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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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October 31st, 2006 - Marine Facing
Murder Charge Makes Plea Deal |
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Marine Facing Murder Charge Makes
Plea Deal Tracy man, who is one of eight service members accused of killing an
Iraqi man in April, will plead guilty to lesser charges By Thomas Watkins Associated Press Tue, Oct. 31, 2006 San Diego - A Tracy Marine
charged with kidnapping and murdering an Iraqi man has agreed to plead guilty
to lesser charges, his attorney said Monday. Thomas Watt, attorney for Lance
Cpl. Tyler Jackson, declined to discuss details of the agreement but
confirmed that a deal has been reached and that his client is due in court
next week to plead guilty to some charges. Jackson, 23, is the third
service member to have made a plea deal in the case, in which seven Camp
Pendleton-based Marines and a Navy corpsman were charged with murdering
52-year-old Hashim Ibrahim Awad. Though she did not know much
about the details of the settlement, Jackson family friend Sarah Barringer -
part of the Friends of Tyler Jackson local support group - said that she
stands behind his decision. "I'm sure it was a
decision that wasn't made lightly, but we're supportive of him," she
said. "Whatever he decided to do, we're behind him 100 percent." Barringer and her husband,
Brian, set into motion a series of grass-roots fundraisers for his defense. "I can't even imagine
what he's been going through in the brick for those months, but we love him
and our thoughts and prayers are with him," she said. Last week, another Marine,
Pfc. John Jodka III, pleaded guilty to assault and conspiracy to obstruct
justice. The first to make a deal was
Petty Officer 3rd Class Melson Bacos, a Navy corpsman on patrol with the
Marines. He pleaded guilty to kidnapping and conspiracy. A Marine Corps spokeswoman,
Capt. Amy Malugani, declined to comment on Jackson's case. At their courts-martial,
Jodka and Bacos testified about the death. In return, prosecutors dropped
murder and other charges against them. Bacos was sentenced to one
year in prison; Jodka's sentencing is set for Nov. 15. Bacos said the squad entered
the Iraqi town of Hamdania on April 26 while searching for a known insurgent
who had been captured three times, then released. The group approached a house
where the insurgent was believed to be hiding, but when someone inside woke
up, the Marines instead went to another home and grabbed Awad. Bacos said the squad took
Awad to a roadside hole and shot him before planting a shovel and AK-47 with
him to make it appear he was an insurgent planting a bomb. Jodka said he and
other Marines shot at Awad. Both Jodka and Bacos singled
out their squad leader, Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins, as hatching a plan to kidnap
an insurgent. Hutchins' attorney, Rich Brannon, has said he did not believe
Hutchins did anything wrong. © 2006 ContraCostaTimes.com
and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. External link:
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/state/15891607.htm |