Conspiracy charge dropped against 1st ID sgt.

[unhappycamper]

Conspiracy charge dropped against 1st ID sgt.
By George Frey - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Feb 24, 2009 15:45:52 EST

FRANKFURT — The Army said Tuesday it has dropped a conspiracy to commit premeditated murder charge against an American soldier accused of taking part in the killing of four blindfolded Iraqi detainees in Baghdad.

The Army said in a short statement that Sgt. Charles Quigley, 28, of Providence, Rhode Island, will no longer be prosecuted on that charge. It said the decision was based on evidence that emerged in a trial last week against a fellow soldier involved in the killings.

“Sgt. Quigley still faces nonjudicial punishment for his failure to report the incident after it occurred,” the Army said.

After a shootout with the soldiers’ unit sometime between March 10 and April 16, 2007, four Iraqi prisoners were taken to the unit’s operating base in Baghdad for questioning and processing, although there wasn’t enough evidence to hold them for the attack.

Later that night, patrol members took the Iraqis — bound and blindfolded — to a remote area and fatally shot them in retribution for the attacks against the unit, according to testimony from hearings and trials since last summer. According to testimony, the bodies, which have never been recovered, were dumped into a canal.


Rest of article at: http://armytimes.com/news/2009/02/ap_quigley_charge_dropped_022409/%2e