Soldier from Mesquite murdered near Fort campbell in Tennessee
DALLAS - Police in Tennessee are investigating the murder of a Mesquite U.S. Army soldier who was stationed at an army base on the Tennessee and Kentucky border.
Police have released few details about the murder of Private First-Class Katia Duenas-Aguilar after her body was found Saturday in her Clarksville, Tennessee, home.
Clarksville police say they got a call last Saturday around 8:30 p.m. for an ambulance. When they got to the home, they found Aguilar inside. Police ruled her death a homicide but haven’t said how she was killed.
"It doesn’t make sense. That’s why I’m so distraught, and I’m so confused," said Jae Mitchell, Augilar’s best friend. "Because it just doesn't make sense. I really and truthfully thought she was in a safe environment."
After graduating from North Mesquite High School, Aguilar joined the U.S. Army. That’s where she met Mitchell.
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After basic training in 2019, the two were stationed together at Fort Campbell. As the only two females in their IT section, they became attached at the hip until Mitchell received a new post in 2022 that took her to Hawaii.
"I wish I would have had the time to talk to her one last time, to tell her how much she meant to be, to thank her for getting me through the first four years in the army," Mitchell said.
The Mesquite native won several awards during her short time with the army, including a medal for good conduct and the National Defense Service Medal.
Aguilar also leaves behind a 4-year-old son.
"She was just an amazing mother. She loved him so much," Mitchell said.
Clarksville police haven’t said if they have any suspects or if any other soldiers were questioned.
Mitchell doesn’t know who would want to hurt her best friend, a person who she says brightened everyone’s day.
"She was amazing. She’s a wonderful person. She’s the type of person we need more of in this world," she said.
Clarksville police didn’t share any updates on the investigation on Wednesday. In the initial release, it says that detectives are looking for additional video footage from the area where Aguilar was found.