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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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January 24th,
2008 - Sergeant to Be Tried in Iraqi’s Death |
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Sergeant to Be Tried in
Iraqi’s Death By Angela K. Brown Associated Press January 24, 2008 Fort Worth, Texas - An Army
sergeant accused of shooting a badly wounded and unarmed Iraqi insurgent in
the stomach, then ordering a medic to suffocate him before fatally shooting
him in the head will be tried in military court, his attorney said Thursday. The decision to try Sgt.
Leonardo Trevino on murder and other charges comes a month after his Article
32 hearing, which is similar to a civilian grand jury. "Just a fraction of
information in this case" has been heard, his attorney Richard V.
Stevens told The Associated Press. "The issues are far from over." The case was referred to
court-martial on Jan. 10, Stevens said, although Fort Hood officials the past
two weeks said no decision had been made about whether Trevino would go to
trial. Fort Hood officials did not immediately return calls seeking comment
on Thursday. Trevino, 30, of San Antonio,
remains in pretrial confinement at the Bell County Jail, Stevens said. The charges stem from a June
night in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, when Trevino's "small kill team" went to
a dangerous neighborhood where insurgents were reportedly making improvised
explosive devices. After killing one of three
insurgents in a gun battle, the soldiers followed a blood trail into a house
where one of the wounded lay crying and bleeding, according to testimony at
the December hearing. The insurgent, who had about two dozen gunshot wounds,
was not armed, according to a soldier's testimony. Trevino is charged with
attempted premeditated murder for allegedly shooting the Iraqi in the abdomen,
a nonfatal wound, and with soliciting murder for reportedly telling an Army
medic to suffocate the man. Trevino is charged with premeditated murder for
allegedly then shooting the insurgent in the head, killing him. Trevino also is charged with
impeding the investigation. He's accused of telling a soldier to drop a gun
by the Iraqi's body, instructing troops to say the man was armed and lying to
his superior by saying the man had a gun. Stevens said no trial date
has been set but that the government first wants to try two other soldiers
charged in the case. The medic, Spc. John Torres,
has been charged with attempted premeditated murder and with dereliction of
duty for failing to provide aid. Cpl. Justin Whiteman, who
allegedly placed the pistol by the insurgent's body, has been charged with
accessory to attempted premeditated murder and with dereliction of duty for
failing to provide aid. Whiteman also is charged with dereliction of duty for
violating a law of war after he allegedly shot the dead insurgent's body in
the street after the gun battle. Because Fort Hood officials
did not respond to calls seeking comment, The Associated Press was unable to
get the names of attorneys for Torres and Whiteman. © 2008 The Associated Press External link: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/5484137.html |