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February 9th, 2008 - Schofield Soldier Ordered to Trial

News article by the Honolulu Advertiser

News article by the Honolulu Star Bulletin

Summary of the Al-Saheed/Kirkuk Killings

Schofield Soldier Ordered to Trial

 

By William Cole

The Honolulu Advertiser

February 9, 2008

         

A Schofield Barracks soldier accused of shooting an unarmed Iraqi detainee on a recent deployment will be tried at court-martial on charges including premeditated murder, the Army said yesterday.

 

Sgt. 1st Class Trey Corrales' trial is set for April 22. After reviewing the evidence, Lt. Gen. Benjamin Mixon decided to refer several charges to a general court-martial, the service said in a release.

 

In addition to the premeditated murder charge, Corrales, 35, also faces a charge of wrongfully soliciting another soldier to shoot the Iraqi.

 

Additionally, the San Antonio man is accused of impeding a military investigation by causing an AK-47 rifle to be placed near the victim after he had been shot.

 

Mixon recently moved from commander of the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield to head of U.S. Army Pacific at Fort Shafter.

 

A court-martial date of Feb. 19 previously was set for another Schofield Barracks soldier accused of shooting the Iraqi man after being ordered to do so by Corrales, the Army had said.

 

Spc. Christopher Shore, 25, of Winder, Ga., will face a charge of third-degree murder, defined as an "act inherently dangerous to another," according to the Army.

 

Schofield officials said the charge against Shore is roughly equivalent to a civilian man-slaughter charge. If convicted, Shore faces up to life in prison, but there is no mandatory minimum term.

 

Shore and Corrales are accused of shooting the Iraqi man on June 23 after a raid in the village of al Saheed outside Kirkuk. The soldiers were looking for insurgents planting roadside bombs.

 

The soldiers are with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment.

 

External link: http://tinyurl.com/2j7whu


2 soldiers face trial in death of Iraqi

 

By Gregg K. Kakesako

Honolulu Star Bulletin

February 9, 2008

 

Two Schofield Barracks soldiers will face separate courts-martial this spring on charges that they killed an unarmed Iraqi civilian in June.

 

The Army announced yesterday that Sgt. 1st Class Trey Corrales, 35, will be tried on April 22. Corrales faces the maximum penalty of a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

 

Earlier, the Army said Spc. Christopher Shore, 25, will face a court-martial on Feb. 19. Shore initially was charged with murder of the same civilian, but that charge was reduced to manslaughter by Lt. Gen. Benjamin Mixon. It carries a maximum penalty of life in prison with the possibility of parole.

 

Mixon decided that Corrales would not have to face the death penalty if convicted, and added two more charges on Corrales: ordering Shore to shoot the wounded Iraqi civilian, and impeding the criminal investigation by allegedly planting an AK-47 rifle near the victim after he was shot.

 

Both Shore and Corrales were scouts with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, which returned to Schofield Barracks in October after 15 months in Iraq.

 

In a pretrial hearing last year, Shore's attorney said that platoon leader Corrales shot the civilian, suspected to be an insurgent bomb-maker, during an early-morning raid near Kirkuk and ordered Shore to finish him off. Shore said he fired his weapon to placate Corrales but purposely missed.

 

Col. Donna Wright will preside over the two courts-martial.

 

Shore will be represented by civilian attorney Michael Waddington and a military lawyer, Maj. Javier Rivera.

 

Corrales will be represented by civilian attorney Frank Spinner and Capt. Sashoa Rutizer.

 

Army Capts. Laura O'Donnell and J.P. Leary will prosecute both cases.

 

The two courts-martial will be held in the Wheeler Army Air Field courthouse.

 

External link: http://starbulletin.com/2008/02/09/news/story11.html

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