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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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June 22nd,
2008 - Marine Convicted of Murder Sent to Leavenworth Prison |
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Marine Convicted of Murder Sent
to Leavenworth Prison By Tony Perry Los Angeles Times June 22, 2008 Pvt. Lawrence Hutchins,
convicted as the ringleader in the execution of an unarmed Iraqi by a squad
of Marines, has been transferred from the brig at Camp Pendleton to the
military's only maximum-security prison, at Ft. Leavenworth, Kan. Hutchins, 24, of Plymouth,
Mass., is serving an 11-year sentence for conspiracy and unpremeditated
murder for the April 2006 killing in Hamandiya, west of Baghdad. A military jury found that
Hutchins, who was then a squad leader and sergeant, organized and led the
unofficial mission to kill an Iraqi as a warning to insurgents to stop
attacking Marine convoys. Six other Marines and a Navy
corpsman were convicted in the case; all served less than two years and are
now free. One of the Marines is back in Iraq. Hutchins' transfer was first
reported on a MySpace page devoted to his defense, including pictures,
videos, poetry, country-Western music and a plea for donations to help pay
legal bills. The move was later confirmed by the North (San Diego) County
Times. The military jury that
convicted Hutchins sentenced him to 15 years and a dishonorable discharge.
Lt. Gen. Samuel Helland, commanding general of Marine Forces Central Command,
turned down pleas from Hutchins' family to issue a pardon but did reduce the
sentence to 11 years. The case is on appeal. Even
if the appeal fails, Hutchins will probably only serve a portion of the 11
years, if the military follows the pattern set during the Vietnam War for
service personnel convicted of similar offenses. External link: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2008/06/iraq-marine-con.html |