Army to seek death penalty for U.S. soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan villagers
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/12/19/army-to-seek-death-penalty-for-u-s-soldier-accused-of-killing-16-afghan-villagers/
Army to seek death penalty for U.S. soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan villagers
By Agence France-Presse
Wednesday, December 19, 2012 14:39 EST
Military prosecutors will seek the death penalty for a US soldier accused of killing 16 villagers in southern Afghanistan in March, an army spokesman said Wednesday.
Staff Sergeant Robert Bales is to face a full court martial authorized to sentence him to a maximum penalty of death, the military decided after preliminary hearings last month.
This decision was made after reviewing the Article 32 report of investigation, said a statement from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, referring to the report compiled from last years so-called Article 32 hearings.
The government will seek the death penalty, base spokesman Gary Dangerfield told AFP. No trial date has been set.