2 Soldiers Face Trial In Death Of Iraqi

Team Infidel

Forum Spin Doctor
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
February 9, 2008 By Gregg K. Kakesako
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.
 
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