The Pentagon has confirmed that it has recovered additional remains of Sgt. La David Johnson, the U.S. soldier killed in Niger during an ambush in October by militants linked to ISIS. The remains (described as bone fragments) were discovered by joint team of investigators from the FBI and the military and required DNA testing to identify, according to a Department of Defense spokesperson.
After learning that more remains were found, Rep. Frederica Wilson, a close family friend of the deceased soldier, expressed her disappointment about about learning details through the press. But she vowed to keep pressing the issue in Congress:
“He left a Gold Star Family, and to learn about his final moments on TV and in the newspaper is a shame for this nation. It is a shame for any Gold Star Family to go through the pain and agony of learning about their son’s last moments on TV. Later, in a statement, Wilson said it “is difficult to find the words to describe how dismaying it was to learn that some of Sgt. La David Johnson’s remains were found in Niger weeks after his funeral. I want the family to know, though, that I will continue to push and push and push for a thorough investigation of both the ambush and La David’s final hours.
The deadly ambush, where Johnson and three other U.S. soldiers lost their lives, has been described as a “massive intelligence failure” and is currently the subject of probes by both the House and Senate Armed Services Committee.
(Via NBC News)