Court May Reinstate Camp Pendleton Marine’s Murder Conviction In Hamdania Case
KPBS News
By Beth Ford Roth
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Prosecutors have asked the military court that threw out the murder conviction of Camp Pendleton Marine Lawrence Hutchins III to reconsider reinstating it, according to the Associated Press.
A military court in 2007 convicted Hutchins of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, making a false official statement, and larceny. Hutchins led an eight-man squad that kidnapped and killed unarmed Iraqi civilian Hashim Ibrahim Awad in Hamdania in 2006.
But last month, as Home Post reported, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces overturned Hutchins' conviction. The court agreed with Hutchins' assertion that his constitutional rights were violated when he was withheld access to his attorney during his interrogation.
read more here
Showing posts with label murder trial. Show all posts
Showing posts with label murder trial. Show all posts
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Hasan says uniform "represents an enemy"
The trial was held up because this man said he had to wear a beard for religious reasons, but never seemed to explain why it didn't matter when he wore his uniform and treated soldiers as a "mental health" professional. He didn't explain why he should keep getting paid for wearing the uniform, even though he still is, while he claims it represents the enemy.
Would be doing the right thing if the military gave him what he wanted and stopped paying him and took away the uniform he disgraced when he pulled his gun and shot soldiers!
Would be doing the right thing if the military gave him what he wanted and stopped paying him and took away the uniform he disgraced when he pulled his gun and shot soldiers!
Fort Hood suspect makes appearance prior to jury selection
KENS News
by Jim Douglas and Angela K. Brown
Posted on July 9, 2013
UPDATE 1:35 p.m.: Army psychiatrist Major Nidal Hasan appeared heavily-bearded in a Fort Hood courtroom Tuesday morning a few hours before jury selection gets underway.
Judge Colonel Tara Osborn did not rule on whether he will be able to keep the beard during trial.
Hasan also objected to wearing an Army combat uniform. He told the judge it “represents an enemy of Islam.”
The prosecutor told the judge Hasan will be required to wear the uniform.
The judge also denied Hasan’s motion to use a “defense of others” defense for the massacre at Fort Hood in 2009.
Hasan wanted to claim he was acting to protect Taliban in Afghanistan from U.S. soldiers about to deploy.
read more here
Monday, July 8, 2013
Fort Hood Hasan trial has already cost Army $4 million
Hasan trial has already cost Army $4 million
FME NEWS SERVICE
BY PHILIP JANKOWSKI
July 8, 2013
FORT HOOD — An examination of the extended delays leading up to Maj. Nidal Hasan’s court-martial shows that the Army has spent roughly $4 million on personnel and other expenditures.
Included in that is the $291,000 in salary paid to Hasan while he has remained in custody since the Nov. 5, 2009, shooting.
Army officials refused to comment in any fashion about the costs arising from the trial. However, they said the money had already been budgeted; it would have been spent elsewhere if not on Hasan’s trial, according to Fort Hood public affairs.
The largest amount of money arises from the six officers detailed to the case. They rank from major to colonel and some have more than 20 years in the Army.
Basing salary information off military pay charts, the Army has paid $2.1 million in the 44 months the legal team has been dedicated solely to Hasan’s case.
read more here
FME NEWS SERVICE
BY PHILIP JANKOWSKI
July 8, 2013
FORT HOOD — An examination of the extended delays leading up to Maj. Nidal Hasan’s court-martial shows that the Army has spent roughly $4 million on personnel and other expenditures.
Included in that is the $291,000 in salary paid to Hasan while he has remained in custody since the Nov. 5, 2009, shooting.
Army officials refused to comment in any fashion about the costs arising from the trial. However, they said the money had already been budgeted; it would have been spent elsewhere if not on Hasan’s trial, according to Fort Hood public affairs.
The largest amount of money arises from the six officers detailed to the case. They rank from major to colonel and some have more than 20 years in the Army.
Basing salary information off military pay charts, the Army has paid $2.1 million in the 44 months the legal team has been dedicated solely to Hasan’s case.
read more here
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Accused murder sent text about insurance money after pregnant wife killed
Investigator: Soldier's wife choked or smothered
By RUSS BYNUM
Associated Press
July 1, 2013
FORT STEWART, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia-based soldier sent an old girlfriend a text message saying "we'll have plenty of money" a few hours before his pregnant wife died, allowing him to collect more than $500,000 in life insurance and benefit payments from the Army, a military investigator testified Monday.
Pvt. Isaac Aguigui, 22, has been charged by the Army with murdering his wife, Sgt. Deirdre Aguigui, and with causing the death of their unborn child in July 2011.
read more here
By RUSS BYNUM
Associated Press
July 1, 2013
FORT STEWART, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia-based soldier sent an old girlfriend a text message saying "we'll have plenty of money" a few hours before his pregnant wife died, allowing him to collect more than $500,000 in life insurance and benefit payments from the Army, a military investigator testified Monday.
