Two individuals have been indicted in relation to the murder of Army Private First Class Katia Duenas Aguilar, who was found dead in her Tennessee home, according to law enforcement authorities. Duenas Aguilar, stationed at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, was discovered in her Clarksville residence on Tiny Town Road on May 18.
The Clarksville Police Department announced that a Montgomery County Grand Jury had indicted Reynaldo Salinas Cruz, the 40-year-old husband of Duenas Aguilar, and Sofia Rodas, 35, on charges related to the murder. Rodas is charged with first-degree murder, while both she and Cruz are accused of tampering with evidence. The motive behind the brutal killing remains undisclosed by the authorities.
A post-mortem examination revealed that Duenas Aguilar had been stabbed 68 times, predominantly in the neck area. The report, as shared by Nashville ABC affiliate WKRN, also indicated that she had a blood-alcohol level of 0.161 and traces of GHB, a substance often linked to date rape, in her system. The cause of death was officially ruled as homicide.
The case was presented to the December session of the Montgomery County grand jury. At the time of the indictment, both Cruz and Rodas were already in federal custody on unrelated charges. Military news outlet Task & Purpose reported that these charges are linked to marriage fraud.
Duenas Aguilar, a mother to a 4-year-old son, was originally from Mesquite, Texas. She was a member of the 101st Airborne Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade and had joined the Army in 2018. Her father, Carmen Aguilar, expressed his grief and desire for justice for his daughter to local NBC affiliate WSMV. He shared that his grandson misses his mother and is slowly realizing that she will not return.
Cecilia, Duenas Aguilar’s sister, described her as a bright and warm presence and expressed her struggle with the loss. Both Rodas and Cruz are currently held at the Montgomery County Jail.