Jacqueline Van Landingham

Jacqueline Elaine Keys Van Landingham (ca 1962 – March 8, 1995) was an African-American intelligence officer employed by the Central Intelligence Agency. In 1995 she was killed in Karachi, Pakistan by gunmen while en route to the local consulate. She became one of the first black women to be killed in action while serving in the United States intelligence services.

Biography

Early life and education Landingham was from Camden, South Carolina. In 1979, she graduated from Camden High School. In 1984, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Virginia State University, where she majored in food marketing and management. After her overseas posting, Landingham returned to the United States where she had her first child. Landingham was seriously injured in the attack and later died at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. She was 33 years old. Later reports speculated that Durell was also an intelligence officer working with the National Security Agency and that he was the primary target of the attack.

Aftermath It was speculated at the time that the deaths were in retaliation of the U.S. capture of Ramzi Yousef a month prior. No terrorist groups claimed responsibility for the attack.

On March 12, 1995, the flag-draped coffins containing Landingham and Durell's bodies arrived at Andrews Air Force Base and was received by an honor guard. It would be more than fifteen years before her CIA affiliation was made public. As of 2025, no one had been publicly convicted of the assassinations.

Legacy

After her death, Landingham was memorialized at CIA headquarters with a star on the Agency's Memorial Wall.

Landingham and Durell are commemorated alongside other fallen State Department employees at the memorial garden on the grounds of the State Department compound in Pakistan.