Pvt. Isaac Aguigui, 22, has been charged by the Army with murdering his wife, Sgt. Deirdre Aguigui, and with causing the death of their unborn child in July 2011.
read more here
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Dying pregnant soldier’s cries for baby allowed in Fort Hood massacre trial
Hood shooting trial judge: Testimony about dying pregnant soldier
Jun. 27, 2013
The Associated Press
FORT HOOD, TEXAS — A military judge says witness testimony about a dying pregnant soldier’s cries of “My baby! My baby!” will be allowed during the murder trial of the Army psychiatrist charged in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting rampage.
Col. Tara Osborn ruled on motions Thursday in Maj. Nidal Hasan’s case. He faces execution or life without parole if convicted of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder.
read more here
Jun. 27, 2013
The Associated Press
FORT HOOD, TEXAS — A military judge says witness testimony about a dying pregnant soldier’s cries of “My baby! My baby!” will be allowed during the murder trial of the Army psychiatrist charged in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting rampage.
Col. Tara Osborn ruled on motions Thursday in Maj. Nidal Hasan’s case. He faces execution or life without parole if convicted of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder.
read more here
Marine's conviction overturned in killing of Iraqi father of 11
Marine's conviction overturned in killing of Iraqi father of 11
By Alex Dobuzinskis
Reuters
June 27, 2013
LOS ANGELES - The highest military appeals court on Wednesday overturned the murder conviction of a Marine sergeant found guilty in 2007 of leading a squad in Iraq that was accused of killing a civilian they had captured, bound and gagged.
Three judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces found Sergeant Lawrence Hutchins gave a statement to a U.S. Navy investigator while in custody that should have been ruled inadmissible and tainted his court-martial.
The case stems from the 2006 death in Hamdania, Iraq, of Hashim Ibrahim Awad, 52, a father of 11 and grandfather of four.
In 2007, a court-martial at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base north of San Diego sentenced Hutchins to 15 years in military prison after finding him guilty of unpremeditated murder, larceny and other crimes.
read more here
By Alex Dobuzinskis
Reuters
June 27, 2013
LOS ANGELES - The highest military appeals court on Wednesday overturned the murder conviction of a Marine sergeant found guilty in 2007 of leading a squad in Iraq that was accused of killing a civilian they had captured, bound and gagged.
Three judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces found Sergeant Lawrence Hutchins gave a statement to a U.S. Navy investigator while in custody that should have been ruled inadmissible and tainted his court-martial.
The case stems from the 2006 death in Hamdania, Iraq, of Hashim Ibrahim Awad, 52, a father of 11 and grandfather of four.
In 2007, a court-martial at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base north of San Diego sentenced Hutchins to 15 years in military prison after finding him guilty of unpremeditated murder, larceny and other crimes.
read more here
Friday, June 14, 2013
Vietnam Veteran came up with plan to honor Fort Hood victims
Donations are needed to complete the Fort Hood shooting memorial
ABC News 25
By Markeya Thomas
Posted: Jun 13, 2013
The Killeen Civic and Conference Center and Killeen Volunteers have teamed up to build a memorial for the victims of the 2009 Fort Hood Shooting.
The memorial will be build adjacent to the Killeen Civic and Conference center and will feature 13 bronzes that represent something that was special to the fallen victims.
read more here
ABC News 25
By Markeya Thomas
Posted: Jun 13, 2013
The Killeen Civic and Conference Center and Killeen Volunteers have teamed up to build a memorial for the victims of the 2009 Fort Hood Shooting.
The memorial will be build adjacent to the Killeen Civic and Conference center and will feature 13 bronzes that represent something that was special to the fallen victims.
read more here
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
PTSD on Trial: Witnesses call Sutton kind man before war
Witnesses call Sutton kind man before war
Prosecutors, however, point to recent arrests
The Facts
By ADRIANA ACOSTA
Posted: Tuesday, June 11, 2013
ANGLETON — A forensic psychologist who evaluated him after he killed his father determined Clinton Sutton Jr. suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, but prosecutors argued Sutton had attempted to get doctors to make that diagnosis before.
Sutton, convicted last week of murder in the death of his father, Clinton Sutton Sr., had served eight months on patrol in Afghanistan.
read more here
Prosecutors, however, point to recent arrests
The Facts
By ADRIANA ACOSTA
Posted: Tuesday, June 11, 2013
ANGLETON — A forensic psychologist who evaluated him after he killed his father determined Clinton Sutton Jr. suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, but prosecutors argued Sutton had attempted to get doctors to make that diagnosis before.
Sutton, convicted last week of murder in the death of his father, Clinton Sutton Sr., had served eight months on patrol in Afghanistan.
read more here
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Juries find 3 Calif. ex-Marines guilty in killings
Juries find 3 Calif. ex-Marines guilty in killings
San Francisco Chronicle
June 5, 2013
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — Riverside County jurors on Wednesday convicted three former Camp Pendleton Marines of murdering a fellow serviceman and his wife in execution-style killings, making all three eligible for the death penalty.
Kevin Cox, 25, was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder in the 2008 deaths of Sgt. Jan Pietrzak and his wife, Quiana Jenkins-Pietrzak, in their Winchester home, the Riverside County district attorney's office said in a statement.
