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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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January 22nd,
2008 - Wife of Local Soldier Charged with Murder Will Testify in Iraq |
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Wife of Local Soldier
Charged with Murder Will Testify in Iraq By Andrew Del Greco KPVI.com January 22, 2008 A date is now set in the
murder trial of a St. Anthony native and Rigby High School graduate charged
with the premeditated murder of an Iraqi civilian. The case has received
national attention. The charges stem from last
year, during one of Sergeant Evan Vela Carnahan's sniper missions as a U.S.
Army Ranger. The trial will begin
February 8th. Alyssa Carnahan and her father-in-law, Curtis Carnahan, will
travel to Baghdad as character witnesses. In fact, she will be the first
civilian wife ever to testify in Iraq, at a soldier's trial, according to
Carnahan's lawyers. The government says Sgt.
Vela Carnahan purposely shot and killed an Iraqi who was not an insurgent.
Carnahan says he was following orders from superiors. His legal team was recently
denied motions to allow him out of confinement, or to move his trial to the
United States. But lawyers are allowed an expert witness to talk about Evan's
post traumatic stress disorder, which they say stems from his sleep
deprivation on sniper missions. Alyssa Carnahan will be
leaving her 10 month-old daughter for the first time, to testify that Evan is
a good man, incapable of violence. Alyssa Carnahan: "Our
little boy would always ask when his dad was coming home. Why his dad wasn't
home with the rest of soldiers that were back? That's probably been the
hardest part for me, trying to explain to the kids why dad isn't home
yet." Two other soldiers charged
with similar crimes were acquitted last year. Carnahan's lawyers feel very
confident about their chances, but the family says it's had to mortgage their
home, and has little money left after paying for the top notch legal team. External link: http://www.kpvi.com/Global/story.asp?S=7753438 |