Washington state soldier faces 17 murder counts in Afghan shooting rampage

  • The Associated Press
  • Friday, March 23, 2012 12:12pm
  • News

The Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan — U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales was charged today with 17 counts of premeditated murder, a capital offense that could lead to the death penalty in the massacre of Afghan civilians, the U.S. military said.

The 38-year-old soldier is accused of walking off a U.S. military base with his 9mm pistol and M-4 rifle, which was outfitted with a grenade launcher, before dawn on March 11, killing nine Afghan children and eight adults and burning some of the bodies. It was the worst allegation of civilian killings by an American and has severely strained U.S.-Afghan ties at a critical time in the decade-old war.

It’s unclear what prompted the killings, but the case has drawn new attention to the debate over mental health care for the troops, who have experienced record suicide rates and high incidences of post-traumatic stress and brain injuries during repeated deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Six other Afghans — a man, a woman and four children — were wounded in Panjwai district of Kandahar province, the spiritual birthplace of the Taliban. Bales also was charged with six counts of attempted murder and six counts of assault in those cases, according to Col. Gary Kolb, a spokesman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan who disclosed information from the charging document.

Bales, a father of two from Lake Tapps in Pierce County, was officially informed of the 29 charges just before noon local time at the U.S. military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., where he is confined.

His civilian attorney, John Henry Browne, said today that he believes the government will have a hard time proving its case and that his client’s mental state will be an important issue. Bales was on his fourth tour of duty, having served three tours in Iraq, where he suffered head and foot injuries.

The decision to charge him with premeditated murder suggests that prosecutors plan to argue that he consciously conceived the killings. A military legal official for U.S. forces in Afghanistan who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the case, noted that premeditated murder is not something that has to have been contemplated for a long time.

See “AP News” under the “Nation/World” dropdown at the top for the latest developments.

More in News

Students from Mutsu City, Japan, and Port Angeles sit in a Stevens Middle School classroom eating lunch before the culture fair on Tuesday. To pass the time, they decided to have a drawing contest between themselves. (Rob Edwards)
Japanese students visit Port Angeles as part of sister city program

Mutsu students tour area’s landmarks, stay with host families

Jefferson PUD picks search firm for general manager

Commissioners select national co-op association

Port of Port Townsend hopes to sell the Elmore

First step will be to have the vessel inspected

f
Readers break $100K in donations to Home Fund

Donations can be made for community grants this spring

Threat against Port Angeles high school resolved, school district says

Principal credits partnerships with law enforcement agencies

Man flown to hospital after log truck rolls over

A Hoquiam man was airlifted to a Seattle hospital after… Continue reading

Increased police presence expected at Port Angeles High School on Friday

An increased police presence is expected at Port Angeles… Continue reading

Clallam County Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Stanley is sworn in by Judge Simon Barnhart on Thursday at the Clallam County Courthouse. Stanley, elected in November to Position 1, takes the role left by Judge Lauren Erickson, who retired. Barnhart and Judge Brent Basden also were elected in November. All three ran unopposed. (Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News)
Judge sworn in

Clallam County Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Stanley is sworn in by Judge… Continue reading

Clallam trending toward more blue

Most precincts supported Harris in 2024

Landon Smith, 19, is waiting for a heart transplant at Children’s Hospital of Seattle. (Michelle Smith)
Teenager awaits heart transplant in Seattle

Being in the hospital increases his chances, mom says

Port, Lower Elwha approve agreement

Land exchange contains three stormwater ponds for infrastructure

You're browsing in private mode.
Please sign in or subscribe to continue reading articles in this mode.

Peninsula Daily News relies on subscription revenue to provide local content for our readers.

Subscribe

Already a subscriber? Please sign in