A separate jury returned guilty verdicts on the same counts for two other ex-Marines, Emrys John, 23, and Tyrone Miller, 25.
Prosecutor Daniel DeLimon said the three led double lives as "Marines by day, criminals by night."
read more here
San Francisco Chronicle
June 5, 2013
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — Riverside County jurors on Wednesday convicted three former Camp Pendleton Marines of murdering a fellow serviceman and his wife in execution-style killings, making all three eligible for the death penalty.
Kevin Cox, 25, was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder in the 2008 deaths of Sgt. Jan Pietrzak and his wife, Quiana Jenkins-Pietrzak, in their Winchester home, the Riverside County district attorney's office said in a statement.
A separate jury returned guilty verdicts on the same counts for two other ex-Marines, Emrys John, 23, and Tyrone Miller, 25.
Prosecutor Daniel DeLimon said the three led double lives as "Marines by day, criminals by night."
read more here
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
After four tours, PTSD and TBI Staff Sgt. Bales to plead guilty
UPDATE
US soldier pleads guilty in Afghan massacre
After four tours, PTSD and TBI Staff Sgt. Bales to plead guilty
by Kathie Costos
Wounded Times Blog
June 5, 2013
Who is really guilty here? What is the military doing? Are they trying to say that Staff Sgt. Bales is the only one responsible for the deaths of the Afghan civilians? What about sending Bales back into combat for the fourth time with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury? What about the medication he must have been on? Any clue on any of these questions?
If you believe this is cut and dry, you are not paying attention to what else has been going on and what kind of ramification this case has.
This is a high profile murder trial because of the horrific nature of the crime Bales is planning to plead guilty of committing. The problem is, Bales had PTSD and TBI along with being redeployed instead of treated properly. We have heard the claims the military has made about treating the soldiers for these injuries and how they have "trained" them to be "resilient" and prevent PTSD. As those claims have been made over and over again, we have also seen the rise in suicides tied to military service, the flood of veterans filing claims with the VA and showing up in more and more veterans courts across the country.
Adverse effects of sleep medications causing emergency situations but the DOD has been using them on soldiers in Afghanistan just as they did in Iraq. There are warnings for these drugs for the civilian population but it appears the military does not think these soldiers are as human as the rest of us. They simply ignored the warnings.
Everything indicates what the military has been doing has failed. As with the case of Sgt. John Russell and his guilty plea for killing five service members at Camp Liberty Stress Clinic in Baghdad Iraq.
Russell had sought help for PTSD. "As part of last month's plea agreement, Russell described to the court how he killed Navy Cmdr. Charles Springle, Army Maj. Matthew Houseal, Sgt. Christian Bueno-Galdos, Spec. Jacob Barton and Pfc. Michael Yates Jr." What this guilty plea did was remove accountability from the military itself.
Two high profile murder cases, two guilty pleas and no one taking any responsibility for either of these cases no matter what led to them happening in the first place. Soldiers do not turn into murderers for no reason at all. Both of these soldiers sought help for what combat was doing to them.
Afghanistan veteran accused of stabbing policeman to remain in custody. Another case from Texas, "Sgt. Paul Sasse arrived at Fort Carson in February in a uniform glistening with decorations from three combat tours: five medals for heroism, four for excellence, three for good conduct and one for nearly getting killed in Iraq. The 32-year-old Special Forces soldier also wore shackles. He was facing court-martial for assaulting his wife and two military police officers. Sasse had been sitting in solitary confinement at the El Paso County jail for months without military charge and had been brought to the Colorado Springs Army post to be arraigned. "I just need someone to help me," he said, reaching with bound hands to show a Gazette reporter his medical files." Another case of a Veteran with PTSD sent to VA after police standoff.
There are so many cases that are not high profile but happen all over the country. No one is held accountable except for the soldier accused of committing the crimes.
When Vietnam veterans came home the only time people read about them was when one of them ended up arrested for something and the headline made sure to mention it was a Vietnam Veteran involved. The only impression of veterans people had came from those headlines. They were put on trial, convicted and sent to jail with the same thing this generation of veterans are treated for under the supervision of a judge after appearing in Veterans Court.
What is the responsibility of the military? Veterans should be treated fairly in court but they should be treated properly before it gets to the point where they are charged with committing crimes. Can all crimes be prevented? No and we see that when hearings in Congress continue without much change to prevent sexual assaults in the military. The issue is the military does a great job talking about how they have changed but when they do not accept responsibility, the public will just blame the veterans instead of the system that let them down. Who is in charge and being held accountable for what is going on?
US soldier pleads guilty in Afghan massacre
After four tours, PTSD and TBI Staff Sgt. Bales to plead guilty
by Kathie Costos
Wounded Times Blog
June 5, 2013
Who is really guilty here? What is the military doing? Are they trying to say that Staff Sgt. Bales is the only one responsible for the deaths of the Afghan civilians? What about sending Bales back into combat for the fourth time with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury? What about the medication he must have been on? Any clue on any of these questions?
If you believe this is cut and dry, you are not paying attention to what else has been going on and what kind of ramification this case has.
