Citizens, has put up a reward of $55,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction. This reward underscores the urgency and determination to find Aguilar’s murderer. The public has been urged to provide any information or video footage that could assist in the investigation.