"Defense attorneys have argued that Bales, the father of two from Lake Tapps, Washington, was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and a brain injury even before his deployment to Afghanistan."
U.S. soldier expected to plead guilty to killing Afghans in cold blood
By Eric M. Johnson
SEATTLE
Jun 5, 2013
(Reuters) - A U.S. Army sergeant charged with killing 16 Afghan civilians in cold blood was due in court on Wednesday for a court-martial proceeding in which he is expected to plead guilty under a deal with military prosecutors to avoid the death penalty.
Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, a decorated veteran of four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, is accused of roaming off his Army post in the Afghan province of Kandahar last March and gunning down unarmed villagers, mostly women and children, in attacks on their family compounds.
The shootings marked the worst case of civilian slaughter blamed on a rogue U.S. soldier since the Vietnam War and further eroded strained U.S.-Afghan relations after more than a decade of conflict in that country.
Defense lawyer Emma Scanlan told Reuters last week that Bales had agreed to plead guilty during the hearing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state to 16 counts of premeditated murder, as well as to charges of attempted murder and assault.
read more here
This is a high profile murder trial because of the horrific nature of the crime Bales is planning to plead guilty of committing. The problem is, Bales had PTSD and TBI along with being redeployed instead of treated properly. We have heard the claims the military has made about treating the soldiers for these injuries and how they have "trained" them to be "resilient" and prevent PTSD. As those claims have been made over and over again, we have also seen the rise in suicides tied to military service, the flood of veterans filing claims with the VA and showing up in more and more veterans courts across the country.
Adverse effects of sleep medications causing emergency situations but the DOD has been using them on soldiers in Afghanistan just as they did in Iraq. There are warnings for these drugs for the civilian population but it appears the military does not think these soldiers are as human as the rest of us. They simply ignored the warnings.
Everything indicates what the military has been doing has failed. As with the case of Sgt. John Russell and his guilty plea for killing five service members at Camp Liberty Stress Clinic in Baghdad Iraq.
Russell had sought help for PTSD. "As part of last month's plea agreement, Russell described to the court how he killed Navy Cmdr. Charles Springle, Army Maj. Matthew Houseal, Sgt. Christian Bueno-Galdos, Spec. Jacob Barton and Pfc. Michael Yates Jr." What this guilty plea did was remove accountability from the military itself.
Two high profile murder cases, two guilty pleas and no one taking any responsibility for either of these cases no matter what led to them happening in the first place. Soldiers do not turn into murderers for no reason at all. Both of these soldiers sought help for what combat was doing to them.
Afghanistan veteran accused of stabbing policeman to remain in custody. Another case from Texas, "Sgt. Paul Sasse arrived at Fort Carson in February in a uniform glistening with decorations from three combat tours: five medals for heroism, four for excellence, three for good conduct and one for nearly getting killed in Iraq. The 32-year-old Special Forces soldier also wore shackles. He was facing court-martial for assaulting his wife and two military police officers. Sasse had been sitting in solitary confinement at the El Paso County jail for months without military charge and had been brought to the Colorado Springs Army post to be arraigned. "I just need someone to help me," he said, reaching with bound hands to show a Gazette reporter his medical files." Another case of a Veteran with PTSD sent to VA after police standoff.
There are so many cases that are not high profile but happen all over the country. No one is held accountable except for the soldier accused of committing the crimes.
When Vietnam veterans came home the only time people read about them was when one of them ended up arrested for something and the headline made sure to mention it was a Vietnam Veteran involved. The only impression of veterans people had came from those headlines. They were put on trial, convicted and sent to jail with the same thing this generation of veterans are treated for under the supervision of a judge after appearing in Veterans Court.
What is the responsibility of the military? Veterans should be treated fairly in court but they should be treated properly before it gets to the point where they are charged with committing crimes. Can all crimes be prevented? No and we see that when hearings in Congress continue without much change to prevent sexual assaults in the military. The issue is the military does a great job talking about how they have changed but when they do not accept responsibility, the public will just blame the veterans instead of the system that let them down. Who is in charge and being held accountable for what is going on?
Monday, June 3, 2013
Fort Hood "accused" shooter will question victims?
Fort Hood shooting suspect will use 'defense of others' in own trial
By ANGELA K. BROWN
The Associated Press
Published: June 3, 2013
FORT HOOD, Texas -- The Army psychiatrist charged in the deadly 2009 Fort Hood rampage hinted Monday that he would try to justify the attack, revealing for the first time his defense strategy after a military judge said he could represent himself - and question the soldiers he is accused of shooting - during his upcoming trial.
Maj. Nidal Hasan did not elaborate when announcing he would use a "defense of others" strategy, which requires defendants to prove they were protecting other people from imminent danger. Military experts speculated that Hasan may argue he was protecting fellow Muslims in Afghanistan because soldiers were preparing to deploy from the Texas Army post.
Hasan also asked the military judge, Col. Tara Osborn, for a three-month delay to prepare his defense. The judge said she would decide that issue Tuesday, a day before jury selection was scheduled to begin.
Retired Staff Sgt. Alonzo Lunsford, who was shot seven times during the rampage in November 2009, said Monday he was upset and angry the judge was allowing Hasan the ability to question the wounded soldiers. Lunsford said he expects Hasan to try to intimidate them through mind games.
"It's a battle of wits, and he's going to lose," said Lunsford, who lost most of the sight in his left eye in the attack. "I was there. I saw what this man did. I'm living proof of what he did, but I survived. ... I'm not going to show any fear."
read more here
By ANGELA K. BROWN
The Associated Press
Published: June 3, 2013
FORT HOOD, Texas -- The Army psychiatrist charged in the deadly 2009 Fort Hood rampage hinted Monday that he would try to justify the attack, revealing for the first time his defense strategy after a military judge said he could represent himself - and question the soldiers he is accused of shooting - during his upcoming trial.
Maj. Nidal Hasan did not elaborate when announcing he would use a "defense of others" strategy, which requires defendants to prove they were protecting other people from imminent danger. Military experts speculated that Hasan may argue he was protecting fellow Muslims in Afghanistan because soldiers were preparing to deploy from the Texas Army post.
Hasan also asked the military judge, Col. Tara Osborn, for a three-month delay to prepare his defense. The judge said she would decide that issue Tuesday, a day before jury selection was scheduled to begin.
Retired Staff Sgt. Alonzo Lunsford, who was shot seven times during the rampage in November 2009, said Monday he was upset and angry the judge was allowing Hasan the ability to question the wounded soldiers. Lunsford said he expects Hasan to try to intimidate them through mind games.
"It's a battle of wits, and he's going to lose," said Lunsford, who lost most of the sight in his left eye in the attack. "I was there. I saw what this man did. I'm living proof of what he did, but I survived. ... I'm not going to show any fear."
read more here
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Vietnam Vet acquitted of killing wife's lover celebrates at Waffle House in Florida
Add this to strange news out of Florida!
Elderly Veteran Catches Young Wife Cheating; Shoots, Kills Her Lover
(VIDEO)
6/01/13
by Chris Mandia
Guns.com
The 70-year-old Vietnam veteran from Brandon, Florida, who confessed to killing another man after finding him having sex with his wife, has been acquitted of any wrongdoing.
Ralph Lewis Wald called 911 on March 21 and calmly told a dispatcher he shot 32-year-old Walter Lee Conley, whom he’d reportedly caught “fornicating” with his 42-year-old wife Johnna Flores.
When Hillsborough County Sheriffs deputies arrived, Wald explained he’d woken up for a late-night drink from the kitchen when he saw the lovers having sex in his living room. He returned to his room, grabbed a gun and shot Conley several times.
“Because my husband puts me first, he’s taking me to the Waffle House,” said Flores.read more here
Friday, May 31, 2013
Army admits Staff Sgt. Robert Bales given steroids and alcohol
Lawyer: Army plied JBLM soldier behind Afghan massacre with booze, steroids
MyNorthwest.com
BY JOSH KERNS
May 30, 2013
The lawyer for the JBLM soldier accused of massacring 16 villagers during a bloody rampage in Afghanistan says his client suffered post traumatic stress disorder and was on steroids at the time.
Seattle attorney John Henry Browne told CNN Thursday special forces troops "pumped" Sgt. Robert Bales with steroids and alcohol regularly before the March, 2012 rampage.
"Of course nobody forces him to take it but that's how he got it. The Army admits that," Browne said.
read more here
After Staff Sgt. Bales' arrest, military tried to delete him from the Web
Dr. Frank Ochberg talks about Sgt. Robert Bales and the nature of PTSD
Military Scrambles To Limit Malaria Drug Just After Afghanistan Massacre
MyNorthwest.com
BY JOSH KERNS
May 30, 2013
The lawyer for the JBLM soldier accused of massacring 16 villagers during a bloody rampage in Afghanistan says his client suffered post traumatic stress disorder and was on steroids at the time.
Seattle attorney John Henry Browne told CNN Thursday special forces troops "pumped" Sgt. Robert Bales with steroids and alcohol regularly before the March, 2012 rampage.
"Of course nobody forces him to take it but that's how he got it. The Army admits that," Browne said.
read more here
After Staff Sgt. Bales' arrest, military tried to delete him from the Web
Dr. Frank Ochberg talks about Sgt. Robert Bales and the nature of PTSD
Military Scrambles To Limit Malaria Drug Just After Afghanistan Massacre
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Staff Sgt. Bales plea deal could cause retaliation in Afghanistan
This story leaves so many questions. Why did Bales go on the rampage? What medication was he on? There are stories circulating he had PTSD but PTSD does not usually cause anything close to this. There are reports about others committing crimes after being given Mefloquine and the Bales case caused the military so scramble to stop using it after this. There are also reports Bales had TBI and PTSD but so far there have been few answers as to why this happened. Now with troops still in Afghanistan, this plea deal could inflame retaliation against them. There needs to be answers and fast or this could get a lot worse.
Bales to plead guilty in Afghan massacre
Proposed deal would allow Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier to avoid the death penalty.
Seattle Times staff and news services
May 29, 2013
In a proposed deal to avoid the death penalty, Staff Sgt. Robert Bales has agreed to plead guilty to killing 16 Afghans during a March 2012 tour of duty with an Army unit from Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
John Henry Browne said his client has “tremendous remorse” and would enter the plea at a court hearing at the base scheduled for June 5.
“The commanding general (at the base) has approved this so the only thing left is for the judge on the 5th to accept this plea,” Browne said Wednesday.
The Army judge has set aside a day for the plea agreement, and Bales is prepared to talk about the crimes.
Bales, 39, is accused of carrying out the most serious U.S. war crimes to emerge from more than a decade of American military involvement in Afghanistan.
In Afghanistan, the plea deal could inflame tensions. In interviews with The Associated Press in Kandahar in April, relatives of the victims became outraged at the notion Bales might escape the death penalty and even vowed revenge.
“For this one thing, we would kill 100 American soldiers,” said Mohammed Wazir, who had 11 relatives killed that night, including his mother and 2-year-old daughter.
read more here
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Shadows of dishonor cast on the U.S. military
Shadows of dishonor cast on the U.S. military
May 18
BY DONALD BRADLEY AND RICK MONTGOMERY
The Kansas City Star
A military judge last week found Army Sgt. John Russell guilty of gunning down five fellow soldiers at a base in Iraq.
Victims’ family members hugged and wept at the verdict. Russell stood quietly, head down.
Friends and family say he was “combat stressed” by a third tour. “Snapped,” they say. He should have been sent home.
Prosecutors argued that Russell was angry about not getting a mental disability discharge and took out revenge.
What do you think?
Is the respect that America holds for its military — a pride shown Saturday in Armed Forces Day observances — being undercut by acts of mayhem, a growing sexual abuse scandal and a flurry of other misconduct cases grabbing headlines?
Read more here
May 18
BY DONALD BRADLEY AND RICK MONTGOMERY
The Kansas City Star
A military judge last week found Army Sgt. John Russell guilty of gunning down five fellow soldiers at a base in Iraq.
Victims’ family members hugged and wept at the verdict. Russell stood quietly, head down.
Friends and family say he was “combat stressed” by a third tour. “Snapped,” they say. He should have been sent home.
Prosecutors argued that Russell was angry about not getting a mental disability discharge and took out revenge.
What do you think?
Is the respect that America holds for its military — a pride shown Saturday in Armed Forces Day observances — being undercut by acts of mayhem, a growing sexual abuse scandal and a flurry of other misconduct cases grabbing headlines?
Read more here
Friday, May 17, 2013
Sgt. John Russell given life in prison without parole
U.S. soldier sentenced to life in prison for killing comrades in Iraq
By Chelsea J. Carter
CNN
May 16, 2013
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
A judge finds that Sgt. John Russell killed with premeditation
Russell pleaded guilty to the May 2009 killings at Baghdad's Camp Liberty
He opened fire at a combat stress clinic, killing five people
(CNN) -- A U.S. Army sergeant was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without parole for gunning down five fellow service members at a combat stress clinic in Iraq.
The sentence handed down at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, near Tacoma, Washington, came after Sgt. John Russell pleaded guilty to the killings in a deal in which prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty.
Russell pleaded guilty to the May 11, 2009, killings at Baghdad's Camp Liberty, telling a military court last month that he "did it out of rage."
The only question facing the judge, Col. David Conn, was whether Russell committed the slayings with premeditation, which the 48-year-old soldier disputed.
During a brief sentencing hearing, Conn ruled Russell killed with premeditation," meaning the sergeant could not be given a lesser sentence.
As part of last month's plea agreement, Russell described to the court how he killed Navy Cmdr. Charles Springle, Army Maj. Matthew Houseal, Sgt. Christian Bueno-Galdos, Spec. Jacob Barton and Pfc. Michael Yates Jr.
read more here
By Chelsea J. Carter
CNN
May 16, 2013
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
A judge finds that Sgt. John Russell killed with premeditation
Russell pleaded guilty to the May 2009 killings at Baghdad's Camp Liberty
He opened fire at a combat stress clinic, killing five people
(CNN) -- A U.S. Army sergeant was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without parole for gunning down five fellow service members at a combat stress clinic in Iraq.
The sentence handed down at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, near Tacoma, Washington, came after Sgt. John Russell pleaded guilty to the killings in a deal in which prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty.
Russell pleaded guilty to the May 11, 2009, killings at Baghdad's Camp Liberty, telling a military court last month that he "did it out of rage."
The only question facing the judge, Col. David Conn, was whether Russell committed the slayings with premeditation, which the 48-year-old soldier disputed.
During a brief sentencing hearing, Conn ruled Russell killed with premeditation," meaning the sergeant could not be given a lesser sentence.
As part of last month's plea agreement, Russell described to the court how he killed Navy Cmdr. Charles Springle, Army Maj. Matthew Houseal, Sgt. Christian Bueno-Galdos, Spec. Jacob Barton and Pfc. Michael Yates Jr.
read more here
Monday, May 13, 2013
Soldier premeditated killing 5 U.S. troops in Iraq
Judge: Soldier premeditated killing 5 U.S. troops in Iraq
May. 13, 2013
Associated Press
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASH. — A military judge found Army Sgt. John Russell guilty of premeditated murder Monday in the 2009 killings of five fellow service members at a combat stress clinic in Iraq.
Russell now faces a sentencing phase of his court-martial to determine whether he will face life in prison with or without the possibility of release.
The 14-year veteran from Sherman, Texas, had previously pleaded guilty to unpremeditated murder in exchange for prosecutors taking the death penalty off the table. Under the agreement, prosecutors were allowed to try to prove to an Army judge at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state that the killings were premeditated.
read more here
Fate of Sgt. John Russell in hands of judge
May. 13, 2013
Associated Press
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASH. — A military judge found Army Sgt. John Russell guilty of premeditated murder Monday in the 2009 killings of five fellow service members at a combat stress clinic in Iraq.
Russell now faces a sentencing phase of his court-martial to determine whether he will face life in prison with or without the possibility of release.
The 14-year veteran from Sherman, Texas, had previously pleaded guilty to unpremeditated murder in exchange for prosecutors taking the death penalty off the table. Under the agreement, prosecutors were allowed to try to prove to an Army judge at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state that the killings were premeditated.
read more here
Fate of Sgt. John Russell in hands of judge
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Colorado Springs man convicted in slaying of wife
Colorado Springs man convicted in slaying of wife
The Gazette
By Lance Benzel
Published: May 1, 2013
A Colorado Springs man accused of fatally shooting his wife and then trying to pass off her death as a suicide was convicted Tuesday of second-degree murder, the highest charge he had faced.
After a weeklong trial, an El Paso County jury deliberated for just 1+ hours before returning guilty verdicts on all counts against Louis Edward Mamo, 26, in the October 2012 shooting of his then-wife, Karen Mamo.
Karen Mamo, who had planned to leave her husband, was found slain in their bed, with a pistol nearby.
Although Louis Mamo claimed to have discovered her body, Colorado Springs police quickly determined his story didn't add up.
For starters, Karen Mamo was right-handed, but died of a gunshot wound in the left side of her head, and crime scene technicians found no evidence of gunpowder or muzzle-flash injuries commonly seen in point-blank shootings.
Further unraveling the plot, police determined that within hours of his wife's death, Louis Mamo went to a McDonald's and used a laptop computer to research penalties for murder in Colorado.
read more here
The Gazette
By Lance Benzel
Published: May 1, 2013
A Colorado Springs man accused of fatally shooting his wife and then trying to pass off her death as a suicide was convicted Tuesday of second-degree murder, the highest charge he had faced.
After a weeklong trial, an El Paso County jury deliberated for just 1+ hours before returning guilty verdicts on all counts against Louis Edward Mamo, 26, in the October 2012 shooting of his then-wife, Karen Mamo.
Karen Mamo, who had planned to leave her husband, was found slain in their bed, with a pistol nearby.
Although Louis Mamo claimed to have discovered her body, Colorado Springs police quickly determined his story didn't add up.
For starters, Karen Mamo was right-handed, but died of a gunshot wound in the left side of her head, and crime scene technicians found no evidence of gunpowder or muzzle-flash injuries commonly seen in point-blank shootings.
Further unraveling the plot, police determined that within hours of his wife's death, Louis Mamo went to a McDonald's and used a laptop computer to research penalties for murder in Colorado.
read more here
Monday, April 29, 2013
Justice for Fort Hood Victims
Justice for Fort Hood Victims
Apr 18, 2013
Congressman Rooney (FL-17) argues that the decision by the Obama Administration to classify the attacks at Fort Hood as "workplace violence," rather than terrorism, wrongly denies the victims of the attack the Purple Heart and appropriate benefits. During this hearing with Attorney General Eric Holder, held by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Science and Justice, Rooney questions the involvement of the Department of Justice in the Administration's decision.
Congressman Rooney (FL-17) argues that the decision by the Obama Administration to classify the attacks at Fort Hood as "workplace violence," rather than terrorism, wrongly denies the victims of the attack the Purple Heart and appropriate benefits. During this hearing with Attorney General Eric Holder, held by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Science and Justice, Rooney questions the involvement of the Department of Justice in the Administration's decision.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
What kind of justice is this?
What kind of justice is this? When you read what happened on a 3rd tour of duty, you should be asking the same question. Families lost people they love over something that never should have happened.
His father was interviewed by Associated Press in May of 2009.
Army 'broke' soldier held in killings, dad says
Feels military bears some responsibility: 'It shouldn't have happened'
But the military already knew the problems associated with redeployments.
The Washington Post reported this in 2006
Redeployments
But the military also said they had addressed it with "Battlemind" training that every soldier received by 2008. Sgt. John Russell would have been one of them. By 2009 Russell was on his 3rd deployment.
In 2007 it was another soldier.
The killing of Jamie Dean Police in rural Maryland staged a military stakeout and shot a troubled Army vet. As his family plans to sue, they are asking how a soldier being treated for PTSD could be shipped to Iraq.
Spec. Allen Hill had two months between two deployments.
And then there was this report about Combat Stress Clinics
Now John Russell will spend the rest of his life behind bars after pleading guilty. Is this justice? Is this justice for the families?
Was anything done about this report from Army Times?
May 2009
The U.S. military charged the suspect with five counts of murder, and one count of aggravated assault in the killings. Maj. Gen. David Perkins told reporters Tuesday that the charges were filed against Sgt. John M. Russell of the 54th Engineering Battalion based in Bamberg, Germany.
Perkins said the dead included two doctors, one from the Navy and the other from the Army. The other three dead were enlisted personnel.
Sources tell CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier the suspect was on his third tour of Iraq.
A recent Army study found soldiers on their third or fourth deployment are twice as likely to suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Caught early enough, the symptoms including nightmares, sleep disturbances and rollercoaster emotions and hypervigilance, can be treated. But often troops won't ask for help, reports Dozier.
His father was interviewed by Associated Press in May of 2009.
Army 'broke' soldier held in killings, dad says
Feels military bears some responsibility: 'It shouldn't have happened'
Wilburn Russell said Tuesday that 44-year-old Army Sgt. John M. Russell wasn't typically a violent person, but counselors "broke" him before gunfire erupted in a military stress center Monday in Baghdad.
Excerpts of his military record, obtained by The Associated Press, show Sgt. Russell previously did two one-year tours of duty in Iraq, one starting in April 2003 and another in November 2005. The stress of repeat and extended tours is considered a main contributor to mental health problems among troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But the military already knew the problems associated with redeployments.
The Washington Post reported this in 2006
Redeployments
U.S. soldiers serving repeated Iraq deployments are 50 percent more likely than those with one tour to suffer from acute combat stress, raising their risk of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the Army's first survey exploring how today's multiple war-zone rotations affect soldiers' mental health........
But the military also said they had addressed it with "Battlemind" training that every soldier received by 2008. Sgt. John Russell would have been one of them. By 2009 Russell was on his 3rd deployment.
In 2007 it was another soldier.
The killing of Jamie Dean Police in rural Maryland staged a military stakeout and shot a troubled Army vet. As his family plans to sue, they are asking how a soldier being treated for PTSD could be shipped to Iraq.
Spec. Allen Hill had two months between two deployments.
Hill joined the Army in Texas in 1986 at age 18. He was placed at Fort Riley in 1990 and has lived in Kansas since. He fought in the 1991 Persian Gulf War before joining the Army National Guard.
When war again found Iraq, Hill was deployed from August 2005 to November 2006. He deployed again in January 2007 with the 731st Transportation Company out of Larned.
Hill’s unit served as convoy security, where he most often drove the Humvees. That was until Nov. 21, the day before Thanksgiving.
And then there was this report about Combat Stress Clinics
Combat stress unit at center of Iraq slaying trial
Sunday, May 17, 2009
The trial of Pfc. Steven Green may end up explaining part of what was behind Sgt. Russell's action at Camp Liberty's Stress Clinic. If doctors are under pressure to return soldiers back to duty, they are not getting the kind of care the doctors are trying to give them. What good do stress clinics do if the commanders are more interested in getting them back into action instead of being healed enough first before sending them back?
Combat stress unit at center of Iraq slaying trial
By BRETT BARROUQUERE
Associated Press Writer
© 2009 The Associated Press
May 16, 2009, 2:42PM
PADUCAH, Ky. — Pfc. Steven Dale Green held on to his sergeant on the hood of a Humvee as it sped down a road in a doomed effort to save the life of his leader.
Staff Sgt. Phillip Miller, who served in Iraq with Green, has testified the incident pushed the soldier over the edge.
"I call it his breaking point," Miller said.
Eleven days after Sgt. Kenith Casica's death on Dec. 10, 2005, near Mahmoudiya, Iraq, Green sought help from combat stress counselors. Army nurse practitioner Lt. Col. Karen Marrs listened to Green talk about wanting to kill Iraqi civilians, gave him a prescription for sleep medication and sent him back to his unit.
The combat stress unit's actions with Green have become central as defense lawyers try to persaude jurors not to condemn him to death for rape and murder in Iraq. Green was convicted May 7 for the rape and murder of 14-year-old Abeer Qassim al-Janabi and the shooting deaths of her family — an attack that took place three months after Green visited the stress unit.
Now John Russell will spend the rest of his life behind bars after pleading guilty. Is this justice? Is this justice for the families?
Was anything done about this report from Army Times?
The Camp Liberty Combat Stress Center in Baghdad, Iraq, where a soldier is accused of shooting and killing four other soldiers and a Naval officer on May 11, had “numerous physical security deficiencies” that put staff and patients at risk, according to a report released Friday.
Many of the patients seen by the center’s staff are “potentially violent,” according to the AR 15-6 investigation into the shooting. And the report highlighted several problems, among them inadequate locks on the one-story building’s exterior doors, training for staff and storage for weapons.
The investigation also found the 54th Engineer Battalion, the unit to which the accused shooter belongs, did not have formal written policies and procedures in place regarding behavioral health treatment. Instead, the battalion relied heavily on the battalion chaplain’s expertise.
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